I WON!!!

I WON!!! For years, many of us dream about winning. We pick the numbers, birthdates or the like, or did a quick pick and we put our money down wishing to win “The BIG one”. We dream of it and the anticipation sometimes rises as the lottery winning amount increases.  Just so you know, we have a far greater chance here in Canada to win the lottery then our friends south of the border. Well, that’s what they want us to believe.

And that is when the dreams start. What could I do with that amount of money? Statistics also tell us that the people who win the big ones are usually back to where they were financially within 7 and 9 years.  But back to the dreaming. Here is your line and mine, “If I had a million dollars, I would . . .” The Lottery Corporation keeps that dream alive by buying advertising everywhere. Not many places in this country where you don’t see some form of advertisement for 649 or LottoMax.

But I WON!! Look at the faces of those who have won. You can see the excitement in their eyes; you can hear it in their voices. I have yet to hear someone step up to the microphone and say, “Yes, I did win this prize, (Yawn) and it’s nice.” Winners are excited. Go to take your winning ticket in, even if it’s just a free ticket, and that machine plays a special tune for you and calls you a – ready for it, - “Winner – Gagnants”. Isn’t that special?

And I Won! Makes me wonder, do millionaires buy tickets? I don’t think they accumulated their millions by giving more money to the government than they need to.  No, I think most millionaires worked and saved to become millionaires. But wouldn’t it be wonderful to be included in that list of people? Weekly the dream is kept alive.

I WON more than I will ever be able to appreciate. No, I didn’t win the lottery. What I do have is an inheritance none of us could ever imagine. When God called our name, we were adopted by God. We are the child of the KING. And as His child we inherited the cattle on a thousand hills. We hear the truth of God riches as David so beautifully writes for us, “I shall not want”.   But more than that, the most amazing wealth we have here is to live as His child, to receive blessings from God, and to realize, there is nothing in this world that will compare to the riches of glory. And I wonder. Have you ever seen the look on people’s faces as they go into church or come out…? What's with that? WE HAVE WON IN CHRIST! He has won the victory over death. And he shares it with us. Need I ask? What expression will He see on our faces when we arrive home to heaven?

Something to think about

Rob

Now Don't Forget!

You are not alone. Everyone does it you know.   Yes, each and every one of us forgets.  We joke about it being a senior’s moment, or something like that. But let me reassure you, you are not alone. I remember telling my kids so many times to clean up their mess to which they reply, “Sorry, I forgot” And when they reached those teen years, well. . . I think they heard me every time but used one of two lines, “I didn’t hear you” or, are you ready for it, “I forgot.” It doesn’t matter how old you are or how young you might be, it’s a chronic problem we all suffer from. 

There are many different ways to forget. I want you also to know that forgetting can have a positive side as well. It can mean we have some wonderful times of rest and relaxation when we forget about all the stuff in life that we think we have to do and have to get done and have to, have to, have to. Like dusting. When I get to heaven I want to ask God, “why all that dust?” Someone once said that dust is there just so men know where to put things back. Don’t know, but one day I will.  Here is another one, - we say we forgot but in actuality, we didn’t forget we just didn’t want to do that thing we forgot. Ouch.  For me, my greatest fear is to forget about a wedding I booked a year ago and never heard from the couple again until I get this phone call saying, “Pastor, we’re ready. Where are you?” AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA… 

Another place we forget is after learning how to do something. A day or so later we realize that it went in one ear and out the other. My dad taught me many things about wood working. Loved to spend time with him and just listen and learn. Only problem is, I forgot. Taught me how to lay out staircase runners. Forgot. Showed my how to cut dados. Forgot. Many things I forgot due to not following the formula.  "Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand." And that’s the truth.

A while ago I was asked to teach someone something on the computer. Let me just say, it was something simple because I knew how to do it. The first thing I did was get up off the computer chair and let them sit there and follow my instructions. That person did all three things, listened, saw and did. They, or should I say we, need to learn by doing, helps us remember how to do it again and again.

It's not just about forgetting something, why you came upstairs, or how to do it again. It's trusting in a God who knows everything and in many cases, just leaving it to Him.  We all forget. But not God. He never forgets. EXCEPT in what we read in Heb 8:12, “He will remember their sins no more.”

Something to think about.

Rob

Finishing What We Start

Do you get any daily exercise? Lots of people do you know.  I used to go 5 times a week but over the years, life has changed and I only get there two maybe three times a week.  Love to go but it has to do with time now.
Some people love exercise. As they tell me, they can watch it all day long. I enjoy it.  Probably because it’s a stress release for me. It relaxes me. It could also be that it’s an individual sport. If you can call it a sport. I’m not a team sport fan. Just love to see one person conqueror their next plateau. Compete one on one. Or just as the commercial told us last year, beating their own best effort.
Maybe that’s what it’s all about. I thought of that a few times lately. Seems like almost every time I drive out to my brothers I see this one lady walking along very quickly with weights in each hand going along and along and along. If you didn’t know, my brother lives in the country. So this lady, if she goes around one block, it’s close to four miles.  Four long miles with step after step and lifting the weights with every second step.  Now that’s commitment. No, she is not nuts. She look very average. And she does not stop.
I tip my hat to her because every time she steps off her driveway and starts out, she knows what’s in front of her.  Not like me when I say I will go around the block and put a child’s building block on the floor and walk around it.
In her own way, she is just like the marathon runner, they know what’s ahead and they go anyway. These people go the distance. When they start, they are determined to never turn around. It’s all or nothing.
And I wonder about myself. The Christian life is not for sissies. The  writer of Hebrews put it this way: Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us . . ."  There are two books by Bob Buford in the last year or so both called, Finishing Well. It’s about finishing this Christian life well, and that’s my plan and my goal, how about you?
Something to think about.
Rob

Just A Little Trim.

Every Tuesday I have the pleasure of visiting the elderly at a nursing home in our area.  Most of my time is spent going from room to room and just sitting talking with individuals. In most cases, they are wonderful visits. I take this time to try and brighten their spirits and almost always, I do so by just listening.
They love to talk and I get to know them and who they are and what they are all about. They even tell me of their aches and pains. Many times their faces light up as they tell me who has been in to visit them this last week and what they learned about their family or friends. Other times they talk about the struggles of life. During those moments, I ask about their past. It's a way of getting their minds off what’s going on at this time in their life. And they love that.
That’s my visit with the individuals. I also go and sit with a group of ladies at what is called, “Knit & Chat.” It can be six to ten ladies knitting away together. As they talk, they drink tea and eat a cookie or two. Just a nice group doing something for someone else. You see, they spend their time knitting squares. Those squares are made out of left over wool donated to them. These ladies take that wool, knit the squares which are joined together into a very, VERY colourful blankets. Those blankets are then donated to charity. Even as seniors, they still see they have something to offer. Something to contribute in life to those less fortunate then themselves.
As we talk and I watch them, I have noticed that some of the squares are not exactly perfect. Many times they finish one ball of wool part way through knitting a square.  So, they pick up another orphan ball and continue on in the middle of the square. 
You will know where this happens by a tail hanging down. Maybe this sort of thing happens in each of our lives as well. After all, none of us are perfect. With this almost finished square, one of the volunteers, I’ll call her Phyllis, because that’s her name, takes the square and with needle in hand, tucks in the loose thread. Beautiful!
For each one of us, this also happens in our lives. With all the loose ends hanging down, Christ comes along and tucks in the loose strings. He fixes the imperfections while we continue to walk through life in His presence. We become a new creature, a new creation. We read about that in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”    We just have to let Him do His finishing work in us.
Something to think about.
Rob

That Little Old Watchmaker . . .

I’ve had a real interest in mechanical clocks and watches for a long time. No battery operated one for this wrist. They fascinate me and I collect them and appreciate the workmanship that goes into each one.  Some are so small you have to use a magnifying glass that is 10 times normal vision.  And it’s amazing to look at the smallest detail. 
I go and visit my watchmaker as often as time permits for either of us.  One such visit he opened a very small plastic box just to show me the smallest screws that he has for doing repairs on dainty women’s watches.  With the naked eye they look like grains of pepper. So, so small. These are just some of the things he has shown me over the years since we have known each other. 
Recently I have asked him to teach me some of what he knows. He agreed and suggested that I not start with the pepper screws. So, here I am sitting in front of the works of an old clock. As we looked at it, he showed me what I needed to look for. Then he handed me the glasses and I started to notice the things he was talking about. I noticed weaknesses and I even noticed fine bits of dirt. And that is what he wanted me to see. 
Over a few months he taught me to look for the two primary reasons clocks stop working. And for you out there that think a clock or watch is over wound, it’s not.  Something else is the problem.
So, what are these two culprits?  The first is the dirt I mentioned already and the second, are you ready? The clock doesn’t run because it is not sitting on a level surface. With this information in mind, Val handed me “the book.”  It is a manual for clock repair. The book starts out innocently enough by talking about dirt and level. Now, I think I have these two figured out. 
Two bad we don’t have them figured out in our lives. As we go to THE watchmaker, we need to go to Him who formed us in our mother’s womb. He can clean out the sin and dirt in our lives and by checking with Jesus, He can set us on the straight and narrow. He made us and He knows what we need to work as He always intended. It would help if we just read the book. Mines open, how about you?
And that my friend is something to think about.
Rob