As we head into the summer, our small group hosted a BBQ tonight. The neighbours dropped in as well. Thirteen in all.
Hamburgers were great – juicy! Jill even ate well. I had the desserts as well — they were great.
Sometimes after a fall and winter of studies it was just nice to sit around, talk and eat tonight.
Thanks for the year!
Our son is on his way to Puerto Rico.
Final flight confirmation came late last night. This morning we dropped him off at the airport at 6:40. He will wing his way through Calgary, Chicago and on to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tomorrow he starts a new contract — new responsibilities — and a new ship.
Tim, enjoy yourself, seek good friends, and most of all, seek God!
This week I’m concentrating on the second in a series on prayer.
I want to say that we talk to God because he listens, and we listen because God talks. I say, "I want to say", but the ramifications . . .
I tend to have a deaf ear for some conversations. Not that I don’t hear. I just listen with no intent of acting. Many a wife has said to their husband, "Are you listening?" They know full well they are. They are just not going to act on what is being asked.
I don’t think God is that way. When we pray we can expect God to change his mind, even as he expects us to change our minds and actions based on what he wants us to do. But how can God change his mind? I think God’s intentions are thwarted by our sinfulness. When we repent, then God has every right to head in the original direction of intention — to provide blessing. On the other hand — no repentance, no blessing.
That’s a simple answer to a complex question.
Another simple consideration — the more I consider the action of prayer, the more I return to answered prayer all around me. This tends to highlight the statement — "God is affected by our conversations with Him."
Two quick approaches! Many more approaches are needed to fully understand God and prayer. In fact, I think I will never be able to fully understand God. But, for the moment I have seen answered prayer and God’s faithfulness just keeps me trusting that He will continue to answer.
Yesterday I sat in the office and heard about a network marketing scheme. You buy into certain services — legitimate provisions for the new technical world (don’t forget, I’ve been reading a book on homesteading in the early 1900’s — so pretty much anything qualifies for the "new technical" world).
The presentation was sincere. In fact, based on enthusiasm, you would be sold right now!
My mother sold Amway years ago. OK — actually she got into Amway for their soap! Best on the market. She got a few friends involved. But nothing on the lines of making it rich! This was for the product, not the greed.
And that’s what bugs me. I worry that greed will overtake legitimate need. And I worry that living in a world filled with greed will cause suffering. Suffering for the sake of money.
Not suffering for the sake of Jesus — whom I understand is said to have had nowhere to lay his head, a robe as his most valuable possession, and no million dollar income.
Whose side would I prefer to live on?
I watch my greed quotient constantly — we all love to covet a bit! My question? How much is too much? If I follow Jesus, that greed quotient is going to have to diminish measurably!