July 8th

Thanks, God, for a good, productive day, and also for the chance to spend some time with David before he's off to camp.
Help me to be a good dad to both David and Anna, and to learn from their growing wisdom as they learn from mine.

July 7th

Thanks God, for a chance to meet with a parishioner in a way that felt like meeting a friend. Sometimes it's hard to feel like anything more than just a pastor, as a guy doing a job, rather than someone who matters in a person's life for who they are, rather than the position they have.
Thanks for opening the hearts of folks so that might role in their lives takes on a deeper meaning for both of us.
Thanks again for Darryl and his leadership of the praise team. Continue to mold and shape him, and to empower him to use his gifts for your glory.

July 6th

Thanks God for a good day; some good creative work got done, and I'm back running again. It's such a blessing to feel better again. I just ask for your help in getting back into shape. Give me the inspiration I need to keep at it and not give up.

July 5th

Thanks God, for a good morning with Lois as we made some decisions towards our kitchen renovation. Thanks also for being in a position to make those changes in our home, and for the blessings we enjoy in our house.
Thanks as well for the time with Shannon as we discussed her role as St. James' After School Program Director. Be with her and bless here with continued strength and enthusiasm for the program, and inspire the folks at St. James to help her and support her and the After School Program
Thanks also for all the folks that came for a Bar-b-cue yesterday, and for the friendship and great camaraderie of the St. James Praise team. Bless them all with continued joy and growth as they come together to lead worship at St. James.
I ask for your blessings, too, God, so that I can lead well at the church, and continue to find joy and support in Lois, as I try my best to be a source of joy and strength for her.

July 4th

Thanks God for a good, relaxing and productive day. Thanks also for the time with the kids and for them being able to lounge about after the busy school season. Help them renew and refresh themselves before they head off to Cadet Camp and start a whole new hectic schedule.

July 3rd

Thanks, God, for a great day of worship, rest and friendship!

Darryl continues to impress as our worship leader and a great guy. Please help me continue to nurture him as he grows and matures as our music director.

Thanks, God, for Scott and Dominique and their friendship to us. Please help us keep in touch as life goes on.

Finally, Lord, thanks for all the blessings you offer me. Help me to be worthy of them in my personal and public life.

July 3rd: Guaranteed Failure

I recently listened to some “prophets” talking about the fate of the world. I use the word “prophets” in quotes simply because they weren’t what I would call prophets at all. Traditionally a Prophet’s job is to receive and interpret God’s word to people. Having nothing to do with a word from God, these folks would best be called doomsday predictors.
They all had a pretty short timeline for the demise of life as we know it. That’s about all they shared in common; the reasons for our soon-coming end were as different as the speakers themselves. For the most part I wrote off their conversation. I’m not too worried about what will happen one day. I’m much more concerned with making each day I have as good and Christ-honouring as possible. That Jesus-serving desire, however, made one of the reasons for humanities doom really stand out for me.
According to one of the so-called prophets, the greatest risk to our future is our global economic system. He says that the way we deal with money is not healthy and cannot be sustained. This is where my interest both piqued and waned at the same time. Yes, he caught my attention with the idea that what we do with money is not good, but no, he did not keep my attention because I started off in my own direction.
As far as I’m concerned our whole economy is based on a sinful, therefore unhealthy, premise. Putting a financial value on things is a very slippery slope leading to a bad place. Putting a financial value on human beings is even worse. Add to that the fact that everything about our economy is based on making money, and it’s pretty clear that the path to the hot, uncomfortable place furthest removed from heaven is paved with money, cheques, bonds, stock options and other similar things.
There is nothing at all right about any and all financial systems. Yes, it’s convenient to put a value on things so that we can exchange them with one another, even if they are otherwise hard to compare. But at the same time, there is something inherently and Biblically wrong with putting a value on things and seeking to make a profit from them.
According to one self-proclaimed prophet, our greatest fear is our economic system. Its collapse is imminent and will cause untold grief to humanity. Well, that’s no surprise. When you build something on sin, it’s guaranteed to fail. It’s that simple. No enterprise, whether it’s financial, physical or faith-based, can work when it is based on principles contrary to what the Bible says. Go against God’s commandments and all you get is guaranteed failure. Of course, go along with them and you can bet your bottom dollar (irony intended) that success will be equally guaranteed.

July 2nd

Thank you, God for a busy but productive day. I especially thank you for getting some exercise by cutting the lawn, and feeling like I'm fully up to speed.
Help me continue to improve and to better take care of my body so that I can serve you in physical strength that permits me to do all I need to do without complaint