Huge Learning Curve

Being able to create and manipulate my very own website with styles and content unique to me has been an interest of mine for some time. So, now I own a space on the web and am using Wordpress to do the management and edit the content. I also purchased something called Elementor to boost the abilities of my site to be friendly across platforms such as tablets, phones, and computers. But no matter how loudly all of these helps proclaim themselves as easy to use, I am finding that there is no easy about it.

Please pray for me. Pray that my mind will be clear and able to hang onto little tidbits of information that would help me. Pray that I will understand what I am doing. The frustration is palpable for me when I am confronted with a challenge that I have no clue how to handle.

And if you do pray, Thank You!

Friday Night Reflections

In just a few minutes Carolyn will arrive home from work at the hospital and I just finished watching a movie about injustice and prejudice. The injustice that many suffer or have suffered in this world is beyond comprehension. Comprehending how badly we can treat each other is and has always been very difficult for me. My life has been a blessed one. I was raised in a loving home and married a loving wife. It has been my privilege to minister to two different congregations of people who also loved me and blessed me in many ways.

For these blessings I am truly thankful tonight. In the midst of the confusion and perplexities of our current pandemic crisis, I find myself rejoicing and thanking God for the fact that, for me, the "boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places" to quote the Psalmist, David. There are 10 of us living here in our home during this time of isolation. We are not feeling very lonely and when I interact with my grandchildren who live with me, I am moved to even greater depths of gratitude. You see, they too are being raised in an environment of love and faith. Their hearts are being shaped in love and peace.

If you are not enjoying peace and love in this season, please start or dig deeper into your own journey with Christ. He will lead you into depths of riches that money cannot buy and manipulation cannot gain for you. Time to hug my wife and crawl under the covers. Good Friday night all!

Early Sunday Morning

Woke up at about 530 this morning and felt restless enough that I showered, dressed, and headed to the livingroom so Carolyn could keep sleeping peacefully. Now that I am not preaching every Sunday, I don't have to get up early but my body and brain still think I need to get up and get going. For years, I rose at 4am every Sunday in order to head out to a good breakfast joint for bacon and eggs, toast and coffee, and some final sermonizing. After eating and meditating at the restaurant for a couple of hours I would head to the office and continue preparations for the morning message.

I really enjoyed preaching and still do when I have the opportunity every 4 or 5 weeks. Last week I spoke to our fellowship over facebook. It is very different speaking to your iPad screen where the only person looking back at you is you. There is a temptation to narcissism - gazing at your own face for 40 or 50 minutes.

Here I am, early on a Sunday morning with nowhere to go and nothing I have to do. So you get to be my audience. And I really have little to say except that I am very grateful to have the family and friends that are part of my life. Some of you I have known since childhood. Memories of long summer days on the beach at Beulah, or rather in the water, bring back some great memories of those friendships forged in the heat of summer and the heart of The Reformed Baptist Alliance of Canada. Then, the Bethany days where Carolyn and I got friendly enough that marriage seemed like a good idea. And that was almost 44 years ago now. Our 12 years spent at Faith and Hope Wesleyan Churches on the South Shore of Nova Scotia were full of wonderful, rich relationships that still warm my heart. Just this morning I had a Messenger text from one of you. And now, after almost 32 years here in Grand Bay-Westfield, I am completely blown away by the wide range of friends that have become a part of my life.

These friendships are everything. You are such an integral part of my life. Covid-19 has cut us off temporarily from face to face meetings and I can hardly wait for this to be over. Not sure what it will be like the first time I get to hug someone or just sit across a table from them over  cup of coffee. So, here is my Early Sunday Morning prayer...

"Father, thank you for the many friends I have been privileged to know over the course of my lifetime. Keep them safe and well during this pandemic. Grant us warm-hearted reunions when it is appropriate again. Help us to know how to love well during this time. Keep us from fear and anxiety. Thank you for Your Promises to provide for us and care for us. Help us to be strong in our faith in You. And draw us nearer to Your Heart so that we do not become consumed with stuff that does not really matter. Deepen our love for You and for each other. In Jesus's Name I pray. Amen!"

Fresh Start

Today, I am attempting to reignite my own passion for blogging and renew your interest in my blogspace. The forced isolation caused by covid-19 means I have a bit more time on my hands than usual. Yesterday, I got a lot done on my new personal webspace and am quite excited about learning more about WordPress and web design. It has been several years since I posted anything on this blog so here I go again. May the peace and comfort of Jesus bless your heart and mind during this time of incredible social upheaval and change. We have no idea where this event is going to lead us but we should look forward with faith and hope.

Let me offer a prayer for you.... "Father, bless and help your people all over the world today. Reveal to them the incredible depths of your love and grace. Help them to claim the promises you have made to us about taking care of our daily needs when we put you and your kingdom first in our lives. As you bless us, enable us to be a blessing to our world. Show us how to help and to be a part of the solutions to covid-19 with all of its challenges. I ask this in Jesus's Name. Amen!"

If you surfed in to my blog from my homepage, you can return there by clicking HERE.