God in the Mall Parking Lot

This week through the generosity of a friend I have a vehicle at my disposal. It's much smaller than our family vehicle (a minivan) and I thoroughly enjoy bombing around town in it. When my friend returns from her vacation I will thank her not only for the use of the vehicle but for her vehicle being the means through which God spoke to me about how He provides blessings and benefits in my life.

Today I pulled into the local mall parking lot and automatically proceeded to the parking area I use when driving our van. As I parked I recalled that close to the door of the store I was going to there is a whole bank of spaces designated for small vehicles. It did not occur to me to park in that area because I'm not able to take advantage of that convenience when driving my own vehicle but today - in fact all this week - I can because I have a vehicle that fits that designation.

Right away I realized that is a picture of the difference God makes in my life. On my own there are places I can't go, things I can't do, details I can't see and issues I cannot understand. However when I am walking with the Lord it's a whole different story! I can go places I would never get to without Him, do things I could not even dream of attempting apart from Him, see things through His eyes that are invisible to me naturally and gain understanding that can only come from Him. On His path, I have benefits I can get nowhere else and I promise you - those benefits are a whole lot more exciting than being 16 steps closer to the door of the store I am going to!

I'm starting out my week believing that I can live out John 10:10...experiencing the abundant life He came to give. Want to join me?

God Keep Our Land

On June 5th, 1977 my entire family migrated from Jamaica to Canada. It was 7 degrees celsius and foggy...and I have loved it here ever since. This July 1 as I celebrate Canada's birthday I will revel in the freedom, enjoying good food, good fun and the fellowship of friends and family. What could be better?

I am thankful to God for the fabulous life I have in Canada. For my Canadian born husband the children. For my Canadian friends. For my Canadian citizenship. For the healthcare and benefits I have as a Canadian. For freedom.

I am not blind to the issues of concern but they pale in comparison to those in almost every other country in the world. Canadians are BLESSED!

This July 1st I will sing O Canada with gusto especially when I get to this part...

God keep our land glorious and free!

and I will celebrate that freedom by acknowledging God's blessings on me personally and on our country at large.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!

In But Not Of

Today as I browsed the shelves at a public library there were several books that caught my eye. My immediate thought was - those are Christian books - so I pulled them out to check and, for the most part, I was right. There was just something about them. In many cases, the titles were a dead give away especially in comparison to the titles of some of the books surrounding them. In other cases, there was something about the design on the spine and cover that made me think it was a Christian book. I wanted to take about 8 of them home but ended up choosing just two. (I made note of the authors & titles of the others so I could get them another time.)

As I happily walked out of the library with the books I had happened upon I was encouraged by my experience. I grew up hearing this phrase a lot..."Be in the world but not of it". As a child, teenager and even young adult I struggled with that concept at times. How can I live in the world and not be like it? How do you survive being different?

Seeing the Christian and non-Christian books sharing the same shelves at the public library is a great visual explanation of that concept. If what's inside of me is pleasing to God and if I exude that wherever I am, I can be in the world and not of it. Not only that, it speaks to the fact that Christians have a place in a non-Christian world. People will read us. They will want to know what we have to say. They will be drawn to us by what they see and hear. Not only that, but they can walk away from their encounters with us as happily as I did from the library today.

I love it when God speaks to me in ordinary ways through ordinary experiences. It's further evidence that I can be effective for God in the world in which I live.

The Fourth Word...

He Is Risen are the three words most spoken on Easter Sunday as the Christian world commemorate's Jesus' resurrection. They are the of the three most significant words to Christians because they speak to the essence of our faith - that Jesus has made a way for us to God the Father.

As I think back to that first Easter morning I wonder whether there was a fourth word that served to irrevocably change history. That word was spoken by Jesus Himself to a heart-broken, disconsolate woman and it was her name..."Mary". Hearing her Saviour call her essentially tilted her world on its axis. Her fears, doubts, anguish and despair were replaced with joy, relief, belief and hope.

So it is today that God Himself speaks that fourth word to each of us individually, calling us by the name He knew we would have before time began. Lovingly urging us to follow His path for us, set out before we were born. Gently encouraging us to turn to Him as our Source. Frequently reminding us that He love us. Simply affirming that He has it all under control and will never let us go.

Take time today to listen for that word today...He's speaking it.

What Would I Have Done?

Having grown up in the church and heard the Easter story year after year I thought that I would never have been among the crowd that shouted for Jesus’ crucifixion in exchange for the release of Barabbas. It was easy to think that way because I had all the facts. At that time the people didn’t have all the facts and furthermore, they did not fully comprehend the facts they did have. A few years ago as I reconsidered the story of Palm Sunday and Good Friday I realized that I could very well have been among the crowd screaming for Jesus to be put to death. Why?

As I see it, the people were disillusioned and misinformed. They were under the impression that Jesus was a military Messiah, coming to release them from their oppressors. They were expecting Him to defeat their enemies, destroy strongholds and set them free from political tyranny. Many of the people who lined the streets on Palm Sunday to welcome Jesus to Jerusalem had spent time with Him as He travelled through the countryside preaching, teaching and performing miracles. Others had simply heard about this amazing man who had incredible abilitiess. They were focused on, expecting and looking for a show of force, an expression of power. They wanted Jesus to remove them from Roman domination and to release them to freedom. When He did not do these things they were incredibly disillusioned and broken-hearted. They cried out to take away the title of honour they had given Jesus just a few days before, that of Messiah, because they did not know Jesus for who He truly was. Is it any surprise then that when they were given the choice of allowing Jesus or Barabbas to go free that they chose Barabbas? At least Barabbas had made an actual attempt to attack the Romans. He had shown some evidence of being a political freedom fighter and that’s what the Jews were looking for.

This is what led me to believe that I was perfectly capable of being among those who called out for Jesus’ crucifixion. Why? All too often I expect Jesus to be something He is not; I want Him on my terms, not on His. I am looking to Him to give me all the things I want and when He does not, I am sorely disappointed to the point of questioning His power and His love for me. I know the Bible speaks about going through trials and tribulations and I even know that those trials and tribulations can have a positive outcome – if I let them - but in the middle of my disappointment and pain I don’t want to think that way. I want a quick fix. I want God to unleash His incredible power and just fix everything without me having to struggle and experience heartache. So I cry out to Him with comments like “Where are you?...Why have You abandoned me?...Don’t You care?...What happened to Your power?”

Can any one identify?

I came to realize that I need to know Jesus as the Who that I worship, not the What that I use. Jesus never misrepresented Himself when He walked the earth. He lived a humble, lowly life. He never wielded power in a political or military manner. Even His entrance to Jerusalem was filled with noteworthy imagery. He rode on a donkey – a respected animal but one that held the significance of meekness, peace and gentleness. During His 3 year ministry, Jesus told the people who He was – Shepherd, Friend, The Way, The Truth and The Life.

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10:11

"You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.” John 15:11-15

“Jesus told him, ‘I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6

He also told them why He came to earth. To save the lost, to heal the sick and give us life.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:11

“When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17

“I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10

If the Jews had truly understood this, I believe they would not have been calling for Jesus’ crucifixion. What about me? I want and need to be focused on Who Jesus is so that when I am faced with disappointments in my life, I will not turn on Him but will trust Him to lead me through those difficult times and in doing so, make me more like Him. I need to remember that it’s all about His agenda, not mine.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Underlying much of what I have shared is the fact that being committed to Jesus should not be about what we get out of it but it should be about relationship. Even so, the Bible does tell us that there are benefits…

“I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10 (Amplified Bible)

“Now this is eternal life...that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” John 17:3

“I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we've been shown the mystery! I'm telling you this because I don't want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or "the Secret." Colossians 2:2-4 (Message)

As Good Friday approaches, I want to renew my commitment to know Jesus so that when I face my next trial I will call His name not because I want to dethrone Him as Lord of my life but simply because of who He is to me - The Way, The Truth and The Life, my Shepherd and my Friend.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” Philippians 3:8-10

Handstands in the Ocean

I have never been very athletic and for the most part, that has not bothered me. However when my younger brother was able to do handstands when I could not - I was bothered. I'm not sure that my mother understood the significance of an afternoon lesson at the beach but that lesson changed things for me. Mum taught me how to do a handstand - in the water. Not only did she show me how to stand on my hands, but also how to walk on my hands. I was elated! All the better that my brother had not yet mastered this feat.

Even now, some 42 years after that memorable afternoon at Doctor's Cave Beach with my mother, I do handstands in the water whenever I go swimming. So it was that last week just minutes after wading into the water at Hollywood Beach, I did a handstand in the ocean with my mother watching from shore. As I popped back up into an upright position I had a bit of an epiphany...

Doing handstands in the water is an illustration of being able to do all things through Christ. I cannot do a handstand on land but the buoyancy of water allows me to successfully stand on my hands. Each day I am faced with thoughts, feelings, decisions and situations that I cannot adequately handle on my own but with Christ I can effectively deal with them. Furthermore, as I looked around at the expanse of ocean I was reminded of the magnitude of God, His presence, His power and His love for me. It goes beyond the few feet of space I need to do a handstand, beyond the moment in which I need His wisdom in decision making, beyond the days during which I am confronting ongoing issues of any sort, beyond the months of working through circumstances, beyond the years of striving for whatever I am experiencing. God never ends. He is always present. No matter how far I go, there is more of Him yet to know and experience.

I don't know what my mother or brother or anyone else on shore at Hollywood Beach must have thought but I kept diving down and doing handstand after handstand that afternoon. Revelling in the knowledge that I could and being confident that whatever comes my way, I'll be able to handle it - with God's help.

Good News!

Working in our local library I have had to learn about and abide by confidentiality regulations. I am glad for the protection these regulations provide for myself as well as others however it is sometimes frustrating when I can't tell people I know that there's something for them at the library. I feel as though I have good news that I am witholding.

Last week as I was thinking about that I was overwhelmed by the thought that in God's Kingdom, Good News shouldn't be kept confidential - it's meant to be shouted from roof tops and shared with everyone! At the same time I am thankful that God does abide by confidentiality considerations when it comes to my failures and short-comings.

That's Good News worth sharing.

False Advertising

This week I cut out a coupon from our local paper to get a 2 for 1 deal at a restaurant near our home. We decided to use the coupons to go out for lunch after church today but ended up leaving disappointed and without lunch. Why? When we looked at the menu we could not find any lunches in the price range listed on the coupon. We asked the waitress about it and were told that they don't have any lunches for that price but that she would simply deduct the amount on the coupon from our bill.

I tried to explain to the waitress that since the coupon gave a price, we should be able to get a meal for the amount on the coupon but she said that was not an option. (I also pointed out that the coupon was false advertising and therefore illegal but that didn't get us anywhere either.) There was no manager on site to speak to us about the situation and so we chose to leave the restaurant and eat lunch somewhere else.

As we were driving home I thought about our pastor's message this morning as he exhorted us to trust God at all times because He is in control, He cares for us, He always does what He says He will do, His promises never fail and His Word is true. God is never guilty of false advertising!

God is not a man, so He does not lie.
He is not human, so He does not change His mind.
Has He ever spoken and failed to act?
Has He ever promised and not carried it through?
Numbers 23:19

Like Honey

Every year when she goes back home my sister brings me a bottle of honey. There is nothing like Jamaican honey; it has a distinctive flavour and sometimes I think it might be part of my DNA. This morning as I spread a dollop of this year's honey on my bread I thought about how honey gets its flavour...from the nectar bees extract from flowers.

There are many different kinds/flavours of honey based on what flowers bees gather their nectar from. What the bees ingest determines the flavour of the honey they produce. You need only taste buckwheat honey to know that this is true. I can only imagine what eucalyptus honey tastes like.

This made me think about how what I ingest determines the flavour of what I produce. That made me think about a number of Scripture verses...

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

It also made me think about what I would like to flavour what I produce. I believe Galatians 5:22-23 says it all...

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

This week I will endeavour to choose carefully what I ingest so that what I produce will be sweet to all who receive it.

Forgiveness

In our house we have a chore chart. You know - each day of the week the essential chores are assigned to members of the household. Most chores are rotated so that everyone has a turn doing them but there are a few that are permanently assigned to a specific family member. One of my daughters likes doing laundry so that's her permanent task. My son does garbage/recycling because...I don't remember why he got stuck with that one but that's the way it is. My permanent chore is the floors. The reason I have that one is because I know no one else in the family likes doing floors and while I don't consider myself obsessive about the task (my children might disagree) I figure I will have less to complain about if I do it myself.

I have discovered that cleaning the floor is a frustrating chore. Depending on how messy they are, it can take a long time to get the floors clean. There are lots of obstacles - things like furniture, area rugs and potted plants - that make it more time consuming. The laminate flooring streaks easily. (I prefer to clean the floors at night when there is no sun streaming through the windows highlighting the smudged spots.) Those things, frustrating though they may be, pale in comparison to the ultimate frustration of cleaning floors - THEY GET DIRTY AGAIN...very quickly...especially in the winter. It doesn't take long for a clean floor to be messed up. Sometimes I feel as though my efforts are wasted but I know that it is better to keep cleaning the floors than to allow them to be permanantly damaged by the build up of dirt and grime. Better to have to clean the floors repeatedly than have to replace them!

I think forgiveness is like cleaning floors. Seriously. You know it needs to be done. You think about it. You decide to do it. You do it. Within minutes, it needs to be re-done. That's where I am at in the forgiveness process right now.

There is a situation in my life where I feel I was wronged. I have chosen to forgive those involved - repeatedly. I feel as though all is good. My conscience is clear; all evidence of the hurt, anger and unforgiveness have been eradicated and then...something happens to bring it up and all of a sudden, there are dirty footprints of unforgiveness in my heart and mind. I don't want the footprints there. I don't want to dwell on the events, the conversations, the decisions and yet...

I think about it. I decide - yet again - that I want to forgive. I take out the proverbial broom and mop, get it all cleaned up and move on to the next task at hand. Till another reminder comes along.

Remember the story in the Bible where Peter asks Jesus how many times he's to forgive someone who hurts him? (Matthew 18:21-23) Remember what Jesus says? Seventy times seven. Four hundred and ninety times. I have always heard it explained that it means even if someone wrongs you four hundred and ninety times, you forgive them. This week I am wondering if there might be a different interpretation of that - at least for me. Is it possible that Jesus is telling us that we may have to extend forgiveness four hundred and ninety times for the same offense - because we have trouble letting go of it?

My floors really do need to be swept and mopped today - it was on my list of chores for yesterday but I was out of town - and I do plan to get to it. My heart needs to be cleansed from unforgiveness today too and I really want to deal with it. I don't want the muck to build up and permanently mar my heart. I want for this time to be the four hundred and ninetieth time because I don't want to have to keep going through this process.

Lord, please help me to let go. Please shine Your light on my heart; show me the streaks and imperfections in my attempt to clear my heart of unforgiveness. Release me and those I feel have wronged me. Help us all to walk in freedom...on clean floors.

Valentine Thought

Yesterday morning I woke with an old hymn going through my mind...

"Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me.
Not for the years of time alone, but for eternity."

It seemed to be an appropriate refrain given that it was the day before Valentine's Day. As I was getting ready for church, I continued to sing the chorus. It caused me to think about Derrick's and my first date (26 years ago this Friday). The date was arranged between Derrick and my Dad - I was out of the country at the time and Dad informed me of it upon my return. We went to a little coffee shop in our neighbourhood where we sat and talked for over 2 hours. The very first thing Derrick said to me after we sat down was...

"I believe I'm going to marry you some day so I'd like us to start a dating relationship."

Six weeks later we were engaged, thirteen months after that we were married. In ten weeks we will celebrate our 25th anniversary.

I had warm, fuzzy feelings and found myself smiling a lot as I recalled those special moments. Then I thought about how similar that story is to my love relationship with Jesus...

1. It was arranged by my Heavenly Father.
2. Right from the start, Jesus was totally committed for the long term.
3. We're still together after 40+ years.

I thought about that fact that staying married has taken commitment, dedication and effort. I then thought about how retaining my position as a child of God, friend of Christ and part of the body of Christ is similar - it's taken commitment, dedication and effort on my part and God's.

As this Valentine's Day comes to an end, I am not only thankful for the grace, patience and tangible expressions of love that my husband gifts me with on a regular basis, I am thankful that God grants me those gifts as well. I am reminded that I need to be consistent and diligent about investing in my love relationships with Derrick and God; an investment with a guaranteed ETERNAL return. I am also very thankful that I belong to Jesus and that He belongs to me - for eternity!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Keeping It Simple

This year's cold temperatures have kept our furnace running overtime. It's made me really thankful that our furnace is in good working order. However a couple of weeks ago as I walked into the kitchen I heard a rather disturbing rattling noise coming from the vent. As I listened, my heart sank...this could not be good...rattling noises from a furnace are never good. I slowly walked down to the basement just to be sure the noise was coming from the furnace and sure enough - it was.

I'm probably not the only person who, upon hearing such a noise, begins to imagine all sorts of scenarios like...in the middle of the night when it's -35 the furnace will conk out or it's probably going to cost $3500 to deal with the problem because it needs to be replaced. As I walked back up the stairs I gave myself a pep talk; you know the kind..."It's probably not a big deal. Don't worry about it, worry doesn't help. Who knows, it might be something simple." By the time I got back to the kitchen I was rather disgusted with myself. The thought then was something along the lines of "WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?!" I have some great conversations with myself sometimes!

I plucked up my courage and called my friend's husband - he's in the heating/air conditioning business. He asked when last we had changed our filter and suggested we try that. His explanation was that when the filter is clogged the fan has to work harder and that can make it noisy as it runs. Follow me through my thought process..."It can't be that simple can it? I'm sure we changed that filter fairly recently. Didn't I check it not too long ago? It can't hurt. Might as well. Won't cost us anything."..."Are furnace filters supposed to be grey? I don't think so. Why didn't I pay attention to the reminder on the calendar to check/change the filter a couple of weeks ago?...No rattle. Hhhmmmm. Really? It was that simple? Wow - all that worrying for nothing. Boy do I feel silly."

Relate?

Here's the rest of the thought process as I came back up the stairs...

"Hey Lord...thanks. Thank you that it was such a simple solution. Thanks for being patient with me when I allow myself to focus on the problem rather than the Solution. Thanks for the reminder that most times Your solution is a simple one."

As I type the furnace is running...quietly...keeping our home at the temperature it's supposed to be at. Me? I'm trying to keep it simple...talking to God about what's going on and doing my best to hear/see the Simple Solutions He's offering.

Peace-Giving Shoes

I have mis-shapen feet. I had to wear forms in my shoes as a child because there was such a curve to my feet. My feet are also wide. And long. I have a hard time finding comfortable shoes. It was good for me that not far from my sister's house there used to be a Reebok wharehouse store and I discovered, to my delight, that my size of shoe was often in the mark down section. I was thrilled to be able to get leather running shoes for $10 or $15 instead of $100+.

I was grateful that on my last visit before the store closed I managed to find two pairs of shoes that fit. I wear them sparingly now, doing my best to keep them going as long as possible. it would make sense, then, not to wear them much in the winter, wouldn't it? Well I'm glad that I wore them last Sunday because God spoke to me profoundly as a result of those shoes. Here's how...

I went to visit my mother for the afternoon. I wore my Reeboks. I walked through a light dusting of snow to the front door. I had need to return to the car. On my way back into the house I noticed my shoe prints in the snow. Perfectly proportioned and formed prints. They looked so neat, so proper. Not at all like my foot prints - curved, awkward and out of proportion. I smiled briefly as I enjoyed the image of a nearly proprtioned foot. I even chuckled at the fact that it was a false image of what my feet really look like.

I was stepping over one of the perfectly formed prints when God spoke to me "That's how I see you. Not the imperfect image of your humanity, but the new image I have given you though Jesus." Wow.

I have not stopped thinking about that all week. God sees the Reebok impression of me - not the ill-formed one living inside. I have been encouraged by the thought. I've chosen to wear my Reeboks several times this week as a reminder. I've been looking for shoe prints in the snow; mine and others. I want to live in the mindset that my imperfection can be over-ridden by God's perfection. So much so that He is seen rather than me.

I have a new appreciation for a portion of the description of the Armour of God, particularly from the New Living Translation.

For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. Ephesians 6:15

This week part of my Good News has been the realization that shoes can bring peace...with myself and how God sees me.

Old Friends

Thirty one years ago God gave me a bosom buddy. Rosemary and I walked with each other through the frustrations of our latter teen years, encouraged each other through the ups and downs of our Christian walk and spent many happy hours together enjoying our friendship as well as the fellowship of our youth group. She was my maid of honour almost twenty five years ago and I was one of her bridesmaids eighteen years ago.

As often happens, the paths of our lives, our moving out of the area for several years and the busyness of work and family led to less and less contact. Even so, we each held a special place in the other's heart. It was good to know that no matter how long it was between phone calls or visits, we could always pick up where we left off. Till you get to the point where that's just not good enough any more.

Yesterday our families got together. We caught up on the news of each family plus that of sisters, brothers and mutual friends. We had a wonderful visit filled with laughter and reminiscing. As we parted we made plans to get together again soon; no more lengthy periods between contact - and I hope we can make that happen.

As we cleaned up I had time to think about how thankful I am for the people God has brought into my life. For the time we have journeyed together, being Ecclesiastes 4 friends - you know the kind...

The Value of a Friend

⁹ Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
¹¹ Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
¹² Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

For the contributions we have been able to make to each other's lives. For the memories we have of God's faithfulness to us over the years of our friendship. For the support of someone who loves God and is committed to His purposes and plans.

I'm so very glad that God understands the human heart and knows our need for companionship and I am thankful to Him for providing me with that companionship.

To all my friends - new and old alike -

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3

Works Better When Fixed

One of the places where I work has a Dyson vacuum cleaner. Having seen the commercials on television for so long I was looking forward to using it so that I would understand what was so special about the machine. It did not take me long to decide that I did not like using it at all. It was very hard to push and so after a while, my back began to ache. This expensive machine was really not serving its purpose - and the floors needed to be vacuumed. So a few days ago we decided to call Dyson to see what could be done.

We learned that there was one simple fix they could talk us through on the phone and it did help somewhat but it was still a bit difficult to push the vacuum. While following the instructions we were given to help resolve the problem we discovered that the fibers on the beater bar were almost all gone and so ordered a new one. This morning I got to test the vacuum after one one of the young men who works here installed the new beater bar. I now understand what all the buzz is about Dyson vacuums. It works so well that I might even get excited about vacuuming the salt from the front entrance on winter mornings!

This morning I found out that the vacuum cleaner lives up to its billing when it's in good working condition. I do too. I'm glad that I am able to be in touch with my Maker, tell Him about the problems I am having so that I can receive insight and instructions that will help me work better. I have found that when I am working better I am enthused about life, my marriage, my family, my work and even myself. I think that's how God wants things to be. Me too.

Grace Like...Snow?

Todd Agnew wrote a song called "Grace Like Rain" but yesterday I was picturing grace like snow. Let me explain...

I love winter. I love the snow. I love shovelling snow. Yesterday morning I was up early so that I could get at the snow before anyone else. I cleared our driveway and then began on the neighbour's side. It was not long before our driveway was white again. As I went over it once more a thought came to my mind. Snow falls can be symbolic of God at work in my life.

God pours out His grace, much like a blanket of snow. Unfortunately there are things I do, think and say that serve to scoop up that grace and throw it on a pile, exposing the all-too-human and clearly imperfect aspects of my character and personality. In His mercy, God gently sprinkles even more grace over me, cleansing once again what I have marred with my sin. His grace is relentless as the fiercest snowstorm and His mercy as gentle as the lightest snowflakes.

The pile of snow at the edge of our driveway reminds me of the endless supply of grace available to me. And though I was tempted to sprinkle it over the blacktop of our driveway to symbolize God's grace covering my life, I resisted. God's grace may be like snow but when it comes to life on earth, blacktop driveway and mound of white snow beside is the preferred end result.

So I begin this Sunday morning looking out on the white farm fields beyond my back yard, marvelling once again at God's grace...like snow.

Dealing With The Scraps

When we began looking for a house almost four years ago our children insisted that one of their top priorities was a dishwasher. They were thrilled to find out that our new home had one and in the forty one months since we have been living here, that appliance has run almost daily. It's been a pleasure especially for the family member who's name is on the "Dishes" chore list each day.

For those who have had dishwashers for years, the facts of dishwasher use are well known but for the novices like us, there was a steep learning curve. Our dishwasher is a very basic model that came with the house when it was built thirteen years ago. No bells or whistles, no digital display or promises of cleanest dishes in the world. When used correctly, our dishwasher does its job well though.

We had only been in our house for a few weeks when we discovered that the dishwasher had not drained at the end of the cycle. We pulled off a drain hose to see if it was clogged - determined it wasn't - fiddled with the dial to find the spot in the cycle where the machine drained and finally got the water emptied from the machine. The next day however, it happened all over again. It took a few attempts at solving the problem before we discovered the issue - pieces of food and other refuse collected in the drain reservoir was blocking the pump access. We removed the drain basket, scooped out the offending matter, put things back in place and rejoiced when the machine worked again. Since then we have found it necessary to clean out the drain reservoir every few months.

Earlier this week the dishwasher was opened after its cycle and there again was the familiar site of water in the bottom of the machine. In short order the bits of chicken bone, bread bag clip, piece of aluminium and chunks of broccoli were removed and the water drained. We have it down to an art now and though it is annoying, it is a relatively quick and simple procedure. It's a frustration we have accepted and put up with. Even so, I took the opportunity to remind the family - yet again - of the importance of carefully scraping plates and being careful not to dump garbage in the dishwasher.

This morning as I was about to turn on the machine it struck me how much this process in our kitchen is like our lives. Follow this progression with me...

God has given us the wonderful gift of life with Him. He's given us instructions in His Word about how to effectively live our lives and to be able to operate at maximum efficiency. Those instructions include things like...

• Think about noble, pure, honourable things
• Keep good company
• Set your heart & mind on things above
• Seek Him and His Kingdom
• Flee evil

If we do these things, we will function effectively, at peak efficiency if you will. When we become lax in following these instructions and others that are clearly outlined in God's Word, problems come. It doesn't take long for us to have difficulties with even the simplest of daily functions; we find our coping mechanisms backing up and failing. Eventually it gets through to us - there's refuse we need to get rid of, stuff that's backing up our system and which needs to be removed.

As I turned on the dishwasher just a few minutes ago I was thankful that I could be confident it would work correctly since it's been less than 48 hours since its last clean out. I then considered my heart and mind - are they working at peak efficiency? Are they in need of a clean out? I am also wresting with this thought - am I so adept at dealing with the after-effects of not being dilligent in following God's instructions that it has become second nature? Do I allow myself to function at less than optimal levels because I am doing things that are not good for me?

The dishwasher has finished its cycle now and as soon as I have posted this entry I will open the door expecting to see clean dishes and no water in the bottom of the machine. Throughout the rest of this day I will be facing situations in which I will function best if there are no scraps of things that should not have been allowed into my heart and mind. On my way upstairs to get dressed for work, as I walk out to meet my co-worker who's giving me a ride and as I prepare to start my shift I will be talking with God about that. Making sure the scraps are dealt with and purposing yet again not to allow them in.

Opportunities

Five and a half weeks ago I wrote about choosing to focus on the Reason For The Season. At the end of what is always a hectic time, I am pleased to report that I made the most of many opportunities to do just that. It meant that some of my Christmas traditions and habits were disrupted but it was truly worth it. It also meant that I was able to recognize how other traditions and habits were borne out of that truth - of Jesus being the Reason for the Season - and I was able to enjoy those things even more this year. Being a curious person myself I am going assume that some of you may want me to explain how this happened so...

Our family's Christmas eve tradition was somewhat disrupted by a fabulous opportunity I had to make Jesus the Reason for the Season. We usually hang out at home together baking, listening to Christmas music, wrapping gifts and having supper together before heading out to church. We are going to a new church and they have a dinner for the needy on Christmas Eve. I was asked to be involved and that required me being there at 4:00 pm. I am thankful for a family that is flexible and understanding. Even though I felt a bit torn about leaving them behind as I went, I knew I had their support. Being at the dinner was an incredible experience. The looks of delight and wonder on the faces of the children who received gifts, the expressions of gratitude from those who enjoyed the delicious meal and the effort of those who worked for hours to prepare the meal, decorate the room and then clean up after - it was truly an amazing example of Jesus being the Reason for the Season.

One of my traditions is to do cooking and baking for my family - no bought gifts. I have always enjoyed this process and take great delight in planning what I will make each Christmas. This year my schedule seemed somehow to be more hectic than in the past and I felt really stressed as the days in December flew by. On the first of my appointed evenings to work on my family's gifts I began the project feeling tired and a bit irritable. I did what I often do - began talking to myself. I pointed out the incongruity of my attitude in relation to my task, reminded myself of why I was doing what I was doing and purposed to change my thinking process. In short order I was doing what I blogged about a few months ago - making the most of my thoughts. I intentionally thought about my family members; I reminisced about great times we have had and went through all the things I love and like about them. I prayed for each one individually, asking God to reveal Himself in a fresh way in their lives. Isn't this one of the Reasons Jesus came? So that we could have the privilege of inviting Him into our lives and the lives of others?

Our children served to point out the value of another of our traditions. Our habit is to read the Christmas story as we sit by the Christmas tree once the gifts have been put in place. My involvement at the dinner meant that we could not do it on Christmas eve as we usually do and so I wondered whether we might forgo it this year. Thankfully our children were not willing to miss out on that very important practice and so on Christmas morning, before any gifts were opened and even before coffee or tea, we sat in the living room, read the Christmas story and said Happy Birthday to Jesus.

There's one other thing we did over Christmas that I felt reinforced Jesus as the Reason. We were able to spend time with others, sharing our faith, encouraging one another and being reminded of God's goodness to us. One of those people is a friend who was spending his second Christmas as a widower. My friend is an amazing man from whom I have learned much. One of the things he has taught me and others is that there are no such things as obstacles, only opportunities. I saw and heard that yet again as we chatted during our visits and God used that to inspire my focus for 2011.

As I begin this year God is challenging me to look for the opportunities He is giving me. Not just the ones that are obvious; not just the ones that look like and are labelled as "OPPORTUNITIES", but for those that may be disguised or even hidden. I will be searching for the benefits in my challenges and struggles and I will be asking God to help me identify the opportunities He is giving me. I can hardly wait to see what He is going to uncover in the next 12 months!