Society Might bread laziness.

Good Morning World!

So, I think I might have figured out why we are breading a generation of lazy people.  This isn't necessarily 100% factual, but it is from my own personal experience, and therefore should have some merit.  Anyway, last weekend we went to the city for a doctor's appointment and to do some shopping.  My wife and I calculated the amount of money that we had available, and it wasn't much but it was more than usual.  So, we figured we had no worries, and while being frugal we would get what was needed, take our three oldest (who were with us) out for a nice lunch.  However, when we got to second store our account was dried up, and we had barely spent $200, which today isn't much.  So, leaving our treasures at the counter and being very frustrated we went to a bank to check out what was going on.  We had forgotten to account for our bi-weekly mortgage payment!  

I know that as a person who trusts in God and believes that all things work to together for the good of those who love God, I shouldn't have had a bad attitude, but it took a couple days and much prayer before I was even keel again!

So, with this story in mind, here is my premise:
How many times have you gone to pay for something only to find out that all your money is gone because someone has withdrawn it for you?  I know that as a parent my children do, on occasion, hear me grumbling about not having enough money.  They know that I work hard, getting up at 6am or before each morning to go to work.  Yet, for all my hard work I have very little to show for it, especially in my bank account!  Sub-consciously we are teaching our children that it doesn't pay to work hard, but rather that no matter how hard we work we will never get ahead.  Don't get me wrong I am teaching my children that working hard is good, but our grumblings and our complaints will get back to them, and the conflicting information will bother their little minds.  At the end of the day I see more and more young people entering the workforce, with little or no work ethic, and I believe this is why.

I am sure that there is more to it than this, but if we can learn to be content with what we have, and stop grumbling and complaining about our state our children would learn to do the same!

Yours for Christ,
Pastor Fred

Do you know what you will be, so you can be what you will be?

Good Morning World.

Yesterday being the Remembrance Day Holiday in Canada, we decided to clean up the yard and put in a couple cord of wood.  During this activity, Benjamin my son, was helping out by grabbing the little pieces of wood.  At one moment he said, "The wood that I will take, is the wood that I will take."  (or at least something close to that)  It really struck me as I have been studying lately on the scripture that says, "I am that I am has sent you."  Benjamin uses this phraseology all the time, and I think I understand what he is talking about.  He is very particular about the size and shape of wood that he will pick up as he is only a little guy.  So, what he means is: When I look over the stack of wood and I see a piece of wood that meets my criteria that is the piece that I will take and throw into the house.  So, to use my sons way of thinking we can say about God: I exist and am the one who exists without the help anything else, and I am the source of all things, and by me all things exist, therefore I am the ONE who exists.

Do you know what you will be or want to be?  If you do the be what you will be, and do what you will do!  Life seems to work out better when we follow through on what we are going to be and do!

Just a thought.

Yours for Christ,
Pastor Fred

The Muddy Puddle Question!

What is it about a muddy puddle that makes a child drawn to it? What is it about the muddy puddle that is like a magnet, and a child just has to step in it and dance!?

This question really struck me Thursday evening as my son, Ethan, and I were going into the Church for Bible Study. It had been a snowy, sloppy, warmish kind of day, and between the van and the Church was a rather large muddy puddle. As we passed, Ethan began to position himself for the big plunge! As I was on hand his impulsive desire to jump was quickly thwarted, and this question crossed my mind. Then in the few seconds before we entered the Church for Bible Study I realized that the Good Lord had just given me food for thought and sermon material!

We need to be like that muddy puddle! Not in respect the the muddy or even in respect to the puddle, but rather we must be like magnets that people feel need to jump into! As a Pastor and a Preacher it can be difficult at times to convince people of their spiritual needs, but if I could become like a muddy puddle I wouldn't have to convince people they would just want to jump in and get their spiritual needs met!

Everywhere Jesus went the crowds just happened. He was like a crowd magnet. He didn't have to announce His arrival into town. He didn't have to put up posters or make radio announcements! Jesus found some needy people and began to minister. The result: shortly afterward a huge crowd would begin to form, and He would have a congregation to preach to! Oh, to be more like Jesus! Oh, to be less like myself!

So my challenge this morning, evening and noon is that you change whatever needs to be changed in your life so that you are a magnetic muddy pool of spiritual desire! You get Jesus so He overflows and people will want the part that is slopping over!

Yours for magnetic Christianity,
Pastor Fred

PS. Enjoy my online Radio at the top of the page! Press the continuous button so the music will continually loop.

A Child's Faith!

Well it's time again to bragg about my children! Sorry if you don't think it's appropriate, but when you have your own children you'll understand.

Anyway, My Son Ethan can be very spiritual sometimes, especially for being 4 years old. I've tried to teach him about prayer, faith and trusting Jesus. However, it usually affects him when someone has a booboo, or when he needs to take care of monsters at night. But, once in awhile he says and does something that is profound and has extraordinary faith involved.

It snowed here on Thursday, yeah!, but it rained on Friday. Well, this disappointed Ethan, as you can imagine. Children love to play out in the snow! It's pure and white, beautiful, and peaceful. Kids love it! So Friday morning Ethan asked me to take some water and throw it up into the sky so we could have more snow! (Is that profound, and understanding for a 4 year old or what!) Anyway, I try to be truthful and honest with my children, and told him I couldn't do that, but, I said, Jesus could. So I lead Ethan in a simple prayer of faith for more snow.

Well, all Thursday while we had the snow everyone said that it was going to be warm all weekend. (between 11 and 14 degrees Celcius) This would make sure that we wouldn't have any snow. So, I went to town on Friday after lunch, a couple hours after Ethan prayed, and behold everyone was talking about the snow storm we were now supposed to get! The forcast changed in a matter of hours from no snow to a bunch of snow. (15 centimeters I think)

If we could just learn to have the absolute unconditional faith of children this world would be filled with the wonders of the divine working in our lives! Too, often we let doubt and life cloud our minds, and we can no longer see into the unsee world of faith, hope, love and peace! Shed your doubt and "realism" and let true child like faith work in your life today!

Yours for Faith,
Pastor Fred