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Sixteen of us went to Jamaica to 'visit the men who come to Canada to work on the fruit farms on the Niagara Peninsula.' WE Canadians went with ample money in our pockets, gifts for the Sunday Schools and dried food, even some Canadian juice in case juice would be hard to buy in a country full of fruit trees!!

On our 2^nd day there we traveled to three different areas, 6 people in two areas and 4 in our particular area. Even though we had been there before, we forgot how happy the less fortunate were, when we thought they should be unhappy!! After all most of the people we went to see live in small houses with one, maybe two, very tiny bed-rooms in which any where from 2 to many people live, often including up to 3 generations.  Now that's crowded!!

Then what about their food?  Surely if they only own a little farm??? about an acre in size or maybe just a few square feet of ground around their homes, they could never have enough to eat!!  But there are trees producing food in abundance all throughout the year in the bushes, on the mountains, along the road-sides.  Some of the trees produce tuber vegetables like the yam, and there's always an acki tree, or bread fruit, papaya and soursap, just to name a few, producing fruit year round.  The folk in the country may have a sparce living, but they don't go to bed hungry and they seem very happy with what they have.

But what about us?- could we be as content with the simple life?  Of course, if you have never known any different, you wouldn't be unhappy.  However sometimes I feel we do a disservice to the Caribbean workers, the people from the Third world, when we bring them to Canada where they see our abundance and our dissatisfaction with what we have - you know, keeping up with the Jones's, always wanting new things, a bigger house, a larger TV, a video camera - the list goes on for the things we think we need to make us happy.

One of our hostesses had orchids in every room including the bathroom and in every available spot out of doors.  She gets up at 5 in the morning to run, then water all her flowers. But of course that wasn't one of the shacks; that was a bungalow with three bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, etc. I helped her son (about 11 year old) learn how to write computer language so he could have his own web page.  Their children are eager to learn, most of them love to go to school. After all it's a privilege all the island children do not have and they know it.

I didn't go into their private schools, but I did see a church-sponsored public school where children sat two to a desk, with at least 40 children in the room with a pencil and a scribbler.  That was all!  to work with.  In one home I leafed thru the Primary I lesson guide for the whole year! all in one book!  It took about two pages to set out the lesson plan for the day and the week.  It's date was 1972!!  The government and the churches are trying to get some up-graded lesson materials.

And their churches!!  Old slatted, wooden pews, no hymn books 'except for the visitors!', lots of involvement -The minister will probably only preach the sermon- lots of opportunities to 'Praise the Lord' in spoken and sung word - a feeling of joy and anticipation everywhere - Is this what we feel when we come into our sanctuary?

One building in which we worshiped was inside a locketed gate in the heart of the slums.  But where these folk crying the blues about their discomfort or lack of THINGS?  No!  the children in S.S. had No curriculum - just the Bible, lots of choruses to sing and a loving, willing teacher - they don't have many crafts in school, let alone in the Sunday School, but they're happy, friendly people.  We didn't really feel like a minority, an outsider, just people who wanted to worship with them.

Are we the privileged ones?  I really wonder!  Maybe our complicated, expensive lifestyles doesn't make us happy.  Fortunately Jesus came from a simple family, with simple needs.  I think our Caribbean brothers and sisters can relate much better to the 'Jesus' of the New Testament', than we in the West.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus,  I mumble and complain about my lot in life, but I really don't have much to complain about.  If I'm in debt it's probably my own fault because I want, and want and want what the neighbours have.  Help me to accept with gratitude the simple way of life and learn to give away to the less fortunate, my excess.  Help me not to complain about my taxes, for they help me live a very easy life compared with many of my brothers and sisters in the so-called third world. Show me your face in the eyes of a happy child this day.  Thank you.  Amen

Thought for the day:
This day I will not grumble over my lot in life, but will count my blessings instead
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Prayer Meditation:
Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy Name.  Thy Kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  We join with the prayer of Jesus to acknowledge the Fatherhood of God, the sacredness that His name should be when we speak it, respecting Him who is the King with the request that His will might be done in our lives.  We acknowledge you, Lord Jesus, the Light of our World.
Amen.

Thought for my Day:
Whether we are a light of 25 watt strength or 200 watts strong, may we shine for Jesus through this day giving a smile here, a kind word there as we let Him light our way and share His light with others.:) :) :) :) :) :)  :) :) :) :) :) :)
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Everyone was waiting with bated breathe for Christmas 1999. The gifts were under the tree (early for a change!) The pies and pudding were made to share with the family on Boxing day. Then illness struck. First my husband had a sore throat and cough. Of course he wouldn't taken care of himself too well, and it went away only to return with a vengence!! Then I came too with a fever and an extremely bad headache, the Tuesday before Christmas.
Well three days later I came up from under the quilts in order to go to the doctor for some medicine, something that I find very hard to do. But, after all, Christmas was only two days away and I had to be better.

Oh yes! I pulled myself together sufficiently to take gifts and food to our daughter's home, an hours drive away; had a sleep and returned to share what little we could together of the rest of the day. Then we just slept, kept warm, watched TV (all the Christmas specials/services) and slept some more.

Our family have always had a tradition of being together, playing games, sharing some music, and eating and eating! And I haven't figured out how to get that 'Magic of Christmas' back this year. My one sister and her husband also had the flu and missed the annual event.

For some who had house fires, or were in accidents and lost family members and possession, they truly have a void in their celebrations! But we still have each other! (At least we were sick together!) Jesus birth can be celebrated any day, at any time and there will be another family get together. We just don't know when!
It's so good to remember that Jesus is the same, yesterday, to-day and forever; the angels came to the shepherds as they were about their daily (nightly) tasks. Even so angels may come to us at any time of day or night.

The inn-keeper didn't know he might miss Christmas when he said there was NO ROOM for them in his inn. But Christmas happened in his stable in spite of him just doing his job. Maybe this year we should be celebrating Epiphany, the visit of the wise men of the east, instead of dwelling on the shepherds and the angels. These men were following the star for many days and miles before they got to worship him. We only have to close our eyes and put our hearts in tune with HIM, and we can worship him, too.

Prayer Meditation:
Lord Jesus, surely we do not miss YOU, when we are ill. Sometimes we may say we are too busy; then we might miss something. But I know you are still with me inspite of missing my family. You and you alone cannot be truly missed. Only the things that we think make Christmas, may be missed. Thank you for your abiding presence inspite of my weakness. In your name, Amen

Thought for the Day:
We celebrate Jesus' birth EVERY day as we celebrate Life here and now, and Hope for the future.

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Glory of the Creator - our God

Have you checked the trees outside your home this fall?  If you are in Canada or upstate New York, to-day, there is a riot of colour rivaled only by Joseph's coat of many colours. There's the soft yellow like a lemon, the rusts, the orange, the scarlet of the maples sprinkled liberally with evergreens.  If you have never seen the trees in the autumn glory, come to Canada or the northern states and just stand in awe of our Creator's paint brush.

But the glory of the Lord is in her face just as His Glory is written on the hills. Someone has said, if you haven't Praised the Lord to-day, your day hasn't really started!   We are often reminded of just how much He has done for us when we look around us, when we see Him in the eyes of our children, when we are in awe at the actions of our 3 year old grandson.  How God must beam with pride when HE sees one of His children succeeding, when He sees people straightening out their relationships, when a lost one comes back to the fold, to church, back into fellowship with Him.

Our God is so human.  He walks with us, cries with us, shares our good times and our bad.  When we are discouraged He listens patiently; when we need comfort He is there;  when we need cheering up, He sends little things into our life to make us laugh.  For example, yesterday morning there was an ad on the local radio program.  It started with, 'how do you know when...'  e.g. How do you know when to tune a bagpipe?? well??  Much as I enjoy bagpipes, I really don't think one could tune them, could they? -but it hit my funny bone!  I immediately called my 90 year old mother who is Scottish and asked her the question.  You could her thinking  on the other end of the line and with a smile she said I don't think you can.  The ad gave me a lift and I gave Mom a lift to her day.  - just a little thing to make one smile.

Even our Saviour used the little things in life as examples in his preaching.  Some of them were quite ridiculous!  Can you see a big awkward camel trying to get through the eye of a needle?
One speaker has commented on how he messed up a good Jewish funeral by raising the dead man?
Can you see the look on the disciples face when Jesus presumed to take 5 loaves and 2 fish, prayed over it, then suggested they feed the 5000+ people with them??
No! He was not without a sense of humour.  He knows when we need that little extra something to give us a lift.
What has He done for you to-day, this week?

 
Prayer thought for this day - Lord of the flies, the grubs, the mosquitoes, the elephants, the heavy trees, the innocence of youth, help us this day to see your humour in everyday things, to see your glory in nature and the faces around us, to feel your peace in the midst of the storm.  Thank you Lord.

Thought for to-day - I will intentionally seek out the things that God is doing in my life this day.  Open my eyes, my ears, my nose, that I may see your beauty, hear your song and smell the odour of your fragrance as I go about my daily task to-day.

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Serenity -Peace in the Midst of Confusion!

I first saw her quietly reading her Bible, sitting in the midst of straw hats, caps, T-shirts and miscellaneous jewelry.  But none of this was affecting her.  She just quietly read on.  I passed her by the first time as I wandered through the Straw Market in Nassau.  However when I came upon her the second time, I had to stop and say hello.  Her graying hair was pulled back off her face and she looked so peaceful as she accepted my attention.

I told her how happy I was to see her reading her Bible.  Then I asked her about Hurricane Floyd and how it had affected the folk in the Market.  She quickly explained that they had packed up a lot of their things and took them home; some were stored there at the market.  Many people put up barricades on their windows but she hadn't.  She had asked the Lord to protect her and in her simple faith she acknowledged that protection as she came through the violent winds.  Yes, there was some damage but she knew that her Lord had been with her.

I assured her that we had prayed for her and the folk in the Bahamas as we listened to the reports of the storm.  She was most grateful, thanking me and praising God for His goodness.

Are you serene in the time of storm, in the midst of life's confusion? We people in the western and northern hemisphere have so much to be grateful for.  We've been missed by the hurricanes, the earth quakes; we don't have to worry about the tidal waves and most of use don't have to worry about nuclear pollution in our areas.  But we are seldom serene!  Work schedules, the demands of our jobs, the dead-lines we have to meet, the children God has given to us, we have to train and care for patiently!!!

What is her secret - this black lady amongst the straw?  Her well-worn Bible, her comfort in the time of storm.  What comforts you when things get tough?  Where have you placed your confidence - in man, in money, in psychic revelation, fortune telling, or in the Word of God - the scriptures?

Thought for the day:
Is my life confusing or orderly, frustrating or satisfying, stormy or serene?  I will make an effort this day to bring the Lord into EVERY situation for He is 'My Peace, in the time of storm'.

Prayer for today:
Lord, you know that I bring most of my 'lack of peace' upon myself.  Help me this day to look to you, the Prince of Peace, to bring serenity into my otherwise confusing, frustrating and stormy existence.  Thank you.  Amen

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Little Things mean a Lot!

It was a Saturday afternoon in May.  The little church had been decorated like a country garden with many trees, shrubs, flowers, wild violets and pansies.  The ladies of the church were having an 'English High Tea' complete with fine china, floating candles for table centers with the waitresses dresses in long dresses and  big hats!!  The sandwiches were very tiny, the biscuits varied and home-made as well as having home-made jams, jellies and marmalade.  You might say 'what was so special'?

Well!  This very small group of women took on the task of something very unique for their tiny congregation.

What did they get out of it?  Well!  There was a cost for those attending the tea, but there was far more.  As the people walked through the garden with its 6 ft junipers, wild blue English violets and a long row of pansies,  they expressed their wonder of seeing these things 'inside the building'! There was even an orchid with very tiny blossoms on it that had been brought by one person.  Most of the guests had never seen such a tiny fragile orchid before.

Then there was the music - bird calls, water rippling and soft love ballads being played, added to the unique atmosphere.

But why am I sharing this with you.  The next day - Sunday, the wild blue violets in hanging baskets and small containers were sent home with the women who were present.  Each one expressed their appreciation of such a little gift of God's beauty to place in their homes.  The look of wonder in their eyes was like a child.  they didn't expect to receive anything tangible after the tea was over - just tired feet and a sense of satisfaction.

What are some of the little things in life that God has given us but we take for granted?  When my 2 and 1/2 year old grandson takes my hand with his tiny hand and says, 'Come Grandma', my heart is strangely warmed.  To-day as I was cutting the lawn and saw some tiny white flowers in the grass, they couldn't have been more than 1/8th of an inch across, I wonder why our Creator bothered to put such tiny flowers on our planet. I continually am amazed when I look into the face of a Pansy - such detail, so fragile, so beautiful, but for what purpose?

A beautiful bumble bee in all its black and yellow splendor was buzzing around one of the gardens I was working on.  I could hear the song of a warbler keeping me company as I worked in the yard.

Have you taken time recently to 'smell the roses', observe the tiny things around you or listened to the message of the birds as they sing?  These are the things that keep our sanity -

My Dad used to say, that no child should have to grow up without a small living animal to take care of, a living, breathing 'it', that would love them unconditionally.  My adult daughter is living on her own, and she has two guinea pigs to keep her company - just living creatures who depend on her but also, who talk to her, move around in her room so she knows she isn't alone!

Galatians 5:9 says "A LITTLE yeast leavens the whole lump." If you have ever made bread, a tablespoon of yeast can make 10 loaves of bread!. Put fifty little blue violets together and you have a carpet of colour.  Saying 'thank you', is a small thing, but will warm the heart of the receiver.  Telling someone they are loved, they look good, they smell good, etc. can make someone's day.  Try it.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes I feel so small, but you have give me such a good feeling of self-worth.  You have even said that you so loved me that you gave me your only Son, that as I believe in Him, I shall have Eternal life.  Thank you for thinking of me at Calvary.

Meditation:  To-day I will say a kind word, look at a flower and wonder at its creator.  I will notice the little things of life.

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I could go on writing a book on this topic of purpose but here's a wee story to illustrate: A little cricket went out into the big world to find out just why he was created (for even crickets have a purpose). While he was exploring he would practice making his 'Crick, crick' sound. In the late fall, or could be early summer, in Canada or in Jamaica, the crickets were singing in chorus. Some said they were making a terrible noise. Others hear it as music. For those who needed a lullaby to help them sleep, the cricket's song was soothing. Late one night as 'little cricket' was getting tired himself, he realized that just maybe this was the PURPOSE for existing that his Creator had given him.

Have you found your purpose in Life? Do you know why the Creator has allowed you to be in the place where you are to-day? Why the troubles that surround you have been allowed to happen? Nothing takes place without a PURPOSE. Our job is to open our eyes, our ears, our minds, to try to understand the PURPOSE of what is taking place in our lives. When we can see the PURPOSE, then the answers become more obvious.
 
 

Prayer Thought:
Father God! You have created hundreds of different coloured butterflies, Why? You have created humans with different coloured skins, Why? You have put me into a place of 'change in my life'. Why? What is Your Divine Purpose for me to-day? Amen

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