Faith Through It

Hey there!

Ya, YOU!

I hope you are well, but I think we are all a little bit jumpy these days.

This pandemic thing has us all doing crazy thinks like staying apart and wearing a mask.

I was reminded about another time in history where a region was thrown into a situation that demanded them to give up some of their conveniences and disrupted daily life and business.

It was Christmas!

In the bible, there was a time when Herod asked the whole nation of Israel to undergo a census. You were required to travel to the town of your birth and be registered. There was no door to door census takers, you had to get up and go with your whole family, no questions asked.

For a young carpenter named Joseph, this was quite a concern because he had to shut down the business and load up his pregnant wife and WALK to Bethlehem! There was no government travel subsidy available, no pre-natal support system, and no guarantee of a hotel room when they got there.

They had to do what the government said.

Period.

It was disruptive, inconvenient, and costly. Sound familiar?

But here's the thing, these were the very circumstances where the Saviour of the world showed up!

Jesus appeared in the middle of this disruptive time!

Conditions were less than ideal, people were grumpy and rude and nobody was happy with the course of events, BUT, God came into human form to bring salvation to us all!

Maybe you are feeling like that. Grumpy about having to wear a mask, stay 6 feet apart, stay home from work and juggle finances in order to get by,

Remember, you're not alone. Jesus can be born in the middle of all of it!

Endurance

     What the heck is even going on? We are living in a time of global pandemic! Not what I thought the future would look like when I was a young lad at D.A Gordon Public school in Wallaceburg, Ontario. I used to think ahead to the year 2000 and wonder what it would be like to be 34 years old! Would I be married? Would I have kids? I never thought I would ask about the possibility of a virus locking in us in our homes while we stare at our wafer-thin screens, watching an entire season of a TV show in one day! Bizzare!
     When news of the pandemic first began to break, I went through a brief season of anxiety. I was unsure of the future, like all of us. I wondered about how a charitable organization like listener-supported Christian radio would survive when the world was being told to stay home. With no one working, would donations stop? Would I need to be a DJ from my man-cave tucked in the suburbs of Barrie? Am I going to catch the virus and suffer the effects of trying to breathe while my lungs are attacked? IT was all very hard to go through, but things have evened out into a sort of "normal". The listeners to LIFE responded amazingly! We were shown that they value what we have to offer and want to make sure it's there during a quarantine situation. They said that staying at home would be better with us on the air! That really encouraged us to keep doing what we do. We will endure, in spite of everything going on.
     It got me thinking about "endurance". What is that? Is it like the old Timex watch ad that said: "...takes a licking and keeps on ticking"?  I went to the bible for an example. I remembered Jesus in the garden. He was thinking about what was about to happen to him. He knew the plan, he knew the crucifixion was imminent. He was stressed. He prayed. He knew he would have to go through it, but did not want to. It was coming and he asked God to change the plan if possible, but deep down he knew that there was no going back. He prayed for the strength to endure.
We may feel the same way about this pandemic. We don't want to go through it, but we have to. If you are praying, pray for strength to endure, like Jesus.

It's a New Day!

I remember the moment I prayed to really tell God that I was ready to believe in Him and that Jesus was the Saviour of the world.

I was alone at home in Wallaceburg, Ontario. I was watching the 700 Club on television in the living room of our home on Queen Street.

The show was almost over and the host was explaining the Gospel. He invited anyone watching to join him in a prayer to become a believer. I prayed along with him and that was it. From that moment on I called myself a Christian. Not just a Christian, a born again Christian!

Months and years of thoughtful consideration went into that one decision. It wasn't made hastily or carelessly. I did not know much about the bible or have many Christian friends, but I did have a newfound faith that was hungry to learn more!

I was shy to talk about what was going on inside me and I don't think my family understood what was happening. It caused a bit of a stir and I did not know how to navigate the new dynamic. I did not have the words to be able to explain myself and was short on communication skills.

Even though the path may have had a rocky start, I have never regretted making that decision.

God has been faithful to help me grow my faith and share as much as I am able.

Do you remember the day you said: "I believe"?

How has the journey been?

What Just Happened?

Did you pray today? Did you get an answer?
Did you work out? Did you hit your ideal weight right after?
Did you smile at a stranger? Did they become your best friend?
Did you put in a hard day's work? Did you get recommended for a raise?
Did you encourage someone going through a hard time? Did their problems go away?
Did you put away $10 in a savings account? Did the interest compound enough for you to retire comfortably tomorrow morning?

The answer to all of these questions is probably NO!

None of the good things you may do today will yield the result you are looking for TODAY.

It won't even guarantee a result tomorrow.

I can tell you this...

NOT doing any of those things on a daily basis makes the chances of those things happening precisely ZERO!

Just like planting a seed and expecting a prized rosebush in a few hours is unrealistic, so is the idea that you can do any of the activities I listed above and expect results right away is equally unrealistic.

But, NOT doing those things and expecting results is living in a fantasy world too!

Do those things. Do good things!

Hebrews 10:36 says "Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."

You're working toward the moment when you will wonder how you got to where you are! You'll be amazed at the things that are possible! You will also encourage those who are growing a little tired of putting in the work!

Keep at it!

It's Magic! NOT!

Uri Geller

I have a small fascination with magic. It’s not what you think. I am not a wizard!  I like to do small tricks with items you can find at thrift shops or dollar stores.I like having something I can do to bring a bit of wonder to an otherwise ordinary day.  I can do the classic cups and balls trick, pick your card out of the deck and vanish a coin. Pretty basic stuff, but I have never claimed to have special powers!

In the 1970’s there was a craze about psychic phenomena. One man, in particular, captured the public's attention by claiming to be able to bend spoons and manipulate magnetic fields. His name was Uri Gellar. He was big on the talk show circuit, bending cutlery, guessing hidden drawings and starting stopped watches, and nobody it seemed questioned his seemingly genuine abilities. That is until a Canadian conjuror named James Randi wrote a book called “The Truth About Uri Geller”

James Randi

Randi is a paranormal investigator who offered a million-dollar prize to anyone who could prove they had psychic or paranormal abilities under scientific scrutiny. The money has never been claimed. In his discussion on the spoon bending illusion on an Australian television morning program, Randi said something interesting that I find applies to our lives. When asked how Gellar bent the spoon, Randi replied that he did it when you weren’t looking! 

The secret was in the misdirection. When you were looking one way, something else was happening in your blind spot and the result was mystifying to the point where you were convinced that he had supernatural powers. 

Sometimes we can consider someone to be superhuman by what they demonstrate to us, forgetting the fact that something else was going on outside our observation.

Here’s what I am driving at.

Some of us have gifts and some of us have to work at it. Those with gifts sometimes don’t know the value of those gifts and never explore the possibilities they offer.

Have you ever seen someone super fit? They have 0% body fat and can run like the wind? How did they get like that? You might see before and after pictures of people who have gone through a weight loss journey. ow did that happen? It happened between photo one and photo two. 

It happened when you weren't looking!

It seems miraculous, even super-human! But it’s not! It happened in the kitchen when they made a healthy meal, it happened in the basement by riding a stationary bike, it happened at a gym where they chose to sweat and do awkward uncomfortable things. It happened when no one was looking.

There really is no mystery to what can be achieved once the mind and will get involved.

Let’s take the example of Jesus Christ. He was born to an average family with modest means. His birth was a big deal. It made some people happy and some people angry and jealous enough to commit mass murder. Pretty intense. After the birth, Jesus and his family disappeared into Egypt for years. Let’s call this the time between photo one and photo two. Not much is known about what happened in His growing up years. It was unobserved and undocumented, living only in the memory of His parents and siblings. I am going to guess that during that time he was not wasting the majority of his time doing trivial things. I think he was raised to study the history of his people, the scriptures and the family trade. All good things that became very important to Him in later years.

The flip side of this is that if you neglect to do the important things out of the public eye, it becomes evident when the need arises. If you go to the gym and don’t put in the work, you won’t see the results at the beach! If you don’t take time to pray and think about the scriptures, things like doubt and fear will have a greater influence over you, which could lead to things like anxiety and even weight gain! What you do in secret always becomes evident in one way or another. It’s just a fact. You can’t magically wish yourself to a better life.

Today is your day to start!

What will you do in secret today that will improve your relationships? Your body? Your faith?

We’re all waiting to see!

Matthew 2:13-23, Luke 12:2, Matthew 6:6

Neil Peart and Drumming

I was very sad to hear the news on the weekend of the passing of a drumming hero of mine, Neil Peart. His passion was life and drumming!

It was in the early 80's when my friend Shawn introduced me to a band called Rush. It was the Moving Pictures album and the only comment he made was that this record has "really great drums". It did, boy did it ever. I had never heard anything like the style Neil was playing. It was intense and creative. Just when you think you had the pattern figured out, he would change it! There were odd time signatures, there were weird sounds! It was wild and I was hooked. I have been a Rush fan ever since. I even got to see a concert!

As I dove deeper into the band I began to enjoy the writing of the lyrics. Neil was a guy who would pass the time on the tour bus and backstage by reading. It caused him to be a deep thinker and a prolific writer. He wrote several books which I have read. I was impressed by his style and voice. He would write about his travels in a way that made you feel like you were on the road with him! He was a really shy guy that liked to stay out of the spotlight, yet he could not avoid it! He suffered some terrible losses in the 90's. His daughter was killed in a collision and his wife died of cancer. Wow. that's rough. I know for a fact that he was not a man who believed in organized religion, but he could write about the search for meaning in a very thoughtful way.

My hope is that we all find our passion, as he did and then give our all to it. He inspired so many people to play drums and think deeper. What will other people be inspired to do because of YOUR passion?

Redeeming The Time

Have you ever heard someone say "I wish I had the time to do the things I really want to do". I have heard it and I have said it to. Does it seem as though the life you want is just out of reach because of the multitude of commitments you have on your day? Have you wanted more time, but failed to see where you could get it? You think "Maybe if I had better time management skills, that would be the answer."

I recently heard someone say that "time management" is a myth.

He said that you cannot manage time, it ticks away, second after second and there isn't anything you can do about it. The only thing you can manage is yourself. 

In our human experience, time, such as we understand it, is a limited commodity. I am 53 years old as I write this. If I keep on living healthy and avoid doing anything risky, I will live to about my mid-eighties. Let's say 85. That means I have 32 years left. It sounds like a lot of time, right? But think about it like this. It means I have 32 summers left. I have 32 Christmas left. I have 32 Anniversaries. It puts a little more perspective on how we can best use our time, doesn't it? If I have 32 summers left, I want to be slim and trim for all of them! So, at all of my remaining Thanksgivings, I will say "No more pie for me thanks! Summer's coming!"

There is an interesting scripture in the New Testament. It's Ephesians 5:16. It says we should "redeem the time because the days are evil"

That verse and the ones around it talk about being careful about how we live because the time is short and we don't want to be careless about it. You get the sense that the Apostle Paul is encouraging us to live on purpose, and not to let this life slip away from us. It's an important message especially today when so many things that seem really important want to take our time and attention. It becomes quality over quantity.

For me, I can be distracted very easily by the internet.  Before you know what's happening, you've spent an hour catching up with the cast of H.R Puffenstuff and you forgot that you went online to check the time of a movie you want to take your wife to. It's so easy! In a flash, all the productivity that could have happened in that time is gone. Any creativity you had will have dried up! You can't get that time back, ever.

Living on purpose means, making the most of your time. Not doing more necessarily, but making the time you have meaningful and productive. If you are with people, give them your attention, your eye-contact! If you are going to do any exercise, do it with energy! If you are going on the internet, make it a worthwhile time! Contribute something instead of just creeping on other people's Facebook to see what they're up to! You have done it! I know!

Here's a bit of wisdom that may help you. Break big goals into small chunks. If we use the example of fitness, you may want to transform your body by doing some kind of activity. It does not happen in one day, so don't feel the pressure to climb the whole mountain in one workout! A little bit each day is all you need. Your time is limited so, set a small goal and hit it every day. Walk a block, stretch, ride a bike, whatever. Over time, those small deposits will add up and compound. Climb a bit of the mountain and then rest and take in the view. Redeem the time!

Jesus had a three-year ministry plan. It seems that it was to have 12 disciples, travel to a certain amount of towns, and spread the message where he could. This plan was relatively short compared to other stories in the bible.

Some of God's plans for his people seem to be contained in a span of hundreds of years. That's hard for us to grasp. We want results NOW!

I think that once we pass beyond the threshold of death and come into another reality of being, time will not have the same meaning for us as it does now. But while we are here on this wonderful planet with these amazing people we call fellow humans, let's make the most of it. Let's redeem the time!