A little encouragement to start your day :)

Sunrise on Owen Sound Harbour

If you know me, you know that I am the type of person that doesn't think the glass is half full, or that the glass is half empty...but the glass is too big for the amount of liquid. That being said, when problems happen, and problems will happen I try to be an encourager. An encourager with a little bit of a reality check to the encouragement. Here are some of my favourite encouragement quotes that I have gathered and wanted to share with you. :)

“Many of life’s failures are people who had not realized how close they were to success when they gave up.”
~ Thomas A Edison

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

~ Isaiah 40:31

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi

We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, "Why did this happen to me?" unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way.

~ Author Unknown

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

~ Romans 8:28

Ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders.

~ Jewish Proverb

We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them.

~ Charles C. West

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.

~ African Proverb

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

~ James 1:2-4

The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.

~ Norman Vincent Peale

Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light.

~ Edith Edman

Victory is not the absence of problems, it is the presence of power.

~ Joyce Meyer

Do what you can, with what you have and do it now.

~ George Washington Carver

And last but not least.....

Fear Forces, Love Leads, Faith Follows !

~ Keith Moore

Have a great day friends !!!

Winter has us in it's grip - enjoy these summer photo's :)

With us still in winters cold chilling grip, I thought I'd post a few pictures of the summer time. I hope you enjoy them :)

Monarch outside of the museum in Southampton

One of my mom's flowers

Female Mallard swimming in a pond

Golden Finch on my crab apple tree

Skootamatta Lake - Summer of 1994

Have a great day !!!

Yesterday a lot of words...today a lot of pictures :)

Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Proverbs 22:3a A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
     

Song of Solomon 2:12 The flowers are springing up,the season of singing birds has come,and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.

  Luke 12:7b ..."you are more valuable than many sparrows." 

Isaiah 35:6a Then those who are lame will leap like deer,
      and those who cannot speak will shout for joy.

Psalm 42:1 As the deer longs for streams of water,
      so I long for you, O God.

And the last one for today...

Psalm 119:103 How sweet your words taste to me;they are sweeter than honey.

North American Churches and Suffering - What's up ?

As I was writing, I decided to combine 2 thoughts into one subject. But I think that they actually feed off of each other. And Please - I am not writing to offend anyone, I am writing to work out my thoughts...I'm just letting you have a little look at my thought process... :)

Does the difference between the church in Book of Acts and the Canadian church bother you? Some of you may not even know what I mean by the church in the book of Acts. That's ok.

It's really starting to bother me greatly. I'm tired of playing the game. This doesn't make any sense. The church in Acts was unstoppable. They didn't need great music, an influential speaker, a comfortable seat, paved parking lots or children's programs...they loved Jesus. They gathered because they were so happy that they had been saved from Hell. They were unstoppable, bold and full of the Holy Spirit. Now one thing that I see that is very different, is that the early church preached Jesus, they lived Jesus, and not just on a Sunday morning. Nothing was going to stop them from proclaiming the gospel.

I've heard a lot of people, and I mean a lot of people say that the North American church isn't persecuted because of the society that we live in....really??? What if the reason that the Canadian church isn't persecuted is because for generations we have been taught how to avoid conflict? We know how to keep quiet as not to upset someone. The gospel of comfort. I am really struggling with this. I struggle with what Jesus said throughout the gospels and then what the other writers of the New Testament say...If you are a Christian, you will suffer for the Gospel. Do you want proof...here are a few verses...

Matthew 10:32-40 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!’

“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. - Here Jesus is talking about the strife there will be in families over the Gospel. A choice needs to be made.

Acts 5:41-42 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Romans: 8:16-17 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

2 Corinthians 1:3-8 ~ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Philippians 1:28-30 ~ 28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. 30 We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Philippians 3:10-11 ~ 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

1 Thessalonians 1:5-7 ~ 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

2 Thessalonians 1:4-6 ~ 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5 All this is evidence that God’s judgement is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you

2 Timothy 1:8 ~ 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

2 Timothy 1:12 ~12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

2 Timothy 2:8-10 ~ 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

2 Timothy 3 : 10-13 ~ 10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Hebrews 13:12-15 ~ 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. 15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.

James 5:7-11 ~ 7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

 10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

1 Peter 3:13-18 ~ 13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”[15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

1 Peter 4: 12-16 ~ 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

1 Peter 5:6-10 ~ 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

1 John 3:16 ~ 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Jude Verses 17-19 ~ 17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

The above are just some of the promises of what is to happen to a believer of Christ. I haven't even touched on what happened to Ezekiel, Daniel, Jeremiah, Jonah and several other people that proclaimed the Holy God. I believe that the Bible is God's word to us. How often does an opportunity arise to tell your friends, family or just strangers of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Nothing was going to keep the early believers from proclaiming the gospel. To worship Him. Can you imagine a church like that today in Canada? If there is a group like that – they will be termed as radical...wow, radical by doing what Christ actually commanded us to do as Christians?

I'm not writing this to belittle anyone, or criticize any church...I just am trying to work out my own salvation....Am I doing what the Bible calls me to do, or am I just too comfortable with the North American Gospel?

A lot to say...just not yet :)

Rough Legged Hawk launching above a farm

Today was a nice day. I got the kids off to school. Went for a coffee with my wife. And took a little drive around the country. Nothing spectacular today, a couple Rough Legged Hawks, and a lot of wild turkeys. I still have been battling this cold. The worse of it has past, and each day gets a little better. 

An interesting thing happened today. Before we went for a coffee, I told Leigh Ann – you need to go see an old friend of ours in the nursing home today. Last night while at work, I felt really impressed that she was to do this. She looked at me and said, you know, yesterday afternoon I felt the same thing. It's amazing how God sends confirmation ! So I got to watch my youngest son as Leigh Ann went to the nursing home :)

 

I have to be honest with everyone...I have a lot that I want to say on my Blog, but it's not the time yet. I have several “drafts” that are just a click away to being posted, but not yet. Here is a hint of some of the titles "2012 & I'm not afraid", "The book of Revelation, guess what's coming?", "North American Churches compared to the churches in Acts" " Suffering, yep it's in the Bible" ....Call it self examination, call it conviction...I write a lot each day, but then again, I am reading a lot more. Enough of the babble from me...Have a great day friends and Keep Looking Up !!!

Lunch Break

As I sit down for lunch at work – it's 9:15pm – I've had lots of time to ponder things today. You see working afternoon shift isn't all that bad. My dad did it for 37 years (until Campbell Soup decided to pull out of Listowel – but that's an entire another story and maybe someday I'll write about my feelings during that time in my life, but not tonight) and I can handle it for a few weeks in order to get production caught up.

I got to spend the day seeing my son of to school – the small bus picked him up (if you missed that, I wrote about it a week ago.) I got to drive my daughter to school so she wouldn't be late. I got to take my wife out for a Timmies coffee. I got to drive in the sunshine for a couple of hours, just for the sake of driving. There were so many animal tracks in the fields, but no Jack Rabbit. I got to see my youngest son eat 2 Tim Bits. One in each hand, happy as can be. I had a couple hours just to read and reflect. I had a couple hours to catch up on my sleep. I worked on my Blog for an hour and updated a photo album on Facebook.

So all in all, I got to do a lot today. Lot's of Barley to bag tonight, but hey, spring is only a couple months away. And soon enough the crops will need to be planted in the ground.

All the best to everyone!

Birds, birds everywhere, on the ground and in the air...

A few wild Turkeys outside of Drayton

If you know me, you know that I enjoy taking a drive with the family in the country. Looking for wildlife and maybe even getting a photo. Sometimes I have the privilege of stopping the truck, getting the camera out and getting that one shot. This weekend we saw lots of wildlife, but it's hard to get the “perfect” shot. We did see a Snowy Owl outside of Clifford, a Rough Legged Hawk near Ayton, a few Red Tailed Hawks and lot of Wild turkeys. We saw the turkeys outside of Hanover, Harriston, Listowel, Drayton and most were very close to the roads.

One creature still is alluding me though...the European Hare...aka the Jack Rabbit. When I was young, dad and I used to go Jack hunting. Driving down the back roads, looking for where the tracks end in a field...then looking for some ears sticking up. Or you look for the lone tree in the field, there will always be a drift of snow around it...look there.

Ah, but it is fun looking, and maybe soon I'll be able to show you the elusive Jack Rabbit :)

Have a great day !

A Challenge has been issued...A time to grow !!!

a couple spring flowers in my flower bed

Today I was challenged by Pastor Pitts. He challenged us to "Study God's Word, Read more of God's Word, Chew on God's Word !!!" That's exactly what I needed. I've been focusing on reading the Bible more. And not just reading, but reading and asking the Spirit of God to help me understand. So much truth, so much guidance is in that Book.

There is one site that I just adore and I though i should share it with you. I can do my Bible reading right on-line if I desire. http://www.biblegateway.com/ enables me to read scripture in several (23 English) translations. Whether it be in the New Living Translation, King James, New International Version (1984, and 2010 versions), Amplified, or New American Standard....they are all there.

When I was just 10 years old, my grandfather passed away. He left me his 6 Version Parallel New Testament. I use to read that every night. First in one translation, then another, then another and when all 6 were finished, I prayed.

I encourage you – read your Bible. If you don't have one, use the link that I provided...get into a pattern, a habit of either starting or finishing your day reading God's Word.

Have a great day! Enjoy the sunshine!