QUIET!!!

I remember one word that was called to me quite often in school, ‘Quit’. It was usually directed at me more than the other students. Don’t know why, maybe she noticed me more than the others who were not paying attention. But then again, maybe it was me. Maybe I should write a book on what I learned from my grade two, three, fourth grade teachers.

Recently I was doing some visiting with some relatives and their place is out in the middle of no place. As we walked around the yard on that pre-spring, spring day I noticed more than anything the quietness. So stark against what I was used to. It was so nice to have a quiet place to go to. But here, where they live, it was all a quiet place.

Back in school we boys were sometimes a handful. Maybe that is why my marks reflected the noise of the classroom just as our towns and cities are too noisy with traffic and congestion. I must have got quieter as the years past because I started getting higher grades. Nice. I had learned something from all that yelling.

Today I realize there is more to the scripture; ‘Be still and know that I am God’. It’s more than just being still. It’s putting out of our minds all the noise of life. Blocking off our life from the noise and congestion and just opening our ears to learn from the Master. And just like when we were kids, we will get to know Him by talking less and listening more.  If we are to truly get to know God we have to do a lot more listening. It’s not about what we ask, or what we think we know but it’s about what we have heard Him say. Just like the line of that old hymn, ‘open my eyes that I may see. . . ‘

Something to think about.

Rob

Too Much Time With Junk

So many times I have tried to clean off my desk but someone keeps coming along and piles it high again and again. Maybe I should just put a 52 litre garbage bin beside the desk and every time it starts to get to the point where I can’t see the top anymore, push everything into the pail, to the curb on Friday morning and be done with it. I feel better already just thinking about it.

Yes, I know that isn’t the solution but it sure makes things a lot easier. That is until I start to go looking for something. Maybe I have too many somethings. I thought about that last week and started advertising on kijiji some of my old stuff I no longer really need. Wouldn’t you know it, I had some people come over and buy this stuff because, I assume, they needed it more than I did. Almost felt like getting paid for keeping all this junk for too many years.

Then I went driving up north of Burlington and came across a huge storage building where people store acres of stuff they don’t have room for in their homes and garages. Made me rush home and place some more ads. Someone once said to me that the best home is one that has a place for everything and everything in its place.  My problem and maybe yours is, too much everything and not enough places.

This again led to a conversation with my brother over putting a potential storage area in the top of my garage. Now, I have to tell you, sometimes he is pretty brilliant. He said don’t do it because you will probably fill it and if it’s not there, no more junk. I took his advice.

Maybe that’s our problem. We have too much stuff that distracts up from the things that are most important. Things like family and friend and birthday parties. Nice warm evenings drinking hot chocolate while talking with the one you love. And talking about love, going to where ever it is that you meet with God and spending time with Him, reading the words of The Book, and hearing Him whisper His words of love to your heart. That’s got to be the best way to spend your time. Not spending time with your stuff but with the one who said, “I so loved the world (ME). . ." What do you think?

Sure is Something to think about.

Rob

One Day with Jesus. . .

There is nothing strange about how a little nice weather can lift people’s spirit. Take that Wednesday a few weeks ago when we all experienced such an amazing day. Just one day of abnormally warm temperatures and all the spring things came out. Short sleeves, shorts, bikes, motorcycles and I even had my car windows down. What an amazing day. Now try not to think of last Saturday. Everyone stayed inside and hunkered down trying to keep warm.

Soon, the nice weather will be here no matter what the ground hog says. With it we will begin exiting our cocoons and stretching our wings and going off into the winds of spring and summer. Nice. We had that glimpse that one Wednesday where life seems so wonderful, amazing and full of exciting things.

As you know, one day with Jesus also makes a whole lot of difference in our lives. Maybe that is why we return to church week after week. We need that one day with Him to change our perception of our world. It does not change the world but how we look at it and how we realize that He is still in charge. But more than that, we change inside.

God’s Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus Christ to live within us. When we let Him in, our whole perception of what a Christ Follower is changes as well. Not only that but also the change we experience in our lives. Take the time and make the effort to be with Him each Sunday and search out new ways in which God will change your life.

Something to think about

Robin

Valentines

“I love you”. Do you know what I just said? Did I say I love you because of what you do for me? Did I say it because of what I get from knowing you? Do I say I love you because of all you mean to me and I would do anything for you? Or might it be that I say what I say because I want something and saying I love you will help me get what I would like?

Sadly for some people, this over used phrase is something they say flippantly to anyone and ever one when what they really mean is, it’s nice to know you so well and have you in my life. Sadly more people than I care to count say it about things. You have heard this before; “Oh, I just love what you’re wearing today”. I have even heard someone say, after I have said something interesting; “I love how you said that”. Over used, and now it’s undervalued. Maybe we can change all that.

What we need to do is only use ‘I love you’ when we truly mean it. When it originates in our hearts. When it is something that comes from the depth of a warm heart that created the feeling and brought it uncontrollably to the surface of what began deep down in who we are and spilled over into our life and comes out naturally and committedly. That’s what Jesus did when He said He loved us by going the distance and dying for the mistakes we have made through our lives. It is said best in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. No mushy stuff, just honest to goodness unconditional love. If that is the love you received, is it the love you give?

Something to think about

Rob

Groundhogs & Sunshine

Tuesday this week is Groundhog Day.  They made a movie about it a long time ago and when I tried to watch it, I found myself asking, ‘Really’? Groundhog Day is Feb 2 and for some unknown reason they wake up a very sleepy groundhog to see if he sees his shadow. If he does, spring will be late.

Not very scientific but maybe this year we don’t need him as winter hasn’t really arrived. I have not started my snow blower once this ear. Next door neighbour started his last week just to make sure it would still run. The temperature has been mild to say the least and this week I noticed that maybe double digits. What’s with that?

Now back to the poor groundhog. Has anyone ever remembered his predictions over the years? I mean, sure he says early or late by his shadow but, and that’s a big BUT, have you ever checked six weeks later to see if he is right? I bet there isn’t one of you that can tell me the date of six weeks from Feb 2. Okay, just so you know, it’s March 15^th. When it comes, will there be a headline saying he was right or wrong? Not likely.

I know some of you are saying I should lighten up. And maybe I’m just trying to poke fun at something that is only there to entertain us through what can be the cold days of winter. We get a glimpse of spring if only in our minds and it raises our spirits. That’s a good thing.

Jesus did the same thing when He said He was going ahead of us to prepare a place for us there in heaven. Like spring, we don’t know when heaven will arrive. For now, we just know it’s coming and it raises our spirits and fills our minds with all the good things about what we can look forward to when God calls us home.  Yes, heaven is coming for each one of us; we just need to be ready.

Something to think about.

Rob