Day 257 My Eve

In the beginning of time God created a companion for man called Eve. In his great wisdom he knew that Adam could not make it on his own. And despite the fact that woman was made from man, we are very different entities. God had a purpose behind making the two different and giving us separate talents, strengths and weakness, which compliment each other. I would like to be able to rattle all the different traits to you, but much like most of God's creation and ideas, something’s I just can't grasp. His thoughts are way too high for me and just how a man and woman can be together without knocking each other over the head is amazing.

Our capacity for Love is definitely stretched and exercised on a daily basis; the grace, which is shown in a marriage, is phenomenal. There are sometimes when I just shake my head and wonder how my wife can live with me. Our second anniversary is coming up and I am looking forward to taking a break with her, she is my best friend. And just like it states in the Bible, I believe that we love each other as, "no greater love is there then a man lay down his life for a friend." The security that comes with this knowledge helps to build a stable life foundation and is second only to the relationship that I have with my God.

My favourite part of each day is the morning when I kiss her goodbye while she sleeps. And despite the fact that I am leaving her to go to work, I rest assured in the knowledge that she loves me for who I am, with all of my flaws. Just like I am sure Adam felt when he first met Eve, I too look upon Merna and know that God fashioned her for me and for that I am truly grateful.

Day 256 Reflection of the Past

As I mentioned in my last blog, I am now focused on expression my thankfulness in tangible ways that will impact others. Tuesday is one of the nights that I serve with the Community Connections Ministry, and this particular evening I decided that I would do more than usual. There are a couple of brothers on my route that remind me of myself and my brother David when we were growing up. Just like us, their father is no longer living with them and their mother is struggling to make ends meet. Now having been in that exact same position, I can empathize with the older brother who tries his best to take care for the younger one, when Mom needs to work. He has been filling in for a father figure and is growing up to quickly and shouldering responsibilities to early.

So I decided to try and bring some fun back into their home. Just like when I was a kid we didn't have many toys, I figured they might have a need that I could fill. Guess what I was right, Luke the older boy was very grateful when I handed him my Playstation with all the games. He told me that it was very appreciated; to which I responded it was my immense pleasure. Sometimes it is the little things in life that bring the biggest pleasures, and I am thankful that God has blessed me and my family so much that I am now in a position to give to others.

Day 255 Do I know what it means to be thankful?

If you are an avid reader of my blog, you will know that I haven’t written anything since last Thursday. That is the day that one of my friends told me they had cancer and very little time to live. I haven’t written anything since; because I was in a state of shock and not because I have nothing to be thankful for.

News like this in general is never what I would consider good, but to hear it about a person that you care deeply for and work with and have known for sometime makes the wound that much deeper. Some people might even question the justice or existence of God upon the receiving of this news, but for me it inspired a soul-searching question. Am I really thankful?

I mean, just because I choose to remember a few items everyday and write them on a wall for all to see, does that make me thankful? If life is so fragile and a person of noble character and regular selflessness can have news of this sort confront them out of the blue, what hope is there for me? Why didn’t the news land the opposite way, and if it had how am I prepared to handle it? In some ways I feel a little a bit guilty because I know that I can do better with my life.

My intention with the blog was to be a catalyst for change, a constant reminder to focus on the good in my life and blessings and not dwell on the bad. Perhaps I was a little hasty and foolish with this exercise. For change cannot occur alone by simply marking down good things that happened to you, for change to occur action is required.

This news has made it evident that both good and bad things can and do have an impact on our daily lives. But the question is, will it be positive or negative? How am I creating things in my world that improve it or people's lives? It is simply not enough to write of things to be thankful, I must show it and reflect those things into others and the world around me. The Bible states that as Christians we are to show others the Glory of God through our actions. It also states that faith without works is dead. By extension, this means I need to put my gratefulness into action. For did I not receive the greatest gift of all, the gift of eternal life? And should I not show continually gratitude for it? I mean how else are we supposed to show the Glory of God?

My friend knows the Lord and so I do not fear for her or her future. I am quite sure that she is grateful for every moment on the planet; I too need to have this perspective. For only when we are faced with our mortality can we really appreciate who we are, what we have and the gift of salvation. May the Lord show us all mercy and may this revelation change me forever. My prayer is that my thanksgiving will be more than marks on a page and evident in every action from here on out. For now, I will do what I can for her and simply apply the Bibles commandment, that we love one another and exalt one another each and every day.

254 A Revelation of God's Promises from Revelations

Reviewing God's promises and reading the word Is better than filling any earthly craving.

 

Rev 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

 

Rev 2:7 ...To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

 

Rev 2:8 ...Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

 

Rev 2:11 ...He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

 

Rev 2:17 ...To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.

 

Rev 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.

 

Rev 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life...

 

Rev 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more....

 

Rev 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

 

Rev 7:16 ...And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

 

 

Day 253 Mondays

Some people hate Monday's simple because it means the start of a new work week. I am here to do the opposite, I love Mondays and my work. I am thankful that I have a job, loyal customers, a steady income, a loving and healthy family. Truly the Lords blessing are new everyday.

Day 252 Church

Sunday morning I left for Church early in order to help with the cooking and serving of soup on the Community Connections bus. We were hosting an awareness and volunteer drive after both the 9 and 11 am services.

1) Friends and Family.
2) Worship.
3) Coffee and Conversation.
4) Volunteers and Team Work.
5) Afternoon Naps.

Day 251 Up & Down

Saturday morning came early and I went to work right away. I finally had everything I needed including the two different size of ladders to complete the cleaning and re-caulking of all of the windows. All day it felt like I did nothing but go up and down, but I finally got them all cleaned and finished by Sunday and it should help our gas and hydro bill.

1) Our lovely home.
2) Neighbours who know the meaning of friendship.
3) Lunch out with my wife.
4) Long walks.
5) Beautiful fall weather.

Day 250 Chicken Soup

My wife has been feeling a little under the weather, so I roasted a Chicken and made soup for her. Nothing beats a cold like homemade chicken soup.

1) My ability to cook.
2) For our good health
3) A loving wife
4) The weekend.
5) The New season of house has finally arrived.

Day 249

Due to time constraints I have been remiss in my entries for my blog. The next couple of postings will be brief and in point form in order for me to catch up.

1) Community Connections
2) Volunteers
3) God's provisions
4) Strength
5) Good Health

Day 248 Community Connections Launch Dinner

Many of you may already know that I am involved with a group from my Church called Community Connections. It is a ministry that serves two communities near the Church and provides in partnership with the food bank groceries and hot meals once a week to roughly 200 people. Last night was our launch dinner where we got together and discussed what and how we can do better.

As part of the presentation Pastor Jeff mentioned; that we are called to be more than just a food delivery service, and Christ must be at the core of this ministry. Each one of us has the opportunity to make and impact in the community and allow God to do extraordinary things. There were a lot of fresh ideas shared and I am looking forward to implementing them. Our new Co-ordinator Penny is doing a great job at reconstructing the administrative side of the ministry and trying to streamline the whole process.

This weekend at APC's Sunday services we will be serving soup to the members in the hopes of raising awareness for the ministry and also recruiting new volunteers. I personally am hoping for the younger generation to step up and pitch in, it would be nice for the ministry to be able to relate on all age levels. I am grateful for the vision that has been shared by leadership and appreciate their support. It is good to understand the scope of the ministry and what we are trying to accomplish and make sure that everyone is on board and has the same vision. For how can we get to the destination if we don't have a road map?

So for all of those interested in helping out or learning more about the Community Connections Ministry I urge you to come visit us at the distribution bus for a cup of hot soup on Sunday. And for those who can't volunteer I ask that you lend us your prayers for the ministry, that God's will be done.

Day 247 Second Chester Le Trip

So this Tuesday the Community Connections bus seemed to hold on to it's battery charge, unlike the previous week. Once again we had the privilege to go out into the Chester Le Community and serve them with a hot meal and deliver groceries. The turn out was larger than the last and people were happy to see us. It seems as if they are getting used to me which is nice since I am one of the newest volunteers. I really enjoy getting to know them and hope that one day I will be able to share things about the Lord and what he has done for me. Right now I am simply encouraging them to come to APC and ask if they have any prayer needs. This week our new Co-ordinator; Penny,  came with us to see how things work in the field, I hope and pray that she will bring new ideas to the table which will improve our service to the people and make everyones job a little easier.

During our trip and service I had the privilege to invite someone to Resonate and hope that our smaller groups will continue to be an area of interest for the younger people.

On a side note I noticed a beautiful sky like the sunrise I witnessed the other day and made a mental note that God is there in the morning and this is a reminder that he is also there at the days end. So I say thank you Lord for being with me daily and in every place I travel, your grace and your mercy abound and for that I praise your name.

Day 246 Holiday Mondays.

This past weekend was a long one and no I don't mean that time dragged on. Monday was a holiday and we were grateful for it. Since we were running around on Saturday and over at the inlaws on Sunday it left us little time for the house hold chores. So on Monday we cleaned the entire house from top to bottom as well as caught up on the dishes and I cooked what I now call my famous ribs accompanied by roasted vegetables. It seems as if I can never make enough to satisfy our appetites. My wife and I also found time to just sit down and talk one on one which doesn't happen very often, so I enjoyed it very much.

Also Monday seemed to usher in a new weather mass and I had the opportunity to air out the house and enjoy the cool fall like breeze.

Day 245 Family Fun

Sunday was once again a family get together day with my inlaws. If there is one thing they like to do it is to cook and eat. Good thing that I love the food. It was great to reconnect with everyone before the school year starts. We also celebrated both Merna's nieces birthdays and I was also able to install a new ceiling fan for them. This was a nice change from the previous hectic week and I was glad to be able to play backgammon and talk with my extended family. Of course what would family get togethers be without the left overs that we were able to take home and enjoy.

Day 244 Internet

Truly the Internet has changed our lives in many ways, but the most significant that I have noticed is the ability to find things. The information that is available to the consumer online now is fantastic, what use to take you hours and a tank of gas is a simple click or two. Window shopping has never been easier or faster, for me my time is more valuable than the money. So when I was able to find a discontinued medical product in under a week, I was very pleased. Giving this new piece of equipment to the person in need after they had been waiting for a long time, made my day. Not only did I get the product that I needed but I also paid a great price for it. Doing things for others always brings a high level of satisfaction, but because this was such a relied on item makes it even better.

Day 243 Guys Night Out

I went out with the boys on Friday night in celebration of Lyndon's upcoming wedding. There is nothing quite like bonding over good movies and food. Although during the movie talking was at a minimum, great conversations ensued as soon as we hit the restaurant. Various topics were discussed and I was happy to connect with a few of the guys I don't normally get to speak with. Truly friendship is a commodity we need to elevate in value, spending time with those who care for you is priceless.

Day 242 Community Connections @ Baymills

It was great to serve with my Thursday Community Connections Crew for the first time this year. We were blessed with an abundance of food and it was nice to see our friends at the Bay Mills location. To open up the new season we sang Faithful One and it sounded good. It was nice to catch up and find out how everyones break went and what was happening in the community. They are having a BBQ on Saturday and we were all invited, it is a shame I will not be able to attend. I am looking forward to bringing new ideas and innovations to the table and try and encourage more interaction with the people to interface with the Church on some level.

Next week I am hoping to have prayer cards with me in order to have them fill out their requests and hopefully start remembering more of the peoples names and needs. If we are asking them to make a connection with the church we should also be prepared to do the same for them. The regulars I am familiar with but it is the quite ones I worry about and probably have deeper needs then we are aware. So readers, your prayers are asked for and needed. I am also going to once again inquire into an event calendar that I can hand out for all the levels of the APC church groups so we can interface all age levels and needs.

Once again I say thank you to God for the abundance and ask him to bless the community and ministry for his Glory. May the volunteers show a level of love for one another that breaks the bounds of normalcy and shine as a beacon to those being served. And may each of us be at the ready with an explanation of our joy and hope in Christ Jesus.

Day 241

Thankful for my wife, her understanding, love, comfort, care, thoughtfulness and grace when it comes to me.