A couple of years ago 65 leaders from Southern Ontario attended our first annual Nfluence conference at West Park Church, London. It was a great time to learn from three seasoned pastors, Dr. Dom Ruso, Steve Adams, and myself. In one session Dom explained how to empower the next generation. One insight he shared that particularly struck me was this.
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32 (ESV)
In 1972, inspired by his military service, Jim Croce wrote and recorded the song “Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels).” According to his widow, Ingrid, while at training, Croce felt disconnected from the things and people that he loved. He routinely saw lines of soldiers waiting to use the telephone, many calling about Dear John letters received. Because they did not always have telephone numbers or numbers had been changed, they relied on the help of the telephone operator to be connected.
What was your first reaction when you read the first word? Maybe you just cringed. Maybe you thought I don’t have enough of it. Maybe you thought that time was getting away from you as your kids, grandkids and others grow taller, older, smarter.
Springtime in the southern United States kicks off planting season. The ground is plowed, seeds are sown and watered, and then we wait.
“Say what?” “Can you hear me now?” These familiar jingles have been used in popular commercials to get our attention. The catch phrases invite us to listen in. Hearing is what we do in response to an audible voice, startling noise or soothing music. According to Google, ‘to hear means to perceive with the ear the sound made by someone or something.
At this point in Lent, as we find ourselves on the threshold of Easter coming quickly, it’s a good time to consider the challenge of letting go. It could be any number of things:
Whatever the circumstances, letting go is nearly always a challenge.
“I can’t find a bowl. I wonder where she keeps them?”
We were enjoying the generosity of one of our members who had insisted we take their private cabin for the weekend. An unfamiliar kitchen had me searching for utensils and bowls to prepare our dinner. And then I opened a cupboard to the sight of stacks of empty margarine containers and bags of used twist ties.
Curveballs in life are inevitable. Unexpected surprises can level us or become opportunities to learn. The curveball thrown to Joseph when Mary told him about her “surprise” pregnancy certainly caught Joseph off guard, quite a curveball. But the story in Matthew 1 gives us 5 insights on how to respond when life throws you a curveball.
Okay folks, it’s Lent, not lint. Most of us have noticed the ‘Lent buzz’ has begun. And Lent is not what you clean from your drier vent. Lent is talked about in the news, there are multiple Facebook suggestions, even social media solutions are offered. First, let’s define what Lent is. Biblegateway.com offers this definition for Lent:
