Monday, November 25, 2013

Remember To Be Thankful

It's amazing to me our capacity to forget. Our brains are wired in a way that we can have information, feelings, anything simply slip away to never be seen again (but someone else will remember it for you, and remind you).

This week we will take a day to be thankful. People all across America will sit with families and share a huge meal showing their bounty and provision and we will all enjoy being what we have and be thankful for it. Only to immediately run out and buy all the stuff we don't have (and don't need) because we think it's on sale (which in reality it's not).

I recently found out that Black Friday was a produced holiday (we don't have it in Canada so I just thought it was something Americans always did, like Boxing Day). The American Association of Realtors created it, and all it's widespread panic, to convince people they did not have enough and they need more. Now. Hours after celebrating what we have. Some stores even on the same day.

It's sad that the one four-day weekend Americans are given is spent in a shopping frenzy. It's almost like we immediately forget all that we just said we were thankful for. And believe it or not, we also seem to forget that many of the prices for these stores will be back, if not stay online.

Let's not forget what we are really celebrating here. Let's just take a few days to be thankful and enjoy each others company.

With that, Lorie and I are thankful to welcome Leah Mae into the world, and thankful for all those who pray and support us!

T

Monday, November 18, 2013

Waiting

At the moment, Lorie and I may be having a baby any day. I mean any day. So we are doing the only thing we can do. Waiting.

But there are two different ways of waiting. You can sit and just hope, singing la-di-da and not do anything until the moment. Or, you can have all your bags packed, car seat installed, nursery painted, house clean for company, continue going to doctor appointments and even have family with their bags packed ready to come down at a moment's notice.

Take a stab in the dark which one we are.

If you are to wait on God, which one are you? Are you sitting there just hoping God will show up and do something, or are you waiting, preparing for the day when God shows up, learning who He is so you can recognize Him in that moment, serving so you can be ready to do what He asks, praying so you can learn to hear His voice?

As Liz has said, sometimes we confuse waiting with loitering. Or maybe, just maybe, we aren't waiting on God, God's waiting on us to be ready for when He shows up...

T

Monday, November 11, 2013

Until The End

Being in America, I bet many of my friends don't know the last person killed in World War I was a Canadian. At the end of WWI, it was decided the war would officially end at 11am on 11/11 (hence the date for Remembrance Day / Veterans Day). At that moment there would be a cease-fire and the great war would be officially over.

Unfortunately for Private George Price, it wasn't over soon enough. He was on patrol and exited a house into the street and shot by a German sniper, 90 seconds before the cease-fire. If he had stopped long enough to tie his shoe he would probably still be alive.

The sad part is, many people knew there was still enemies (of either side) in the area. He shouldn't have gone into the street (some accounts say he was warned not to). But he did. He probably felt safe, the war was over. The problem is, it really wasn't.

I wonder how many times in our lives we feel safe or that a threat is done when in reality, it's not. We say sorry after a fight and think it's done, but really there is a lot more work to be done in the relationship. Or maybe we just feel safe, I prayed a lot when things were bad, but they're better now so I can pull back and pray a little less.

To truly make it, we have to be faithful to the end. The most dangerous point in our lives spiritually (and in other areas) is not when things seem bad. No, it's when things feel good. When we feel safe. When everything is going well and we pull back on the disciplines that we know we need to be healthy.

Don't pull back. Keep running the race until it is completely done.

T

Monday, November 04, 2013

The Difference Between " I Would Like" and "I Want"

These two phrases sound the same, but they are not. Let me explain.

I would like $2,000,000 (it's twice as good as one million). Meaning, if someone were to give that to me, I'll take it. It would be nice. I would like it.

But I don't want it. I'm not willing to give up my ministry and work somewhere else to get that. I will not get another job and lose time with my family. I will not break the law to steal it. The cost of getting the prize is not worth the work to attain it.

I would like it, but I don't want it.

What things are there where you have confused these two ideas? Would you like to serve others or do you want to serve others? Would you like to be more generous or do you want to be more generous? Would you like to be closer to God, or do you want to be closer to God?

Too often we confuse wanting something with falling back onto "I'd like it if someone gave it to me". If you truly want it, do the hard work of getting it. Including a better relationship with Jesus Christ.

T