Learning to Skate

We are all on the giving or getting side of living. Someone out there just happens to be the person who gives us encouragement and praise when we need it.  Then again, we can be the one standing on the sidelines giving others the encouragement they need.

Remember when you were a child just going out and learning how to skate? It seemed like it was impossible. Well except for us old guys who had those skates that attached to the bottom of your shoes with two blades on each foot. In many cases it was our mom or dad holding us up.

And who was there for you, or have you been there at someones school graduation? Remember being there for someone else’s graduation and sitting there reminiscing about what it was like and who was there when the same thing happened to you?

Some of didn’t have that pleasure. Parents were working, brothers and sisters had their own things to do. It’s a lonely walk home by yourself. The feelings don’t just go away the next morning. Over time you forget and move on to other things. Life gets back to normal and before you know it there is another event and someone is there to encourage you.

Life is a complexed thing. We move from one milestone to the next and all along, we know that God never leaves us nor forsakes us. And in those moments He is there. He created us and gave us a purpose under heaven to strive to reach that purpose. I wonder if all of you know, that while we are cheering other on, or having others cheer us on, He is in the stands as well, but He is not just in those stands, He is standing and shouting and yelling to us, “Go for it! You can do it!

Something to think about

Rob

Lock Your Doors

Just a suggestion.  Lock your doors. There was a time in a different world where we didn’t have to do any of this stuff to keep our world safe. We hear about it almost daily now. People are having their things taken by people who must think that stealing from someone else is a good way to make a living.

It’s not just our homes but also cars, places we work and, are you ready, even churches. Many of us put up cameras to capture people lurking about. If you were to ask me, I would probably say that all this started when we took the Lord’s Prayer out of school fifty years ago. But what do I know.

Here is something else you need to keep safe; your heart. You know, Proverbs is full of great advice and in chapter 4 the writer helps us understand what guarding the heart is all about. Take a listen.

My son, pay attention to what I say;

    turn your ear to my words.

Do not let them out of your sight,

    keep them within your heart;

for they are life to those who find them

    and health to one’s whole body.

Above all else, guard your heart,

    for everything you do flows from it.

This is looking at it from a different perspective. It wants us to keep out the unwanted, the criminals that take the good things in life away. Isn’t it interesting how the writer wants us to listen to good instruction and that locking this in our heart keeps everything wonderful and amazing inside which eventually will show itself in the way we live?  I thought about this and decided to go deeper. Always good to do that.  Paul writes this in Philippians, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Now that is REMARKABLE!

With all your doors locked tonight, including your heart, be at peace because God will guard your heart and you can sleep well. – Because He never slumbers or sleeps.

Something to think about.

Rob

Ice On The Windshield

Well, I finally had to give in.  Up until last Thursday, I had yet to use my ice scraper this winter. I knew I needed to scrap the windows a number of weeks ago but I used the handy old idea of using a credit card. Worked okay to a degree.

There is also another reason that I didn’t use the scrapper. I couldn’t find it. I know, I know. Probably in FL in Deb’s car? The odd time I could have used it I couldn’t find it so I just heated up the car and used the whippers. That was until the two nice days descended on us followed by instantaneous cold weather returning with its snow and freezing rain.

I had to do a couple of things outside and it lead to a couple more things and, well you know. Last thing I wanted to do before running inside was to clean off the car and get it ready for the drive to work the next morning. Unfortunately it wasn’t that easy. I discovered under the snow was frozen rain. It resembled the ice surface at the curling rink. This meant I would now have to get out to the garage and find the ice scrapper. This time I had success and found myself scrapping away for a good number of minutes. The temperature was dropping and I did an okay job and rushed into the house to get warm.

Interestingly it reminded me there are days in our lives where we try to do things without the proper equipment. The quick way out, usually takes more effort and longer. I may not need the ice scrapper all the time, but when I do, it makes the job easier.

This revelation made me smile when I thought life is not easy but it can be much better when we call on Jesus Christ every day because we need Him every day. As we keep going through this winter, keep your scraper near for when you need it, but always use prayer each day, so He can help us each and every day. The words of the hymn are: “I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord.

Something to think about.

Rob

Let It Snow

Yes, it’s true. The cold weather has ended. Sorry, not all of it, just the bitter cold. My outside temp reading this morning was about -3C. I can live with that. Being I came outside this morning at 4:30am, I felt invigorated by the cool weather. It felt so much better than 24 hours previous on Sunday morning.

As you know, there is always something else to deal with when the temperature is just below freezing. Well, it seems like it most days. With the cool weather it usually means we get snow. Yes, there was snow on the car, in the driveway, on the sidewalk, basically everywhere. Looked nice but it would be nice to just get a free day. You know about them. When you were a child you had Snow Daze at school. That’s a free day where everything seems to be working out just nicely thank you very much.

The drive took longer than usual but I got here and had a full hour to enjoy God’s latest painting. I wondered about it and though how symbolic this morning was.

Sometimes in our lives we get away from God. The burning embers of His presence in our life cool and can even go out and become stone cold. We seem lost and abandoned. But that is not so. He is there; we are the ones who moved away from Him. Which means we have to move back close to Him and feel the beauty of His closeness and the warmth of His Spirit?

From this vantage point we look back on our life and see the slow walk away from God. We see mistakes, the wounds, wrong turns, sin and doing things our own way. Our journey back to God is swift and sure. We arrive at His side and we ask for forgiveness, He tells us: “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. You see, He forgives and forgets.

Something To Think About

Rob

Day One - Clean Slate

As I write this it is the very start of 2018. Jan 1st has been with us only a few hours. It's here and so are we. On top of that 2018 has a clean slate.

Almost without thinking you are going to go over to the computer or tablet to add something new and start the year. As I look around I realize how our world has change. I also realize our lives are now multifaceted. Many reasons make it this way but the biggest reason is all the electronics we have at our finger tips. 

I would like to challenge each and everyone of you.  As with you, I have a number of facebook accounts. One for the church, one for me and one for a group that answers and asks spiritual questions. The last one is only on invitation.  Here is my thought. I believe we say too much about our lives on the internet. We don't need to tell everybody everything that is happening in our lives. In my frame of mind, (and I'm old), I believe the only person you need to tell everything to is the one that knows everything already. My challenge to you is don't tell us so much.

Remember back when your mother found out? Well, we now know that when you put stuff on the internet, it doesn't disappear. Go to your search engine, type in your name, see what comes up. Human Resources Personal are the first people to go on the internet and do just that. From what they read, they will make the decision about passing you by or having you come in for an interview.

Remember, it never goes away. I know all of us have things in our lives that we wish no one ever finds out about. You read that right, no one! I talked to a police officer who attends one of my former churches. He told me that they catch most criminals because they can't keep their mouth closed. With Jesus we don't have to tell Him. He already knows but here is the difference. God said, "if you ask for forgiveness, I will remember it no more".

Ask that of Him right now as you and I start 2018. He will forgive us and remember our checkered past no more. Then, let's all jump into 2018 with a clean slate and a God who smiles down on us.

Something to think about

Rob