April 29th

God, thanks for a day that started out wet and slowly got drler. We've had a lot of rain and it's been very frustrating. Thanks as well for a productive day, and for a good visit with friends. Thanks also for a little time spent with my family. Help me to relax for a day now, so that I can be fully ready for worship Sunday.

April 28th

Thanks for a good day God. I especially thank you for a good workout and for the way my body is slowly but surely changing, and for the discipline that I'm slowly developing.
Help me to improve myself not for my glory, but so that i might better serve you.

April 27th

Lord, it's been a bit of a challenging, tiring day. I pray you help David do what he needs to do to bring up his grades. I also pray for more understanding on my part, and for some insight into how best to help him.
Help me, as well, know best how to lead my congregation so that together we might better reach out into our community and let them know the great things St. James can do.
Help us succeed with the After-school program as an outreach to kids and a way of revealing your love to the community.
Give me the strength and enthusiasm I need to keep working faithfully for you and to grow in my own faith.

April 26th

God, thanks for a good day, for a good workout, a nice visit with a couple of older folks, and for all your many blessings.
Help Anna get better, and the doctors figure out exactly wrong with her. Give me the patience as a parent to help her as best I can and to be supportive and understanding of her.

April 25th

Thanks, God, for a nice time with my family, and some good work on my song.
I appreciate Bob's wisdom and insight into the musical end of things. My prayer is that as we chat and he hears the words of my songs you will help him come to a deeper faith and back into a church community.
As I start my week I also pray that you help me and the folks at St. James push forward in our search for a music director and an After-School program leader, while you move the right people to come our way

April 24th: Just Once

I have often thought it, but until the other day I had never done it. Oh, it has always seemed logical, it’s always been tempting, and on many occasions I had promised myself that I would go ahead and take the plunge, but somehow I just couldn’t bring myself to dive in.
Well, now I’ve gone and done it: I bought a brand new printer rather than buying new ink cartridges for the old one. Despite the fact that the old one works just fine, except for the lack of ink, I went ahead and replaced it. From an economic point of view, it only made sense. The new device not only came with brand spankin’ new cartridges of its own, it also has many more features than the old machine. Five years advancement in printer technology finally won me over to the concept of replacing a whole unit rather than just the empty ink receptacles.
It was not an easy choice. I tend to use things until their final bit of utility is totally exhausted. Just ask my wife, Lois, about the state of certain pairs of pants or T-shirts. Absolutely disreputable from a public viewing standpoint, their assorted stains and tears are absolutely acceptable when working in the shop. Well, they are OK as long as Lois doesn’t see them. If they should catch her eye when they need washing, chances are those paint-covered, wretched items will become this week’s sink cleaning cloths. I don’t really mind, of course, because I’m fully aware that the doomed article of clothing has lived a useful life and is due for permanent retirement.
The struggle remains, however, justifying the replacement of a perfectly fine machine simply because an easily replaced part has worn out. My only consolation is that my old printer will be going to Value Village so that someone else can enjoy it. It’s not a perfect solution, but this was one of those life-time deals that I just couldn’t pass up. I had to do it, even if it was rather uncomfortable. And no, when this new printer runs out of ink it’s not going to be replaced in favour of a new one. Just because I’ve done something once doesn’t mean it will become a habit.
God, of course, would never think to replace us when we go astray. That’s not in His plan book. Instead, He did something once that keeps us viable at all times. It took a while for Him to do it. He gave us plenty of chances to get it right on our own, but when it became clear that we couldn’t do it, or when His time was right, He fixed things for us. Jesus death and resurrection was the once in a creation-time deal that set things straight for us. No need to be replaced when we can be forgiven instead.
God had to break the mold to do what He did. Sending His Son to the cross was an extraordinary deed. He won’t do it again, ever. Nor does He need to. What Jesus did works for us every time we mess up. All we have to do is accept Him into our hearts. No other solution is needed. God will never replace us, and we will never need an answer to our problems other than the cross. God is good.

April 24th

Wow God! What a blessing worship was. The ladies did great, the Praise Team were hot and the day was wonderful. Bless the folks at St. James so that they might fully appreciate the gift you gave us in Jesus' death and resurrection. Move and inspire them to celebrate Him and to spread His Good News throughout the community. Help us move forward in our search for a music director and an after-school program leader.
I also pray that you help me lead well and faithfully, as much as by example as by my teaching.

April 23rd

Thanks God for a good day. Got everything ready for tomorrow, had a good workout and finished with a nice relaxing evening. Help me rest and relfect and prepare for Easter Sunday so I can lead well and the experience can be a good one for all. Bless the young ladies who are helping out tomorrow as well.