'Tis the season...

It's been over a month since I updated my Blog...A lot has been going on. The one thing that has been stirring at my heart is this..."How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone." James 4:14... Life is really short. Some can live for more than 90 years, others only minutes. But I started to really think about this...if by God's grace I live to 90, I'm almost half way there. Time is really short. You may think that this is morbid to be talking about death so close to Christmas, but hear me out. This year I've witnessed a younger cousin pass away from cancer, my wife had a miscarriage, another member of the family is very close to meeting the Lord because of cancer, and add to this other family members suffering with debilitating diseases - it is a reality check. But this is what gets me...all this is going on and then I see friends, family and loved ones bickering and fighting over petty meaningless prideful crap. (I'd use other language but this is a family friendly Blog.)

It is a dangerous game to play with bitterness. Bitterness is that root that takes hold and grows faster than any weed in a garden. It chokes life from family, it poisons friendships, it withers joy from the leaves of life. As I started out - life is short...sometimes a lot shorter than you think. Do yourself a favour - this Christmas season, let go of the bitterness. Let go of the offense. Let go of the hurt (because most bitterness has been caused because you have been hurt) It will help your friends. It will help your family, but most of all, it will help you. And by the way....Jesus gave a stern warning in Matthew 6:14-15. Like anything the choice is yours to believe it or not...“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Show love. mercy and forgiveness this season friends. Life really is short.
Merry Christmas.

A little town called Peace

There once was a person who enjoyed life. Each morning as the sun arose he would look outside at the wonderful colours of the sunrise. Red, orange, yellow and purple as the suns rays reflected off of the morning clouds. It was beautiful in this place called Peace.

Then one day a terrible thing happened. A storm came from out of nowhere. The clouds darkened a blackish green colour. The wind all but ceased. Stillness was in the air as all the birds stopped their singing.

The person got scared, but instead of staying in the shelter of Peace, he ventured onto a path - just a small path - called Anger's Path. At first, the path brought some relief. His back was now to the storm. Leaving Peace behind almost felt good. The storm was getting stronger, thunder, lightening and hail - but it was behind him now.

Looking up ahead there was a clearing...then another road - a road called Bitterness. This road was wider, smoother and well traveled. It went as far as the eye could see and the great thing was that it was going away from the storm. He walked, and walked and walked some more. Great distance was traveled, but no matter how far he walked...the storm was still in the rear. 

The person grew tired. It took a lot of energy and time to run from the storm. But guess what - Soon the person noticed that there were others. People just like him - People called: Loneliness, Hunger, Thirst, Pain, Struggle, Anxiety and Fear - All running, all on a road that lead to a place called Nowhere.

The person stopped to look back from where he had come, his heart sank - the storm was still there. The clouds where black and lightening flashed - but there was something else... In front of those black as night clouds a rainbow appeared. Red, Orange, Yellow - Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet - brilliant colours. Made more brilliant by the storm behind.

Then it hit him - Running from the storm of life was just that - running. If he had just rested in the shelter of Peace while the storm raged - eventually the storm would pass. The sun would shine and the birds would sing again. The air would be fresh and the flowers would bloom. Peace - the place that gives you shelter in the storm.

John 14:27 - Jesus said "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

What not to say...you cannot un-ring a bell

It's been a while friends since I have updated my Blog. I can't promise I'll be writing as much - things are really busy in my and my families lives right now. I had a few minutes tonight, so here goes.....About seven weeks ago, I had very unfortunate experience....this is what I had started to write, then I stopped...

"You see, my wife and I are expecting again and it is suppose to be a happy time. Funny how one persons happiness, is used by others to rip and tear you down. Some people just don't think...Or maybe they do think, but have no filter between the brain and the mouth? Here are some words NOT to say when someone tells you they are expecting: These are things that I heard in the last couple of days. I am not saying by who or whom, but I heard it more than once.

"I guess you weren't using birth control"

"Really, another one?"

"Oh No...you already have your hands full"

"I guess I should congratulate you?" "

So that was 7 weeks ago. Last week, I sat beside my wife in the hospital, holding her hand, crying with her as she miscarried. I now reflect on those words that were said a few weeks earlier... I am trying not to get bitter. I am trying not to be angry. But it reminds me of how hurtful and damaging words can be. So instead I reflect on how fabulous the nurses were. They treated my wife with compassion and professionalism. One of them cried with her, and they all showed amazing compassion. The doctor was caring. He was very helpful and forthcoming. 

Now here is part 2 of things not to say....this is what was said to me the day after the miscarriage to my wife. "You know, there is a new study out that siblings are 20% more likely to have autism if one sibling has already been diagnosed. So maybe this was a blessing?"

My wife responded - "Well you know that nothing surprises the Lord, so why would this child have to worry"

the response...."Well the Lord took the child...didn't He."

I was amazed....totally speechless.

I actually had to preach the next day. Emotions were flowing. Pain was in my heart. While I sat beside my wife, Jeremiah 29:11-13 came to mind.  

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart...so that is what I spoke on. A few verses on hope. A few verses of encouragement :)

I had studied and planned on speaking on Psalm 51. While studying, I read about King David losing his son with Bathsheba. When he lost his son, he said - "my son cannot come back to me, but I can go to him." That was on the Monday of the ultrasound....the morning we found out that the baby did not make it. 

I really believe that the Lord was preparing my heart for what was to take place over the next several days.

So in summary we will carry on -  trying to make light of what was said - looking for the best in everything. When all is said and done, it boils down to how you view a child. You see, I believe that children are a gift from God. They are to be loved, cherished, supported and cared for. They are not a "mistake."  You can agree with me, you can disagree with me...but you know what - I'm tired and not in the mood for a fight. Blessings to everyone of you that are reading this :)

Keep Looking UP ↑: Avoiding the obvious - God's Will

Keep Looking UP ↑: Avoiding the obvious - God's Will: "Psalm 23 - The Lord is my Shepherd Have you ever been going down the railroad of life...and your train becomes derailed? So many time, p..."

Avoiding the obvious - God's Will

Psalm 23 - The Lord is my Shepherd

Have you ever been going down the railroad of life...and your train becomes derailed? So many times, people seek God's will. Questions like - "What is God's will for my life?" "What does God want me to do next?" Where should I go?" or "Who should I talk to?"

I may be over simplifying this, but I think that there is truth to it....Maybe God's will is not so much the minute details, but the overall picture? Often we hear of God's Perfect Will vs God's Permissive Will. I think that this type of thinking can be frustrating to the average person.

Too often, I think that people use the arguement "I need to find God's Will" to do nothing, rather than to do something.  A lot of God's will is really clear when you read the Bible - Give to the poor, care for the sick and needy, help others, love one another, forgive one another, visit the sick and those in prison, seek peace, love the Lord.... Very clear - isn't it?

Today, when you are "Seeking God's Will" try a couple of the above suggestions the Bible gives. Maybe, just maybe, your train of life has become derailed not because you are Seeking God's Will, but because God's Will is being avoided.

The good news is that no matter what situation you find yourself in - God is not taken by surprise and He does not go into a panic because you make a "wrong" decision. God does not leave you when mistakes are made, but He remains close to you in order to help. He will turn things around to serve His purposes...It just may take a little longer than you or I want :)

Have a great day friends !

Interesting Canadian Facts - Eh !

Here are some interesting and fun Canadian Facts:

July 1, 1867 -Confederation of Canada

$1 574 000 000 000 Gross domestic product

34 502 000 population

12 400 000 houses

9 984 670 square kilometers in area

3 854 085 square miles in area

891 163 square kilometers of fresh water

559 105 Immigrant arrivals

381 382 births last year (2010) 

244 000 kms - length of Canada's coastline

7 604 kms - length of the Trans-Canada highway

5 959 meters - height of Mount Logan

614 meters deep - depth of Great Slave Lake

181 stories - height of CN tower

80.7 years is the life expectancy

48 feet - difference between high and low tide, Bay of Fundy

46 year old - age of the Canadian flag

40 C to -40C...Edmonton temperature range

24 Stanley Cups - Montreal Canadians

18 years in a row the Bluenose won the Fishermans Trophy

13 Stanley Cups - Toronto Maple Leafs

10 Provinces 

7 NHL teams

6 time zones

5 recognized parties in the House of Commons

4 Great Lakes

3 Territories

3 Oceans

2 official languages

#1 country in the World !

Happy Birthday Canada !!! The Best Country in the World !!!

The flag of my country

144 years ago, on July 1, 1867, 3 British North American colonies (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada (Ontario & Quebec) became the 4 provinces of Canada. Today is a time to celebrate the birth of our great nation. It's not a time to protest, criticize, or complain - of course you are free to choose to do so, but there are 364 other days to do this.

I love my country. I believe that Canada is by far the best country in the world. 10 provinces and 3 territories make up the federation. We are a small country by population with 34.5 million people, but we are the second largest country by area in the world (almost 10 million square km's). That gives us one of the lowest population densities in the world. We also have the longest coastline in the world - 202,080 km's.

We enjoy four beautiful seasons - each one is uniquely different. 

In the winter, we get lots of snow and can get to -40 C.  

In the spring flowers bloom and the grass gets green.  

In the summer, it is hot and can get to 40C (104F). We have thousands of fresh water lakes to cool down in - not to mention the three oceans that surround us. 

 In the fall (Autumn) the leaves turn brilliant reds, orange and yellow. 

Yes, Canada is a kaleidoscope of colours:)

We have the Rocky Mountains in the West, and the cliffs of Newfoundland in the East. We have the Arctic in the North and the Great lakes in the South. We have fresh water, clean air, blue skies and green forests all through the Dominion.(Canada Day use to be called Dominion Day).

We have the right to vote. The freedom to practice personal religion. The freedom not to practice religion. We have Universal health care for all Canadians. We are free to go from British Columbia to Newfoundland anytime we want. And the nice thing about our free country, if you don't like it - you are free to leave. No one forces a person to remain here. I am not being sarcastic or trying to be funny. For many people in this world - the country that you are born in, is the country you will die in - you are not allowed the freedom to leave.

Our culture is unique and complicated. We have two official languages - French and English. Different regions of our country are diverse, yet we all try get along. We'd rather sit down and talk an issue over than fight...unless we're playing hockey.

Canada has two official sports - Hockey in the winter, Lacrosse in the summer. 
Yes, Canada is by far the most diverse country in the world...but it is my country :) and I am blessed to live in such beautiful country. 

Happy birthday Canada !

Bitterness - a poison root that hurts the one holding it.

Bitterness is a lonely place

Bitterness - the only person it is really hurting is the person holding on to it. All to often, I see the effects of bitterness on people. It could be a sarcastic remark, a rude comment, a glaring look or a simple "hmm" during conversation. Lets get something straight - bitterness is like cancer, eating a person from within. The Bible is very clear on this - it calls bitterness a poisonous root....and if it is a root, the means it is the start of something bigger.

Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.Hebrews 12:15

I would go as far to say that if you have bitterness, you may not have forgiven the person you are bitter at. This is very dangerous. Jesus warned us about this - in Matthew 6:14-15 He says, " “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." You have to think to yourself....is that really worth it?

So you may be asking yourself, "How do I know if I am holding onto bitterness?" Here are a few examples I found from the Mayo Clinic:

• Dwelling on the events surrounding the offense
• Hearing from others that you have a chip on your shoulder or that you're wallowing in self-pity
• Being avoided by family and friends because they don't enjoy being around you
• Having angry outbursts at the smallest perceived slights
• Often feeling misunderstood
• Drinking excessively, smoking or using drugs to try to cope with your pain
• Having symptoms of depression or anxiety
• Being consumed by a desire for revenge or punishment
• Automatically thinking the worst about people or situations
• Regretting the loss of a valued relationship
• Feeling like your life lacks meaning or purpose
• Feeling at odds with your religious or spiritual beliefs

If you find yourself having several of the above examples, you may need to forgive someone...remember - the forgiveness frees you, not the other person.

And here are some benefits of forgiveness also noted from the Mayo Clinic:

Forgiveness, on the other hand, offers numerous benefits, including:

• Lower blood pressure
• Stress reduction
• Less hostility
• Better anger management skills
• Lower heart rate
• Lower risk of alcohol or substance abuse
• Fewer depression symptoms
• Fewer anxiety symptoms
• Reduction in chronic pain
• More friendships
• Healthier relationships
• Greater religious or spiritual well-being
• Improved psychological well-being

The choice to forgive and let go of bitterness is entirely up to you. No one else can make it, but you. The choice should be obvious, the benefits are overwhelming - Now the decision is yours.

Here is a quote that I found today. I think that it is a very fitting way to end today's Blog.

Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it. Bitterness paralyzes life; love empowers it. Bitterness sours life; love sweetens it. Bitterness sickens life; love heals it. Bitterness blinds life; love anoints its eyes. - Harry Emerson Fosdick

Fireworks, Friends, Family

The start of the fireworks display

Sunday was quite a day. Church in the morning, then a fellowship lunch, yard work in the afternoon, and fireworks at night. Busy day, but a good day. So many smiling faces, so many people just happy. That rubs off. A beautiful day, nice weather, good fellowship, an excellent fireworks display.
Not much more to say than that - and also that my kids had a great time as well....here are a few pictures of what I saw.

Do your best, Let God do the rest !

A happy bunch !

Do your best, Let God do the rest - that is a saying that the youth group I work with are living. We are not just saying it - we are believing. Let me explain... I know of  a group of teens that want to make a difference. They want to be a help to their community. They want to serve. And they are doing just that. "Tim, What can I do?" is what I hear almost constantly - that is desire. So what did we do - we prayed and set goals. We have a vision. (Proverbs 29:18a - Without a vision the people perish). We are focused, united and are looking forward. The have decided that the past is just that, the past. 

Goal #1 - Camping retreat - An opportunity to enjoy God's creation without the hustle and bustle of tv, internet, computer and radio.

Goal #2 - Youth Conference. - An opportunity to fellowship with fellow teens from across our great province.

Goal #3 - Short term Missions Trip. - An opportunity to serve others and show God's love and kindness.

In order to meet these goals, we are focusing on prayer. And God is showing His blessing on us. For example: The last four days have been rainy, cloudy and wet, and yesterday the forecast was to be the same. Well when you are going to have a car wash as a fund raiser, rain is not a good thing to have. Instead of looking at this as a problem, we looked at this as an excellent opportunity to see what God can do! On Friday night I told the youth, "Yes I know what the forecast is, but watch what God can do." So we prayed. We prayed that the rain would stay away for the car wash and BBQ. We prayed that our financial goal would be met. And then we believed that God's Will would be done.

Here come the cars !

Saturday came - it was cloudy and most of the area was drizzling, but we still went to set up the car wash. At 10 am we started the car wash and BBQ. Cloudy, but no rain. Then the cars started to come in...one after another they came. An hour into the event we were half way to our goal. I will be honest with you - it was an aggressive goal, it was a stretch, but it was not impossible. If we made $100 for the day, I would have been pleased. So what was our goal? It was $300. Yep, we wanted to raise $300 in 4 hours for our camping retreat. That is the number that popped into my head the week before. And guess what - by 1:30pm...3 1/2 hours after we started we surpassed our goal ! We even had a lovely couple that heard of our event bring a cake for the youth. After a few hours of working, the cake was so good! It was a blessing to all of us to see such kindness from the community.

How can I sum up yesterday's events? - The youth were amazed - first that the weather had held off and second that our goal was exceeded. I heard a lot of them saying - "I can't believe it!" and "Wow, God is good!" 

It is amazing seeing their faith grow. And I will tell you right now - as their faith grows, it will spread !

Do your best, Let God do the rest !

Words can hurt - often more than you realize.

I've lived a little over 4 decades. I've seen quite a bit in those years. One thing that keeps amazing me is the amount of time and effort that people put into tearing others down. Back biting, hurtful language, telling of half truths, sowing discord....it takes a lot of energy to do that. Imagine for a minute if people actually took that effort and turned it into something good. Instead of tearing people down, build them up. Instead of telling half truths, tell the whole truth. Instead of sowing discord, actually try to work together toward a common good.

And often - it is the "mature" people that are the cause of all this discord. Kids and teens - they don't know any better (no offense teens). But truthfully, they are just following the lead of their adult examples. Here are a couple tools to help you if you find yourself being negative, backbiting and hurtful:

1) If you have a problem with a man/woman - be an adult, go to them and talk about it. It may just be a simple misunderstanding that can be sorted out before the rumour mill gets wound up.

2) Make sure that you are not hurting someone just for the simple reason that someone has hurt you.

3) Sowing discord between friends is nothing more than evil. 

4) A half truth mingles truth and falsehood in order to deliberately deceive. (a half truth is a full lie)

5) Instead of being critical - ask how you can help, then follow through.

6) And if you are a man/woman of faith - remember what is said in Proverbs 6:16-19 -

 ¹⁶ There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests:
 ¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,
 ¹⁸ a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,
 ¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.

And lastly - never forget - "be kind today - you never know what another person is going through."

Have a great day friends !

Sleepless nights, humid days - and it is still officially Spring!

Well friends, if you are living within 150kms where I am living, you know that weather we've been having the last few nights. Severe thunderstorms, high winds, lightning, hail, tornado warnings, thunder, torrential rains, humidex values in the low 40's and loss of power. 3 nights running, this is what we've been living through.

Am I complaining - no. I am sharing what I have been living - that is life.

One thing I would like to share though is this - But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. Psalm 73:28 

You see, even through these uncertain times, I know that the LORD is looking after me and my family. I have the security that He is looking out for us and protecting us. And that is what keeps me going. I know that the external events that are happening around me are just that - external. All these weather factors happen to everyone - friend/enemy, family/stranger, religious/non-religious....everyone is effected. Jesus even said in His teaching of loving you enemies - “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! ⁴⁵ In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. ⁴⁶ If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. ⁴⁷ If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. (Matthew 5:43-47) 

Today, if you are a Christian - Show Christ's love. If you are not a Christian and you are reading this - please know this - He loves you dearly. 

Not all storms are like the external events that I talked about in the first paragraph - the worse storms, the most hurtful, occur deep in your mind. They make you feel lost, tired, and hopeless. You wonder when they are going to end. Unfortunately, you can't look on the radar and see how long it is going to last. You can ask Jesus to be in the boat with you, as you weather the storm. His peace can calm the internal storms of your life.

Blessings friends !

Is it really worth it? A fictional story.

The storm of life

Have you ever wondered - Is it really worth it? Have you ever been in a situation that is hard to get out of, and know matter what you try or have tried...nothing seems to work? You try, and fall - so you get back up...and out comes the rug from under the feet...again. What do you do, put a smile on your face, put your shoulders back and try to move forward. Smiling on the outside...hurting, demoralized and tired on the inside. But don't show any weakness!!! Absolutely not ! If you do, beware. People will say that you are not trying hard enough, or that you need to refocus and try again - give it the old college try! 

You may have to start at the beginning, because the work experience you have isn't enough. After 20 years in the work force, you're forced to work a job that pays minimum wage because the company you worked for decided to close down...not because they weren't making a profit, but because they were not making enough of a profit. The difference now is that you have a family to support - you aren't a student with just yourself to support and you can move back in with your parents. Now add to that, family sicknesses, disability's and health issues.

Let's not forget about things like this are being said to you "Maybe things in your life are not working out because you are not praying hard enough...or maybe, just maybe there is secret sin in your life and because of that, your prayers aren't being answered."

You know the encouraging Bible verses....You know the "self help" cheers....You know the positive thinking... You also know that bitterness, and anger are not productive.

Oh well, every day you wake on the top side of the ground is another chance at a new beginning. Keep looking up friends :)

It's never too late to start over.

The higher you fly, the smaller your problems become

I like to look at Biblical history and then make a life application from it. Today I want to look at a figure that has intrigued since I was a child. The man called Samson. It can be found in the Bible - Judges chapters 13 through 16. 

If any of my pastoral friends want to use these points, feel free - I think that this will preach :)

Instead of putting the 4 chapters in my Blog, I invite you to read them at home. Here is the link in a very easy to read version - New Living Translation - of the Bible. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judges%2013%20-%2016&version=NLT As you are reading, look for these points below. Then you can expound on them and create your own dynamics.

What can we learn from Samson's life?

1. Great strength in one area of life does not make up for great weaknesses in other areas.

2. God's presence does not overwhelm a person's will

3. God can use a person of faith in spite of his or her mistakes.

4. Sampson's story teaches us that it is never too late to start over.

5. No matter what we have done in the past, today is not too late for us to put our complete trust in God.

Have a great day friends!

My son and the Special Olympics

Hundreds of athletes !

As many of you know, my son was diagnosed a few years ago with autism. He's a special kid to me. He struggles with communicating, he struggles with comprehension...he does very well in athletics. He's is funny, humorous, and sometimes a little trying on my patience...that's OK though – all kids have that effect on parents.

Today I had the pleasure of seeing my son compete in the Special Olympics. I had never seen an event like this. This was different, this was fun. You see, I was very competitive in every sport I participated in. I had a goal, to win. I would train, I would focus, I would get in the zone...then my goal was to deliver – most times I did. And when I didn't, I felt bad. I felt as if I failed both myself and my team members. Today, watching my son – I was so proud.

When we got to the track, there were several hundred athletes, and several hundred helpers. The goal was to compete...and to have fun. I looked around, and tears came to my eyes. Fortunately for me I had my sun glasses on. I didn't want to be a spectacle. As I looked around I saw children hugging, cheering each other on, and a ton of smiling faces....they were actually having fun.

My son and his helper for the day.

I looked all over for my son...hundreds of people walking around and I had to find my son. He was going to compete in a few minutes and I didn't want to miss it. Then I saw him, walking with his helper about 75 meters away. I walked his way and waved, then he saw me. The joy I had as he ran over to give me a hug - `Daddy, daddy, you came to see me!` he shouted. He gave me a hug and then ran back to his helper, he had to get ready for the softball throw.

I positioned myself at the end of the throwing area. I needed to get a nice picture of him. Finally it was his turn.

My son throwing

He wound up and let the ball go – All I remember thinking was,”nice throw buddy” After about 10 minutes, it was time to announce the ribbons. My son did well - 1^st place. He ran over and gave me another hug. 

The thing was, I couldn't care if he got first, or finished last...he did his best. Yep, I'm proud of my son – and of all the other athletes that demonstrated sportsmanship in a way that I've never seen before. We could all learn from their example.

May 21, 2011 - Rapture...Oct 21, 2011 End of the World....NOT !!!

False Prophetic Van driving around the area

Last week, I saw an interesting van parked at McDonald's. The entire van was covered in warnings. “The World is going to end on Oct 21, 2011, The Rapture is going to occur On May 21, 2011” At first I thought, “What in the world?” Then I took out my camera and got a couple of pictures. (See above & below) 

False prophetic van @ McDonald's

Then my heart started to break...more deception, more lies, more smearing of Christianity. You see, I've heard this before. I've seen first hand how people take advantage of others at time of weakness. They are predators, they are con-artists, false prophets and lairs. I know that as you are reading this, some will agree with me, some will disagree with me and some will just laugh me off.

Christianity right now is so segmented and I don't want to open up the debate of pre, mid, post tribulation rapture. And I know of others that don't believe that there will be a rapture. I do not doubt your sincerity of your beliefs on which position you take. I just think that so much focus is given to the subjective parts of the Bible instead of the objective parts of the Bible. In other words, many people put major focus on the minor parts of Christianity instead of putting the major focus on the majors of Christianity.

What do I mean by major parts of Christianity – The Nicene Creed is a good place to start.

"We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic (the word catholic means universal) and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. AMEN."

To sum it up – On May 21 the rapture will NOT happen....On October 21 the world will NOT end. I suggest that you do what Jesus said though...it is found in Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Have a great day friends. :)

Ever wonder how your prayers get answered?

You are never alone...even though you may feel like it

I've always been intrigued by prayer. I've often heard that the answer to prayer is either "yes, no, or wait" I want to dig a little deeper on those answers. 

I want to look at it as this. Answers to prayer may be grouped into the following...

• Sometimes immediately.
   Isaiah 65:24  I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!
  Daniel 9:21 As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice.
  Luke 18:7-8 So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!

   
• Sometimes after delay.
  
   Daniel 10:12 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.
   
• Sometimes differently from our desire.
   2 Corinthians 12:8-9 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 
   
• Beyond expectation.
   Jeremiah 33:2-3 This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ³ ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
  Ephesians 3:14-20 ¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

   ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

  
  

  There are many ways that God answers prayers...and sometimes His answer is not what we want or desire. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says "Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 

  I often find myself wondering what is the big picture? Often I pray asking for His Will to be done, then I wonder what His will is. I can remember several month back I was at a men's retreat and the evangelist that was there came over to me and said, "Tim, stop focusing on God's divine plan...that is for Him to know, not you. Do what you are doing now and stop always praying for God's will and actually learn to receive what He has for you."

  You see that really spoke to me. I was searching for God's will so much, that I was actually taking for granted the blessings that the Lord was giving me. In other words - I couldn't see the forest for the trees - I am missing the BIG picture. 

  This is a unique BLOG entry for me...pointed at me - I sometimes just need to write my thoughts out....then I can actually think more clearly. If this does help you though - Blessings to you !!!

Find yourself worrying? Here are a few thoughts.

As the sun sets today, it is already rising somewhere as tomorrow.

Do you worry a lot? Here are a few thoughts about worry that I found.

• Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.

• Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.

• Troubles are a lot like people - they grow bigger if you nurse them.

• Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.

• Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.

• Worry is a complete cycle of inefficient thought revolving about a pivot of fear.

So what is the one thing all these thoughts have in common....think about it for a second.... Worry just wastes time, drains energy and is bigger than what it really is. How many times have you worried about something, only to have it never happen? Or what if you worried about something and it did happen? Either way, it either was going to be or not. What did worrying accomplish? I can tell you what it easily can accomplish... higher blood pressure, anxiety, depression, ulcers, short temper, stress, nausea, muscle tension, headache, dry mouth, dizziness, irritability, sleeplessness, nervous energy, heart attack, shortness of breath, suppression of the immune system, overeating, and drug/alcohol use. Quite a list.

However, a little bit of worry may help you. What, help me? It may help in this way – if you have a test, a little worry may help you study more. If you have a job interview – it may help you prepare more for the interview. The problem is when worry becomes so irrational that you can't think clearly. It is easy to say – Stop Worrying! The fact is, it is hard to do.

One way that I cope with the “worries” of life is to rely on God. There are so many verses in the bible that speak on this very topic. Here are a few that encourage me:

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:25-27

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

We live in a very fast paced, crazy world. Things are happening quicker now, than at any time in history. We are in information overload and it is only going to get worse... Maybe it's time to step back, take a deep breath, re-examine priorities and look to the Lord for comfort, peace and rest. Let God worry about tomorrow for you...He already knows what tomorrow holds :)

Have a great day friends.

Reality Check... for me

There is a lot of dead animals around. I am not sure if it is just because it is spring and all the grass has yet to grow? And the thing is, I'm not talking about the regular road kill - groundhogs, raccoons, and the odd deer.

Just in the last week I saw a coyote about 40 feet off the road, dead. It's light gray coat standing out in stark contrast to the brown forest floor. It just looked like it was sleeping. It's legs underneath, and it's head lying to the side. 

deceased coyote in the forest

Then, the other night, there was a dead calf. It looked like the coyotes had dragged it to the side of the bush. And last night, there were 4...yes 4 deer skeletons at the side of the road within 10 feet of each other. 

4 deer skeletons on the edge of a bush

Makes me wonder what happened to these animals? I do know that they probably didn't think when they awoke that that would be their last day on earth.

A couple verses keeps coming to my mind - they are found in James 4:13-15 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” ¹⁴ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ¹⁵ What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”

So many times, I find myself planning...thinking that I am in control. Then I get a reality check. Sometimes all it takes is a drive down a back road or a walk through a bush to see how quick life really is...an interesting reality check.

You can't live life relying on promises made by people...

You can't live life relying on promises made by people...

For the most part, I am a relatively positive person and I like to think the best of people. Some of my family members may disagree with that statement, but thats ok. The last few years have been a test, a trial and a time of teaching for me.

It is extremely discouraging when a promise is made and then nothing happens. It can be summed up like this a stated by Samuel Butler, "A promise is a word, and a word is just wind." Just think about your life for a moment - how many promises have been made to you? How many promises have you made? Now how many of those promises have been fulfilled? If not, Why?

So many excuses, so many rationalizations, so many reasons....but still the promise has been broken. It is so hard trusting people now a days. Honour has left the equation. People are looking out for themselves. They will do what ever is needed to get ahead in this life - Does it matter if people get hurt? - no. 

One thing that I hold onto though are God's promises. Here are a couple that I like:

 Ps 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." 

Jer 29:13, "If you seek Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me."

Remember friends, people will promise things to you and let you down. People will lead you into doing things that benefits them, and then let you down. People will say one thing, and then do another. That's life, and it happens daily. 

Are all people like this - no. But a large number are. 

Keep positive though - keep looking up to the One who makes promises and keeps them. :)