Just Something Small

You’ve heard it said so many times, “it’s the small things that count”. At other times it’s, “The best things come in small packages”.  For a young child, that doesn’t cut it. Just for a minute, follow my thought process. If you didn’t know it by now, Christmas is coming and I have a challenge for everyone. It might be difficult on many levels but at least try.
First let me say it may be difficult to find some meaningful gift that is small and appropriate. Let me reassure you they are there. Just the other day I found something I know someone can use. It’s small and can go in a nicely wrapped box.
The second thing I am encouraging you to do is not to go into a big box store to find it. Yes, going into those stores and one stop shopping sure makes life easy. But should I ask, are those you are buying for deserving of your commitment to find just the right thing? Just thought I would ask. There are so many places you can get things.  Like my grandson, I can go into any store that sells staple goods and buy him a large jar of Kraft peanut butter. To him, that’s good.
The third thing I would like you to do is to do it by only spending no more than ten dollars. No, you can not go to the dollar store.  Not that they don’t have great stocking stuffers. This may take some thinking but think about it before you go out the door to shop.
A number of years ago, my daughter bought me a lawn ornament that read, “Angels gather here”. It is one of my all time favourite gifts. It might have something to do with knowing they do gather here, but more than that, the realization of that phrase can change a life. While on holidays this fall, I was in a small Christian bookstore and found a Christmas tree ornament that said the same thing. Now, I have something inside on the tree to remind me God sends His angels to watch over me.
So there you have it. A challenge to be sure. Possible? Absolutely! So, take some time to get that perfect small gift. God said that if we search for it we will find it. He may have been referring to faith, but the Wise Men went searching, and they found that small bundle of heavenly joy, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Something to think about.
Rob   

Hibernating

Recently I read an article that suggested that we humans should take a lesson from some animals and hibernate in the winter. That statement had me thinking about what that would mean.  For some, it might mean giving up our jobs and stay home. Close the door from the inside and just, well, you know. Okay, it doesn’t have to be so dynamic. We can just stay inside out of the cold every chance we get.

How many times have you woken up to the alarm clock and said to yourself, ‘self, these covers are so nice and warm.’  How many times have you wanted to just stay where you are and let the world continue along on its own merry way without us. Yes, me to. At one time in my life I jumped out of bed and started my day racing head on into what was coming at me and just, shall I say it, I Seized the Day. I’m human everyone, and in the winter, right now as the wind howls outside, it feels so wonderful to hunker down and stay on the right side of the glass.

If this fellow is right, and I’m assuming he is, then winter can be a wonderful time to stay inside and just take things slower. Might be a great time to get home from work as the sun sets way too early, sit in the comfy chair with a large mug of hot chocolate, and read a good book. . .

And maybe that book could/should be The Good Book. Did you know that Bible is the Greek word for BOOK? You see, even if we are like those other animals, spring will be here soon and Jesus said in the BOOK, in Matt 28, GO! Hibernate, read the Book and prepare to GO.

Something to think about.

Rob

please

When I was real young I began to learn words that would change my life. My wonderful parents gently prodded me and I’m assuming everyone experienced this, to use the “magic words”.  The first one was easy, ‘please’.  It doesn’t take long for most children to realize that if you use this one word, things are much easier when you ask for something. Unfortunately life didn’t stay that simple did it? Those selfsame parents quickly added other words like ‘Thank you’. I quickly realized these words also worked their magic.

Strange how three little words could change our lives completely; especially when our parents held firm, if we didn’t use them nothing would happen. When it was my turn to teach my children, they went through the same training and yes, they now have passed it on to their children.

Life never stayed simple. As we grew and matured, we learned a few more important words. They were words that also changed our lives. Still do. Here are a few of the other words we learned that changed our lives; ‘sorry’, ‘yes’, ‘I love you’. We each have a special word that comes to mind.  Now, we are grown adults and our short phrases or singular words have changed once more. We use things like, ‘Can I help?’, ‘Thank you very much’, ‘How’s your day?’ and even, ‘We’re proud of you’.

The best ones were always the ones we really meant. Do you remember being told (forced) to say to someone that you were sorry? Mom would have us stand there and sternly say, “Go ahead, say you’re sorry!” But you never meant it. Today, many of us realize not just how important those words and phrases were and are, but how significant they are in our lives. Sometimes they make our day, and other times they are all we need to hear. And, we not only use them with each other but we also say them to God.

These words are important when we talk to God. We say we are sorry when we realize we are not living up to His ideal for our lives. When we realize our lives are wonderful, meaningful and amazing we turn to Him and say, ‘Thank you.’ There are even times when we cry out to Him through tears and plead, ‘please!’. Here’s the deal, God wants nothing but the best for us. I imagine that He is there, close by us and smiling when we come to Him and say, please and thank you. Even more so when we say, ‘Lord, I love you.’ Have you taken the time lately to tell Him?

Something to think about

Rob

Leaving A Mark On A Heart

They tell us that any time we do renovations; we will almost always be greeted with unexpected issues. When we decided to do some renovations we also decided to gut the room. Surprises, yes, but good ones to. What good came out of that exercise was what we found in the walls. I always hoped to find something that someone either decided to stash there or just happened to drop something and never took it back out.  We were not disappointed. I remember buying a brand new Ford back in 1974 and having to take the carpet up due to something under the carpet.  There we found 24 nut bold and screws.

What we found in the house told us about those who had been here so many years before. An old post card addressed to a former resident, an empty envelop and two name of former residents. Someone to remember and someone left their stamp on the house. Made you think of how they lived their lives surrounded by these walls. At one point, between two layers of wallpaper we found the date it was covered over with the second layer of paper.

When we put our rooms back together we put all those items in an envelope along with a note to say who we were, what year we did the renovation and, yes, something extra, a complete set of coins for that year.

Made me think, of what are you leaving behind? Will someone remember you? Important to realize that it’s what you leave behind in people’s hearts that lives long after we have moved on. It’s what you and I did with the renovation of their heart when we helped turn their hearts to the God you know and love.  Sharing our faith with someone else will imprint our name in their thankful hearts forever.

Something to think about

Rob