You could be a hero

We often think of hero's as people who accomplish great things and our definition of great things could include something like saving a life.

We can all be a hero, a hero to our spouse, children, family, coworkers, friends, a widow we know, and the list could go on and on. We don't need to be a hero by the worlds standards and do something huge that makes the papers, but we can still be a hero and have a long lasting impact on others lives by doing the little things, by being a blessing to someone.

Perhaps being a blessing could be as simple as doing something kind, providing a meal to someone in need, saying something kind to a hurting soul, etc.

I wonder, how have I been a hero, how have I impacted someones life in a positive way for God's honour and glory?

How are you doing with this?

The following passage asks us to be imitators of Christ, perhaps that would be a good place to start.

Philippians 2 (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New International Version (NIV)

Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Kutless - Hero

cought in a sticky web

Do you sometimes feel stuck, like Satan is chasing you down and ready to take his final blows.......like a fly caught in a sticky web, you can see the big spider (Satan) coming towards you ready to devour you, but you can't seem to get unstuck and get away. You are stuck in a web. Perhaps the web is formed out of hurt, guilt, poor disisions, sickness, broken relationships, etc.

Satan can be over powering at times, he uses so many different weapons. I am reminded constantly that I need to arm my self with the armour of God to thwart off the devils attacks. He is relentless, always prowling around and he uses even what seems good to sidetrack us.

Are you spending quality time with your Jesus, the one who can be the steadiest and best influence on your life, in order to fend off the enemy.

Ephesians 6:10-18 http://www.biblegateway.com

New International Version (NIV)

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Kutless - Believer

Is finding peace like finding a needle in a haystack??

I have been thinking about peace and my peace journey. So often I think we Christians fall into the trap of thinking that once we are saved, we will be showered with gifts, such as joy, peace, prosperity, etc; that we will be on easy street and live a fairy tale life.

My journey has not always been that way, My wife and I have endured some tuff stuff, but it has been in these times that I have often experienced my greatest inner peace. Perhaps it's because during these times I am also pursuing God the most.

The bible says (http://www.biblegateway.com);
New International Version (NIV)
1 Chronicles 16:11

¹¹ Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Job 5:8-9

⁸ “But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. ⁹ He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

Psalm 63:1

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

¹ You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Jeremiah 29:12-14

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. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.^[a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Matthew 7:7

 ⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Hebrews 11:6

⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 13:15

 ¹⁵ Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

 

The christian life is a 2 way street, it's a relationship, one that I believe we have a very active part in. The above verses would suggest that anyway, that we need to pursue God always.....even when the going gets tuff and when we do, we experience only the joy and peace that he can provide. Sometimes finding peace does feel like looking for a needle in a haystack, but he is there with open arms ready to provide when we are truly ready to recieve.

Are you ready to recieve his goodness, are you truly given to him or do you have one foot in one store (the worlds store of goods) and one in God's store of goods?

John 14:27 New International Version (NIV)

²⁷ 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.

When Peace Like A River

Rock of Ages

I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW ( with Lyrics)

Chemo day Aug 28-13 (Scott)

Today I went for chemo, number 6 of the maintenance plan, number 14ish overall. Usually my wife takes me, but this time my sister did. We had a nice time catching up with each other. Chemo started at 9:20am.

I got there and was quickly invited into the "Chemo suit". They try to give it a positive spin with this name. It was very busy today. The patients were mostly older with a sprinkling of younger ones. My heart goes out to each one as I am now somewhat aware of how this could be impacting all areas of there lives. Perhaps the youngest one there (maybe 20) wonders if he will live a full life, get married, have children........... perhaps the older ones wonder if they will see there grand children..........
Chemo is a poison administered to kill a poison (cancer). It is strong stuff that can have many side effects. After my dose today I felt drowsy and as my son says, I looked yellow. With the docs permission my kids came in to visit me briefly before my wife drove us home. It gave them a glimpse of what treatment is and I think reduced the scariness label a bit. Due to the illnesses my wife and I have had, seeing IV bags, etc., hooked to us is old hat for our kids. We have tried to be open with them as opposed to shield them. While this may seem over the top, I think that it is ok to be real and open with kids in a way that they can understand it. We certainly would not have proceeded if the doctors had cautioned us in anyway. In a recent chat with my son, he admitted to being very scared when he 1st found out I had cancer. In his words he said, "I didn't know you could live with cancer". Perhaps being there today and seeing that the people there are quite normal looking and seeing what I go through for a treatment instead of imagining it will help calm our kids inquisitive minds.

For the most part it has been a good first day after treatment

Giving thanks, a Christian learning to be thankful and trusting in all things

Chemo time Aug 27-13 (Scott)

Its a very hot August day and it doesn't seem a bit cooler here at the hospital. Today with the exception of one very young dude, it is largely an over 60 crowd in the cancer wing.
My head space of late has been decent, but for sure I still have my worries. When I start worrying or fretting about things I can't control, such as the cancer or any situation, in my mind I construct a wall around me. Inside that space are healthy trusting in God type thoughts, and outside is all the muck that I want to keep away from dwelling on. Ya it probably sounds quirky, but it works for me, that is when I remember to practise it. So while it is temping to wonder what will happen after the maintenance chemo ends next May, that is outside the walls I have constructed in my mind, I must trust God and when I do, I am much more at peace. In some senses the wall is like the dykes that we recently saw out east that prevent ocean water from destroying farm land.

I wonder today how some of these others are doing here in the cancer wing, are they heavy with worry, do they have a faith? Does the young man here question a loving God? How do the different ethnic backgrounds here process this stuff? How do they sense that their God is helping them on their journey?
As I write this I am drawn to a beautiful lady who just walked in bringing some lucky person a cool beverage....haha that guy is me and the lady is my loving wife. She along with our awesome kids have been a great support.

I just got my blood work, now an hour wait until I get to see the specialist and receive my results. I practise my mind control trusting God with what is out of my control.

While waiting we chatted with a nice man who has advanced prostate cancer, a cancer he has had since 2007. There is nothing they can do but monitor him and try experimental drugs. I wonder how he has kept so positive. He was such a gentle caring type.

Finally I get to see the specialist, she does her quick review of my blood work, say all looks well and gives me the green light to proceed with chemo tomorrow.

All things considered I have much to be grateful for...........

Plugging the holes in my leaking boat

Do you ever feel like you are endlessly running around your boat (figuratively speaking) and patching holes to keep your raft (yourself) afloat? Its tiring eh? Actually it can be downright exhausting.

When we seek to control our own lives and maybe even those close to us, it can be a never ending job running around trying to keep everything in order.

God asks us to give control of our lives over to him, but how many of us do? I know I struggle with this? As I get older I seem to have to rely on him more, even for the so called little things. It can be a scary thing surrendering control and crying out in faith and trust, but it is a beautiful thing to see Gods hand at work. 

I just wish I would do it all the time.

How am I doing at allowing God control of my whole life? How are you doing with this?

All i need is You " Kim Walker Jesus Culture

Romans 15:13

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

My cancer journey (Scott

Soon I will go for another chemo treatment. This is a journey I started in December 2011 and will  be on until May 2014 when God willing I will have my last chemo treatment for a while.

Medically speaking my Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma is like a wild animal that will always be lurking in the back ground. It is not curable, but they hope to manage it over a long period of time.

The spiritual side of this journey has been to learn to trust God with the unknown and the known, the unknown being when will the cancer come out of the woods like a wild animal and attack again.

Slowly this lesson has been sinking in, although many times I find myself very fragile, in a pool of pity rather than giving thanks to my Great God for what I do have and trusting him with the rest. I feel like it is a test that at times I have failed miserably at and at other times I feel like I am slowly learning it.......very slowly.

Like any difficult journey can do, I have been exposed to many learning's in this one and thank God for the blessing of drawing near to him.

I am also thankful for the provision of health through out the process. Many have remarked at how good I appear physically, which has been a huge blessing and something we pleaded with God about. We had prayed that our kids would not have to see me too sick just yet. I never in my wildest dreams anticipated how challenging the journey would be mentally and emotionally, how lonely I would feel, how chemo can affect ones mind, etc. The downside of coming through it with no real obvious physical deficiency is that people typically only observe the obvious and without me looking ill, the expectation of many has been that I am fine even when inside I have deeply struggled at times.

I have learned that God truly is my only steady and certain source of strength, peace and grace and to train my eyes on him, or I will falter miserably.......I have long been at the end of my own strength.

Hillsong United - All I Need Is You

I Surrender - Hillsong Live (Cornerstone New 2012 DVD Album) Lyrics

is my focus where it should be

As I reflect back on life, I have fond memories of my early twenties, a period when I was very involved in our youth group leadership and determined to keep God the centre of my life.

As life goes on and with marriage, a career path, kids, toys, hurts, sickness, etc., sometimes I have found it hard to maintain my spiritual focus and I long for simpler days when I didn't have so many things drawing me in different directions.

Sometimes I have found I simply need to make choices to assist in maintaining my focus. This may mean simplifying life, not taking a job change or church position, etc., so that I can maintain the balance I need with my relationships with God, my wife and family.

Sometimes I simply need to choose to be thankful for what I do have. This morning we listened to a wonderful message centred on Psalm 96. So often I get bogged down with the day to day grind of life and petty frustrations and then I am reminded to be thankful. The speaker told several stories of people in Africa (where he had just been) who have experienced so much pain, one had lost 9 siblings to brutality and another had had 5 children by way of rape. All of these were rejoicing in God's deliverance. Yet when I experience an injustice, perhaps of someone failing me, illness or a job I didn't get, am I choosing to rejoice in what I do have, in what God has provided me? Am I singing to the Lord a new song or am I getting lost in my bitterness, in perceived unfairness against me, etc.

How are you choosing to live? What is your focus?

Psalm 96 http://www.biblegateway.com

¹ Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
² Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
³ Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

⁴ For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

⁷ Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
⁸ Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come into his courts.
⁹ Worship the Lord in the splendor of his^[a] holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth.
¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
    The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
¹² Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
¹³ Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

 

All I need is You - Hillsong United - Live in Miami - with subtitles/lyrics

 

 

hurts like hell

It's such a common saying that is used, but do we really have any idea what he'll would hurt like. The picture the Bible paints is one of utter and eternal torture, not exactly the kind one might experience when stubbing a toe, accidentally hitting a finger with a hammer and so on.

The bible says hell is like.....
Revelation 14:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
Revelation 19:20

New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Revelation 20:14-15

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

 

Perhaps we should have a healthier respect for it and referrer acne it accordingly.

Mid year report card

It's past mid year now and perhaps time to take stock and conduct a self report card. Perhaps you are one who sets goals at New Years or you have life goals that you tweak annually. How are you doing with your goals at the mid year point?

Many of us have career, home, cottage and mortgage pay down type goals that we prioritise and keep tabs on. They are good to review periodically.

The report card I am speaking of though is on more relational type things such as:

Relationship with spouse
- Do I treat my spouse with respect (or some level of contempt)
- Do I trust her or him
- Do we communicate well
- Is their depth to our communication or is it surface level only
- Do we go on dates
-  How much time do I spend with her or him, is it quality time or left over time?
- Do I treat my partner as though they are important, more so then TV or sports or anything but God

Treatment of kids
- Do I set a good example for them
- Do I respect them
- Do I trust them
-  How much time do I spend with them, is it quality time or left over time?

Relationship with God
- Have I grown in my relationship with God and how?
-  Do I communicate with him more and better?
-  How much time do I spend with him, is it quality time or left over time?
- Do I trust him more?
- Am I more sensitive to the Holy Spirits leading?
- How do we as a couple grade on the above?

How am I doing in these areas? How are you doing? Are we trending in the right direction? Who is leading you in these areas of self improvement, you or your God?

I Surrender - Hillsong Live (Cornerstone New 2012 DVD Album) Lyrics

God sure did create a beautiful world

We have been fortunate to travel some, most recently to eastern USA and Canada.

We thoroughly  enjoyed beautiful Kingston located by the water and our tour of the old fort there with family. Then we drove through Montreal and the lower part of Quebec and stopped in Eustis Maine. The south east part of Quebec and the state of Maine are filled with beautiful landscape including mountains and lakes. The campsite we stayed at was called Cathedral Pines. The back drop was a mountain at the foot of which was the lake and the campsite. We enjoyed Kayaking there. We then trekked through Maine to Saint John, New Brunswick, our 3rd stop. This campsite was somewhat disappointing as it was basically like parking in a parking lot. We enjoyed Saint John, the zoo there, the market square by the harbour, shopping and the museum. A low light there was the reversing falls, which basically consists of 2 rivers fighting for control. They neutralise when the tide is up, which was when we arrived there in a down pour. Whippy, big deal, it was somewhat like watching a toilet flush. It actually is amazing if you watch the video clips, but to see the whole thing and the changes that take place while the tides change takes 6 hours. None of us had that kind of patience. While in Saint john we also toured St Martin (the caves), which is something to behold while the tide changes and we enjoyed the beautiful sites along the Fundy trail. Gorgeous hiking spots there!! We then went to stay with friends in NS. This was the highlight of our trip. On the way there we stopped at Magnetic Hill in Moncton NB. Another whippy tourist trap. Its an optical allusion that costs 5 bucks to see. You put the car in neutral at what looks like the bottom of a hill and are pulled uphill.....well actually you coast downhill...it just looks like uphill. They allow you to repeat this as much as desired. Once was enough for us. While in NS we thoroughly enjoyed fellowship with our friends, mini biking, 4 wheeling in the mud while the tide was out, milking cows the old fashioned way, beautiful Halifax, the gorgeous country side near Wolfville NS, mudding while the tide was out and the beach. Mudding was a blast. You basically body surf in the mud like you would slide down a snow hill. The beach too was great fun. The kids enjoyed building dyke's and then seeing if they would hold up against the incoming tide. From there we then went to our 5th stop, Baddeck NS. It's another gorgeous area with mountains and lakes. We toured the Alexander Bell Museum on a rainy day, spent time in the water side town of Badeck and spent a day on the amazing Cabbot trail. This runs along the coast which you can imagine provides quite the views. From there we ferried across to PEI. In Charlottetown we enjoyed the much hyped Cows ice cream, which lived up to the hype. We camped in Cavendish, a gorgeous area on the coast, toured the Anne of Green Gables home area, had fun in a water park and spent a day on the beach and in the sand dunes. We then crossed what seemed like the longest bridge ever into NB and stopped at the beautiful Hopewell Rocks. This is really something to experience while the tide changes. It's just stunningly beautiful there. There are many places to hike and if adventurous you can kayak along the coast. We then stopped at Fundy National Park another area with amazing sites and hiking trails. There the kids enjoyed swimming in a salt water pool overlooking the Fundy Bay. I had lobster there too while my family sat there with plugged noses and squeamish bellies. They don't like sea food. We then travelled back through Maine, enjoyed one night of camping there and then stopped near Grandby, Quebec where we enjoyed the Grandby zoo/waterpark. Our next stop after the longest drive of our trip was home and as much as we enjoyed this great trip, home is a special place to be again.

God created a beautiful world for us to enjoy.

When we look at the awesomeness of creation and know that heaven will be better, it's just simply awesome that by choice we can realise it.