“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
It’s Sunday…take time to RSVP this invitation of Jesus. Take time to stop, to unwind, to languish in the luxury of complete rest and relaxation and renewal.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
“Be still and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10)
Yes, be still; it’s Sunday…a day of rest.
An overheard discussion about there being more than one God really caught my interest. How can that be? Coming from an unexpected source, the conversation threatened to collapse my whole system of belief…a belief that has been an integral part of my life since I was four years old.
Without getting into the nitty-gritty of what other religions, atheists, agnostics, or even Christians believe about God, let me just say that after pondering this weighty question, here is what I came up with.
I knew God before ever laying eyes on a Bible or becoming a Christian (which isn’t a criteria for believing in Him). How? Because when I was four years old, an elderly lady told me about him and taught me the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer which at age seventy-eight, is still in my psyche, word for word. I was told about him and I believed.
It is generally perceived that the Ten Commandments (which I learned in high school when I was thirteen) were written by God and given to Moses to benefit the Israelites. Following is the first Commandment:
“I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other Gods before me…” (the Torah)
“There is no God except one God” (the Quran)
“I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other Gods before me…(the Bible)
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Book of Mormon)
God created all people, but there are those who choose not to acknowledge him, or to disown him altogether.
Let me put it another way. Suppose one of my children decides they don’t want me for a mother. Suppose they choose to ignore me and my rules and regulations for their lives. Suppose they choose to instead, adopt a friend’s mother or a mother-in-law to replace me. They have the free will to do that, but it does not change the fact that I am their mother. Nothing will change that.
So with God; we can ignore him, misinterpret him, disown him, put our own spin on him, but the fact remains…He is God…the One, the Only…God. Period.
Believe it or not, a Shop-Vac reinforced a valuable life lesson for me a few days ago. I had bought the machine to clean up a carpet full of paint chips scraped from a water damaged ceiling. Thinking the Vac was ready to go, I removed it from the carton, plugged it in and began sucking up the aforementioned debris. I couldn`t help thinking it would be easier to move if it had wheels.
Whoa! Something was definitely wrong when a fine film of dust covered everything in the room. “My Old Man’s a Dustman”, a 1960’s hit by Lonnie Donegan, came to mind.
I quickly checked the carton for a product manual. There was none. Moreover the top of the carton read, “Never operate vacuum without filters installed. And then I read, “Helpful Shop-Vac attachments and quality filters (sold separately, not included with this vacuum).“ This advice was printed on a side of the carton. Well, the dust damage was already done and I wanted rid of the paint chips, so proceeded to clean the carpet, filter or no.
The next day, I purchased the filters and was given a manual. After reading the instructions, I lifted the top off the vacuum and lo and behold, inside were the filter, manual, and casters…inside! (Needless to say, everything was covered in dust and ground up paint chips).
It reminded me of the time one of my daughters cooked her first Christmas turkey without removing the gizzards from inside the bird. She didn`t think to look inside.
And now, I had made the same mistake. Everything I needed was inside that shop-vac. I didn`t think to look inside…just as everything I need in my life is inside me. Jesus tells us in John 14:20: “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.“
Thank you, God, for another lesson in My Precious Life!
Recently I was told by a clergyman that yoga is not God-centred, that it focuses on the practioner’s self. I disagree. Yoga focuses on breathing which is the life force, which to me, is the breath of God. Yoga is also an extremely beneficial exercise for relaxing the body and calming the mind. It benefits concentration and discipline. I practiced yoga for years and still consider myself to be a God-centred person. Here is my acronym for yoga:
You
Only
God,
Amen
It was different for me to observe a wedding where everything was of an earthly nature only. The bride and groom expressed their own written vows. This in itself is not unusual. The bride’s uncle performed the ceremony and expressed his love for his niece, spoke about the bond she was making with her husband-to-be, and the commitment the two young people were making to one another for the rest of their lives. There were tears and laughter, embraces and smiles, the exchange of rings, and the much loved matrimonial kiss. And then an officiant oversaw the signing of the documents, adding her own signature to legalize the marriage.
The bride and groom were radiant in their happiness and the venue was filled with jubilant celebration.
It was a very lovely wedding. Family and friends enjoyed a sumptuous meal, clinking glasses, lively music and dancing: a wonderful time was had by all, and I especially enjoyed the festivities because it was my first-born grandson’s wedding.
Did I miss God at the wedding? Not in the least, for two reasons: the first is that I believe God is with me wherever I go, and I am certain that he was there at my invitation. Secondly, love abounded and God is love.
Here are some thoughts on love, written by St. Paul himself.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
My prayer is that my grandson and his lovely bride’s secular marriage be forever blessed with heavenly love.
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“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” This is from the scripture John 8:32 (NIV); and then in John 14:6 we read “I am the way and the truth and the life…” Both of these statements are attributed to Jesus.
But it could also pertain to knowing the truth about ourselves; our faults and shortcomings, which if we changed would free us to concentrate on being better people. Perhaps we would be less judgmental, less self-centered, or whatever it is that keeps us from being the best we can be.
When we stop and think about it, the truth always sets us free…free from a guilty conscience, free from lies that hold us in bondage, and free to live lives of peace without the inner turmoil of always wondering when an untruth will be discovered.
Maybe a good long look at ourselves would free us to know the truth…and embrace it.
Wise man, that Jesus: “…and the truth will set you free.” It is certainly something to think about.
My best friend had a penchant for pigs. She collected replicas of these kind of cutesy animals by the dozens. It became a challenge to find a pig that Tanya did not have, or to find a birthday card with a pig picture and words that were particularly piggish. It was always fun to find a new pig for my friend’s collection. I once found a singing pig which belted out “My Girl” when it’s belly button was pushed. I can still hear her laughter when she played it for the first time.
Tanya did love her pigs, and yesterday I came across something on Facebook that made me smile my face off when I saw it. I’m posting it here in memory of my dear friend who moved to heaven in 2008. I still miss her very much and it gives me joy to send this flying pig to tell her so.
Following are some wonderful quotes for every day living. They are from a little booklet, Our Daily Bread, which is available through Discovery House Publishing in one-hundred and fifty countries.
Here, then, are a few nuggets for your living enjoyment.
God has not promised that your life will be easy…indeed, it may not be. But he has promised to sustain you in your struggles and uphold you with his mighty arm. If you trust him, he will empower you to make your way bravely through extraordinary difficulties with faith, hope and love. God will not allow you to be pressed beyond endurance.
Unexpected changes are opportunities in disguise.
God’s love cannot be explained, it can only be experienced.
If God has already told you what to do, you don’t need to ask him again.
God’s commands are given to enhance our lives rather than restrict them.
To multiply your joy, count your blessings.
You don’t need to know where you are going if you let God do the leading.
God uses ordinary people to carry out his extraordinary plan.
In God’s garden of love, you are his forget-me-not.
Each edition of Our Daily Bread is packed with inspirational stories and quotes such as these. I love it!
Here is an excerpt from his book, “The Quest of Character” by Charles R. Swindoll. It was brought to my attention by the late Rev. Frank Conkey, a former pastor of my church, and later a guest pastor upon occasion.
“As the pages of the calendar turn, and turn again, we’re reminded of the Lord’s power to change the times and the seasons. Brisk blustery days replace hot, still ones. Flowers grace the fields and then fade away. Leaves bud on naked limbs, open wide to the summer breeze then die in a flame of color. Take time today to rejoice in God’s presence as you acknowledge his right to bring change into your life. Are you sensitive to his working? Are you listening? Are you available and open to change? Tell him today.”
Just say yes. “Yes, Lord, I am listening and I am open; let me hear your word.”
Here too, is an excerpt of a prayer by Rev. Conkey:
“We pray for men and women in middle life who handle adjustments wisely and skillfully, who not only enjoy success but carry defeats and losses with courage; for older persons who keep youthful in spirit and vision, and have steadfast faith in you.”
These writings came to me at a challenging time in my life and were very apropos. By listening and being open to change, we are able to make transitions in our lives with less difficulty.
Are you sensitive to His working? Are you listening? Are you available and open to change?
Just say yes.
How Great Thou Art is the name of the hymn from which this title is taken; a hymn, according to Wikipedia, based on a Swedish traditional melody and poem written by Carl Gustave Boberg (1859-1940) in Sweden in 1885. This powerful hymn never fails to cause me to raise my hands in praise whenever it is played. It has been sung by the well known George Beverley Shea, Elvis Presley, and Carrie Underwood. Here then, is How Great Thou Art:
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
The current six week course, Soul Keeping, I am attending, along with a talk I heard yesterday, given by a member of our congregation, titled “The Gospel According to Hymn”, has inspired this post.
My Precious Life 