Getting Across The Street

One of the most difficult experiences that we encounter in life is wrapped up in one work, discipline. Right away, when we hear that word we envision so many instances where we suffered the consequences that came when we messed up in some way and there were costs and or penalties.

Many times it hurt. Just like when my mother inflicted corporal punishment on me for not doing what I was told. Some people, Freud included, would say I grew close to my mom so I wouldn’t have to suffer as much. Hogwash. I don't look at it that way. I look at all the times God makes rules as those times He know what will happen if we don’t follow His guidelines. I know I wasn't the easiest child to raise and I look at what she did in light of what God does with us. He corrects us so we won't feel the pain that life can give us if we decide to live any way we want.  I just read this; "one of the most important things we can do for our children is to model the person we would want them to be." God did just that and continues to do it each and every day of our lives.

Remember being told at a very early age to look both ways before crossing the street. Good rule to live by and a poor consequence if you didn’t. Get the picture? There are times that I wonder how I got through life. My two parents taught me many things about life and getting through. But they knew all about it, because they had been through it themselves. Life is not always easy and we need someone to show us the way.

Lucky for us we have God and our bibles to help show the way. Parents all, want the best for us and God as our Father, shows us the way to get through life with the least amount of pain.   After all, didn't Jesus say it best of all:  "I am the way..."

Something to think about.

Rob

Planning With Your Eyes Closed

How did you get up this morning? Did you jump out of bed and hit the floor running?  Or maybe you just lay there for a few minutes and then slowly push back the warm covers and search for the slippers so your feet don’t touch the cold wood floor. Then again, if you are retired or it’s a day off, you just smile and roll over and get comfortable so, if you’re lucky, you will get another half hour.

I consider myself very lucky in getting up. And even though I don’t jump out of bed much anymore, I wake-up on my own and great the day with two things. First I wake up and smile because of all the opportunities I have at my disposal to make this day a great day.  The second part of waking up is spending a few minutes planning my day. I think Jesus did this. But, yes, there are opportunities but opportunities without planning means not much will happen. You heard this before but; ‘if you fail to plan you plan to fail’.

Even in my advance age I still plan my day each morning. Last night I thought and highlighted in my mind what I planned to accomplish, fell asleep while doing so, but in the morning I remembered, then, I got up. The other difference I have that I consider an asset is, I don’t get up to an alarm clock. Over many decades I have not set the alarm. Each and every morning I (in spring) wake to the birds singing instead of being jarred awake by a buzzing device.

So, here it is. If you go to bed early enough, your body will wake up when it’s ready. A number of times in my life I thought about what Jesus might have done in His life. How he used to get up at dawn. Which made me think of what David once said, “I meet the day…” David was positive in so many ways but maybe he knew as Jesus did that the best way to meet the day was talking to the Father of all life.

Something to think about

Peace

Robin

Perfect

Many years ago, I worked as a Milwright apprentice at one of the steel mills here in Hamilton. It was a great opportunity to learn many new skills and I loved working with my hands. Fortunately God had other plans for my life that didn't include getting covered in oil and grease. Part of the apprenticeship included making some tools that we would need as the years would go by. They weren't difficult projects, One of the first things we all had to made were tool boxes. The steel mill made sheets of steel and we cut them to size, bent them, welded and pop riveted them where instructed.  It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.

The next item on the list was to make a drill gauge. It is used in the sharpening process of drills to let you know when you sharpen a drill to a precisely  the exact angle to facilitate perfect cutting of the metal you are drilling. With one piece of mettal and only using a file, I worked on it until I thought it was pretty good. When I finished it and took it to the instructor he looked it over and over and over again. When he finished measuring and checking he said only one word; 'perfect'. Then he put it the showcase for others to see. Haven't seen it since.

That is exactly what God does in us. He formed us perfect in our mother's womb and when He has made us perfect we are displayed to the world as His creation, created in Christ for good works. The caption about our calling is true in my life and it's true in yours.That is you my friend. I believe we are all that perfect me. I know this because God doesn't make junk.

Something to think about.
Rob

Easter Everyday

Easter is a beautiful time. So many things go together and those who know Easter is celebrated on two Sundays in a row actually get to enjoy it twice. Can’t do that with your birthday or anniversary or graduation. We have Easter with Jesus and spring, tulips, daffodils, hosta, and everything that reminds us of new life.  

Here’s the thing, almost everything we do or accomplish in life only comes once. Take for instance; you were born on a certain day. That is it. Jesus was born on a certain day and His birthday is not Dec. 25^th but that is when the world celebrates it. Almost like President’s Day in the USofA. It was originally to celebrate George Washington’s birthday but later included Lincoln’s, Feb 22^nd & 16^th respectively and it moves to a different date each year so people can have the three day weekend. So who wants to petition parliament for a Prime Minister’s Day?

So it is with one birthday, like my brother’s on Tuesday, graduation (each time), one wedding, one promotion, one retirement etc. It is so good to have these days and to celebrate and to remember back to that point of passage in our lives.  But there is more.

On Sunday I shared with everyone that we can celebrate Christ’s resurrection each and every day when we realized that even though it happened once on one day, the effects of Him defeating death impacts us each and every day of our lives. That is amazing. So do what I did. Go out and look for those left over Easter candies today and celebrate like never before.

Something to think about

Rob

It's Just A Phone

Have you ever been sitting waiting for your phone to ring? We all have done that at some time or other. Someone said they would call, and nothing. Sorry but if I don’t hear I am the one to call. With the younger generations and their cellphones we know they want to hear or see something on its screen ever ten minutes or they have to check to make sure it’s working. Really, they do. It’s also called an anxiety attack.

Ask them to put their phone down for an hour, they can’t. They keep going back to it to make sure they didn’t lose it or miss something important. I had this happen here at the church a month ago. Three young girls came up to me and asked if I had found a phone. The middle girl wasn’t in too much of a panic yet but she was searching everywhere. I suggested she should just call it. Her reply took me by surprise. “It’s probably out of power”. And phones have so many apps, whatever that it. I do three things with my phone; make calls, receive calls and take pictures. I don't even have a bible app on it.

Here is my question and I know this dates me in the life cycle of aging but I wonder, are we really that important? I have a cellphone but I’m not attached to it.

The call I love to get I don’t have to wait for. I’m glad I know Jesus Christ and don’t need a phone to call Him. I believe He is the most important person that I need in my life. I have a song that sometimes goes around in my head; ‘I just have to call out His name’. Don’t even have to sit and wait, just call out His name and He comes. And why is that? Because we have an unbreakable bond, a covenant if you will that was written in His blood.

Something to think about.

Rob