The Master and the Novice

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

The story is told of a mother wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano.  She took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.

Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep Playing."

Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.

That's the way it is with our Heavenly Father. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.

Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are there helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.

Remember, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And He'll always be there to love and guide you on to great things.

Dear Lord, we love to have Your loving arms around us. Help us to keep doing what You have for us to do knowing with Your help we can accomplish great things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God Gave His Best, Let us Do the Same.

John 3:16 (NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The best enriching good habit - Complimenting others

The best destructive bad habit - Worry

The greatest joy - Giving

The greatest loss - Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work - Helping others

The ugliest personality trait - Selfishness

The most endangered species - Dedicated leaders

The greatest natural resource - Our youth

The ugliest look - A frown

The greatest "shot in the arm" - Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcome - Fear

The most effective sleeping pill - Peace of mind

The most crippling failure disease - Excuses

The surest way to limit God - Unbelief

The most powerful forces in life - Love

The most dangerous piranha - A gossiper

The Greatest Life-Giver - The Creator

The world’s most incredible computer - The brain

The worst thing to be without - Hope

The deadliest weapon - The tongue

The two most power-filled words - "I Can"

The best asset - Faith

The most worthless emotion - Self-pity

The most beautiful attire - A SMILE!

The most prized possession - Self esteem

The most powerful channel of communication - Prayer

The most contagious sprit - Enthusiasm

The most urgent need - SALVATION

The GREATEST – GOD

God gave His best for each of us.  Let us take each day and do our best for Him.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving Your very best to each of us. We pray today that we would give our very best back to You and to those around us so that we may show Your love through our actions. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Is Your Luster Fading?

Jeremiah 31:17 (NIV)

So there is hope for your descendants,”

declares the Lord.

    “Your children will return to their own land.

It's amazing how television sets have changed so drastically! I remember how I was fascinated at how a rectangular box could not only make intelligible noises, but could also display moving pictures in black and white! It was fantastic! But today, the only praise such an inferior box would get would be from those who still find themselves to be a little bit nostalgic!

Even though the ancient TVs eventually did begin to display colors, the TVs of today have far surpassed even these. Not only do modern television sets broadcast a sharper picture, but thanks to the digital output, they also tend to be much bigger.

But there are still choices to be made. For example, do you buy HDTV or plasma? Both have their advantages, and both will lose their luster over time. The plasma TVs lose half their brightness after 60,000 hours. You won't notice it however, because the loss of luster is gradual. By the time you start to realize you are having a harder time watching your set, you will have no choice but to replace it with a brand new one!

These plasma TVs make a good illustration of our lives. When we were young we dreamed about the future, and we made promises that seemed so easy to fulfill. As life goes by however, we begin to realize that many of these dreams will never materialize and most of these promises are never kept. Our anticipation of the future gradually changes-to indifference for many, and to melancholy for others.

Oh, we continue to search for the source of eventual happiness, but we continually come up short.

But it doesn't have to be. If we will just take the time to open the instruction manual our Maker has given us, we will realize that all of our own pursuits are in vain. Except for one, that is: "It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on." (Gal 5:19-21 The Message)

Because we are so busy pursuing worthless purposes, we tend to never realize which purposes are really worthwhile! One fact is clear and undeniable. Society may label it differently, but no one can honestly say that everything and everyone around them is hunky-dory! Why? Because "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23 NIV)

We lose our luster bit by bit because unworthy pursuits degrade us to the animal level. What's even worse is that these pursuits leave us with luggage far too heavy to drag around, and with an out-of-this-world price tag to boot!

But don't despair. There is still hope! "'There is hope for your future,' declares the Lord. " (Jer 31:17 NIV) Unlike the brand new plasma TV you'll have to buy, however, this hope is free! It's a hope that will not only revitalize you from the inside out, but will also transform you into a satisfied, fulfilled individual! That hope can only be found in the Christ: "What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven - and the future starts now!" (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Isn't it time for us to discover the real, colorful, three-dimensional world that God has promised us? No banging and puttering necessary! Just enjoy the ride!

Dear Lord, we thank You for us in this world. Help us not only claim those promises but share them with those He brings into our life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Keeping Things in Perspective

Psalm 118:8 (NIV)

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in humans.

A freshman at a local university wrote the following letter to her parents:

     Dear Mom and Dad,

  

     Just thought I'd drop you a note to let you know about my plans. I've

     fallen in love with a guy named Jim. He quit high school after his

     junior year to get married.  About a year ago, he got a divorce.

     We've been going steady for two months and plan to get married in the

     fall. Until then, I've decided to move in with him. I think I might be

     pregnant.

     At any rate, I dropped out of school last week. Of course I'd like to

     finish college sometime in the future.

On the next page, the letter continued:

     Mom and Dad, I just want you to know that everything I've written so

     far in this letter is false. None of it is true.

     But it is true that I got a D in Western Civ and flunked Algebra. And it

     is also true that I'm going to need some more money for tuition payments.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out her strategy, does it? Even bad news can sound pretty good if it is kept in perspective. How we evaluate ourselves and the people around us depends on our viewpoint.

Today you will be tempted to feel sorry for yourself. Don't! Lots of people would love to trade places with you. Before you get down in the dumps over whatever is bothering you, read today's obituaries to see how many people younger than you died yesterday or visit the burn or stroke rehab center at a local hospital.

Today you will meet someone wealthier, prettier, or brighter than yourself. You will be tempted to envy her or him. Don't! God doesn't ask you to be someone other than you are or to do things outside your sphere of ability. He only expects you to use your gifts with integrity.

Today you may feel the need to whine, blame, or make excuses for something that goes wrong. Don't! Take steps to put things right, but avoid making yourself look small by ducking responsibility. Even if it wasn't your fault, you will be bigger in your own eyes and everyone else's by taking a positive rather than defensive posture.

When all has been said and done today, you may be inclined to take either too much blame or too much credit. Don't! It may not have been your best day, but it almost surely will not have been your worst either. Submit it to God in prayer, and ask him to make the day count for his purpose in your life.

As this New Year unfolds let’s keep things in perspective.

Dear Lord, Thanks for the New Year You Have given to us. Help us this year to come to You in everything and not jump to our own conclusions. Thanks for caring and loving each of us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

What I Learned From Diamond and Dakota

Ephesians 6:5-7 (NIV)

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,

We have 2 dogs One a Dalmatian and the other a Husky.

Our Dalmatian, Diamond, has many positive attributes. When I come home from working, she is waiting for me at the door and greets me with her vocal welcome and her tail wagging eagerly.  She will chase the sticks I throw for her, and if she feels like it, she will even bring them back to me. She usually comes immediately when I call her . Sometimes, "immediately" can have a number of different meanings, especially if there's another dog around, a squirrel or a particularly good smell that might not be there next time  and has to check it out now.

In general, it can truly be said that Diamond enjoys life to the fullest. One of her best traits is that she loves her people. In fact she thinks of her family as her responsibility to have us take care of her.  

I can say many good things about Diamond, but I can’t say that she works. But then, dogs don't work! It's not in their nature!

Or is it? Now we look at our other dog Dakota my son’s Husky.

Up in the far north you will find several breeds of dogs that are renowned for their work ethic. We generally lump them all together under the name "Husky", but if you want to be precise, you will find the Siberian Husky, the Alaskan Malamute, the Samoyed, the Eskimo dog and the Greenland dog!

These dogs are bred to work, and when not working, they generally don't move all that much. They want to conserve their energy for the important things of life!

What's amazing is that the blood vessels of these dogs are quite different from dog breeds of the south. This permits them to stand, run and sleep on snow for long periods of time without frostbite. They don't even suffer from the "frozen-paw-stuck-in-the-snow" scenario! In addition, they have the ability to eat less than other dogs their size, all the while being able to work much harder!

Another attribute of the husky is that it does not require shelter, even in sub-Arctic temperatures. They have extremely thick fur, and just like in the movie, "Eight Below", they curl up with their noses under their tails and let the snow bury them. This provides them with much needed insulation and shelter. They even have thick fur growing between their toes, providing them with the insulation they need for their feet! This can be seen as Dakota tries to make the turn on our wooden floor to get out the back door as he slides around the corner.

The coat of the husky actually lies in two layers: The soft undercoat, which provides the warmth that they need; and the silky outer coat, which gives protection against wind and water. It could be said that they come completely equipped for the winter! No winter boots for them!

Huskies generally can carry at least half their body weight, and they can pull twice their weight over miles and miles of snow and ice. When used to pull a sled, the husky will assume a specific, steady, fast trot that they can keep up for hours with very little effort. Some have been observed, for short distances, to haul up to 2000 lbs.

Of course huskies do have their downsides. They aren't really known to be the "Dalmatian" kind of dog. They love to be petted, but most huskies have a streak of independence, much like their cousin the wolf. Although they work hard, most of them refuse to fetch, track or do little tricks. But if you look at it from their point of view, you would understand. After all, they are bred to work, not to be clowns! That would be far too humiliating!

We can learn a lesson from each of our dogs: the `Dalmatian' types, who enjoy life and love people; and the `husky' types, who work to their full potential. God asks us to do both! To love people as Jesus loves them, to enjoy the life He has given us, and to work to our full potential, as if we are working for God!

If we have both of these attitudes, there is no way we would ever find the time (or the reason!) to grumble and complain. Wouldn't that go far towards attracting more people to God?

Dear Lord, thanks for the lessons that You put all around us. Help us to have our eyes and hearts open to them. As we see from the Dalmatian and the Husky help us enjoy the life You have given to us and to do the work that You have before each of us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Dead Seed

Mark 16:6-7 (NIV)

6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

In 1973, archeologists uncovered a cache of date palm seeds in ancient Masada, Israel. Scientists estimated that the seeds were produced about 70 AD. The Romans called it Phoenix dactylifera -- "the date-bearing phoenix" -- because it never died and appeared to be reborn in the desert where all other plant life perished.

The seeds were stored at Israel's Bar-Ilan University where they remained for the next thirty years. In November 2004, Dr. Sarah Sallon approached the university and asked for some of the seeds.

"When we asked if we could try and grow some of them, they said, 'You're mad,' but they gave us three seeds," Sarah said.

Sarah's friend, biologist Dr. Elaine Solowey also didn't have much faith that the seeds would germinate, but Elaine carefully prepared the seeds for planting. First she soaked the seeds in hot water to make them once again able to absorb liquids. Then she soaked them in a solution of nutrients followed by an enzymatic fertilizer made from seaweed.

Tu B'shevat, a Jewish holiday known as the New Year for Trees, fell on January 25, 2005. Elaine chose that day to plant the seeds in new potting soil, hook them up to a drip irrigation system, and then she left them locked up. Elaine occasionally checked on the plants for a few weeks, and in March 2005, she noticed a sprout. By November 2005, the sprout had turned into a sapling that was 3 feet high with nine leaves. Nicknamed Methuselah, the seeds is oldest seed to ever germinate.

God has the power to bring life to that which was dead. His greatest triumph is the resurrection of Christ.

Dear Lord, thank You for the New Year and all that is ahead of us. Thank You for the new life we have in You and that we as Your children will be raised from the dead. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Blessings of a New Year

Hebrews 13:16 (NIV)

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Bishop Stringer and his companion were facing starvation that late October morning. They had been returning home from the Mackenzie region of the Yukon when they were overtaken by winter. Even though it was early in the season, the amount of snow that fell during that first storm was enough to make them lose their way in the mountains.

They didn't despair, however. Instead, they looked at their sealskin boots and wondered if they could be edible. The notes left in Stringer's diary are quite revealing: "Thursday, October 21: Breakfast of sealskin boot, soles and tops boiled and toasted. Soles better than uppers. Soup of small scraps and bacon…the last we had; hands sore; took a long time to pack up…"

Isaac Stringer, one of the first to arrive in the Yukon, was aghast at the influence the whalers were having on the native population. Whalers supplied the First Nations people with alcohol and then took their women as their "mistresses". The consequences were devastating: alcoholism and disease, both sexually transmitted as well as common ones that the Inuvialuit had no immunity to, abounded. Very early on, Isaac succeeded in securing an agreement with the whalers that closed down the alcohol trade with the Inuit. Eventually he provided church services and literacy classes for both the Inuit and the whalers.

His task was not an easy one, however. He often had to travel long distances in harsh conditions, and his eyes eventually contracted snow blindness, a condition that is quite agonizing and incapacitating.

And his story isn't unique. Another bishop in the Yukon by the name of Bombas decided to live like the natives. He slept on the floor rather than in a comfortable bed, he dressed poorly and he gave away all of his possessions and money. He was well-liked, and as a result, he was quite successful in his ministry.

Were all these sacrifices worthwhile?

Ask the Inuit. They will say, "Yes!"

We generally prefer to avoid unnecessary sacrifices. However some of our sacrifices are unavoidable and still others are commendable. God's view on these is quite remarkable: "Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Heb 13:16 NIV)

In fact the apostle Paul goes one step further and urges us to offer our "bodies as living sacrifices": "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." (Rom 12:1 NIV))

What does Paul mean by this? He explains it in the next verse: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Rom 12:2a) The rewards are astonishing, friends: "Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom 12:2b NIV)

As we begin the New Year, 2014 let us ask our self the question: What attitude are we portraying in front of society? Are we more like the whalers described here, tending to promote our own interests? Or are we more like these missionaries, willing to be selfless while undergoing sacrifices, having taken to heart the eternal destination of those around us?

Dear Lord, You place in our hands the New Year, like a new born child.  The days and weeks to come are Your gift to each of us. Thank You blessing You have given to us so freely. Help us share that blessing with those You bring into our path this year. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.