Have you ever struggled with an unanswered question? I'm not talking about 'how they get the caramel in the Caramilk bar', but questions that effect the course and outlook we have on life. Questions about life and death, love and loss, joy and pain. Questions that can easily derail our faith in God, or life itself.
Life is not fair. That's an understatement you say! I've often wondered why God allows perplexing and painful circumstances to cross our paths. I used to think that in each of these experiences there is a lesson to learn, a place to grow in our maturity and faith. Finding answers to questions that have challenged us can certainly bring growth, but what about the questions that remain unanswered, the confusion that remains unresolved, and the pain that does not subside?
Often we seek these answers in a spirit of dissapointment, only to find more perplexing questions and much deeper pain. How do we deal with the unresolved? Do we ignore these painful questions creating a hard shell around us, do we wallow and take pity in the pain, or is there a place we can plant the unresolved issues and release the burden they create?
Alot that happens in our lives is a mystery. But to God there is no mystery, He certainly knows His purposes in all He does and allows in our lives. I heard someone say mystery is actually a seed of unseen potential. We cannot see the purpose or outcome, but God can. It's our decision if we plant this seed in the soil of humility, or with pride hardened hearts try to crack open the seed to figure out the mystery?
Planting the mystery in our soft soil of humility is an act of trust. Soil is always a dark place, but if the soil of our heart is hard there's no chance for the seed to take root or sprout.
If the seed is planted in the soft soil of our heart and the soil is kept well watered, we may one day be amazed as we see this seed of mystery sprout, grow into a vine and bloom, turning our pain into joy and our tears into laughter.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Giving thanks...
This past week I've had the priviledge of experiencing my first American Thanksgiving. It was an interesting experience, gathering with others around a feast of turkey with all the trimmings, and a time of fellowship where the focus was on giving thanks, at least until the football game started. Yes American football and Thanksgiving day go hand in hand, but that's another topic i won't get into here.
To be honest, lately I've had a hard time being thankful. With a series of negative experiences over the past year (and longer), my focus has been very much on what I've lost rather than on the blessings I've received. Sitting by the thanksgiving table, I really struggled to think of things I should be thankful for. While I know there are several things I could be thankful for, somehow my thoughts focused on my losses. Why was my attention was more on the negative than the positive?
The news media seems to act in a similar way, negative news gets much more attention than positive news. Is this really our natural way or thinking, or have we been conditioned to focus on the negative rather than the positive? I this how God created us to think and respond?
Now it's quite normal to feel bad when there's bad news, and feel good when there's good news. What I'm questioning is what we dwell on, and how it effects our emotions and outlook in life. We're instructed in scripture: "In all things give thanks, for this is the will of God"(1 Thes 5:18). Does this mean even being thankful for bad news?
It seems to be more a question of focus. Do I dwell on the on the bad, or do I see how blessed I am regardless if I've just lost my job, business, or a close friend. Sadness comes naturally in these situations, but being thankful for what we have received improves our perspective. Regardless of how big our losses may be, we can still count our blessings. And each blessing we count is a seed which renews our hope for the future.
To be honest, lately I've had a hard time being thankful. With a series of negative experiences over the past year (and longer), my focus has been very much on what I've lost rather than on the blessings I've received. Sitting by the thanksgiving table, I really struggled to think of things I should be thankful for. While I know there are several things I could be thankful for, somehow my thoughts focused on my losses. Why was my attention was more on the negative than the positive?
The news media seems to act in a similar way, negative news gets much more attention than positive news. Is this really our natural way or thinking, or have we been conditioned to focus on the negative rather than the positive? I this how God created us to think and respond?
Now it's quite normal to feel bad when there's bad news, and feel good when there's good news. What I'm questioning is what we dwell on, and how it effects our emotions and outlook in life. We're instructed in scripture: "In all things give thanks, for this is the will of God"(1 Thes 5:18). Does this mean even being thankful for bad news?
It seems to be more a question of focus. Do I dwell on the on the bad, or do I see how blessed I am regardless if I've just lost my job, business, or a close friend. Sadness comes naturally in these situations, but being thankful for what we have received improves our perspective. Regardless of how big our losses may be, we can still count our blessings. And each blessing we count is a seed which renews our hope for the future.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
before kicking the bucket, try plugging the holes first
Some time ago I saw the movie "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. These two old guys decided to do all they've wanted to do throughout their lives before "kicking the bucket". All in an effort to find the joy in their lives.
It's a good movie, makes you think about what's important in life and what we've been created to do. Doing things can be fufilling, even things we have been called or destined to do, but how long does this fulfillment last? Are we consistantly fulfilled in our lives or do we just have moments of fulfillment that quickly fade away. As we look at this bucket we call our lives, do we only see what fills it or do we also examine the bucket itself. Hmm,.. perhaps we might find some leaks in it...
All of us have dreams if attaining something, be it physical or emotional, in material wealth or relationships, business or career successes, or maybe dreams of just being free to travel and discover new places. All good things, but as we grow and hopefully mature, we discover what satisfies our souls is not at all what we have, or even what we do. It's hidden in the question of our identity,.. who we are.
I am constantly amazed at how God has created us. We are all vessels, buckets, or as the Bible describes us as jars of clay, that have a desperate need to be filled with something. And an empty bucket is,.. empty. And no matter how much or how often we fill it, a leaky bucket eventually becomes an empty bucket.
Understanding who we are and what we have been created for is the key to keeping our bucket filled. The scripture tells us "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared for us in advance" Eph 2:10.
The Creator holds the key to our design. He has designed us for a purpose and equipped us to live for this purpose. Only when we discover and act according to our design and purpose will our bucket not only hold, but it will overflow...
It's a good movie, makes you think about what's important in life and what we've been created to do. Doing things can be fufilling, even things we have been called or destined to do, but how long does this fulfillment last? Are we consistantly fulfilled in our lives or do we just have moments of fulfillment that quickly fade away. As we look at this bucket we call our lives, do we only see what fills it or do we also examine the bucket itself. Hmm,.. perhaps we might find some leaks in it...
All of us have dreams if attaining something, be it physical or emotional, in material wealth or relationships, business or career successes, or maybe dreams of just being free to travel and discover new places. All good things, but as we grow and hopefully mature, we discover what satisfies our souls is not at all what we have, or even what we do. It's hidden in the question of our identity,.. who we are.
I am constantly amazed at how God has created us. We are all vessels, buckets, or as the Bible describes us as jars of clay, that have a desperate need to be filled with something. And an empty bucket is,.. empty. And no matter how much or how often we fill it, a leaky bucket eventually becomes an empty bucket.
Understanding who we are and what we have been created for is the key to keeping our bucket filled. The scripture tells us "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared for us in advance" Eph 2:10.
The Creator holds the key to our design. He has designed us for a purpose and equipped us to live for this purpose. Only when we discover and act according to our design and purpose will our bucket not only hold, but it will overflow...
Friday, October 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
the unforced rhythm of grace
Continuing on the theme of my last blog post, a friend just shared with me his thoughts on passage from Matthew 11:28-30 where Jesus talks about His yoke being easy and burden light. My friend Ron's thoughts come from a paraphrased version of the Bible called 'The Message'..
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
in other words:
"Live in the unforced rhythm of God's grace, not by the forced rhythm of your own efforts"
(my friend Ron's personal paraphrase)
Is this something so many of us have failed to understand? Haven't we been taught, trained and disciplined to give our best, 100% all the time? At work, in church, at home, in relationships, it seems to boil down to performance, to give all we have. There of course are moments we need to give 110%, yet these should be moments, perhaps even exceptional moments. Imagine if we gave 110% all of the time, this would become quick formula for burn out! But God has not designed us or instructed us to perform this way! So where do we get the idea that we should?
How many scriptures talk about giving 100%, and how many scriptures talk about rest? Haven't done a count yet, but I'm guessing rest will win at least 2:1...
I truly believe God doesn't give anyone more than they can carry or bear. On our own initiative we take on projects that consume more energy or time than we've been given. Many businessmen, pastors, leaders act as if they have been given superpowers. Then try to deal with the burdens of disapointment, bitterness and unforgiveness when things don't develop as hoped for or expected. These are the things that weigh us down more than we can bear. And no matter how hard we try, we cannot resolve these issues within us by our own effort.
True peace and rest can only come when we let go and let God lead us in His unforced rhythm of grace.
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
in other words:
"Live in the unforced rhythm of God's grace, not by the forced rhythm of your own efforts"
(my friend Ron's personal paraphrase)
Is this something so many of us have failed to understand? Haven't we been taught, trained and disciplined to give our best, 100% all the time? At work, in church, at home, in relationships, it seems to boil down to performance, to give all we have. There of course are moments we need to give 110%, yet these should be moments, perhaps even exceptional moments. Imagine if we gave 110% all of the time, this would become quick formula for burn out! But God has not designed us or instructed us to perform this way! So where do we get the idea that we should?
How many scriptures talk about giving 100%, and how many scriptures talk about rest? Haven't done a count yet, but I'm guessing rest will win at least 2:1...
I truly believe God doesn't give anyone more than they can carry or bear. On our own initiative we take on projects that consume more energy or time than we've been given. Many businessmen, pastors, leaders act as if they have been given superpowers. Then try to deal with the burdens of disapointment, bitterness and unforgiveness when things don't develop as hoped for or expected. These are the things that weigh us down more than we can bear. And no matter how hard we try, we cannot resolve these issues within us by our own effort.
True peace and rest can only come when we let go and let God lead us in His unforced rhythm of grace.
Friday, September 25, 2009
a house can't build itself...
We make plans to build or rebuild our lives, sometimes from clear ground but often from a mess that that either we or others have created. These are mostly noble plans with good intentions. We ask God to bless our work, help us in overcoming obsticles, barriers and unforseen problems. Call Him our miracle provider.
In this time of rebuilding my life, I've noticed through my actions and prayers I seem to consider myself the main builder with God there to guide and help me along the way. My understanding is I need to give my full effort, as this is what God expects from me. Perhaps others also have this flawed view.
Flawed view? Are we not supposed to do our part, give 100% and God will do what we can't do? If this is the 'formula', why have so many things that I have put 110% of my heart and effort into failed?? And even now while I am resting and rebuilding, why isn't there progress with my efforts? Have I failed or not done enough?
A friend just shared a scripture with me from Jeremiah 31. If you take a moment to read it, ask the question 'Who was doing the rebuilding?' Was the house being restored by the building materials themselves, or is God the one rebuilding?
Well it seems kind of ridiculous that the building material would start reassembling itself into a house. Pretty neat trick if it could be done. What makes us think we can restore our own lives? We have been conditioned to beleive that we ourselves must make the effort. The problem is, no matter how hard we try our efforts fail. Someone else must do the building. The builder. And we shouldn't interfere much in the process, let The Pro handle it.
Although I'm not much of a builder, I've been thinking about the sawmill project in Norway. I remember pouring the foundation and all the preperation that took place to get it just right. It took many days before the foundation was ready to build on. Putting up walls is much more interesting and seems more produtive, but without a proper foundation those walls would just fall down.
Isn't it the same way in our lives? We want to see the walls come up fast, yet the builder knows He needs to get the foundation right first. But we keep picking up the hammer, building walls which we think are good, without the wisdom The Builder has. Ephesians 2:10 say's we are God's workmanship, not our own.
We just need to learn to trust The Builder's hands.
In this time of rebuilding my life, I've noticed through my actions and prayers I seem to consider myself the main builder with God there to guide and help me along the way. My understanding is I need to give my full effort, as this is what God expects from me. Perhaps others also have this flawed view.
Flawed view? Are we not supposed to do our part, give 100% and God will do what we can't do? If this is the 'formula', why have so many things that I have put 110% of my heart and effort into failed?? And even now while I am resting and rebuilding, why isn't there progress with my efforts? Have I failed or not done enough?
A friend just shared a scripture with me from Jeremiah 31. If you take a moment to read it, ask the question 'Who was doing the rebuilding?' Was the house being restored by the building materials themselves, or is God the one rebuilding?
Well it seems kind of ridiculous that the building material would start reassembling itself into a house. Pretty neat trick if it could be done. What makes us think we can restore our own lives? We have been conditioned to beleive that we ourselves must make the effort. The problem is, no matter how hard we try our efforts fail. Someone else must do the building. The builder. And we shouldn't interfere much in the process, let The Pro handle it.
Although I'm not much of a builder, I've been thinking about the sawmill project in Norway. I remember pouring the foundation and all the preperation that took place to get it just right. It took many days before the foundation was ready to build on. Putting up walls is much more interesting and seems more produtive, but without a proper foundation those walls would just fall down.
Isn't it the same way in our lives? We want to see the walls come up fast, yet the builder knows He needs to get the foundation right first. But we keep picking up the hammer, building walls which we think are good, without the wisdom The Builder has. Ephesians 2:10 say's we are God's workmanship, not our own.
We just need to learn to trust The Builder's hands.
Monday, September 14, 2009
the bear that changed my day
(this post is being updated as I reflect back on this day)
I decided to spend a quiet day alone today to reflect and pray, took a bicycle and rode down to the other end of the lake along a gravel road. As i was quietly riding, absorbed by the beauty of nature, occasionally there would be a bird that would be startled by me approaching. But as I was riding slowly up one hill, an unusual grunt from between the trees startled me. I looked, about 20-25 meters from me was a bear staring right at me, apparently I had startled it first. My heart stopped for a moment, the only thought in my head was "Nice bear, please stay there.." Trying not to make any sudden movements I continued to pedal uphill, looking back occasionally, but I could no longer see the bear.
Needless to say, i was feeling quite uneasy after the encounter. Since this was a pretty secluded road, I started to make much noise, not sure if it was the wisest thing to do to distract potentially dangerous wildlife. At first I was ringing the bell and praying out loud, a bit later I started singing. Of course it was hard to sing while huffing and puffing from a fairly vigerous bike ride, my voice became quite harsh and weak.
How did this encounter changed my initial plan to spend a quiet day in meditation? All of a sudden my fucus was dictated by fear and not peace. No, I didn't pend every minute in fear praying for protection, but I was accutely aware of a looming danger, regardless of how real or unreal the danger was. I did not feel at ease or at peace.
I made it clear to myself that the chance of seeing the bear a second time is two million to one, so I boldly started to cycle back. Well my boldness and courage was short lived, as I started worrying about startling the bear again, or worse encountering a pack of wolves that might see me as an easy catch peddling or limping slowly uphill (my knee was giving me some trouble again). Fear eventually got the best of me, and I took out my phone and asked someone to pick me up.
There was some excitement when i got back to the base, told my bear story about a dozen times. I was still not as calm as I could be for a "quiet prayer or devotion" until the next day.
So my question now is, what are these 'bears' or encounters that excite us and cause us to refocus? are they good or bad? What can we learn about ourselves in these encouters?
to be continued...
I decided to spend a quiet day alone today to reflect and pray, took a bicycle and rode down to the other end of the lake along a gravel road. As i was quietly riding, absorbed by the beauty of nature, occasionally there would be a bird that would be startled by me approaching. But as I was riding slowly up one hill, an unusual grunt from between the trees startled me. I looked, about 20-25 meters from me was a bear staring right at me, apparently I had startled it first. My heart stopped for a moment, the only thought in my head was "Nice bear, please stay there.." Trying not to make any sudden movements I continued to pedal uphill, looking back occasionally, but I could no longer see the bear.
Needless to say, i was feeling quite uneasy after the encounter. Since this was a pretty secluded road, I started to make much noise, not sure if it was the wisest thing to do to distract potentially dangerous wildlife. At first I was ringing the bell and praying out loud, a bit later I started singing. Of course it was hard to sing while huffing and puffing from a fairly vigerous bike ride, my voice became quite harsh and weak.
How did this encounter changed my initial plan to spend a quiet day in meditation? All of a sudden my fucus was dictated by fear and not peace. No, I didn't pend every minute in fear praying for protection, but I was accutely aware of a looming danger, regardless of how real or unreal the danger was. I did not feel at ease or at peace.
I made it clear to myself that the chance of seeing the bear a second time is two million to one, so I boldly started to cycle back. Well my boldness and courage was short lived, as I started worrying about startling the bear again, or worse encountering a pack of wolves that might see me as an easy catch peddling or limping slowly uphill (my knee was giving me some trouble again). Fear eventually got the best of me, and I took out my phone and asked someone to pick me up.
There was some excitement when i got back to the base, told my bear story about a dozen times. I was still not as calm as I could be for a "quiet prayer or devotion" until the next day.
So my question now is, what are these 'bears' or encounters that excite us and cause us to refocus? are they good or bad? What can we learn about ourselves in these encouters?
to be continued...
Friday, September 4, 2009
our theory of attraction..
Last night I started thinking about the strange things we do to attract others. We make attempts to win the other's approval by our elequant words or gracious acts. But are our actions truly gracious or are they under a gracious veil self serving?
We tend to believe certain type of behaviour is nescessary to woo or secure another person's affection for us. These are often based on expectations reflected from our homes, churches and society. We expect to receive in exchange for our giving, to be loved for our words, and accepted for our good deeds. Is it any wonder we get so messed up in our relationships when we start to barter for love and acceptance...
So, do actions lead to love or does love lead to actions?
I believe both are quite possible, however love that grows out of actions tends to remain somewhat conditional. In other words "as long as you do this, i will love you". Isn't this the model society portrays, that love is dependant on words, actions, looks, status, wealth... If it's so, wouldn't our quest for love and acceptance become more of a performance? What would happen when we tire or become incapable of performing? Would we still be loved for who we are, or loved for only what we do?
This performance mentality is often translated to our relationship with God. We worship, praise, perform good deeds to please Him. We have been taught and conditioned to do this, it's something we believe is acceptable to God. With all the 'sweet-talking' and actions, are we really trying to attract God? What exactly is our purpose in attracting Him? Do we think flattery will bring us closer to God, help gain His favour, acceptance or love?
What then is the basis for true love? Are there conditions of performance attached to love or is true love unconditional? Imagine if God already loved us just as we are, without the need for our elequant words or good deeds. And if His love were unconditional with no strings attached, maybe we wouldn't need to put on a performance to attract or please Him.
God's love is true. It led to actions, giving all He had, His life, absolutely unconditionally. Just think about it for a moment,.. perhaps He's the one who's trying to attract us...
We tend to believe certain type of behaviour is nescessary to woo or secure another person's affection for us. These are often based on expectations reflected from our homes, churches and society. We expect to receive in exchange for our giving, to be loved for our words, and accepted for our good deeds. Is it any wonder we get so messed up in our relationships when we start to barter for love and acceptance...
So, do actions lead to love or does love lead to actions?
I believe both are quite possible, however love that grows out of actions tends to remain somewhat conditional. In other words "as long as you do this, i will love you". Isn't this the model society portrays, that love is dependant on words, actions, looks, status, wealth... If it's so, wouldn't our quest for love and acceptance become more of a performance? What would happen when we tire or become incapable of performing? Would we still be loved for who we are, or loved for only what we do?
This performance mentality is often translated to our relationship with God. We worship, praise, perform good deeds to please Him. We have been taught and conditioned to do this, it's something we believe is acceptable to God. With all the 'sweet-talking' and actions, are we really trying to attract God? What exactly is our purpose in attracting Him? Do we think flattery will bring us closer to God, help gain His favour, acceptance or love?
What then is the basis for true love? Are there conditions of performance attached to love or is true love unconditional? Imagine if God already loved us just as we are, without the need for our elequant words or good deeds. And if His love were unconditional with no strings attached, maybe we wouldn't need to put on a performance to attract or please Him.
God's love is true. It led to actions, giving all He had, His life, absolutely unconditionally. Just think about it for a moment,.. perhaps He's the one who's trying to attract us...
Friday, August 28, 2009
the dreamer I've been created to be
Remember as a little kid in school, looking out the window and dreaming? Come to think of it, as an adult I still often do...
I now acknowledge the fact that I am a dreamer, and it is God who specifically created me this way. I love to take time alone, to think, listen, and simply dream in the beauty of creation that surrounds me. Yet in my busy life I've so often failed to find the time to enjoy the view and dream. During my more hectic days, I became totally oblivious to the many treasures that surrounded me, the sounds, the pictures, gifts of God to bless and guide us along our journey.
In my youth I found plenty of time to dream, perhaps more than many. For me this time didn't come without a struggle, it mostly came out of a struggle, often running from home and wandering the streets of Toronto till the wee hours of the morning. I won't get into the details of my home life, but as a teen wandering for hours gave me time to ask and listen and dream. These were times when I searched deep within my soul, times when in anguish I cried out to God, times when I dreamed of a more blessed future. I sometimes wonder if this time of deep searching which deprived me of sleep and study was more valuable than the what I would have gained from studying and excelling in school (which until university I never really did). Perhaps God allows difficulties to develop so we'd take time to search deep and dream again.
As through the struggles of this past year, when I lost just about everything including my health. For years I was running in a rat race, business ventures in several countries, my time and energy being consumed quicker than could be replenished. Something was going to give and eventually did, first my dreaming, then creativity, and finally my health. It became a struggle to find time, peace and rest I needed to dream again. A costly struggle that finally forced me to make a full stop, and I'm so glad I did.
Looking back at the past 3-5 years of my overstressed life I've noticed my ability to dream has been suffocated and creativity squashed. Just needed to re-read my journals and it become abundantly clear that speed does not produce creativity, burdens do not bring productivity. I used to think that I produced more under pressure, and the less time I have the quicker I get things done. Yes, it may be true that I get things done under a tight deadline, but I'm certainly not more productive in what I do. In fact I make more mistakes and unwise decisions under pressure, mostly due to suffocating my creative thinking.
There's clearly a part of me which thrives on creativity. When I compose a poem or flow with a melody on the piano, wonderful things happen within me. A sense of joy, peace and satisfaction deep within the soul. When we create something beautiful, we are doing exactly what in God's image we were created to do. We were created to be creators, and anything that takes away from our ability to dream and create is contrary to God's intent. What should we do when every moment of every day is busy, filled with activities and responsibilities that deprive us of the time and ability to dream?
I am a dreamer and have always been. When I dream I thrive.
I must take time to dream, for my most creative and inspiring thoughts come from my times of dreaming.
I now acknowledge the fact that I am a dreamer, and it is God who specifically created me this way. I love to take time alone, to think, listen, and simply dream in the beauty of creation that surrounds me. Yet in my busy life I've so often failed to find the time to enjoy the view and dream. During my more hectic days, I became totally oblivious to the many treasures that surrounded me, the sounds, the pictures, gifts of God to bless and guide us along our journey.
In my youth I found plenty of time to dream, perhaps more than many. For me this time didn't come without a struggle, it mostly came out of a struggle, often running from home and wandering the streets of Toronto till the wee hours of the morning. I won't get into the details of my home life, but as a teen wandering for hours gave me time to ask and listen and dream. These were times when I searched deep within my soul, times when in anguish I cried out to God, times when I dreamed of a more blessed future. I sometimes wonder if this time of deep searching which deprived me of sleep and study was more valuable than the what I would have gained from studying and excelling in school (which until university I never really did). Perhaps God allows difficulties to develop so we'd take time to search deep and dream again.
As through the struggles of this past year, when I lost just about everything including my health. For years I was running in a rat race, business ventures in several countries, my time and energy being consumed quicker than could be replenished. Something was going to give and eventually did, first my dreaming, then creativity, and finally my health. It became a struggle to find time, peace and rest I needed to dream again. A costly struggle that finally forced me to make a full stop, and I'm so glad I did.
Looking back at the past 3-5 years of my overstressed life I've noticed my ability to dream has been suffocated and creativity squashed. Just needed to re-read my journals and it become abundantly clear that speed does not produce creativity, burdens do not bring productivity. I used to think that I produced more under pressure, and the less time I have the quicker I get things done. Yes, it may be true that I get things done under a tight deadline, but I'm certainly not more productive in what I do. In fact I make more mistakes and unwise decisions under pressure, mostly due to suffocating my creative thinking.
There's clearly a part of me which thrives on creativity. When I compose a poem or flow with a melody on the piano, wonderful things happen within me. A sense of joy, peace and satisfaction deep within the soul. When we create something beautiful, we are doing exactly what in God's image we were created to do. We were created to be creators, and anything that takes away from our ability to dream and create is contrary to God's intent. What should we do when every moment of every day is busy, filled with activities and responsibilities that deprive us of the time and ability to dream?
I am a dreamer and have always been. When I dream I thrive.
I must take time to dream, for my most creative and inspiring thoughts come from my times of dreaming.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Mountains and valleys
I decided to take a month, maybe a little bit longer at a spiritual retreat in Norway. The scenery here is breathtaking, beautiful mountains and valleys which I have started to explore.
The place I am staying is called Lia Gård. You can find more information on the website www.liagard.no
A couple of days ago i was hiking along a trail down the mountain, stopping to pick wild strawberies and blueberries along the way. In this peaceful tranquil setting, I was absorbed by the beauty of God's creation, taking little notice of the fact I was decending down the mountain. The going was so easy. At one point I realised I need to turn around to get back to the base where I'm staying. As much as I would have loved to continue down this trail, I realised the view I had earlier was diminishing.
So I turned around and up the mountain I climbed, huffing and puffing along the way (I'm so out of shape). I wasn't noticing nature's beauty as much, I was getting tired, stopped several times to rest and pick blueberries. It was a bit of a struggle climbing uphill, not that I wasn't enjoying it. Going uphill in a forest there wasn't anything spectacular to view. Climbing out of a valley there seldom is.
Isn't it true in our lives as well? When we have been caught in a rut, the valleys of our lives, how difficult it becomes to see the mountain top let alone the view. At times like these we need to put our faith in what we don't see, the mountain top ahead and the view that God has prepared for us to see. For He promises us a view no eye has seen...
No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared
for those who love him
1 Cor 2:9
The place I am staying is called Lia Gård. You can find more information on the website www.liagard.no
A couple of days ago i was hiking along a trail down the mountain, stopping to pick wild strawberies and blueberries along the way. In this peaceful tranquil setting, I was absorbed by the beauty of God's creation, taking little notice of the fact I was decending down the mountain. The going was so easy. At one point I realised I need to turn around to get back to the base where I'm staying. As much as I would have loved to continue down this trail, I realised the view I had earlier was diminishing.
So I turned around and up the mountain I climbed, huffing and puffing along the way (I'm so out of shape). I wasn't noticing nature's beauty as much, I was getting tired, stopped several times to rest and pick blueberries. It was a bit of a struggle climbing uphill, not that I wasn't enjoying it. Going uphill in a forest there wasn't anything spectacular to view. Climbing out of a valley there seldom is.
Isn't it true in our lives as well? When we have been caught in a rut, the valleys of our lives, how difficult it becomes to see the mountain top let alone the view. At times like these we need to put our faith in what we don't see, the mountain top ahead and the view that God has prepared for us to see. For He promises us a view no eye has seen...
No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared
for those who love him
1 Cor 2:9
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
today's navlist devotional
This is today's devotional from http://www.navlists.org/holiness/
Kinda ties in with our additudes about grace I shared in my blog yesterday...
How, then, can we guard against this sin of self-righteousness? First, by seeking an attitude of humility. If we're morally upright, it's only because God's grace has prevailed in us. No one is morally upright by nature. Rather, we all have to say with David, "surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5, NIV). We ought to feel deeply grateful that God by his grace has kept us from, or perhaps rescued us from, the lifestyle of those who practice the flagrant sins we condemn.
We can also identify ourselves before God with the sinful society we live in. Ezra the scribe was a godly man who lived an exemplary life. Yet when he became aware of a deep sin among the people, he identified himself with it, though he himself was not guilty. Consider his prayer: "o my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6). He included himself in this confession of guilt. As we in our day see the increasing moral degradation of our society, we need to adopt Ezra's attitude. (Excerpt taken from Respectable Sins)
Kinda ties in with our additudes about grace I shared in my blog yesterday...
Moral Superiority
Today's Scripture: Nehemiah 1:6
"We have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned."
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Of all our subtle, "acceptable" sins, pride of moral superiority may be the most common, second only to the sin of ungodliness. Although it's so prevalent, it's difficult to recognize because we all practice it to some degree. In fact, we seem to get a perverse enjoyment out of discussing how awful society around us is becoming. When we do that, we're guilty of the pride of moral superiority.
How, then, can we guard against this sin of self-righteousness? First, by seeking an attitude of humility. If we're morally upright, it's only because God's grace has prevailed in us. No one is morally upright by nature. Rather, we all have to say with David, "surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5, NIV). We ought to feel deeply grateful that God by his grace has kept us from, or perhaps rescued us from, the lifestyle of those who practice the flagrant sins we condemn.
We can also identify ourselves before God with the sinful society we live in. Ezra the scribe was a godly man who lived an exemplary life. Yet when he became aware of a deep sin among the people, he identified himself with it, though he himself was not guilty. Consider his prayer: "o my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6). He included himself in this confession of guilt. As we in our day see the increasing moral degradation of our society, we need to adopt Ezra's attitude. (Excerpt taken from Respectable Sins)
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The text for this devotional comes from the NavPress devotional book Holiness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges
Monday, July 13, 2009
Does making others feel worse make you feel better?
This morning I had a small car accident, rear-ended a small VW as it started to make a right turn. As I was checking to my left to see if there were any cars coming, he suddenly braked and on the rain-slicked road I couldn't quite stop in time. Needless to say I wasn't pleased with myself, started kicking myself for being so careless. As we got out of the cars to examine the damage, I was relieved to see only our licence plates were slightly bent and his licence plate frame was cracked.
I quickly took responsibility for the accident, and the young fellow who was driving seemed to be calm at first. A lady passenger also got out of the car, who quickly started to accuse me of being an incompenent driver. I apologized again, but the lady said the apology doesn't cut it, and just kept on ranting about my carelessness and suggested that if I don't know how to drive I should restrict my travelling to public transit. I apologized again, clearly taking the blame, but she just continued digging into me, with a mission to make me feel worse than I already did.
Once the lady had calmed down, the driver and I had a civilized conversation, I agreed to compensate for the damage as it was so minor (the licence plate frame costs about 200kr, about $20), I offered 500kr but then he started to demand much more. I said if he values the damage higher, we'll run it through insurance. He quickly changed his mind and accepted the 500 since it was more profitable than running such a small thing through insurance.
The fellow's desire to pocket some extra money I can understand (he probably won't bother fixing it and just keep the cash). The ranting lady was a bit more difficult to comprehend. What was it that triggered her response, and why didn't she calm down after I took responsibility? Why was it so important to her to make me feel worse, even after I apologised?
I'm guessing a lack of grace in her life, perhaps low self esteem. In fact I've seen many people act this way (sometimes even myself), some in a more subtle way than others. We tend to evaluate our self worth by deeds and actions, comparing them to the actions of others. What exactly is the standard we measure ourselves by? Is our identity based on the need to be better than others? Does this motivate us to improve ourselves, or does it motivate us to disprove others to make us feel better than them?
Grace is such an amazing thing. To be accepted just as you are, with all the faults, mistakes, blemishes and screw-ups in our lives. I really love the idea of grace, because I've been pretty good at messing things up in my life. But on many occasions I've become hesitant in admiting my faults to others, fearing responses that come from something other than grace. Even this morning, for a moment I thought about blaming them for the accident, for braking suddenly after they had entered the intersection. I could have tried to make them feel bad, and for a fleeting moment I might have felt better, more justified, more in control.
What if there was no measuring stick that compares us to others? What if we would accept and forgive others just as they are? I'm not talking about ignoring resposibility, but to allow others to fail and recieve our grace without any of our strings attached. Grace has two parts, to receive it you need to admit your failings and ask for forgiveness. This takes courage, especially when you don't know what response may come from others.
God's grace is the most amazing, we need not fear harsh words or actions when we are honest about ourselves. But if we try to justify ourselves, blame others for causing our "accidents" grace just does not come. We need to remove the "if you didn't" or "if you weren't" from our vocabulary and acknowledge our failings.
The blaming game never makes anyone feel better. I could blame the rain, slippery road, the other driver, or the car itself for the accident. I could blame my parents, my friends, my school, my church for the way my life has gone and how I behave. Yes, each factor has it's effect in producing the result, but this does not resolve the situation. At the end of the day we ourselves have failed and we are the ones who need to receive grace.
Yes, we all need grace.
I quickly took responsibility for the accident, and the young fellow who was driving seemed to be calm at first. A lady passenger also got out of the car, who quickly started to accuse me of being an incompenent driver. I apologized again, but the lady said the apology doesn't cut it, and just kept on ranting about my carelessness and suggested that if I don't know how to drive I should restrict my travelling to public transit. I apologized again, clearly taking the blame, but she just continued digging into me, with a mission to make me feel worse than I already did.
Once the lady had calmed down, the driver and I had a civilized conversation, I agreed to compensate for the damage as it was so minor (the licence plate frame costs about 200kr, about $20), I offered 500kr but then he started to demand much more. I said if he values the damage higher, we'll run it through insurance. He quickly changed his mind and accepted the 500 since it was more profitable than running such a small thing through insurance.
The fellow's desire to pocket some extra money I can understand (he probably won't bother fixing it and just keep the cash). The ranting lady was a bit more difficult to comprehend. What was it that triggered her response, and why didn't she calm down after I took responsibility? Why was it so important to her to make me feel worse, even after I apologised?
I'm guessing a lack of grace in her life, perhaps low self esteem. In fact I've seen many people act this way (sometimes even myself), some in a more subtle way than others. We tend to evaluate our self worth by deeds and actions, comparing them to the actions of others. What exactly is the standard we measure ourselves by? Is our identity based on the need to be better than others? Does this motivate us to improve ourselves, or does it motivate us to disprove others to make us feel better than them?
Grace is such an amazing thing. To be accepted just as you are, with all the faults, mistakes, blemishes and screw-ups in our lives. I really love the idea of grace, because I've been pretty good at messing things up in my life. But on many occasions I've become hesitant in admiting my faults to others, fearing responses that come from something other than grace. Even this morning, for a moment I thought about blaming them for the accident, for braking suddenly after they had entered the intersection. I could have tried to make them feel bad, and for a fleeting moment I might have felt better, more justified, more in control.
What if there was no measuring stick that compares us to others? What if we would accept and forgive others just as they are? I'm not talking about ignoring resposibility, but to allow others to fail and recieve our grace without any of our strings attached. Grace has two parts, to receive it you need to admit your failings and ask for forgiveness. This takes courage, especially when you don't know what response may come from others.
God's grace is the most amazing, we need not fear harsh words or actions when we are honest about ourselves. But if we try to justify ourselves, blame others for causing our "accidents" grace just does not come. We need to remove the "if you didn't" or "if you weren't" from our vocabulary and acknowledge our failings.
The blaming game never makes anyone feel better. I could blame the rain, slippery road, the other driver, or the car itself for the accident. I could blame my parents, my friends, my school, my church for the way my life has gone and how I behave. Yes, each factor has it's effect in producing the result, but this does not resolve the situation. At the end of the day we ourselves have failed and we are the ones who need to receive grace.
Yes, we all need grace.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
got the "happy face" blues...
I've been reading "Blue Like Jazz", a book written by Donald Miller. He writes that he doesn't like jazz music because it doesn't resolve. That might be true, but personally I enjoy listening to jazz and blues music, perhaps it is because there's so much unresolved within me, or maybe not I really don't know. Music however isn't the topic of the book, it's more about how we view God, ourselves and others, as well as challenging some of the stereotypes that have formed our christian views and identity. And he get's to the core issue of our existance, the key of what love is and how we use it and respond to it.
As I read the last chapter, he presents problem of a Christian culture that thinks of love as a commodity. We use love like money, but it doesn't work like money. Our love is conditional, not unconditional as we so often we claim it is. We expect something in return and when we don't receive it we feel cheated, as if we "didn't get what we paid for". The reality is that when we barter with love we all loose. Christ gave an example of unconditional love which very few christians come even close to.
With our "unconditional love" we try to impliment or persuade change in other people's lives. We expect them to conform to our ideals of how a christian should behave, and when they don't respond to our expectations in our timeframe, we tend to withhold our "unconditional love" from them. Our "love" changes with the response we receive. Is this really unconditional?
There was a time I struggled to understand why it's not ok for a christian to be sad, or heaven forbid depressed. A church I attended many years ago, had the understanding the Christian life should be a celebration, and there was very little room for sadness or sorrow. It was always an easy fix, just praise our loving God, sing and dance in His presence regardless of how you feel. "It will all get better, the problems will dissapear". What in fact was happening was that the underlying issue of one's struggle or sadness was swept under the carpet of what i now call "praise theology".
There is alot of truth to worshiping God and finding peace in the midst of turmoil, however the form of worship may not always be as we tend to define it. We seem to encourage ourselves and others to look for an escape, to "fake our feelings" denying the underlying cause of one's sadness or depression rather than dealing with the root issue. The result is that we place expectations on others and create masks that fill other's expectations. Sorry, but I can't remain in an enviroment that isn't genuine. It's so sad to see those who "happy face" their way through friendships, church and life filling expectations rather than finding genuine relationships, genuine people with genuine hearts.
How many people have we alienated with our "conditions", the very same people our compassionate God is reaching out to with true unconditional love.. We accept people when they are happy, and have a tendency to draw away from people who are sad. The Bible says there is a time to rejoice and a time to weep, a time to dance and a time to mourn, and that we should weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn. I believe there are times we desperately NEED to be sad, to deny this is to deny God the opportunity to work something good through our sadness. We do a disservice to ourselves and others by not acknowledging that Christ as well as our brothers and sisters are with us through our deepest despair, not only when we "put on our happy face".
Oh, the masks we hide behind when we fear to reveal our sadness or despair. Unfortunately in many circles these masks are rightfully needed, so long as people continue to barter with a selfish commodity we like to call love. I pray there would be more who would grasp a fraction of what unconditional love really is.
As I read the last chapter, he presents problem of a Christian culture that thinks of love as a commodity. We use love like money, but it doesn't work like money. Our love is conditional, not unconditional as we so often we claim it is. We expect something in return and when we don't receive it we feel cheated, as if we "didn't get what we paid for". The reality is that when we barter with love we all loose. Christ gave an example of unconditional love which very few christians come even close to.
With our "unconditional love" we try to impliment or persuade change in other people's lives. We expect them to conform to our ideals of how a christian should behave, and when they don't respond to our expectations in our timeframe, we tend to withhold our "unconditional love" from them. Our "love" changes with the response we receive. Is this really unconditional?
There was a time I struggled to understand why it's not ok for a christian to be sad, or heaven forbid depressed. A church I attended many years ago, had the understanding the Christian life should be a celebration, and there was very little room for sadness or sorrow. It was always an easy fix, just praise our loving God, sing and dance in His presence regardless of how you feel. "It will all get better, the problems will dissapear". What in fact was happening was that the underlying issue of one's struggle or sadness was swept under the carpet of what i now call "praise theology".
There is alot of truth to worshiping God and finding peace in the midst of turmoil, however the form of worship may not always be as we tend to define it. We seem to encourage ourselves and others to look for an escape, to "fake our feelings" denying the underlying cause of one's sadness or depression rather than dealing with the root issue. The result is that we place expectations on others and create masks that fill other's expectations. Sorry, but I can't remain in an enviroment that isn't genuine. It's so sad to see those who "happy face" their way through friendships, church and life filling expectations rather than finding genuine relationships, genuine people with genuine hearts.
How many people have we alienated with our "conditions", the very same people our compassionate God is reaching out to with true unconditional love.. We accept people when they are happy, and have a tendency to draw away from people who are sad. The Bible says there is a time to rejoice and a time to weep, a time to dance and a time to mourn, and that we should weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn. I believe there are times we desperately NEED to be sad, to deny this is to deny God the opportunity to work something good through our sadness. We do a disservice to ourselves and others by not acknowledging that Christ as well as our brothers and sisters are with us through our deepest despair, not only when we "put on our happy face".
Oh, the masks we hide behind when we fear to reveal our sadness or despair. Unfortunately in many circles these masks are rightfully needed, so long as people continue to barter with a selfish commodity we like to call love. I pray there would be more who would grasp a fraction of what unconditional love really is.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wisdom to know the difference
One of the prayers I remind myself of quite often is the Serenity Prayer we all know so well:
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
We all have things that come along in our lives that we cannot change. How often do we end up stuck trying to resolve things we cannot resolve. I wrote about unresolved pain over a month ago, how we need to find our way to rest in God's love and mercy when we can't resolve painful issues or events in our lives.
Yet there are many times when we are called to action. Times where we should not shut our eyes or look away from pain and evil but to confront it. We are called to light and salt in this world, light that exposes darkness, salt that may sting yet prevents the world around us from rotting further.
How often do we lack courage to step in where injustice is being done, hide our light when it should shine high, aren't willing to step into the rot to stop it's spread? What saddens me is that often we don't even take action in our own homes, in our families, or in our church. We watch as our brothers and sisters in veil of darkness commit rotten deeds. And as they spread this rot, they hurt many, and more than anyone else they hurt themselves.
So how are we to act when our brother does wrong? Should we just quietly pray and hope he changes his way? Of course this needs to be done, but is there something more God calls us to do? Can our actions change anything for the better or even prevent things from getting worse? Quite often there is the need to expose darkness with light, and to stop the rotting with salt.
Scripture instructs us to correct others, individually, with a witness and as a group. God in His wonderful grace doesn't want any to perish, yet there comes a time where deeds of darkness need be exposed and the rot removed before they do more harm.
And all this calls for devine wisdom to know the difference....
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
We all have things that come along in our lives that we cannot change. How often do we end up stuck trying to resolve things we cannot resolve. I wrote about unresolved pain over a month ago, how we need to find our way to rest in God's love and mercy when we can't resolve painful issues or events in our lives.
Yet there are many times when we are called to action. Times where we should not shut our eyes or look away from pain and evil but to confront it. We are called to light and salt in this world, light that exposes darkness, salt that may sting yet prevents the world around us from rotting further.
How often do we lack courage to step in where injustice is being done, hide our light when it should shine high, aren't willing to step into the rot to stop it's spread? What saddens me is that often we don't even take action in our own homes, in our families, or in our church. We watch as our brothers and sisters in veil of darkness commit rotten deeds. And as they spread this rot, they hurt many, and more than anyone else they hurt themselves.
So how are we to act when our brother does wrong? Should we just quietly pray and hope he changes his way? Of course this needs to be done, but is there something more God calls us to do? Can our actions change anything for the better or even prevent things from getting worse? Quite often there is the need to expose darkness with light, and to stop the rotting with salt.
Scripture instructs us to correct others, individually, with a witness and as a group. God in His wonderful grace doesn't want any to perish, yet there comes a time where deeds of darkness need be exposed and the rot removed before they do more harm.
And all this calls for devine wisdom to know the difference....
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
"people, People, PEOPLE!"
As i talked on Skype with a friend, I noticed he had put this expession "people, People PEOPLE!" on his comment line. Didn't ask him about it, but it triggered some thoughts in my mind, in no less than three directions.
My first thought was just expressing his frustration with the way people think and act. Well, there's alot I could say here. People I have trusted have abused my trust. People who were supposed to be credible and of "high regard" have lied and decieved for their own profit. Other people I call friends have allowed their standards and ethics to be compromised under pressure.
Next my thoughts were about people themselves, individuals who in God's eyes are more valuable than anything else on this planet. God loves each person, and asks us to love our neighbours as ourselves. Spending time with people and helping them should be one of our highest priorities...
Finally I thought of all the people who have robbed me of time and energy. There are quite a number, and just like everyone else I have limited time. Scripture tells us we can "buy time". How do we do this? And what do we "buy time" for?
Over the weekend I was asked to draw a personal network map of people I communicate with on a regular basis. And as I started listing people, I was reminded of more people and then more and more People! Over 70 individuals i've been in relatively intense contact with within the past year, regarding personal, family or business issues! That's a lot of relationships to manage!
So how are these relationships, and how have they grown? I have to admit, with the exception of a handful they have all become superficial over time. Even relationships that were once heart to heart friendships have now become mere aquaintances. Yet these people are important to me...
We (especially men) have limited capacity of how many people we can relate to at one time in our lives. We struggle between developing relationships and the real danger of overloading our lives with too many friendships to manage, which just consume our energy and time.
So I've decided to buy some time. Time for myself, time to rest and not be consumed, to stand still, not run the rat race, time to reflect and map out the next steps. People are an important part of my life, yet i cannot allow myself to be consumed by too many relationships.
As important as these people may be, I need not fit into all their lives, I just need to fit into mine.
My first thought was just expressing his frustration with the way people think and act. Well, there's alot I could say here. People I have trusted have abused my trust. People who were supposed to be credible and of "high regard" have lied and decieved for their own profit. Other people I call friends have allowed their standards and ethics to be compromised under pressure.
Next my thoughts were about people themselves, individuals who in God's eyes are more valuable than anything else on this planet. God loves each person, and asks us to love our neighbours as ourselves. Spending time with people and helping them should be one of our highest priorities...
Finally I thought of all the people who have robbed me of time and energy. There are quite a number, and just like everyone else I have limited time. Scripture tells us we can "buy time". How do we do this? And what do we "buy time" for?
Over the weekend I was asked to draw a personal network map of people I communicate with on a regular basis. And as I started listing people, I was reminded of more people and then more and more People! Over 70 individuals i've been in relatively intense contact with within the past year, regarding personal, family or business issues! That's a lot of relationships to manage!
So how are these relationships, and how have they grown? I have to admit, with the exception of a handful they have all become superficial over time. Even relationships that were once heart to heart friendships have now become mere aquaintances. Yet these people are important to me...
We (especially men) have limited capacity of how many people we can relate to at one time in our lives. We struggle between developing relationships and the real danger of overloading our lives with too many friendships to manage, which just consume our energy and time.
So I've decided to buy some time. Time for myself, time to rest and not be consumed, to stand still, not run the rat race, time to reflect and map out the next steps. People are an important part of my life, yet i cannot allow myself to be consumed by too many relationships.
As important as these people may be, I need not fit into all their lives, I just need to fit into mine.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Amazed with all eye see
This week I have had the priveledge of being amazed by my surroundings. Here in Käsmu, I have experienced in a refreshed way what it means to see. It's an odd thing to say especially for a person that should have fairly good eyesight...
I've seen countless sunsets in my life, yet this week I seem to see sunsets in a deeper splender. The many times I've seen wildlife, I've never really been so intrigued by the fox and it's coat, the colour, tail and his stance. Or listening in amazement to the conversation of the birds. Viewing houses, fading rustic wood structures each of which has had a life of it's own, a history, a deep story to tell. This is what has captivated me this week, nothing new, yet the view has been splendedly refreshing.
Are we too busy to truly notice the intricate beauty of God's creation? We have so many agendas and time constraints which we fail to release ourselves from even when we take some "time for ourselves". We miss the beauty of the simple things God has given for us to enjoy, distancing ourselves from our surroundings, not fully sensing the sights, sounds, smells and feeling of living in the midst of this glorious creation we call nature.
I'm more convinced than ever, that as the human race we are destroying ourselves. We have lost touch with true reality and replaced it with our own ideas of prosperity, wealth, lifestyle, and values. With our actions we seem to neglect our creator and the surroundings He has placed us in. This earth is a blessing providing us with all our needs and more. Yet somehow our eyes are covered with scales, our view is distorted by selfish views, goals and desires. It seems "no eye has seen, no ear has heard what God has prepared" also applies to us for not seeing what surrounds us today! And if we don't see it and appreciate it, how can we think we are wise enough to manage it? The sad fact is that we are not.
We make plans, and yet our plans are flawed. We erect buildings, yet they all one day crumble. It seems every movement we make we just damage all that has been so perfectly crafted by God. All a product of our "knowledge and wisdom" what we call progress. As I sit here and contemplate what has become, I somehow think this is not how God intended us to live.
Just where have we lost our way? And can we find our way back?
I've seen countless sunsets in my life, yet this week I seem to see sunsets in a deeper splender. The many times I've seen wildlife, I've never really been so intrigued by the fox and it's coat, the colour, tail and his stance. Or listening in amazement to the conversation of the birds. Viewing houses, fading rustic wood structures each of which has had a life of it's own, a history, a deep story to tell. This is what has captivated me this week, nothing new, yet the view has been splendedly refreshing.
Are we too busy to truly notice the intricate beauty of God's creation? We have so many agendas and time constraints which we fail to release ourselves from even when we take some "time for ourselves". We miss the beauty of the simple things God has given for us to enjoy, distancing ourselves from our surroundings, not fully sensing the sights, sounds, smells and feeling of living in the midst of this glorious creation we call nature.
I'm more convinced than ever, that as the human race we are destroying ourselves. We have lost touch with true reality and replaced it with our own ideas of prosperity, wealth, lifestyle, and values. With our actions we seem to neglect our creator and the surroundings He has placed us in. This earth is a blessing providing us with all our needs and more. Yet somehow our eyes are covered with scales, our view is distorted by selfish views, goals and desires. It seems "no eye has seen, no ear has heard what God has prepared" also applies to us for not seeing what surrounds us today! And if we don't see it and appreciate it, how can we think we are wise enough to manage it? The sad fact is that we are not.
We make plans, and yet our plans are flawed. We erect buildings, yet they all one day crumble. It seems every movement we make we just damage all that has been so perfectly crafted by God. All a product of our "knowledge and wisdom" what we call progress. As I sit here and contemplate what has become, I somehow think this is not how God intended us to live.
Just where have we lost our way? And can we find our way back?
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Rediscovering lost treasure
On Sunday I met with my aunt's granddaughter, who happens to be the closest relative I have in Estonia. She inherited the property where my dad was born and grew up. We had met once earlier after my aunt died in 1993, but I had completely lost touch with her (she had remarried and changed her name since). Nice to reconnect with a lost relative.
For the last 3 years a new house stands where my grandfather's house once stood. So time has erased this part of my father's past as well. In a way I'm saddened by the loss, but in another way I'm glad for the progress, as I remember already 16 years ago this house was in bad shape and needed to be replaced.
She showed me a few things my aunt had left, my grandfather's portrait, my grandmother's will, and she also told me somewhere she has school books from the 1930's possibly belonging to my dad. My dad could have never imagined how interested his future son would be to see his schoolwork some 70-80 years later...
I've also found out that after my dad served in the Finnish army from 18 Jan 1944 to 18 Sept 1944, he never returned to Estonia, instead emigrating to Sweden, eventually on to Canada, never to see his mom or home again.
So here at my dad's home I have found a few of his footprints, although most over time have been wiped away. I pray I find more, but it seems only remnents remain.
For the last 3 years a new house stands where my grandfather's house once stood. So time has erased this part of my father's past as well. In a way I'm saddened by the loss, but in another way I'm glad for the progress, as I remember already 16 years ago this house was in bad shape and needed to be replaced.
She showed me a few things my aunt had left, my grandfather's portrait, my grandmother's will, and she also told me somewhere she has school books from the 1930's possibly belonging to my dad. My dad could have never imagined how interested his future son would be to see his schoolwork some 70-80 years later...
I've also found out that after my dad served in the Finnish army from 18 Jan 1944 to 18 Sept 1944, he never returned to Estonia, instead emigrating to Sweden, eventually on to Canada, never to see his mom or home again.
So here at my dad's home I have found a few of his footprints, although most over time have been wiped away. I pray I find more, but it seems only remnents remain.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
where my life began
As I have reflected the past weeks and months over my life, my parents, relationships, travels and business, I've realised God has given me a great treasure of experiences to learn from and share. Looking back it has been a journey filled with growth, pain, joy, loss, and love. There have been stumbling blocks where I have faultered on along the way, times of strength and of weakness, people I have hurt and been hurt by, a multitude of experiences I would not trade for the world have all formed who I am today.
These last two weekends in Käsmu, have been gifts from above. Walking where my father once walked has given me not only a new perspective, but also given me pieces to the puzzle of my identity. Last weekend I met an older fellow who filled in alot of blanks regarding my father and his family, many things my dad never talked about, life stories I thought were lost forever. And rolled out before me is my family tree dating back to the 1700's, something I planned to research was just handed to me as a gift.
Why is this gift so timely and important? I've been thinking for some time to write my life story, being raised in Canada, moving to Estonia and all I've experienced along my journey. But along with lack of time, so many of the pieces have also been missing. I've come to understand much of who I am is actually a product of who my parents were and what they experienced along their journey. Now some of these missing pieces are falling into place.
So this is where I begin. In a way my life began along these shores, as who I am today has much to do with what happened here long before I was even born. So as i'm writing about my father, I'm also thinking how His life is reflected in mine. Puts an interesting twist on the thought the Psalmist shared, that God knew us long before we were ever concieved...
These last two weekends in Käsmu, have been gifts from above. Walking where my father once walked has given me not only a new perspective, but also given me pieces to the puzzle of my identity. Last weekend I met an older fellow who filled in alot of blanks regarding my father and his family, many things my dad never talked about, life stories I thought were lost forever. And rolled out before me is my family tree dating back to the 1700's, something I planned to research was just handed to me as a gift.
Why is this gift so timely and important? I've been thinking for some time to write my life story, being raised in Canada, moving to Estonia and all I've experienced along my journey. But along with lack of time, so many of the pieces have also been missing. I've come to understand much of who I am is actually a product of who my parents were and what they experienced along their journey. Now some of these missing pieces are falling into place.
So this is where I begin. In a way my life began along these shores, as who I am today has much to do with what happened here long before I was even born. So as i'm writing about my father, I'm also thinking how His life is reflected in mine. Puts an interesting twist on the thought the Psalmist shared, that God knew us long before we were ever concieved...
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The "Aura"
A couple of days ago I had an interesting conversation with a fellow in Käsmu, my dad's home village. As we talked about cultural values everything from paintings to swords to coins, he mentioned something interesting he's noticed about churches. Many churches abroad seem to have a certain "aura" about them, something that can rarely be found in Estonian churches. And he can't figure out what makes certain churches feel so different.
As I pondered what he said, I started thinking about many of the churches I've visited over the years. I've been in church buildings that have left me completely cold, and other places I've visited are somehow alive and the presence of God can be felt. What I've also noticed it has very little to do with the confession or denomination of the church.
It became evident to me, what my new friend described was actually a very spiritual experience, although I'm not so sure he recognised it as this. Why is it that some churches have an "aura" but some do not. Scripture gives us some good clues...
Seems that God dwells not in structures but in the worship and praise of His people, however the aura of His presence can remain in a building for a time. 2 Chronicals 5:1-14 is an classic example of how God's presence fills the temple as His people worship Him. Verse 13 states:
"It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD"
Another scripture Matt 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.", once again defining where God's presence can be found.
So where have our churches lost their "aura"? Perhaps instead of really worshiping the creator we're seeking some special feeling from the created. We look for the "aura" in anything from church buildings to church service, from man's creation to nature, completely neglecting to seek the one who the source of this wonderful "aura".
This "aura" cannot be contained in buildings or structures or places. Jesus once said "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,..". So His "aura" is within us, provided our lives are an act of worship to God. Consider this wherever your journey takes you today, whether to church, or walking in nature, or just sitting in the living room of your home.
And examine your own heart,.. do you sense His "aura" there?
.
As I pondered what he said, I started thinking about many of the churches I've visited over the years. I've been in church buildings that have left me completely cold, and other places I've visited are somehow alive and the presence of God can be felt. What I've also noticed it has very little to do with the confession or denomination of the church.
It became evident to me, what my new friend described was actually a very spiritual experience, although I'm not so sure he recognised it as this. Why is it that some churches have an "aura" but some do not. Scripture gives us some good clues...
Seems that God dwells not in structures but in the worship and praise of His people, however the aura of His presence can remain in a building for a time. 2 Chronicals 5:1-14 is an classic example of how God's presence fills the temple as His people worship Him. Verse 13 states:
"It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD"
Another scripture Matt 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.", once again defining where God's presence can be found.
So where have our churches lost their "aura"? Perhaps instead of really worshiping the creator we're seeking some special feeling from the created. We look for the "aura" in anything from church buildings to church service, from man's creation to nature, completely neglecting to seek the one who the source of this wonderful "aura".
This "aura" cannot be contained in buildings or structures or places. Jesus once said "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,..". So His "aura" is within us, provided our lives are an act of worship to God. Consider this wherever your journey takes you today, whether to church, or walking in nature, or just sitting in the living room of your home.
And examine your own heart,.. do you sense His "aura" there?
.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
our steps...
This weekend as well as last, I've been in Käsmu stepping on stones my dad once stepped on years ago in his youth. It's been a bit of a spiritual journey as I reflect back on my life, as well as the journey my father once took from these shores. Unfortunately my father is no longer here to share his experiences with me, however with each step, my mind's eye imagines his steps as he grew up here and stepped upon these same stones. With his friends, his brothers, and parents, how his life was so intertwined with this tranquil small village, only to be upset by the raviges of war.
I don't know much details about his journey from these shores to Finland, Sweden, and further abroad. All I really know is that he was my dad, and that his steps no matter how they were taken, has impacted lives, including with no doubt mine.
So it's a good place to reflect, even on these steps of mine, what impact, what legacy, they might leave behind...
.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
It's not always about learning
Met a good friend today who shared a moving personal story. I'm not going to tell you what he shared, but our discussion was about the losses in our lives and what we gain from them. Personally I tend to (or try to) believe pain and losses in our lives have a reason or purpose. We're supposed to learn something from them, that we can change our lives for the better.
Now I've learned alot from losses and pain in my life, especially where I have made mistakes or acted wrongly. But what about losses incured after doing what is right?? Standing for justice and justice is not served. And how can we really explain Job?
As I shared about my losses, I realised that some losses in my life were still unresolved. I could never find a logical reason, or couldn't figure out what I should learn from them. Pain that does not resolve sometimes seems cruel. Why would God allow it? Is there something I need to learn or do differently in my life?
My friend shared that in his experience of loss, there was nothing specific to learn. Nothing to change or do. In the midst of pain he just needed to be and allow God to fill that loss. Not sure if I fully comprehended what he was trying to express, but being and resting in God was all that was needed and fully sufficient to fill the deep void of loss.
After we parted company, I was reminded of a great old hymn "It is well with my soul" written by Horatio Spaffold. There's an incredible story of loss that brought him to write this hymn. He lost all his kids at sea. There was nothing for him to learn, no explaination. The only thing he could do is rest in God's love and grace and say "it is well with my soul". That was all he needed.
Of course there is great pain and grieving, but there is also peace and rest in God. When we try to resolve what is not meant to be resolved with our human logic, we loose that peace that defies understanding. We stir up doubt, and question why, and ask what should I learn from loss...
But I guess it's not always about learning, but resting and trusting in God regardless of life's turmoil and pain. Unresolved, yet in an unexplainable way resolved deep within our souls.
It's difficult to explain or grasp. To be at rest and content in Him in the midst of great losses...
Now I've learned alot from losses and pain in my life, especially where I have made mistakes or acted wrongly. But what about losses incured after doing what is right?? Standing for justice and justice is not served. And how can we really explain Job?
As I shared about my losses, I realised that some losses in my life were still unresolved. I could never find a logical reason, or couldn't figure out what I should learn from them. Pain that does not resolve sometimes seems cruel. Why would God allow it? Is there something I need to learn or do differently in my life?
My friend shared that in his experience of loss, there was nothing specific to learn. Nothing to change or do. In the midst of pain he just needed to be and allow God to fill that loss. Not sure if I fully comprehended what he was trying to express, but being and resting in God was all that was needed and fully sufficient to fill the deep void of loss.
After we parted company, I was reminded of a great old hymn "It is well with my soul" written by Horatio Spaffold. There's an incredible story of loss that brought him to write this hymn. He lost all his kids at sea. There was nothing for him to learn, no explaination. The only thing he could do is rest in God's love and grace and say "it is well with my soul". That was all he needed.
Of course there is great pain and grieving, but there is also peace and rest in God. When we try to resolve what is not meant to be resolved with our human logic, we loose that peace that defies understanding. We stir up doubt, and question why, and ask what should I learn from loss...
But I guess it's not always about learning, but resting and trusting in God regardless of life's turmoil and pain. Unresolved, yet in an unexplainable way resolved deep within our souls.
It's difficult to explain or grasp. To be at rest and content in Him in the midst of great losses...
Monday, April 20, 2009
Going wireless
Every Estonian lives in a wireless zone, it's like an aura around us, almost seems to be in our genes, we can't live, breathe or function without it... But it makes me wonder why it's so hard for us to grasp the concept of wireless communication with our Creator...
It's interesting, every person has been wired for communication with God. We ourselves cut the line, unplug ourselves from the source and instead are entertained by the noise that surrounds us. We think we can manage on our own, and we have all we need. But what we have is often not sufficient, not our wisdom, our abilities, nor our talent, even when it's collectively combined.
We somehow recognise there's so much to learn from the virtual world of the internet, yet we forget there is so much more to learn from the spiritual realm. God does guide us when we listen, but we seem to plug into the wrong place.
Listening to God requires removing ourselves from distractions. This could be TV, internet, cities and people. To quote one of my favourate verses, we need to "be still and know He is God". To know God and His heart we should quiet ourselves, be free of distractions. For when he speaks, he often whispers and we need to be attentive to hear...
It's interesting, every person has been wired for communication with God. We ourselves cut the line, unplug ourselves from the source and instead are entertained by the noise that surrounds us. We think we can manage on our own, and we have all we need. But what we have is often not sufficient, not our wisdom, our abilities, nor our talent, even when it's collectively combined.
We somehow recognise there's so much to learn from the virtual world of the internet, yet we forget there is so much more to learn from the spiritual realm. God does guide us when we listen, but we seem to plug into the wrong place.
Listening to God requires removing ourselves from distractions. This could be TV, internet, cities and people. To quote one of my favourate verses, we need to "be still and know He is God". To know God and His heart we should quiet ourselves, be free of distractions. For when he speaks, he often whispers and we need to be attentive to hear...
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Our conversation with God
One of my favourite comedians is Bill Cosby. He does a great take on Noah's conversation with God as he's instructed to build an ark. Here's a youtube link to listen to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0KHt8xrQkk
I don't know about you, but on occasion I've had similar conversations with God. When things don't go as we want or expect, we sometimes can get frustrated and argue with God. Last night I was at a prayer group, and we discussed the topic of prayer, what prayer is and how we should pray. Although Jesus did teach us what to pray, He didn't specifically defined how we should express our prayers...
We tend to come before God with elequant words, sometimes in a way trying to impress Him (or even sometimes the people around us). But Jesus had His opinion about people with elequant words. Quite simply He wasn't impressed.
All God expects from us is a sincere and contrite heart, broken if it may be. He wants to feel our emotion and passion, even when things don't go as we wish. He didn't create us as one sided or unemotional robots, so why do so often we pray as if He has? I don't think God gets angry when we react to Him in our growing process (as little kids so often also do with their parents), He just expects us to trust and obey Him however we reach that point. We just need to remember at the end of the day He really does have our best interest at heart.
So next time you pray, ask questions, let Him know what you feel and think. Even though has given us a model of how and what to pray, He has never asked us to deny expressing our thoughts, feelings or emotions. He's not interested in a stagnant "textbook" relationship, but one that is vibrant and free, whether emotions run hot or cold. For He truly loves us and want's us to be His passionate children.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0KHt8xrQkk
I don't know about you, but on occasion I've had similar conversations with God. When things don't go as we want or expect, we sometimes can get frustrated and argue with God. Last night I was at a prayer group, and we discussed the topic of prayer, what prayer is and how we should pray. Although Jesus did teach us what to pray, He didn't specifically defined how we should express our prayers...
We tend to come before God with elequant words, sometimes in a way trying to impress Him (or even sometimes the people around us). But Jesus had His opinion about people with elequant words. Quite simply He wasn't impressed.
All God expects from us is a sincere and contrite heart, broken if it may be. He wants to feel our emotion and passion, even when things don't go as we wish. He didn't create us as one sided or unemotional robots, so why do so often we pray as if He has? I don't think God gets angry when we react to Him in our growing process (as little kids so often also do with their parents), He just expects us to trust and obey Him however we reach that point. We just need to remember at the end of the day He really does have our best interest at heart.
So next time you pray, ask questions, let Him know what you feel and think. Even though has given us a model of how and what to pray, He has never asked us to deny expressing our thoughts, feelings or emotions. He's not interested in a stagnant "textbook" relationship, but one that is vibrant and free, whether emotions run hot or cold. For He truly loves us and want's us to be His passionate children.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Painting the shell
This Easter I decided to paint some Easter eggs, something I haven't done in over 10 years. I'm not exactly sure where this tradition began, but (unlike the eggs I painted) there are some amazing works of art to be found out there. I'm especially impressed with Ukrainian Easter eggs, on which the artwork is incredibly intricate.
So I started thinking, what is an egg? Seems like a silly question, but as I looked at this white egg I realised there was actually life inside. I also wondered if by painting the shell am I doing justice to the pure white beauty of the egg. It in itselt is simply a perfect shape, although no two are exactly alike. Rather than painting a hard boiled egg I decided to blow out the yolk through a small hole on each end (purely for the purpose of preserving the egg long term). So now I was working with an empty shell, ready to paint it beautiful.
Isn't this how we treat life sometimes? We focus on the shell, making it as beautiful as we can, trying to impress others with the outer beauty, and tend to neglect the life that's growing from within. Rather than embracing an often painful growth, and natural pressure which inevitable cracks the shell, we instead focus on preserving the shell and painting it in brilliant colours. Sometimes we kill or "blow out" the life inside only to preserve the shell. Why has this shell become so important to us?
I guess it depends on who we are trying to impress. God has created us into growing physical and spritual beings. Any shell is only to protect us when we are most vulnerable, He has never intended to keep anyone in a shell forever. Real growth brings cracks, breaks the shell of our lives and the process may not be easy or beautiful,... at least not at first. But life's not about the shell or how brilliantly we paint it, but the real beauty lies in the life that hatches from within. Real beauty comes from growth which extends itself and cracks the shell, trusting God to teach us to fly, and to one day soar as eagles (Isaiah 40:31)
So let's not be too concerned about preserving our "beautiful shell". By cracking it we just may be birthing something much more beautiful.
So I started thinking, what is an egg? Seems like a silly question, but as I looked at this white egg I realised there was actually life inside. I also wondered if by painting the shell am I doing justice to the pure white beauty of the egg. It in itselt is simply a perfect shape, although no two are exactly alike. Rather than painting a hard boiled egg I decided to blow out the yolk through a small hole on each end (purely for the purpose of preserving the egg long term). So now I was working with an empty shell, ready to paint it beautiful.
Isn't this how we treat life sometimes? We focus on the shell, making it as beautiful as we can, trying to impress others with the outer beauty, and tend to neglect the life that's growing from within. Rather than embracing an often painful growth, and natural pressure which inevitable cracks the shell, we instead focus on preserving the shell and painting it in brilliant colours. Sometimes we kill or "blow out" the life inside only to preserve the shell. Why has this shell become so important to us?
I guess it depends on who we are trying to impress. God has created us into growing physical and spritual beings. Any shell is only to protect us when we are most vulnerable, He has never intended to keep anyone in a shell forever. Real growth brings cracks, breaks the shell of our lives and the process may not be easy or beautiful,... at least not at first. But life's not about the shell or how brilliantly we paint it, but the real beauty lies in the life that hatches from within. Real beauty comes from growth which extends itself and cracks the shell, trusting God to teach us to fly, and to one day soar as eagles (Isaiah 40:31)
So let's not be too concerned about preserving our "beautiful shell". By cracking it we just may be birthing something much more beautiful.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Peeling an onion
On my flight back to Estonia I've been reading quite an interesting novel called "The Shack". It's a story about a man who through life's horrendous difficulties struggles with issues of forgiveness, love, and trusting God. It's a gut wrenching story, albiet a few ideas presented in the story are a bit unothodox and difficult to digest at first, but the theme of God's love and grace comes through clearer than any i have read in a long time.
Like this man, we all go through unexpected struggles in our lives. Loss of family, friends, jobs, posessions, forms of abuse, some stuggles more difficult than others. These difficulties leave wounds and scars, tissue that may turn into layers of hurt, regret, bitterness and unforgiveness. These are defence layers we create to protect ourselves from being hurt again. It often causes us to be shallow and superficial, not allowing our relationship with God and our fellow person to grow deeper. We run the danger of having our hearts turn calloused, or as scripture so well describes into "hearts of stone".
This book so well described how God can start peeling away those calloused layers and restore within us a "heart of flesh". I kind of picture it like peeling onions. The first layers are not so bad, usually thin and died up. Not much pain involved until you get to the third or fouth layer. The deeper you peel, the less dry the layers are, the more fleshlike our hearts become. Funny thing with onions, the peeling usually comes with tears. God wants to give us a heart that is sensitive and true. A heart full of compassion and grace.
And it all starts with a little peeling below the surface...
Like this man, we all go through unexpected struggles in our lives. Loss of family, friends, jobs, posessions, forms of abuse, some stuggles more difficult than others. These difficulties leave wounds and scars, tissue that may turn into layers of hurt, regret, bitterness and unforgiveness. These are defence layers we create to protect ourselves from being hurt again. It often causes us to be shallow and superficial, not allowing our relationship with God and our fellow person to grow deeper. We run the danger of having our hearts turn calloused, or as scripture so well describes into "hearts of stone".
This book so well described how God can start peeling away those calloused layers and restore within us a "heart of flesh". I kind of picture it like peeling onions. The first layers are not so bad, usually thin and died up. Not much pain involved until you get to the third or fouth layer. The deeper you peel, the less dry the layers are, the more fleshlike our hearts become. Funny thing with onions, the peeling usually comes with tears. God wants to give us a heart that is sensitive and true. A heart full of compassion and grace.
And it all starts with a little peeling below the surface...
Friday, March 20, 2009
Being still
Over the past few months, I have had some time to recover from overloading my life in the past years and not taking time needed for rest. It's amazing how our body reacts to overload and stress we were never designed to carry.
I've failed to understand how important it is for us to have rest and margins of time and energy to carry us through crisis and storms. Not having these nescssary margins in my life has resulted in a multitude of health issues, some of which have even caused me to be hospitalised over the past months.
Everyone needs to store up reserves; reserves of energy, reserves of finances, reserves of rest. We so often deplete ourselves with too many responsibilities, ones that seem good at first, even helping others, but which in reality drain us and eat at us like paracites. Our lives get busier, more involved with doing "good things", expending our resorces to the extent that we run the risk of becoming as an empty shell, suseptible to be tossed around in a storm like a ship without a ballast, or a sailboat without a keel.
Storms do come into our lives, they cannot be avoided. But how do we prepare ourselves to navigate through the storms so we make it through in tact, without it costing our health and wellbeing? By proper nutrition, rest, exercise, in other words being fit before rough storms hit. We love easy sailing, when things go well, and in our optimism we sometimes push ourselves too hard, neglecting to check the reserves we need for rough seas. This also includes reserves of wisdom, to know our limits, to know what to do in future difficulties we so often prefer to deny.
One of my favourite Psalms (16:10) says "be still and know that I am God". I've recently gained a new appreciation for stillness. In the midst of a storm, where your boat is rocking from side to side, you're nautious, waves are crashing against the bow, maybe your even taking on water, it's difficult to be still. It's difficult to listen to instruction, or even read instruction whe you are being tossed around. Being unprepared and waiting to call out to God for help in the midst of a storm is not quite the same as taking time before we sail being still, listening, being wise and preparing in advance of a potential storm.
Imagine the wisdom we could obtain about avoiding or weathering a storm before it hits... Think of the reserves we could build into our lives, in training and preperation for difficulties. Life is not clear sailing, and anyone who thinks so is fooling themselves. For most of us there are rough seas ahead, but God has promised to provide us with all we need to get through storms, if we'd only prepare and equip ourselves accordingly. That means being still, listening, training and preparing with all the reserves we need to carry us through.
I've failed to understand how important it is for us to have rest and margins of time and energy to carry us through crisis and storms. Not having these nescssary margins in my life has resulted in a multitude of health issues, some of which have even caused me to be hospitalised over the past months.
Everyone needs to store up reserves; reserves of energy, reserves of finances, reserves of rest. We so often deplete ourselves with too many responsibilities, ones that seem good at first, even helping others, but which in reality drain us and eat at us like paracites. Our lives get busier, more involved with doing "good things", expending our resorces to the extent that we run the risk of becoming as an empty shell, suseptible to be tossed around in a storm like a ship without a ballast, or a sailboat without a keel.
Storms do come into our lives, they cannot be avoided. But how do we prepare ourselves to navigate through the storms so we make it through in tact, without it costing our health and wellbeing? By proper nutrition, rest, exercise, in other words being fit before rough storms hit. We love easy sailing, when things go well, and in our optimism we sometimes push ourselves too hard, neglecting to check the reserves we need for rough seas. This also includes reserves of wisdom, to know our limits, to know what to do in future difficulties we so often prefer to deny.
One of my favourite Psalms (16:10) says "be still and know that I am God". I've recently gained a new appreciation for stillness. In the midst of a storm, where your boat is rocking from side to side, you're nautious, waves are crashing against the bow, maybe your even taking on water, it's difficult to be still. It's difficult to listen to instruction, or even read instruction whe you are being tossed around. Being unprepared and waiting to call out to God for help in the midst of a storm is not quite the same as taking time before we sail being still, listening, being wise and preparing in advance of a potential storm.
Imagine the wisdom we could obtain about avoiding or weathering a storm before it hits... Think of the reserves we could build into our lives, in training and preperation for difficulties. Life is not clear sailing, and anyone who thinks so is fooling themselves. For most of us there are rough seas ahead, but God has promised to provide us with all we need to get through storms, if we'd only prepare and equip ourselves accordingly. That means being still, listening, training and preparing with all the reserves we need to carry us through.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday, looking forward
it's friday, end of the workweek, beginning of the weekend. Isn't it so amazing how one day can change a person's outlook and additude? Friday is a day we look forward, and rarely look back. We want to forget the past week and just relax. But what about Monday? Do we look forward then? Ever wonder how one day of the week can change our view and additude? I guess in our lives we have our "fridays" and we have our "mondays", and at the end of the week we soemtimes forget the effort to reach "friday" only to remember it again on Monday.
I'm rambling here, not sure what I want to say, but there's a thought hidden in here somewhere, i guess the thought is "what o we look forward to?" Do we trust God and believe it will be a good Monday, even though it means more work than Saturday or Sunday. Everyday is an opportunity for something good. And each morning we can say "This is the day God has created, and I will rejoice and be glad in it" on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,...
I'm rambling here, not sure what I want to say, but there's a thought hidden in here somewhere, i guess the thought is "what o we look forward to?" Do we trust God and believe it will be a good Monday, even though it means more work than Saturday or Sunday. Everyday is an opportunity for something good. And each morning we can say "This is the day God has created, and I will rejoice and be glad in it" on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,...
Monday, March 9, 2009
Loosing Time...
On this side of the pond yesterday, we turned forward the clock. "Spring forward" means most of us lost an hour sleep. But I've just lost three hours instead of one! You see, as I'm driving east from Colorado towards Michigan, in addition to the time change I also crossed two time zones, much the same way as I did travelling west a few weeks earlier. Of course travelling west I gained 2 hours...
As we travel, I realize timing and direction has a big effect our gaining or loosing time. Of course travelling always in one direction will never add up to more time in the end. But isn't this what we sometimes try to do in our lives? We speed in a specific direction hoping do more and in a way "gain time"... But in all this don't we eventually just end up just loosing the time we've "gained", sometimes loosing even more than we expect. .
Ecclesiastes tells us, “There is a time for everything . . . ” And do we understand the "season" and "reason" for all we do. Ever thought why are we do the things we do? Is there a destination? a purpose? How quickly do we need to get there? As we hurry, could we miss a turn or perhaps even get the direction wrong? Perhaps taking more time we can find the deeper meaning for our lives, rather than speeding and chasing after the wind...
What does man gain from all his labour at which he toils under the sun?
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains for ever.
The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.
All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one can say, Look! This is something new? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.
There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.
I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:3-14
As we travel, I realize timing and direction has a big effect our gaining or loosing time. Of course travelling always in one direction will never add up to more time in the end. But isn't this what we sometimes try to do in our lives? We speed in a specific direction hoping do more and in a way "gain time"... But in all this don't we eventually just end up just loosing the time we've "gained", sometimes loosing even more than we expect. .
Ecclesiastes tells us, “There is a time for everything . . . ” And do we understand the "season" and "reason" for all we do. Ever thought why are we do the things we do? Is there a destination? a purpose? How quickly do we need to get there? As we hurry, could we miss a turn or perhaps even get the direction wrong? Perhaps taking more time we can find the deeper meaning for our lives, rather than speeding and chasing after the wind...
What does man gain from all his labour at which he toils under the sun?
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains for ever.
The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.
All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one can say, Look! This is something new? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.
There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.
I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:3-14
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Procrastination...
As you can see I haven't been getting my posts up on a regular basis. Sorry, I don't want to say it's due to procrastination, but unfortunately there's no better word to describe the delay.
Today I'm just sorting through what I've written to see what's worth sharing. Please understand some of my thoughts are works in process, just as each of our lives are. So as I learn or discover something new, I may edit some of my previous posts.
So now you know I'm still blogging, just not regularly.... :)
Today I'm just sorting through what I've written to see what's worth sharing. Please understand some of my thoughts are works in process, just as each of our lives are. So as I learn or discover something new, I may edit some of my previous posts.
So now you know I'm still blogging, just not regularly.... :)
Personal thoughts on February 14th
Valentines day has just passed, and naturally love has been the most popular theme in the past week or two. I guess all of us have experienced "being in love" at one point or another. The exhilarating feeling of caring for someone more than anyone else. But has anyone successfully described true love with mere words? Is it possible to grasp or define it with our limited vocabulary?
I remember falling in love 16 years ago. It wasn't the first time I had "fallen in love", however this time was different as it challenged my concept of what true love is. This gal who captured my heart was one of the most beautiful I had ever met, both inside and out. She had a sincere heart, and a desire to live her life in a way that pleased God. Without doubt her beauty and sincerity was what initially caught my attention, but something happened in my heart I had never experienced before. I couldn't package or define the reason why I loved this girl. For the first time in my life it wasn't at all about me but it was all about her. My needs and desires took third place to her. Many thought it was just her beauty that captured me,.. Of course she was a gorgeous girl, but this wasn't the underlying reason I loved her. Was it her vibrant personality and intelligence? As much as I was intrigued by her, this wasn't it either. What exactly caused me to feel so passionately for her? No matter how I tried to rationalize or define it, I couldn't package it in my definition of love. All I knew was that she meant more to me than anyone else regardless of what she looked like or how she responded. When she asked me why I felt this way, and I found it impossible to explain, I just loved her just because of who she was. It scared me and made me wonder if this is what true love really is, totally unexplainable and unconditional.
For reasons which I won't discuss here, our friendship didn't develop into what it could have been. But I'm grateful for this experience as it gave me a deeper appreciation of God's love for me. We've learned from the Sunday school song that "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so", but what exactly makes Him love me so? Is it our goodness? I doubt that, as our righteousness is like filthy rags. Is it that we are so wonderfully made? No doubt we are, but that reason would imply He's only a selfish artist marvelling at His own craftsmanship. Just what is it that makes God love us, ugly, disobedient and broken sinners? No other reason but pure unselfish love. Totally undefinable! It's not in any way dependant on how we look, behave or respond. No conditions, just unexplainable unconditional love.
So how do we respond to this? The scripture instructs us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and soul. How do we do this? Do we love Him because of what He has done for us? That would be pretty shallow if it was the only reason. Consider if your spouse loved you only for what you do or what you look like? Wouldn't that be selfish and conditional? What happens when your career fails and your beauty fades away? But you say "Jesus saved me, that's why I love him!" If someone pulls you from a burning building and saves your life, does this cause us to fall in love with the individual, or do we just love what he has done for us? There's no question we feel a deep gratitude, but how long will love last if it's based only on graditude? Do you think God wants us to love Him only for what he has done for us? If He did nothing, would we still love him just for who He is? Think for a moment.. Do we worship Him for what He gives us or do we worship Him for who He is?
True love is unconditional, and impossible to fabricate as it's a gift of God. True love is what caused Him to sacrifice His son for our salvation. No strings attached, He loves us as we are. When true love pierces our heart it can be scary. I'm still discovering new depths of what true love really is, but I believe that only unconditional love can break the curse of our selfish hearts, draw us closer to God, and be the only solid foundation for lasting relationships.
I remember falling in love 16 years ago. It wasn't the first time I had "fallen in love", however this time was different as it challenged my concept of what true love is. This gal who captured my heart was one of the most beautiful I had ever met, both inside and out. She had a sincere heart, and a desire to live her life in a way that pleased God. Without doubt her beauty and sincerity was what initially caught my attention, but something happened in my heart I had never experienced before. I couldn't package or define the reason why I loved this girl. For the first time in my life it wasn't at all about me but it was all about her. My needs and desires took third place to her. Many thought it was just her beauty that captured me,.. Of course she was a gorgeous girl, but this wasn't the underlying reason I loved her. Was it her vibrant personality and intelligence? As much as I was intrigued by her, this wasn't it either. What exactly caused me to feel so passionately for her? No matter how I tried to rationalize or define it, I couldn't package it in my definition of love. All I knew was that she meant more to me than anyone else regardless of what she looked like or how she responded. When she asked me why I felt this way, and I found it impossible to explain, I just loved her just because of who she was. It scared me and made me wonder if this is what true love really is, totally unexplainable and unconditional.
For reasons which I won't discuss here, our friendship didn't develop into what it could have been. But I'm grateful for this experience as it gave me a deeper appreciation of God's love for me. We've learned from the Sunday school song that "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so", but what exactly makes Him love me so? Is it our goodness? I doubt that, as our righteousness is like filthy rags. Is it that we are so wonderfully made? No doubt we are, but that reason would imply He's only a selfish artist marvelling at His own craftsmanship. Just what is it that makes God love us, ugly, disobedient and broken sinners? No other reason but pure unselfish love. Totally undefinable! It's not in any way dependant on how we look, behave or respond. No conditions, just unexplainable unconditional love.
So how do we respond to this? The scripture instructs us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and soul. How do we do this? Do we love Him because of what He has done for us? That would be pretty shallow if it was the only reason. Consider if your spouse loved you only for what you do or what you look like? Wouldn't that be selfish and conditional? What happens when your career fails and your beauty fades away? But you say "Jesus saved me, that's why I love him!" If someone pulls you from a burning building and saves your life, does this cause us to fall in love with the individual, or do we just love what he has done for us? There's no question we feel a deep gratitude, but how long will love last if it's based only on graditude? Do you think God wants us to love Him only for what he has done for us? If He did nothing, would we still love him just for who He is? Think for a moment.. Do we worship Him for what He gives us or do we worship Him for who He is?
True love is unconditional, and impossible to fabricate as it's a gift of God. True love is what caused Him to sacrifice His son for our salvation. No strings attached, He loves us as we are. When true love pierces our heart it can be scary. I'm still discovering new depths of what true love really is, but I believe that only unconditional love can break the curse of our selfish hearts, draw us closer to God, and be the only solid foundation for lasting relationships.
Bucking horses
Last week I visited a small ranch down the road where they had three horses named Luke, Mojo and Jazz. These were beautiful and majestic animals, God's awesome creations. We spent some time grooming two of them to make sure they were clean and comfortable before saddling them up for a short ride. Since it was the first time the horses had been ridden this season, we needed to go easy with them (which was fine with me, an inexperienced rider). Jazz, a stallion they are boarding, was quite energetic and somewhat unpredictable so I wasn't even going to ask about riding him. Luke's an older fella, over 30 years old but not exactly sure how old he really is. I picked him since he's generally a slower and easier riding horse compared to Mojo, although he did buck his owner a few months ago breaking her hip. I learned since he is an older horse, he has some sore spots that you have to consider when saddling him up. Aggravating Luke's sore spots can cause him to react by bucking the rider... Ouch!
Needless to say I felt a bit uneasy riding him, as I was concerned about inadvertently causing him pain or discomfort. The last thing I wanted was to be bucked! Well, fortunately for me the ride went without incident. But after riding Luke, I started to consider how we sometimes react to hurt or aggravation. Most of us tolerate quite a bit of pain and difficulties in our lives, but we all have a limit where our tolerance ends. We react or "buck" to get rid of the pain, irritation, or parasite eating at us. This is a normal, but often misunderstood reaction. Luke was in pain, but the rider was not aware of it. How often in our lives do we saddle others (or ourselves) with burdens, totally oblivious to the potential pain that lies underneath. Without proper grooming, training, and preparation we give (or take) responsibilities and burdens totally unaware how these may hurt. We should take care in preparation and assessment before carrying a load. Otherwise we may react unpredictably when under pressure, often hurting others by doing things we may later regret.
The beautiful part of this story is the relationship between Luke and his owner. Even after breaking her hip from the fall, she did not blame Luke at all, but loved and cared for him just the same. She understood bucking was Luke's natural reaction to pain. I wonder about our understanding of others who react to pain. Do we criticize and condemn, or do we consider that there may be an underlying cause for the reaction? Do we care, "groom", help others (and ourselves) to handle life's burdens? Or do we simply expect others (and ourselves) to perform without adverse reaction at all times? I wonder how God reacts to our "bucking" when we feel discomfort or pain? Do we receive wrath and condemnation for our actions? Or after we "buck", are we still loved and cared for us just the same? Unconditionally....
Needless to say I felt a bit uneasy riding him, as I was concerned about inadvertently causing him pain or discomfort. The last thing I wanted was to be bucked! Well, fortunately for me the ride went without incident. But after riding Luke, I started to consider how we sometimes react to hurt or aggravation. Most of us tolerate quite a bit of pain and difficulties in our lives, but we all have a limit where our tolerance ends. We react or "buck" to get rid of the pain, irritation, or parasite eating at us. This is a normal, but often misunderstood reaction. Luke was in pain, but the rider was not aware of it. How often in our lives do we saddle others (or ourselves) with burdens, totally oblivious to the potential pain that lies underneath. Without proper grooming, training, and preparation we give (or take) responsibilities and burdens totally unaware how these may hurt. We should take care in preparation and assessment before carrying a load. Otherwise we may react unpredictably when under pressure, often hurting others by doing things we may later regret.
The beautiful part of this story is the relationship between Luke and his owner. Even after breaking her hip from the fall, she did not blame Luke at all, but loved and cared for him just the same. She understood bucking was Luke's natural reaction to pain. I wonder about our understanding of others who react to pain. Do we criticize and condemn, or do we consider that there may be an underlying cause for the reaction? Do we care, "groom", help others (and ourselves) to handle life's burdens? Or do we simply expect others (and ourselves) to perform without adverse reaction at all times? I wonder how God reacts to our "bucking" when we feel discomfort or pain? Do we receive wrath and condemnation for our actions? Or after we "buck", are we still loved and cared for us just the same? Unconditionally....
Dangerous cats and other predators
After horseback riding, we had a conversation with the owners of the ranch about wildlife in the Black Forest area. As it turns out, bears and mountain lions (cougars) have been at times active in the area. Bears seem to be classic environmentalists, they have program of sorting through your trash for anything "recyclable". This activity seems to transcend borders as I've noticed the same behaviour in Canada at some rural dumps. Usually bears stay way from human contact, and pretty much mind their own business. But knowing their capabilities, it's wise to keep a respectable distance from them, especially if they have cubs.
Cats on the other hand are completely different creatures. They are by nature prowlers and predators, in my opinion much more dangerous than bears. They're always out to seek what they can unsuspectingly pounce on and devour. Look at a cat, any cat and you will see it clearly in their instinct. Big cats, like mountain lions have been known to sneak up and devour small dogs left in the yard, and on rare occasions even attack children.
Honestly, I've never been very fond of cats. Sorry if I offend cat lovers out there, but you have to admit there is just something about cats that cannot be trusted. Dogs are more predictable, loving, obedient and social, we even call them "mans best friend." And if they do attack, they usually give fair warning and only to guard their territory or owners. Cats aren't really guards or friends of anyone, they're generally independent with devious agendas. They may seem to be affectionate at times, but don't be led astray, their plans are evil. Just look at how they prowl around, ready to pounce, seeking whom they may devour...
Interesting parallel to cats in the Bible: Look at 1 Peter 5:8 "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Compare that to the behaviour of any cat. Notice how casually and innocently he walks around before sneaking up and pouncing. A cat's objective is to catch prey by surprise. Isn't that the same tactic Satin uses to attack us? We often don't perceive the threat until he pounces. This should give cause to examine your enemy diligently. Take notice of his stalking and prowling. Raise your guard and learn his tactics, as he may strike when you least expect it!
Cats on the other hand are completely different creatures. They are by nature prowlers and predators, in my opinion much more dangerous than bears. They're always out to seek what they can unsuspectingly pounce on and devour. Look at a cat, any cat and you will see it clearly in their instinct. Big cats, like mountain lions have been known to sneak up and devour small dogs left in the yard, and on rare occasions even attack children.
Honestly, I've never been very fond of cats. Sorry if I offend cat lovers out there, but you have to admit there is just something about cats that cannot be trusted. Dogs are more predictable, loving, obedient and social, we even call them "mans best friend." And if they do attack, they usually give fair warning and only to guard their territory or owners. Cats aren't really guards or friends of anyone, they're generally independent with devious agendas. They may seem to be affectionate at times, but don't be led astray, their plans are evil. Just look at how they prowl around, ready to pounce, seeking whom they may devour...
Interesting parallel to cats in the Bible: Look at 1 Peter 5:8 "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Compare that to the behaviour of any cat. Notice how casually and innocently he walks around before sneaking up and pouncing. A cat's objective is to catch prey by surprise. Isn't that the same tactic Satin uses to attack us? We often don't perceive the threat until he pounces. This should give cause to examine your enemy diligently. Take notice of his stalking and prowling. Raise your guard and learn his tactics, as he may strike when you least expect it!
Pressure cooker
I've always been amazed by different culinary practices, of how food is prepared. When i had time to cook I fried, baked, boiled, broiled, grilled, all kinds of meals. One thing I have never used in the kitchen is a pressure cooker. I've wondered what effect a pressure cooker has on meat and vegetables, but from what i understand it usually is used to cook quicker but sometimes slower depending on the pressure.
Isn't it the same in our lives. We all live under some kind of pressures, sometimes the pressure is higher than at other times. Pressure is something that can help us perform and accomplish things, but we can also be consumed by too much pressure. It can detrimentally effect our performance and health, and cause irreputable damage.
God seems to have created us with some kind of natural pressure. All of us (who are still breathing) have a blood pressure reading, some have low blood pressure, some high, (neither extreme is good). In recent years I have concluded that there's probably a direct correlation between life's pressure and blood pressure (at least in my life). When blood pressure hits 222/124 the alarm bells ring, as we run the risk of something giving in our bodily functions. Just like a furnace, pressure needs to be controlled in order not to blow a valve or pipe somewhere in the system.
So why is it that when we are under pressure, we continue to load our lives with more pressure? We take on more tasks, responsibilities and burdens. We think of ourselves as pressure cookers, who can produce more in less time than normal. But what's the quality of pressure cooked lives? Perhaps taking more time to do things brings brings better quality,... maybe by doing less we can accomplish more.... or maybe we are just interested in seeing how much our personal pressure cooker can handle before blowing our top off...
12 February 2009
Isn't it the same in our lives. We all live under some kind of pressures, sometimes the pressure is higher than at other times. Pressure is something that can help us perform and accomplish things, but we can also be consumed by too much pressure. It can detrimentally effect our performance and health, and cause irreputable damage.
God seems to have created us with some kind of natural pressure. All of us (who are still breathing) have a blood pressure reading, some have low blood pressure, some high, (neither extreme is good). In recent years I have concluded that there's probably a direct correlation between life's pressure and blood pressure (at least in my life). When blood pressure hits 222/124 the alarm bells ring, as we run the risk of something giving in our bodily functions. Just like a furnace, pressure needs to be controlled in order not to blow a valve or pipe somewhere in the system.
So why is it that when we are under pressure, we continue to load our lives with more pressure? We take on more tasks, responsibilities and burdens. We think of ourselves as pressure cookers, who can produce more in less time than normal. But what's the quality of pressure cooked lives? Perhaps taking more time to do things brings brings better quality,... maybe by doing less we can accomplish more.... or maybe we are just interested in seeing how much our personal pressure cooker can handle before blowing our top off...
12 February 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
responding to instruction
I remember my grade 10 geography teacher, he was a real dork. He wasn't the type of person who commanded much authority, we used to shoot rubber bands and spitballs at him while he wasn't looking. Once he got so angry that he made one of my classmates stand in the corner while he tried to continue teaching. Big mistake, the whole class was in an uproar and couldn't stop laughing, including the student in the corner. Needless to say, we didn't learn much in that class (at least not about geography). Compared to him, my math teacher's stature commanded respect, he was one to be feared. He was a great teacher, but no one would dare to step out of line in his class. That little bit of fear even drove us to learn and prepare for classes better.
We all react differently to instruction and instuctors. Anyone who says learning only depends on the student, should have spent one day in my grade 10 geography class. Do we respect, admire and trust our instructor, or do we feel disconnected, lack respect or trust for those who teach us? Our responses vary dependant on how we view our teachers, parents, pastors and friends. We are formed by those who instruct us, and accept instruction only from those who we truly trust, respect and admire.
This makes me think about how I view God as He instructs me. What motivates me to listen to His instruction and (but not always) follow? Do I liken Him to my math teacher whom I highly respected but distantly feared? Is He my good buddy with whom I'm somewhat of an equal, where I give a little and then He gives a little; or is He a distant dad who provides only nescessities; or is He a master, to whom I as a slave have little incentive to respond to?
Proverbs 29:19 says "a slave will not be instructed by words alone, though he understands, there will be no response." Have you ever felt this way? I have to admit at times I have. If we are to have a desire to respond, we need to know we are much more than slaves or servants. Galatians 4:7 tells us we are...
I've been reading a great book "The Way of the Wild Heart" by John Eldredge. He talks about the heart of our heavenly Father and how much He wishes us to feel as beloved sons (and daughters). I wonder how much we really grasp the depth of His love, His desire to live life's great adventure together with us, to instruct us step by step along our journey, share our joy when we learn and succeed, and lift us up when we stumble and fall.
So often we view Him has King, Master, Saviour, Teacher, Almighty God, our Provider just as we sing in our songs and hymns. But do we really comprehend that He is our Father, the one who loves us as His own? Do we feel as beloved children on whom He wishes to bestow His blessing, or do we feel as servants and slaves destined to only obey His commands?
So I wonder, who's instruction would you be more inclined to respond to? Perhaps we should consider more deeply why Jesus instructed us to pray using the words "Our Father..."
29 Jan 2009
We all react differently to instruction and instuctors. Anyone who says learning only depends on the student, should have spent one day in my grade 10 geography class. Do we respect, admire and trust our instructor, or do we feel disconnected, lack respect or trust for those who teach us? Our responses vary dependant on how we view our teachers, parents, pastors and friends. We are formed by those who instruct us, and accept instruction only from those who we truly trust, respect and admire.
This makes me think about how I view God as He instructs me. What motivates me to listen to His instruction and (but not always) follow? Do I liken Him to my math teacher whom I highly respected but distantly feared? Is He my good buddy with whom I'm somewhat of an equal, where I give a little and then He gives a little; or is He a distant dad who provides only nescessities; or is He a master, to whom I as a slave have little incentive to respond to?
Proverbs 29:19 says "a slave will not be instructed by words alone, though he understands, there will be no response." Have you ever felt this way? I have to admit at times I have. If we are to have a desire to respond, we need to know we are much more than slaves or servants. Galatians 4:7 tells us we are...
I've been reading a great book "The Way of the Wild Heart" by John Eldredge. He talks about the heart of our heavenly Father and how much He wishes us to feel as beloved sons (and daughters). I wonder how much we really grasp the depth of His love, His desire to live life's great adventure together with us, to instruct us step by step along our journey, share our joy when we learn and succeed, and lift us up when we stumble and fall.
So often we view Him has King, Master, Saviour, Teacher, Almighty God, our Provider just as we sing in our songs and hymns. But do we really comprehend that He is our Father, the one who loves us as His own? Do we feel as beloved children on whom He wishes to bestow His blessing, or do we feel as servants and slaves destined to only obey His commands?
So I wonder, who's instruction would you be more inclined to respond to? Perhaps we should consider more deeply why Jesus instructed us to pray using the words "Our Father..."
29 Jan 2009
time for fine dining..
As many of you know, I'm in Colorado currently for some long overdue R&R. I know less than a handful of people out here, so I've had much time to be alone. For someone who is used to a busy life, overloaded with work and activities, it can be a bit disconcerting at times to be alone. However I have come to appreciate this time of peace and quietness, as an opportunity to reflect on life.
One morning as I was having breakfast with my hosts, we started discussing the importance of healthy food, excercise and lifestyle. Over the past few years, I've paid little attention to what I eat. With my busy schedule, when I got hungry I usually found the simplest and quickest dining solution. This may be a sandwich and an apple, or a hamburger with onion rings and a coke, or sometimes even skip a meal because of lack of time. In recent years I have rarely found the time to sit down for a good homecooked meal or go out for fine dining. Convenience, not planning has come to dictate my eating habits.
So, I started wondering how many of us living busy lives make decisions out of convenience rather than take time for deeper contemplation. Living in a convenience driven society, we enjoy instant information from the internet; fastfood from drive-thru's, not to mention drive-thru banks and post offices; remote contols for everything from garage doors to TVs, stereos, and even to lite our gas fireplaces! Everything is instant, we get what we want, when we want, where we want it. Everything is served to us, we needn't even get out of the comfort of our seat!
It's little wonder that when we have an empty feeling in our stomach, heart, or soul, we want it filled ASAP. We look for quick solutions to our needs, someone to solve our problems, someone to love us, entertain us, serve us, and to push the button that gives us that 'so gooood feelin' again. We quickly occupy our time with events, friends, church activities so we won't feel alone and hungry. And so our health suffers and relationships crumble because we are not willing to take time and dwell on what's truly good. We don't take time for fellowship, time to listen for wisdom and guidance, but instead expect God to provide all our needs "according to His riches" delivered to our comfort "cocoons".
But just maybe God wants us to have these times of loneliness, to feel hungry, to have moments to contemplate, consider and evaluate. Perhaps we should embrace loneliness as an opportunity to draw closer to God, to seek a closer fellowship with Him, and not only ask but also listen to His guidance. If we would stop in the midst of our busy lives to take these times of solitude, perhaps we will discover God has a much better table prepared for us than we could imagine. And as we dine with Him we may begin to undertand the difference between 'fastfood' and 'fine dining' in the most important areas of our lives...
28 Jan 2009
One morning as I was having breakfast with my hosts, we started discussing the importance of healthy food, excercise and lifestyle. Over the past few years, I've paid little attention to what I eat. With my busy schedule, when I got hungry I usually found the simplest and quickest dining solution. This may be a sandwich and an apple, or a hamburger with onion rings and a coke, or sometimes even skip a meal because of lack of time. In recent years I have rarely found the time to sit down for a good homecooked meal or go out for fine dining. Convenience, not planning has come to dictate my eating habits.
So, I started wondering how many of us living busy lives make decisions out of convenience rather than take time for deeper contemplation. Living in a convenience driven society, we enjoy instant information from the internet; fastfood from drive-thru's, not to mention drive-thru banks and post offices; remote contols for everything from garage doors to TVs, stereos, and even to lite our gas fireplaces! Everything is instant, we get what we want, when we want, where we want it. Everything is served to us, we needn't even get out of the comfort of our seat!
It's little wonder that when we have an empty feeling in our stomach, heart, or soul, we want it filled ASAP. We look for quick solutions to our needs, someone to solve our problems, someone to love us, entertain us, serve us, and to push the button that gives us that 'so gooood feelin' again. We quickly occupy our time with events, friends, church activities so we won't feel alone and hungry. And so our health suffers and relationships crumble because we are not willing to take time and dwell on what's truly good. We don't take time for fellowship, time to listen for wisdom and guidance, but instead expect God to provide all our needs "according to His riches" delivered to our comfort "cocoons".
But just maybe God wants us to have these times of loneliness, to feel hungry, to have moments to contemplate, consider and evaluate. Perhaps we should embrace loneliness as an opportunity to draw closer to God, to seek a closer fellowship with Him, and not only ask but also listen to His guidance. If we would stop in the midst of our busy lives to take these times of solitude, perhaps we will discover God has a much better table prepared for us than we could imagine. And as we dine with Him we may begin to undertand the difference between 'fastfood' and 'fine dining' in the most important areas of our lives...
28 Jan 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
consider the octopus
This morning as I was taking a shower, I thought how great it would be have one more arm just to reach that spot in the center of my back. I looked over my body to see if there are any more hand like limbs protruding from my torso, but to my dismay I couldn't find any. Then I thought, wouldn't it be great if I had eight flexible arms, like an octopus? Think of all the things I could do! And faster! And all at once! It would be a multitaskers dream come true!
As I reflect on all the "great" projects and ventures I've embraced over the past years, I've started to consider why God created me with only two hands. If two hands are 10x more effective than one hand, wouldn't we all be 100x more effective with four or eight hands? We could accomplish soooo much more!
But for some reason, God in His infinite wisdom has equipped us with no more than two hands. A few of us are more talented in juggling multiple tasks, but with there's always a limit were we inevitably drop something. Even with our hands full, we so often want to pick up one additional "little thing", only drop something else (usually bigger) from our hands. Then we cry out and ask God help us handle all this... "juggling".
Hmm,.. this makes me wonder,.. if God really wants us to juggle so many things at once, what exactly is He training us for?.... The circus?
Checked again, still only two hands attached to my body. So if we don't have eight hands and He's not training us for the circus, then why are we juggling all these things? Surely we haven't overloaded ourselves with so many unnescessary worries and burdens... Do we actually believe God wants us to handle all these things? Didn't Jesus teach us to "consider the octopus who multitasks so well"...? (check Matthew 6:25-26 if you're not sure)
I don't know about you, but I always seem to have my two (not eight) tentacles out grasping at new opportunities. Where do I get the idea I've been designed to handle all this? It recently became abundantly clear to me that I have not been blessed with the "gift of multitasking". In fact, I've started to believe this is not a "gift" at all, but a term which we have coined as an excuse to somehow manage our busy and overloaded lives...
Perhaps we should simplify our lives and concentrate on what we can do with two hands and not eight. Wouldn't our lives would be healthier and more balanced if we did no more than what we were designed to do? Rather than wishing we could handle more things, we should train the two hands we have, strengthen our grip on what's really important, and make our hands more flexible as life changes. Perhaps then our hands would be more fit to accomplish tasks, more free to catch the unexpected, and just maybe flexible enough to reach that evasive spot in the center of our back...
R.L. 23.01.2009
As I reflect on all the "great" projects and ventures I've embraced over the past years, I've started to consider why God created me with only two hands. If two hands are 10x more effective than one hand, wouldn't we all be 100x more effective with four or eight hands? We could accomplish soooo much more!
But for some reason, God in His infinite wisdom has equipped us with no more than two hands. A few of us are more talented in juggling multiple tasks, but with there's always a limit were we inevitably drop something. Even with our hands full, we so often want to pick up one additional "little thing", only drop something else (usually bigger) from our hands. Then we cry out and ask God help us handle all this... "juggling".
Hmm,.. this makes me wonder,.. if God really wants us to juggle so many things at once, what exactly is He training us for?.... The circus?
Checked again, still only two hands attached to my body. So if we don't have eight hands and He's not training us for the circus, then why are we juggling all these things? Surely we haven't overloaded ourselves with so many unnescessary worries and burdens... Do we actually believe God wants us to handle all these things? Didn't Jesus teach us to "consider the octopus who multitasks so well"...? (check Matthew 6:25-26 if you're not sure)
I don't know about you, but I always seem to have my two (not eight) tentacles out grasping at new opportunities. Where do I get the idea I've been designed to handle all this? It recently became abundantly clear to me that I have not been blessed with the "gift of multitasking". In fact, I've started to believe this is not a "gift" at all, but a term which we have coined as an excuse to somehow manage our busy and overloaded lives...
Perhaps we should simplify our lives and concentrate on what we can do with two hands and not eight. Wouldn't our lives would be healthier and more balanced if we did no more than what we were designed to do? Rather than wishing we could handle more things, we should train the two hands we have, strengthen our grip on what's really important, and make our hands more flexible as life changes. Perhaps then our hands would be more fit to accomplish tasks, more free to catch the unexpected, and just maybe flexible enough to reach that evasive spot in the center of our back...
R.L. 23.01.2009
the smallest footprint...
Last weekend as I was thinking about what we value and how we live, I composed a few of these thoughts to words as follows...
we all leave a footprint
where ever we go,
how big or how small
we yet do not know
our steps are a message
for generations to come,
of how heavy or light
our load has become
we may think we don't
have much impact at all,
but our footprints remain
no matter how small
each movement we make
we either give or we take,
often buying great things
of little value that break
so ease up on your load
and tread lightly on this land,
for the earth God has given
is blessing from His Hand
take care of this blessing
for this gift just won't last,
we should care for it dearly
and not consume it so fast...
R.L. 18 Jan.2009
we all leave a footprint
where ever we go,
how big or how small
we yet do not know
our steps are a message
for generations to come,
of how heavy or light
our load has become
we may think we don't
have much impact at all,
but our footprints remain
no matter how small
each movement we make
we either give or we take,
often buying great things
of little value that break
so ease up on your load
and tread lightly on this land,
for the earth God has given
is blessing from His Hand
take care of this blessing
for this gift just won't last,
we should care for it dearly
and not consume it so fast...
R.L. 18 Jan.2009
the first steps...
I've never taken a step into the blogging world until today. To date most of what I've journaled has been personal and private. The few items I've shared with others has always brought a response, sometimes positive, sometimes not, but it has always been a learning experience.
I guess we all leave a mark, something for others to see and learn from and possibly even follow. I'd like to call these our footprints. Lately I've been thinking alot about what kind of trail we leave behind. And just maybe there's something others can learn from the footprints we leave....
Just a note about my blogging habits: they don't exist yet. So don't expect regular updates or new posts. They will come as they come....
I guess we all leave a mark, something for others to see and learn from and possibly even follow. I'd like to call these our footprints. Lately I've been thinking alot about what kind of trail we leave behind. And just maybe there's something others can learn from the footprints we leave....
Just a note about my blogging habits: they don't exist yet. So don't expect regular updates or new posts. They will come as they come....
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