The Cooing Of Doves Is Heard

Right now as I am writing this blog in the quiet of the morning and seeking God's voice, I hear the cooing of a pigeon. I have often heard this pigeon cooing on the roof next to my bedroom in the middle of the night while everyone is sleeping. I thought it was an owl, and I meant to tell my sons about it in the morning, but I kept forgetting.

Yesterday at 8:00 AM, we were all up when the familiar noise I had been hearing at night was heard by the rest of my family members. My sons' first response was the same as mine: "There is an owl on our roof!"

Matthew was already dressed to go to work, so he went outside the front door to take a look. He immediately came back inside and said, "It's not an owl. It's a fat pigeon!"

And a fat pigeon it was! Here is a picture:

As I am listening to the cooing of this pigeon, (which is a type of a dove), God is speaking to me through this verse:

"See! The winter is past;

the rains are over and gone.

Flowers appear on the earth;

the season of singing has come,

the cooing of doves is heard in our land."

Solomon 2:12

God isn't speaking to me about the weather. After all, winter in Alberta hasn't passed yet. I don't even think it has begun. The winter this year has been very mild so far with a minimal amount of snow. I can still see green grass outside and there are only small mounds of snow here and there where people sweep the occasional dusting of snow off their driveways.

No, God is speaking to me about the winter seasons we all go through during periods in our life. During these winter seasons, God teaches and prepares us for what lies ahead. During these winter seasons, certain things that were once active in our lives are dormant. These things could be ministries, relationships, jobs, health, and so on.

The long winter months can be hard to endure, but they are necessary for Christian growth and development. Depression can easily set in, so you must spend more time with God, reading His Word, praying, and focusing your thoughts more on Him than other things. The winters in your life are an opportunity to establish a closer and more cherished relationship with your Heavenly Father.

And just as the winters will eventually pass in our meteorological world, the winters in our personal worlds will pass as well. The signs of spring will be seen and heard. Flowers will appear on the earth and the cooing of doves will be heard. Doors will be opened once again and the windows will unlock to let in the fresh, spring air. The season of singing will come.

But always remember those precious, intimate moments with God. Don't forget the valuable lessons you learned during those difficult, wintery days.

A Peculiar Cat And A Peculiar People

Our kitten, Osha, is a little strange: she fetches. Now, I know what you're all thinking: you can't teach a cat to fetch — a dog maybe, but not a cat. Well, Osha is different, and I have proof. Here is a video of Osha fetching her crinkle ball.

Osha is definitely not a typical cat. She is peculiar because anyone who has owned both cats and dogs knows that cats are rarely obedient and cannot be trained to do fancy tricks. (Although Tim says he once taught a cat to come to her name.)

The Bible says that as children of God, we are to be peculiar in this world too because we are called out of darkness into God's marvellous light.

"But ye are a chosen generation, 

a royal priesthood, 

an holy nation, 

a peculiar people; 

that ye should show forth the praises of Him 

who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light."

1 Peter 2:9

Just like Osha is peculiar in the cat world, we are to be peculiar in the human world. Osha goes against the norm and fetches her crinkle ball for Tim. We need to go against the norm and obey God, our Master.

We Must Obey God Rather Than Human Beings

When I graduated from Bible College, I was twenty years old. Since then, I have worked as a volunteer in children's and music ministries in a variety of churches ranging all sizes — my husband changed jobs frequently, so we moved a lot.

My first volunteer position was at the largest church in Canada at the time. On Sunday mornings, I volunteered to teach children the Word of God and to lead the children's worship. During the week, I also volunteered as a music secretary for an amazing music pastor. I learned a lot from these ministries and I loved them!

I will be honest: the size of this church never intimidated me. I never really thought much about it. I loved working with the staff members, all the people, and, of course, the children. Even though the church was huge, it was a fully God- and ministry-oriented church. God blessed it with His beautiful presence every Sunday.

One of the things I liked about this church was that there was always time set aside during the service for all the pastors and elders in the church to line up at the front below the stage to pray for people's needs. I can tell you from experience, whenever you went up to the front of the church to be prayed for you felt God's presence very strongly. You always left feeling blessed and loved by God, with an inner peace, and a confidence that God heard your prayers and will answer them. Today, it is very rare to see a prayer line during a Sunday service. It is even more rare to see a pastor come down off the stage to pray for individual people. Nowadays, pastors tend to pray a general prayer for the people, and it is usually from high up on the platform.

Later on through the years, every time Brian, I, and our sons moved, our new church would put me to work almost immediately, making me and my family feel like instant members who were greatly appreciated. It always made the move less traumatic.

But things have changed over the years. The jobs I used to do voluntarily are now paid postions. When I come into a church with the same gifting as other people, instead of a welcoming relief for my help, I find intense possessiveness of paid positions, jealousies, questioning of motives, rudeness, and disrespect.

From the very beginning, God spoke to me to work only as a volunteer in all the churches I attend. As a result of my obedience, God has blessed me and my family immensely, providing for all our needs and much, much more! It is sad that this is met with hostility and is no longer acceptable in many churches today.

I know why God has asked me to always be a volunteer. If I were paid for the work God has called me to do, then my work could easily become a job and no longer a ministry. I would be tempted to please the church people more than pleasing God, and this would obstruct my relationship with Him. But because I don't have to rely on my job as a source of income, I am free to speak the truth of God's Word without having money or people control me to do otherwise.

When I first moved here a few years ago, I was considering a position as a Children's Pastor at a nearby church that we had been attending for a short while. God then out me to the test. When I went downstairs to observe the present children's ministry, I was horrified to see that the Word of God was never taught. When I confronted the previous Children's Pastor about it, she told me that, in the interest of increasing the enrolment of children on Sundays, she wanted to see Sunday School run like "party-time." Her reasoning was: if children can go to a party every week, they will certainly convince their parents to come to the adult service, increasing overall church attendance.

The next day, I went to the Lead Pastor of the church and voiced my concerns over using children as pawns to increase church numbers, instead of relying on God's Holy Spirit by ministering the Word of God. I found it creepy that I had to explain to a pastor the importance of children knowing God through His Word. I was totally shocked when he dismissed my views and supported the previous Children's Pastor. He strongly insisted that the Word of God not be the focus in Sunday School. Finally, I looked at him and asked, "What if I told you to do the same in the adult service?" From the anger I saw in his eyes, I knew I was dealing with a man who was not of God. This was revealed even more so in the following Sunday service as he incoherently gave a message that didn't relate to the sermon's topic in any way, and spoke words out of anger that were in complete contradiction to the Word of God.

As my family and I walked quietly out of that church on Sunday morning, there was no discussion on whether I would take the job or not. As a family we are called by God to minister the Word of God through the lyrics of our songs, the words we say, the dramas we write, and the puppet shows we perform. Everything we say and do is centered around God's Word.

Peter and the other apostles came across similar problems in the early church. Their response was the same as mine: "We must obey God rather than human beings."

"'We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,' he said.

'Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching

and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood.'

Peter and the other apostles replied:

'We must obey God rather than human beings.'"

Acts 5:28-29

I have found that, in North America, there are few signs and wonders of God. This is because here, money, numbers, and titles govern more than God!

Let My Soul Be At Rest Again

Osha, my kitten, is stretched on top of the sofa, resting. I think she is tired from playing with all the new toys she got for Christmas. She is probably dreaming of crinkle balls, plastic balls with bells inside, toy mice, and cat treats. I can even hear her purring contentedly to herself as she sleeps.

Osha reminds me of a verse in Psalms.

"Let my soul be at rest again,

for the Lord has been good to me."

Psalm 116:7

Now that the busy-ness of Christmas is over, we can all take a deep breath, thank the Lord for His goodness, and rest again.

That is what my family, including Osha, and I are doing right now. We are resting again, enjoying the work-free days, reading books, watching Miyazaki films, taking pictures!!! eating Christmas dinner leftovers, and thanking God that He has been so good to all of us.

We can thank God for:

• His unfailing love! No one will love us more.
• Prayer! We can talk to God our Father anytime, anywhere, and He always hears.
• His forgiveness! There is no sin He cannot forgive when we come to Him with a penitent heart.
• His Holy Spirit! He resides in us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. The Holy Spirit comforts, teaches, empowers, transforms, and convicts us.
• The Word of God! It is a guidebook that shows us how to live a godly life and to know God personally, a book that transcends all generations and times.
• His peace! We can rest when we give our worries and fears to God. Trust in God!

And finally, we can thank God for all the added personal blessings He gives to us! Count them one by one!

A Surprise!

This Christmas my husband and sons completely surprised me. They all contributed to buy me a present which they miraculously hid from me for weeks. I just want to say that it is practically impossible to hide anything from me.

I am ashamed to admit that when I was a young girl, I used to go to the back of my mother's closet where she would keep the presents she had wrapped for Christmas. The ones addressed to me I would fastidiously unwrap, look inside, and then wrap them up again. My mother never noticed the re-taped presents, and I never confessed to her of committing this sin until I was much older.

When my confession took place, one of my older brothers overheard and confessed to doing the same thing. He humorously told us that when he opened one of his Christmas presents early one year, he discovered a tape recorder, talked into the mike, and recorded his voice. Except he mistakenly forgot to erase the recording. To his horror and extreme embarrassment, he reopened the present on Christmas day and, without thinking, pushed play. The recording of his voice was heard by all his family members, but no one caught on. I couldn't help but laugh when I heard him tell this story. Out of all my brothers, he and I are the most alike in so many ways.

Well, back to the original story. On Christmas day, my husband and sons brought out two presents that I didn't know existed. One was from all of them and the other was from Daniel. They wanted me to open them first. I refused because I wanted them to open their presents first. Even though my husband and sons are persistent, I am more persistent.

When everyone had opened their presents except me, I turned to mine. I opened Daniel's first. Its wrapping paper was covered with cute, little kittens. When I unwrapped the present, I was so surprised! I never guessed it. It was an electronic picture frame! I am very excited to be able to display my pictures in this way. Right now I have it showing the pictures I recently took when my guest was here visiting. It is so cool!

When I opened my other present, I was even more surprised! It was a beautiful new camera! Even after opening Daniel's gift, I never guessed my other present. What a complete surprise! I was amazed my husband and sons were able to keep the two presents a secret from me. One of them usually gives it away.

Apparently, a little over a month ago, two of my sons secretly drove to the store and bought my present. Then Tim hid it deep in his closet. A few days before Christmas, my husband snuck out some wrapping paper and Matthew wrapped the present while I was grocery shopping. Tim even made a bow for it using a wide roll of ribbon. He didn't know how to make one before, but as I taught the young girl who was recently staying with us how to make her own Christmas bows the old-fashioned way, he sort of hung around and tried not to look too interested. (I was helping the young girl wrap up the presents she had bought at the West Edmonton Mall for all her family members.) Tim remembered the steps and tried to do it himself when I wasn't looking. I thought that was really sweet of him. He did a pretty good job too.

Before and after I moved to my current home two and a half years ago, I had strong misgivings about living in such a large city — for the previous 25 years I had only lived in small towns and communities. At times I can feel very lonely and sad. I miss my family and friends, especially this time of year. But I am blessed in the city and in the country!

"You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country."

Deuteronomy 28:3

I Will Take Hold Of Your Right Hand

A few days ago, Chris was challenged to an arm wrestle by a girl who is much younger than him. She had the dauntless courage of David facing Goliath.

Even though the girl lost, Chris had to struggle with all his might.

Do not be intimidated by the giants of this world. Instead, have courage and determination like this young girl, for God will take hold of your right hand and say, "Do not fear; I will help you."

"For I am the Lord, your God,

who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you.'"

Isaiah 41:13

The next time this girl visits, she just might win.

Love Keeps No Record Of Being Wronged

Christmas card sending is a thoughtful and loving way to convey holiday greetings to loved ones and friends, especially ones that live far away.

For some, however, Christmas card sending can become a duty and a twisted way to measure friendship. When this happens, the beautiful and benevolent tradition of Christmas card sending switches from a friendly, selfless gesture to a non-pleasant, self-seeking one that can over time turn ugly and lead to offenses.

I have known several people who keep a list of all the people to whom they send Christmas cards every year. Then, whenever they receive a card from someone, they check that person's name off their list. If a person on their list does not send them a card, that person's name is crossed off the list so that he/she is never again sent another card.

Whoever practices this form of list-keeping allows bitterness to creep into their heart over the years, adding up until it eventually vanquishes all the goodness in the sending of Christmas cards.

Please never be tempted to make a physical or mental check-list of those who send you cards and those who do not. A true friend will cheerfully send a card to someone whether he/she received one the previous year or not. A true friend will send a card to someone even if there hasn't been much communication between the two of them during the year.

The Bible gives a true definition of love in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians. Below is an excerpt of this beautiful exposition.

"Love is patient and kind.

Love in not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

 It does not demand its own way.

It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

 It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful,

and endures through every circumstance."

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Christmas card sending is to be an act of love in which no rudeness or offence is found. When you send Christmas cards, do not compare the number of cards you give out to the number of cards you receive. Your self-esteem should not rely on who sends you cards and who doesn't. That is not the purpose of this tradition. Christmas card sending is to be a sincere, self-forgetting, heart-felt gesture full of love and kindess.

Be Confident Of This

Sadly, we drove my visitor to meet her mom and older sister at the BC/Alberta border yesterday. But the fun times we had with her over the last few days will be cherished by all of us forever.

Here are some pictures of the young girl throughout the years I babysat her in BC. In the first, she is standing in the center of the stage at her kindergarten Christmas pageant, looking frightened as she sang and did the actions for a song:

She loves animals, and she especially loved my dog, Einie — short for Einstein. The two of them were inseparable:

Einie has since passed away.

Tim and Matthew helped her build this small snowman in our front yard:

The size of animals never intimidated her:

One Halloween, she dressed up as a princess. My sons and I took her to our church for a night of fun, food, games, and activities:

Twice, we took her and two other girls her age to an annual weekend camp-out hosted by our church's children's program. My sons and I volunteered as helpers.

The day we moved from BC to Alberta was bittersweet:

When we go back to BC to help with Vacation Bible School, we always include her in our dramas and music:

The day before yesterday, when I was feeling a bit sad, this is the verse God gave me concerning her:

"Being confident of this,

that He who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus."

Philippians 1:6

From The Breath Of God Ice Is Made

Yesterday, two of my sons, Tim and Matthew, took the young girl who is visiting us to the ice-skating rink.

Tim and Matthew each took turns in allowing her to hold onto their sleeves for occasional support.

She was fortunate to have two strong men to grap a hold of when she was tired or felt unsure.

Sometimes, my sons didn't feel so fortunate because she was a girl and they couldn't defend themselves from her female wiles.

Actually, she fits very well into the family. She is spirited, tom-boyish, laughs at my sons's jokes, and has no fear.

I sat on the bench and took pictures because my ice-skates were being used. As I sat there, I thought about how beautiful ice is.

I love to ice-skate, especially outdoors. During cold winter days, my dad used to often take my twin brother and I ice-skating on a frozen lake in a park near where we lived.

The world generally gives little thought about the wonder of weather, especially in view of God's supremacy. The following poetic verse gives us the image of God breathing to make ice and frozen waters.

"From the breath of God ice is made,

and the expanse of the waters is frozen."

Job 37:10

We must not forget that it is God who created the weather and He is the One who is in control of it. This winter as we enjoy all the fun of outdoor sports and activities, think of God.

Tossed By The Waves

Here is a picture of me and my visitor on our second day at the largest mall in North America. Our favourite store to shop in was the Disney Store. Even my sons liked it!

Below are some pictures I took of my visitor and two of my sons swimming at the World Waterpark at the West Edmonton Mall. They had indefatigable fun! Then Chris joined us after work and the four of us went to the Cineplex Theatre in the Mall to watch "The Adventures of TinTin."

Here are some pictures of Tim and my visitor after being flushed down the toilet:

Here they all are enjoying the waves:

Water in the eyes can be annoying, but it is well worth it:

Here is a movie I took of all three of them in the waves:

When I viewed them being tossed back and forth by the waves, I couldn't help but think of this verse in the Bible:

"Then we will no longer be infants,

 tossed back and forth by the waves,

and blown here and there by every wind of teaching

and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming."

Ephesians 4:14

The Bible says that if we steer away from His Word and teachings therein, we will be tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching other than God's. People can be cunning and crafty in using the Scriptures to manipulate the truth for their own selfish desires and evilness. Thus we need to know God's Word, mature as Christians, and be stable in all our ways.

The Enjoyment Of Life

"So I recommend having fun

because there is nothing better for people in this world

than to eat, drink, and enjoy life.

That way they will experience some happiness

along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun."

Ecclesiastes 8:15

This is exactly what two full-time university students, one grade-six middle-school student, and a forty-nine-year old woman did yesterday. Two of my sons, Tim and Matthew, took our guest to the West Edmonton Mall yesterday to spend the day at the amusement park and do some last minute Christmas shopping.

I actually went on seven different rides. However, I became so nauseated and dizzy on one of the Advanced rides that I subsequently limited myself to Intermediate rides, bumper cars, and alien shootouts. You would think by now I would know better from the start. I guess not.

On the other hand, these three couldn't stop. They rode the rides for five hours. There were no line-ups, and so when I say five hours, I mean five hours of no stopping. This picture was taken automatically by a camera during one of the rides. The expression on their faces depicts their true horror which naturally, I mean, insanely, led to their great enjoyment! What have I learned from yesterday's experience? That kids' and young people's brains haven't completely developed yet.

Matthew and the young girl even went on the Mindbender Roller Coaster, but only once. Tim, being the oldest of the three, had a bit more brain development and refused the ride. The roller coaster has a triple loop, a maximum speed of 100 km/h, and a maximum acceleration of 5.5 G.

The young girl wanted to go on the Mindbender once more a few hours later, but Matthew said no. See what I mean about brain development? At least Matthew realized that when it comes to experiencing the terror of the Mindbender, once is enough.

Be A Friend To The Lonely

My kitten, Osha, tried to be inconspicuous the other day as she blended in as one of the ornaments on the Christmas tree.

Can you find him?

I couldn't help but laugh. But it also made me think of how many times we try to be inconspicuous because of past hurts, insecurities, guilt, or fears. We just want to sit at the back of the class, stand against the back corner of a room, or sit in the back pew of the church, hoping that the teacher, the pastor, or God doesn't notice.

But sometimes, something surprising happens: someone notices us, even though we tried very hard to conceal ourselves. It seems out of nowhere a stranger comes to speak kind words of care and interest. He/she lovingly encourages us to feel more part of the group by saying, "Come join me and my friends over there".  Or maybe he/she just sits down beside us, and pleasantly and genuinely tries to get to know us through conversation. Then, when it is time to leave, the thoughtful person invites us for tea, lunch, or dinner at his/her house, making us feel even more special, welcomed, and valued.

This is the will and heart of God: for us to notice a hider, a loner, a stranger, and a lost soul. God does not want us to comfortably stick with our group of friends. Instead, He desires our eyes to constantly be on the look-out, seeking out those who are in need of a friend.

Let's each of us open up our hearts on a daily basis to be aware of our surroundings and the possible needs of the people around us. If we do, God will use us mighty to bring healing and life to the lonely souls in our society.

The Bible says that a person standing alone is easily attacked and defeated, but a person who has a friend can stand back-to back, and together they can conquer the enemy. A person who has two friends has an even better advantage.

"A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated,

but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.

Three are even better,

for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Be a friend to one who is friendless. Those who already have many friends don't need more. As Christians we need to resist the temptation to comfortably be part of a clique and not look outside of our group of friends and associates to see someone who is in need of a friend, a companion, and an ally.

Glorify The Lord

My husband, Brian, and I left yesterday morning to pick up a young girl and meet her parents near the BC/Alberta border. I used to babysit this girl since she was three and she wanted to spend a week with us before Christmas. Here is a picture of the young girl and her parents. My sons and I have lots of activities planned for her and are excited to have her here.

I can't believe it! I actually get to have a female in the house with me!

Here are some pictures of winter that I took along the way:

I thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of winter as I listened to classical Christmas music by satellite.

"Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

He sends the snow like white wool;

He scatters frost upon the ground like ashes."

Psalm 147:12,16

I can't help but praise God like the psalmist in the Bible for the wonder of snow and frost.

Pay Careful Attention

God reveals to people the beauty in His world, but He reveals the ugliness as well. I wish He didn't reveal to me the ugliness, but He does. And as a servant of God I must speak of both.

Has the church become an attraction to the rich and a deterrent to the poor? Imagine with me what you think this woman feels:

She is a single parent of two small children. She struggles to pay the bills with only a menial job. She has no child support from the children's father or her family.

One day, she decides to enter a church's door for the first time in many, many years. Her children are with her, frightfully holding her hands. The building is unfamiliar and the faces are strange.

She looks at the outward beauty and expense of the church building, and then at herself and her children beside her. She is immediately uncomfortable and feels out of place. She is not dressed in trendy or fashionable clothes. Her hair isn't styled but simply tied back in a ponytail. Her children at her sides are clean, but the knees of their pants reveal hand-sewed patches, and their shirts have the remains of old stains with the look of being washed dozens of times.

She considers turning around, but instead gathers her courage and enters the building. She immediately receives a mechanical greeting from a lady who hands her a bulletin but says nothing that shows any real personal interest. Once the greeting is complete, the mother continues with her children, glancing about for clues from the crowd of where to go. She passes a coffee shop and a gift store — it almost looks more to her like a mall than a church, which despairingly reminds her that she does not have the extra money to spend on such frivolities.

They enter the main part of the building where she and her two children quietly slip through the crowd and find a seat in one of the back pews. They are unnoticed and she is both relieved and disappointed. She wonders how emotions can be such a contrasting mixture.

As they sit waiting, not knowing what to expect, the young woman becomes dismayed at the darkness of the large sanctuary. The lights have been dimmed, but she yearns for some light, even a distant glimmer of sunshine at the end of the long, dark tunnel of her life.

Right on time, the musicians and singers walk onto the stage. The leader asks everyone to stand and he leads the people in song. The music is lively, but the words make no sense. There is no comfort in not understanding, and so there is no answer for her desperate soul that fiercely longs for relief and healing from her inner pain.

Then a man comes on stage. She assumes he is "the" pastor, but she is mistaken for there are many pastors in this large city church. This one gives announcements of coming events, but she knows within herself that she will not be attending. She does not feel comfortable inviting herself, even though the pastor says everyone is welcome. Not having someone personally invite her makes her feel like she is nobody, unnamed and unnoticed, and hence unwanted.

There is one more song, and then another man comes on stage to bless the offering. But first he gives a short message of the importance of giving money to the church. He says that we are no longer under the Law of the Old Testament, except, of course, the law of tithing ten percent of your income, which must be kept if you want God's blessings. She instantly feels guilty, but the man continues on to say that if you are a visitor, you are not required to give. She is temporarily relieved, until a disturbing thought comes to mind.

"This means if I come back, I will have to give ten percent of what I earn, or I and my children will be cursed of God." She panics for she doesn't have the money to give. Each month is a struggle just to come up with enough money to pay the rent and sufficiently care for her two children.

The man up front continues even further and says that you need to have faith that God will provide all your needs as you are obedient to this command of God.

The woman thinks again. "I don't have enough faith not to take my own life, let alone enough faith to believe there could be a better future for me and my children where we trust God to provide for our needs." She imagines giving her money to this beautiful, elaborate church, which has a multitude of staff personale, while she and her children live in an old, dilapidated mobile home, with the heater barely high enough to keep the water in the plumbing from freezing.

She wants to grab her children and run out of the building, but then another man gets up and begins to speak a message that leaves her feeling more confused as she tries to understand it's meaning and purpose.

Finally, there is a small prayer and the service ends. The young mother and her two children leave the church building feeling utterly hopeless of ever being part of this family of God. The woman feels inadequate to meet the Church's financial requirements and become a blessed child of God. She and her children never come back and her needs are left unmet.

What happened to the mother? Did she eventually kill herself? In an attempt to numb her pain and inadequacy, did she become an alcoholic and a drug abuser? Did she end up working the streets? Were her children taken from her by social services? Did the two abandoned children end up being raised and abused in the foster care system?

The answer to all these questions is yes.

"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock,

in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers

 to care for the church of God,

which he obtained with His own blood."

Acts 20:28

What would happen if a land owner lovingly brought a scruffy-looking sheep to his flock, but his shepherd closed a blind eye and didn't care to notice when that sheep wandered off? After all the sheep's wool is worthless and will bring no valuable income.

Leaders of a church are commanded by our sovereign and loving God to be shepherds, to care for all the sheep that He brings in. But christians can become so money-oriented and self-absorbed that they have no idea what type of message the church is giving to the lost, desperate, and hungry in this world.

Hold To The Traditions

My fondest memories of Christmas as a girl growing up were not of presents, decorations, or food, but the Christmas pageants at my church. The pageants were never complex. Instead, they were rather simple, but they always included a Biblical portrayal of Jesus' birth acted out by me and all the other children who attended Sunday school.

I can't imagine Christmas today without seeing a children's drama of the true Christmas story. You can never get tired of seeing God's Word portrayed, especially when that portrayal is of the birth of a beautiful and loving Saviour. Christmas pageants often include a children's choir, a handful of musical or vocal soloists, a drama with a good message about giving, and a short sermon at the end, but the part that always touches the hearts of people and the heart of a sacrificial God is seeing the precious children of all ages acting out the wondrous story of the birth of God's only Son, Jesus Christ. I know it touches my heart.

Another dear memory of Christmas is when I received from my church a brown paper bag filled with candies, nuts, and a Japanese orange. It wasn't the treats inside that were special, but the feeling I felt after receiving the bag. I felt a part of a family, a larger family, the family of God. I felt loved, appreciated, and secure in God's Kingdom as one of His princesses. Can a unattractive brown paper bag filled with a few treats do that? Yes it can! It is the small things in life that speak volumes. To me the bag was priceless and a symbolic gift from God my Father.

Some people think that Church tradition is bad — that it is out-dated, boring, and useless. I disagree. I think that a tradition can be a comfort and a great pleasure if it brings to mind wonderful memories of the truths of God.

Even in the New Testament, the Bible tells us to stand firm and hold to godly traditions.

"So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught,

whether by word of mouth or by letter from us."

2 Thessalonians 2:15

There are several important traditions in the New Testament that God asks us to uphold. Communion is one which reminds us of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Water baptism is another which gives testimony to others of our commitment to serve God and our desire to walk in all His ways. Marriage is also a sacred tradition which binds a man and a woman in a legal commitment.

Sometimes when Churches desire to be modern, creative, and different from traditions for the sake of popularity in an ever-changing world, the message of Christ gets lost and the world creeps in.

Here is a picture of a special memory of a Christmas pageant that included my Sunday school children to whom I taught the Word of God every week:

The cute, curly red-headed toddler in front is my son, Timothy, playing Baby Jesus. He was sixteen months old at the time. My Sunday school children loved him and thought he was adorable, so they wanted him in the play too. The girl who portrayed Mary was extremely good with him and, of course, Tim enjoyed all the attention of being a star for the day.

Pure And Genuine Religion

When I was a girl growing up, I knew a middle-aged man who, every Sunday morning, got up early to drive the church's yellow-orange Sunday school bus. Even though he was burdened with grief and worry for his beloved wife as she battled terminal cancer, he took the time on his day off to bring the children in the surrounding community to Sunday school.

Two of the children he regularly picked up and brought back home were me and my twin brother. I remember fondly how this volunteer bus driver would, before taking all the children back to their homes, stopped off at an ice-cream shop and, out of his own pocket, buy every child on that bus a soft ice-cream cone. We all eagerly looked forward to it!

It bereaves me to think how I don't remember the last time I saw a yellow-orange bus filled with children on their way to Sunday school. It must be several decades at least. Sunday school buses are becoming as obsolete as vinyl records, cassette tapes, VHS's, and CRT televisions.

But why is that? I remember when the Sunday school bus ministry was one of the most vital and productive ministries in a church. I don't know where I would be today if it wasn't for the Sunday School bus ministry. My mother never drove and Sunday school was where I learned about God and the truths in His Word. It was a place of learning, growing, and healing.

Have the children's ministries in churches lost interest in reaching children from non-Christian or non-Church-going homes? Do churches think that such children are not worth the effort or the expense of a school bus? If so, they are gravely mistaken!

I wonder where the money from church tithes is going to today. How much of it is going toward outreach in the surrounding communities versus keeping the tithe-payers happy? After paying for the expensive mortgage on a fancy church building, the wages of the multitude of paid-workers (many of which volunteered their services in the past), the sound equipment, the computers, the plasma televisions, and all the other "necessities", I am sure there is not much left to help the poor, the needy, the homeless, the widows, the single parents, and the unsaved children in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The churches' priorities have changed over the years. Everyone wants to get paid. The churches compete with one another in materialism. Their goal has become no different than the common phrase that was once used to describe the goal of many middle-age families: "Keeping up with the Jones."

The Bible says that pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for the needy and not allowing the world to corrupt the purpose for which God intended the Church.

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father

means caring for orphans and widows in their distress

and refusing to let the world corrupt you."

James 1:27

I believe that worldly-thinking has gotten into many of our churches, filling them with insatiable desire for more material things and bigger and better buildings. Many churches have become corrupt and are far more business-oriented than ministry-oriented.

The amount of time and money that churches today spend on reaching the lost in their community and caring for the distressed is becoming less and less compared to how much time and money they spend on dealing with disputes, expanding buildings, buying sound equipment, buying new computers, hiring and firing pastors (oops, I mean accepting resignations), making up schedules, and organizing programs to make sure everyone is both happy and pleasantly entertained. The modern church has become sick over the years. It needs to get well before it will see a harvest.

We need as individuals and as a church to get back to God's idea of pure and genuine religion.

Don't Dwell In The Past

I am proud to say that I taught all of my four sons to drive when they turned sixteen, and each one of them passed their road test the first time around. My oldest son was praised by the pregnant woman who tested him in his road test for being situationally aware that prevented an accident when another car went speeding through a red light.

I, on the other hand, didn't learn to drive until after I was married and pregnant with my first son. My husband, Brian, was the one who taught me to drive. I took the road test six months after my son, Daniel, was born.  I waited that long because I wanted to be confident that I would pass. After all, Brian and I didn't have a lot of money to waste. I know now that no confidence in the world would have prepared me for the driver's test I would soon experience.

When the instructor entered my vehicle, I had Daniel in his car seat in the back. I didn't know it was against the rules to have a baby in the car with me on the road test. As soon as the instructor noticed, he became enraged. He looked at me and angrily demanded, "What is this?!" (He actually put the H-word in there.) I respectfully told the instructor that Daniel was my son and that he was a very good baby. I tried to ensure the instructor that Daniel would not be a disruption. The instructor ignored my comments and swore again. He authoritatively told me to remove the kid immediately. But before I was able to make a move to comply, he rudely asked, "How old are you anyways? Aren't you a little young to have a kid?"

I didn't respond. My age was on the form he was holding. As I was about to open the driver's door to get Daniel out and give him to my husband inside the building, the instructor said, "Leave him there! I don't have time for this! Let's go!"

So, I started the engine of my car, thinking, "This is a nightmare. I have a hotheaded and mentally unstable instructor beside me."

Despite my uneasiness, I drove the car with confidence because of how much I had practised. True to my word, Daniel never made a peep. When I finally parked my vehicle at the end of the test, I was relieved and excited, knowing within myself I had done well. However, the instructor didn't think so. He became enraged again. He told me that I was an idiotic driver because I looked more in my rearview and side mirrors than in front of me. (This was an extreme exaggeration and a ludicrous statement — I was just emphasizing situational awareness in driving.) He went on to say that if he passed me I would probably get in an accident and kill my own child because of my stupidity.

At that point I started to cry uncontrollably. My insecurities from the past welled up inside me, as memories of past relationships flooded my mind. Before I met Brian I was always striving to win people's love and never succeeding. I was a high achiever in school, never rebelled, drank, smoked, or was sexually promiscuous. And yet I grew up feeling inadequate and unworthy. My home life was filled with anger, hatred, verbal and physical abusive, and resentment. Before I met Brian, the man I previously dated left me feeling used, cheap, and dirty. I prayed often in the dark of my closet that God would be merciful and just let me die. The abusive words from the man sitting beside me in the passenger seat brought all those negative memories back to the forefront of my mind — memories that were best left forgotten.

As I sat there in the driver's seat sobbing, hurting from past wounds and present afflictions, the instructor threw the test paper at me and said, "You passed!"

I felt like throwing the paper back at him, but I desperately needed a driver's license. I was a mom and my son depended on me. So I entered the building with that horrid instructor to get my picture taken and receive my temporary permit. I couldn't stop crying though. My concerned husband stared at me wondering what was going on. The lady who was about to take my picture took one look at me, turned to the instructor, and accusingly asked, "What did you do to her?!" She seemed to know the truth without being told, even thought the instructor's response was a complete lie; he said, "Nothing. Those are just tears of joy."

I looked at him with red swollen eyes in total disbelief, but with an all too familiar feeling of being lied to and deceived. I said nothing.

I went home, telling myself that I am blessed because I am child of God. No matter what past hurts I have experienced, I know God loves me. I also made two promises to myself that I was going to forget what the test instructor said, and be the one to teach my children to drive than take the chance of having some demeaning, ill-mannered instructor teach them.

The Bible says forget the bad memories and don't dwell on the past hurts or mistakes.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."

Isaiah 43:18

Go forward with the confidence of God's everlasting love, and live in the blessings that God has for you.

I thank God often that He gave me Brian who tells me all the time how much he loves me and how beautiful I am.

God knows all about your past hurts and insecurities. He will provide you what you need, heal you of your wounds and make you whole. Go forward with anticipation of a better future as a loved and cared for son or daughter of the King.

Stretching Forward to What Lies Ahead

When we first become Christians, we repent of our sins, put our faith in Jesus Christ, and then allow God to conform us to His image. Some, however, don't go forward in their walk with God, increasing in their faith and spiritual maturity. Instead, they go back and forth. They live for God for a few years, then turn their backs on God, forgetting all about Him, and live in sin again. Their life becomes a mess, so they come back to God, repent of their sins, and start their walk with God over again. Sometimes the cycle continues on and on, or they just give up completely being a Christian because they have been relying on their own strength to live a life pleasing to God.

"So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again.

Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.

Surely we don't need to start again

with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds

and placing our faith in God."

Hebrews 6:1

In order for any of us to grow in spiritual maturity, we need to be in God's Word daily. This gives the power to live for Christ and grow in Him. We must understand that the Bible is the actual inspired words of God, so the words you read in the Bible are powerful and life-transforming. No other book in the world has the power that God's words have. The Bible is God speaking to you and when we read His Word, you bring God's presence near you. He speaks truths into you mind and changes your heart.

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet;

but one thing I do:

forgetting what lies behind

and reaching forward to what lies ahead."

Philippians 3:13

Go forward with your walk with God. Don't turn around, go back . . . and then start all over again. Forget what lies behind and focus on what lies ahead by reading God's Word daily. Listening to a pastor's sermon once a week is not going to be enough for you to grow in God and have the strength to resist the temptations of this world. You need to rely on God and His Word.

The Deceitfulness Of Riches

When I went to Walmart to get a few kitchen things yesterday, the lady at the till blatantly told me that she hated Christmas. I had to ask her why. She said that it was because many people are pressured to buy and spend more money than they have or need to. And still they are never satisfied with the things they receive. There is always something else they want a few weeks down the road. (She referred to her teenage son.) She said Christmas is sickening because of greed and the temptation to waste money when there are so many people in the world that have nothing. She told me she can't wait until Christmas is over.

Here is Osha with a headache. I think he can't wait until Tim stops taking pictures.

I feel sad that Christmas, which should be a joyful celebration of Christ's birth, is viewed in such a negative way by some people. But I have to admit, the cashier had a point.

I have never been tempted to spend money I don't have, nor buy overly expensive gifts. However, I do feel guilty many times for the things I do have when others have so little. Sometimes I wish I lived a hundred years ago when life was simple and gifts that people gave at Christmas were hand-made out of sheer love for one another. From stories I heard as a girl, I know that every gift back then was appreciated and cherished because of the thought behind the gift, not the gift itself.

Believe it or not, but I liked life better when Brian and I were first married and had nothing. I enjoyed most the little things in life: walking hand-in-hand with Brian in a park, sharing my hopes and dreams with Brian as he held me close, drawing pictures, sewing my own clothes, baking home-made bread and blackberry pies, and learning to play the piano on an old dilapidated out-of-tune piano. Brian and I didn't have much material things, but we had each other, love, a healthy baby, a beat-up pick-up truck, and oh yeah, a motorcycle. Brian would often take me for rides on the back of his shiny red motorcycle:

It was his pride and joy. He would drive slowly on country roads with me behind. I was scared of motorcycles, so he wouldn't go over a certain speed, even though his motorcycle was highly powered. (He used to boast about that to me all the time.) I even rode on the back of his motorcycle when I was pregnant with my first son. I don't think my mother ever knew. She would worry too much, and I didn't want to tarnish her angelic view of my husband. My mom adored him and still does.

Over the years I have found that money can sometimes take away the joy of simple pleasures.

The Bible says that the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things can enter our hearts and lives and choke out the message of God's Word.

"But the worries of the world,

and the deceitfulness of riches,

and the desires for other things

enter in and choke the Word,

and it becomes unfruitful.

Mark 4:19

This verse proves true at Christmas too. We can be so concerned about the desire to buy gifts for those we love and be so worried about the money to pay for those gifts that we choke out the true meaning of Christmas: that God sent His Son, Jesus, to be born on earth in a manger, as a miraculous gift of love to all of us.

Christmas should be a time to reveal the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Don't allow greed and worry to make you unfruitful for God.

Let's spend less money and enjoy what we have. Let's give more to God and others by being kind, considerate, and loving to all those we meet. Let's share the message of Christ's birth by our actions and words, which is much more valuable than costly gifts.

Salvation: A Free Gift, But A Call To Repentance

"For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience

leads us away from sin and results in salvation.

There's no regret for that kind of sorrow.

But worldly sorrow,

which lacks repentance,

results in spiritual death."

2 Corinthians 7:10

What I have been noticing in our churches over the last few years disturbs me greatly. The salvation call at the end of the message or service is lacking a fundamental and vital step: godly repentance. The salvation call starts by telling people that we are all sinners, no longer under the Law, but under the grace of God. There is nothing a person can do to achieve salvation. It is a gift of God through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is absolutely correct and a wonderful truth!

However, the next step is skipped entirely, and the salvation call ends with, "Now accept this gift." This leads people to falsely believe that they can accept God's free gift of salvation and the forgiveness of their sins without true repentance. As a result, they continue to live life the way they want to, not necessarily the way God wants them to. If they sin, they feel no remorse. Every one is a sinner anyways, and God forgives all their sins past, present, and future. Why be concerned when they have a free ticket to Heaven?

This belief is an incomplete truth and a dangerous falsehood, a deceptive lie of Satan that is infiltrating into today's churches.

As Christians we need to feel godly remorse for the sins we commit against a holy and just God. When we come to God in remorse and true repentance of our sins, He compassionately and lovingly forgives us of all those sins. There is absolutely no regret for that kind of sorrow. The attitude of godly repentance leads us to desire a close relationship with God in which it becomes our greatest aspiration to please Him in all we say and do.

The step of repentance cannot be left out of the salvation call. Accepting the gift of salvation without repentance will lead to spiritual death and only worldly sorrow.

God: Your Protective Shade

Osha, my kitty, loves to play with the gift bags under the tree.

Oops. The bag fell over and Osha is afraid she is in trouble.

My son, Matthew, and I went shopping Wednesday night at the mall and afterwards I gave Matthew (a strapping young man) my shopping bag full of items to carry. (I am training him to be respectful and courteous to women, or maybe I just got tired of holding the bag.)

At around supper time, we stopped to eat in the food fair at the mall before heading home. Matthew set the shopping bag on the floor beside him while we ate, but forgot to pick it up again when we left.

When we arrived home, I asked Matthew where the shopping bag was. He gave me that blank look and raised eyebrow which says, "You don't want to know."

I just shook my head and smiled to myself. I could write a book on raising sons.

I decided then and there that there was no point in going back to the Mall — no one would be honest enough in this day and age to take a shopping bag to the lost and found.

As the evening progressed, I kept having a nagging feeling inside me that maybe I might be too pessimistic. Maybe the person who discovered my shopping bag was an honest person. I started to even feel guilty for my negative assumption.

I decided to give the mall a call. When I talked with the security guard on duty that night, I was pleasantly surprised when he told me that my shopping bag was indeed there. Someone had brought it to him.

Wow, I thought, that was really cool that God directed the eyes of a kind-hearted and thoughtful person to see the abandoned shopping bag and deliver it to the security guard for safe keeping. I wish I could have had the opportunity to thank the individual. I did, however, thank God.

That night I learned three valuable lessons:

1. Don't give your shopping bag to a young man to take care of when he most likely has his mind, I mean stomach, on other things.
2. The world is still full of good, honest, and selfless people.
3. The Lord watches over us. He even watches over a bag of store-bought items left mindlessly behind.

"The Lord Himself watches over you!

The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade."

Psalm 121:5

I love how the verse above gives the image of the Lord standing beside us to protect us by giving us shade from the harsh, burning rays of the sun. What a beautiful picture to remember in our minds.

Breathing, But Dying

All over the world, people are taking their last breath and entering eternity. Some will enter heaven, but most will enter hell. There are also those who continue to breath, but are slowly dying inside because of intense hurt, rejection, and severe loneliness. Others are living in poverty. Many are homeless and on the street. People of all ages are starving to death, with no hope for a better future.

Teenagers, men, and women are destroying themselves with alcohol, illicit and prescription drugs to try and numb their pain. There are children who are being sexually, physically, or emotionally abused by those who should protect them.

But the churches are busy and have too little time to be concerned about these needs. They fight over the style of worship to be played on Sundays. They worry about the money coming in: Is it enough to cover the church's enormous expenses? They consistently count the numbers. Are they dropping and which pastor should we blame?

Right now Christmas drama productions and musicals are on the way. So much needs to be done, and yet there is so little time. These Christmas pageants require so many of the church's members: children's pastors, script writers, music and arts pastors, sound people, lighting crew, costume designers, drama directors, choir conductors, scene constructors, prop people, and stagehands.

With all of this going on at this time of year, I can't help but ask the question: What are the churches' true motives? Are they to entertain? To please the parents? To fulfil a yearly church requirement? To display the gifts and talents of children? How many famous singers today got their start in churches and are now the idol of millions with no longer a thought of God in them? Did the churches encourage this?

If these Christmas pageants are truly an outreach to save dying, lost souls, then why is the message typically humanistic with a vague message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, rather than truly evangelistic? Why are the children seldom encouraged to make personal invitations to all their non-Christian family members and neighbours to come? Hundreds of photocopied invitations are not very inviting, neither is a price tag attached to the invite or the suggestion to bring an offering or a donation — in other words, bring money so you don't feel guilty.

I know from experience that most people who come to the needlessly complex Christmas plays and musicals are Christians; only a small amount are non-Christians. The Christians are satisfied and the unsaved are pleasantly entertained, but the pain, loneliness, and shattered hearts they come with remain with them when they leave.

I never hear outdoor carolers anymore singing on a December night the beautiful words that give honour and glory to Christ's birth. I guess it is too cold and not worth the effort, so they sing in their multi-million dollar churches where it is warm and comfortable. They expect the unsaved to come to them instead of going out themselves, singing on the streets, shivering in the cold night air for those who desperately need to be reminded of God's love. Just the fact that Christians are willing to suffer a little bit for God is a greater testimony than the words we sing or the words we speak.

I believe that everything people do as a church needs to be double-checked for true motives and heart's intents. People are dying, hurting, and crying. They are in need of a Saviour. Let's not waste valuable time. Let's take every opportunity to reach them. The time is short and the unsaved are many.

"And I assure you that the time is coming,

indeed it's here now,

when the dead will hear my voice —

the voice of the Son of God.

And those who listen will live."

John 5:25

The saving power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ needs to be told and shared to all. It is through us that the unsaved can hear and listen to God's voice. We just need to get out of our pew, our pulpit, and our churches, and go to them. We need to stop wasting time.

Red and Green

I have noticed over the years that the world has gone away from the traditional colours of Christmas: red and green. These colours were chosen because they represent Jesus Christ. The colour red is symbolic of the sacrificial death of Jesus for the sins of mankind. His blood cleanses us from all sin.

"The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin."

1 John 1:7b

The colour green is symbolic of the gift of life we can receive because of God's gift to us, Jesus Christ.

"Jesus told her, 'I am the resurrection and the life.

Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying."

John 11:25

The Bible says that if anyone wants to live after they die, all they have to do is believe in Jesus and all that is written in the Bible.

The colours red and green are my favourite colours of Christmas because of what they represent. Today we see a variety of colours of Christmas decorations in the stores. This year the main colours for Christmas tree ornaments are dark purple, dark blue, turquoise, brown, orange-gold, and deep pink. I don't see very many ornaments that are red and green anymore.

I am also shocked to see that poinsettias this year have been water coloured blue and purple, and that these painted poinsettias are flying off the shelves. It saddens me greatly to see the world going away from the traditional colours of Christmas that have such significant Biblical meaning.

What I see is that the world is remembering less and less the true meaning of Christmas. As Christians let's make more of an effort to preserve the Christmas traditions that exemplify the life-giving story of Jesus.