Yer Wife

Three men were sitting together bragging about how they had given their new wives duties at home.

The first man had married a woman from England and had told her that she was going to do the dishes and house cleaning. It took a couple of days, but on the third day, he came home to a clean house and the dishes washed and put away.

The second man had married a woman from Scotland. He had given his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, the dishes and the cooking. The first day he didn’t see any results, but the next day he saw it was better. By the third day, he saw his house was clean, the dishes were done, and food was on the table.

The third man had married a fine Irish lass. He told her that her duties were to keep the house clean, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed and hot meals on the table for every meal. He said the first day he didn’t see anything, the second day he didn’t see anything, but by the third day some of the swelling had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye; Just enough to fix himself a bite to eat and load the dishwasher.

Birthdays

Philly, my youngest son was 21 yesterday and true to family tradition we had a suprise party only this time we really got him. We all went over to his house, hid our cars, hid in the kitchen and waited on him coming home from work.
Being a preacher my kids have always said I could get a sermon out of anything and last night really made me think of how God can suprise us. it dosn't matter how careful we are or how cute we feel we may be God is God and He is in control.
Sometimes we can feel we are in control or that we are the masters and captains of our lives and then...suprise God shows up and takes our lives down an avenue we never expected.
Makes me kind of humble to think I'm not that big when it comes to the measuring rod of God.
Keep it simple folks, a day, an hour, a minute, a second can change everything.

Husbands

I came upon this poem recently that really moved me and I thought I’d share part of it with you. It was written over 100 years ago by Eller Wheeler Wilcox about a woman who has had an affair. The poem is an explanation to her husband, though not an excuse, of why she was unfaithful.

Each day
Our lives that had been one life at the start,
Farther and farther seemed to drift apart.
Dead was the old romance of man and maid.
Your talk was all of politics and trade.
Your work, your club, the mad pursuit of gold
Absorbed your thoughts. Your duty kiss felt cold
Upon my lips. Life lost its zest, its thrill
Until
One fateful day when earth seemed very dull
It suddenly grew bright and beautiful.
I spoke a little, and he listened much;
There was attention in his eyes, and such
A note of comradeship in his low tone
I felt no more alone.
There was a kindly interest in his air;
He spoke about the way I dressed my hair.
And praised the gown I wore.
It seemed a thousand, thousand years and more,
Since I had been so noticed. Had mine ear
Been used to compliments year after year,
If I had heard you speak
As this man spoke, I had not been so weak.

1 Peter 3:7b …treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

WHY?

Two years yesterday from Jill died, my four kids and I went to the grave with some beautiful flowers and then went out for a meal together. We laughed and cried but the thing that I found strange was all the changes in those two years. Lisa and Debbie are both married, I have a new grandson called Charlie eight weeks old not to mention Ben and Maddie so much bigger.
After Charlie was born I had the amazing privilage of bringing Ben to school most mornings for six weeks. Listening to his potrayal of life each morning was so interesting, his key word at the moment being WHY?
You know even Jesus ask WHY? On the cross He said My God WHY have you forsaken me?
Life is a strange thing full of many WHY'S?

Coffee with a Friend

I read a story lately of a college professor who took a pitcher and in front of his class placed in it a few big rocks till the pitcher was full. He asked his students if the pitcher was full to which they said yes. Then he proceeded to put in some gravel which flowed down through the big rocks and inquired again if it was full now, they thought it was. Then he put in some sand which filtered its way through the gravel which really filled the pitcher and the students where sure it was full but he quickly lifted two cups of coffee and poured them through the sand, the gravel and the rocks. He asked his audience what this meant. One enthusiastic student replied, “No matter how full your schedule is there is still room to squeeze more in”. Quite a modern day answer but not the right one all the same.
The real moral of the story is that if you don’t put the big rocks in first there will be no room to put them in at all. What are the big rocks in your life, the main priorities like spending time with God, your spouse, your kids, these are BIG rocks or have you filled your life with so much stuff that you can’t fit them in right now.
Maybe you need to re-juggle your schedule a little, change a few priorities and allow God to sort out your programme because we can become so consumed on the sand and gravel aspects of life that we miss out on the big rocks. And in case you where wondering where the two cups of coffee fit, you should never be too busy that you can’t have a coffee with a friend.

Rebuild

I was watching discovery channel the other night all about storms and hurricanes. Video footage showed a town in South America before, during and after the storm.
The before showed a peaceful little town, unassuming, non deserving of it’s now nigh doom.
The during, showed trees snap like tooth picks being plucked out of the earth and fly skyward. Whole rooftops were flying around, cars tumbled like toys and houses tumbled and fell. Total destruction hit that little town and it fell like a deck of cards.
The morning after the storm the camera crew walked through the devastation, it was a beautiful morning, sun shining and stillness in the air almost unnerving. As they commented on the total destruction I picked up an observation. The foundations of all the destroyed buildings weren’t damaged and so a rebuild was put in place and now that little town stands brighter and better and stronger than ever before.
Now being a preacher I was sitting in tears thinking of the storms of life and how they sweep through our lives bringing destruction and change BUT if our foundations are good we can rebuild. For any building the foundation is critical. It must be deep and strong enough to withstand the weight of the building and other stresses.
Lives are like buildings, and the quality of each ones foundation will determine the quality of the whole. Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you”.
God is always true to His Word and if you seek Him before all else your foundation will be strong then when the storm hits that which is above the ground may take damage but the foundation remains intact, ready for the rebuild.

Too Busy!!!

As you got up this morning, I watched you, and hoped you would talk to me, even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for something good that happened in your life yesterday. But I noticed you were too busy.
When you ran around the house getting ready, I knew there would be but a few minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were to busy. I thought you wanted to talk to me but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip instead. I watched patiently all day long. With all your activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me.
I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me. That's okay. There is still more time left, and I hope that you will talk to me yet.
You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do, you turned on the TV. I don't know if you like TV or not, you spend a lot of time each day in front of it not thinking about anything. I waited patiently again as you watched the TV and ate your meal, but again you didn't talk to me.
Bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That's okay because you may not realize that I am always there for you. I've got patience, more than you will ever know .... I even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well.
I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayer or thought, or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation.
Well, you are getting up once again. Once again I will wait, with nothing but love for you. Hoping that today you will give me some time. Have a good day!
Your friend, GOD…………………………..

Prefer others

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package."What food might this contain?" the mouse wondered.He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning."There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"The pig sympathised, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap ... alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house ... like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbours came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral; the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember ... when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

Stuck in a Rut!

Heres a little encourager from Rick Warren.
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut…same place…same thing…same responsibility. But settling into a rut can be dangerous. Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. There are 3 common motivators to get you moving.
· Pain – motivates us to change. Often it’s not “seeing the light” that gets us going, but “feeling the heat”. You delay the dentist appointment until the pain is unbearable.
· Pressure – When the doctor says “loose weight or die,” or the boss says “Improve performance of get fired”. The problem with pressure as a motivator is it doesn’t last. When the pressure subsides so does the motivation. There is a better motivator.
· Perspective – when you see the big picture, or when you are inspired by a challenging vision or purpose. You realize you are wasting your potential.
The bible says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done”. Ecclesiastes 11:4 Living Bible.
Here are four steps for breaking out of a rut. A,B,C,D.
1. Assume responsibility for your own life. Refuse to be either an Excuser (rationalize failure) or an Accuser (blame others). Instead be a CHOOSER and choose to break out of the rut you’re in.
2. Believe you can change! Stop saying “I can’t” say “I can”.
3. Clarify what you really want. Write down specifically how you’d like to change.
4. Don’t wait for ideal circumstances. Stop saying, “when things settle down…” Do it now! “One of these days” is really NONE of these days.

Guidance

I’ve been thinking a little about the guidance of God of late and how He works in my own life. In Acts 16 the great Apostle Paul was prevented from going to Asia and as I studied this I began to realize that God works in our lives by not only opening doors but by closing doors. I suppose one could call this guidance by prevention. It is good to know what God allows for us but also imperative for us to know what He does not allow. Usually the latter of the two is the hardest because it is usually something we really want to do and when God says NO the real measure of spirituality comes out. I have often said to our leaders that you will always know the measure of a person more by seeing their reaction after been told not to do something as regards doing what we ask them. What God prevents, denies and keeps away from us is as much divine guidance as what He permits and opens up to us. Every opportunity you didn’t get and every call that didn’t come was as much God’s guidance as those that did.
When my wee grandkids come to our house we guide them as much by prevention, the stairs get blocked off and the bins are jammed in the ally at the back to prevent them going to the road. This is a perfect example of the guidance of God; every road that is blocked is just to deflect us back to what is permitted. The only time Ben or Maddie doesn’t like this arrangement is when someone else steps over the blockage. The same goes for us when we see someone do what God will not let us do. Remember God is not doing the same things in any two lives…and God knows what He’s doing.

Busy busy

Run run, hurry up, don’t stop, can’t wait on you, must keep going, we will talk later, must catch up with you sometime, but we never do. Any of these phrases familiar to you or maybe all of them are.
Life is so hectic today and it seems to pass by so quickly, like 1000 miles an hour.
Just after I got married we lived out in the country, each summer evening the neighbours used to gather and sit on the wall across from the front of our home and talk and laugh together for what seemed like hours. I was busy then to, a young married man with my own business, but those times where precious. I have stood at many bedsides of people who are at the end of life’s journey, I have never heard anyone say, “I didn’t spend enough time at work” or “I spent too much time at home with people that love me”.
Isn’t it funny that the things we love doing best are often the things we do least? The people whose company we enjoy most off are usually the ones we are quickest to let down.
Pastoring can be a busy life style and one can soon get disconnected from their family, so some time ago I decided to take Fridays off. Boy have I had to fight for that day. Offers to preach, to visit, some people have said “but this is vitally important, a one of” to which I have had to constantly remind myself that my family is important and time out is essential.
Ask yourself this question, what organisation would close or what part of your circle of influence would cease to exist if you where to die or to simply move on? Let’s not kid ourselves, life would just continue, so get in touch with that old friend, take some time out and smell the roses along the way.

Sayings

Here are four little sayings all to do with your expertise in handling people. Maybe we could call it a little test on your people skills.
Many people today are good at winning arguments and loosing friends, never allowing their heart to take control in a communicating situation. Here’s some advise…
1. To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.
We often like people to think we are very clever with a multiplicity of words that are meaningless. Because…
2. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Don’t ever think you can make yourself big by making someone else small. People see through that kind of thing. Become a great person and start thinking of ideas to make other people great.
3. Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.
If you have blown all of the first three then take heart in this fourth one. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, go on make a difference to your world and to others. God has given you a wonderful gift to make a difference, it’s called TODAY.
4. Yesterday is past.... it's history;
Tomorrow is future.... it's a mystery;
Today is present.... it's a gift.

Suffering

I’ve been reading through Job again and thinking a lot about the principals I could learn from this in-depth book on suffering. I think one of the major lessons is for those who offer easy answers for why we suffer.
Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar came to visit Job and when they saw his plight they didn’t know what to say but then one by one suggested Job’s own sin to be the cause and that he should confess it to God. It’s true that sin can lead to heartache and pain and often wrong choices can bring much misery but have you ever noticed that some people seem to fly in the face of God and live pretty much easy lives while some God fearing person seems to live a life of heartache with more than their share of misery. Such was the case of Job, if there was ever an innocent and faithful person it was him.
How did he handle his misery? Well for one he didn’t listen to the advice of his silly so called friends but instead he went after God with fervency.
Now if you think that God gave Job a reason for his suffering then you have found something in the book that I can’t find. God give him something better than an answer, He gave him Hope.
I have concluded in my journey through Job again that we cannot question God’s justice and fairness, God is the standard of justice and whatever he does is fair-even if we don’t understand. Like Job we need to trust God and remain faithful to Him, knowing that He see’s the big picture. I learn therefore from this book that the worst thing you can do to someone in distress is to offer advice. The best thing you can do is to listen and encourage.

LIFE

Life is a powerful thing, last night my wee daughter give birth to her third child, a boy. I held him just an hour after he was born and marvelled at his perfect wee frame, fingers, toes and...lungs. Psalm 139:14 says 'we are fearfully and wonderfully made', the same Psalm reminds us that God knew us when we were being formed in the dark of the womb.
On the same thought I stood at Jill's grave yesterday then at my Dad's and I thought of how life comes and it goes. The cycle of life turns on and we forget so easy that life is relativly short and that Eternity is amazingly long, thats why finding our purpose is so vital.
My wee grandson has a divine destiny and purpose, a reason for being born...so have we all...