December 6th

Lord, it was kind of a strange day, mostly because I stressed myself out over a meeting with one of my folks. I kept worrying about what she wanted to talk about and ended up so worried I didn't know what to expect. I'm sorry for going into that situation that way and not trusting in you more.
Help me to be a little more confident in what is happening in St. James and to not over-stress myself before I fully understand the what's happening. In fact, help reduce my self-created stress and to trust more and worry less.

December 5th

Not much of a day off, Lord, but that's the way life goes sometimes. I thank you for my "Hidden Friends" and our monthly phone conferences. It's a blessing to have them hold me accountable and for them to be open to my input and prayers as I do my part to hold those colleagues and friends accountable as we.
It's also such a blessing that my counselor is so in line with the goals of PoE. It feels like the right thing to have Kathy involved in my life at this point in time, and I thank you for that gift.

December 4th

Lord, thanks for another blessed day of Worship and for all that the Praise Team has to offer. Thanks as well for the new folks that have joined the team and for the diverse gifts they bring to the mix.
As we grow in numbers in the Praise Team, so too might we start to grow in numbers as a congregation, not so that we can boast in physical growth, but so that more and more lives can be touched by Christ and know His love.

December 4th: Temper, Temper!

As a woodworker of sorts I know the importance of having sharp tools. Sharp tools not only require the proper technique for obtaining the finest most effective edge, they also require the properly tempered metal in order to keep that edge. Tempering is both fine art and high science. It is, basically, making a metal just hard enough to be sharpened to a high degree without being so hard that it shatters or chips too easily. When properly tempered, knives, chisels and even razor blades hold their edge for a long time. Get it wrong, making an edge too hard makes it brittle; make it too soft and it won’t cut anything at all.
When a person loses their temper, they too become pretty much useless. Anger can make us too hard or too soft. Bitterness and spite are the result of a heart that hardens when we blow up with rage. Loss of control and violence take over when we let anger soften our self-control. Either way, when we lose our temper, we end up losing. Even worse, it’s not just ourselves that lose when we become angry; those around us are affected, sometimes far more greatly than we ourselves.
Like a fine tool, we need to have just the right temper in order to keep our edge. To be effective we need a balance of hard and soft, of strength and softness in order to make our way through life. If we are too soft then we fall apart under the slightest stress. If we are too hard then we can express neither joy nor sorrow. It’s not easy and we are terribly inconsistent but for the most part we are generally able to maintain the right temper.
God demonstrated the perfectly tempered human in Jesus Christ. The right balance of strength and weakness, the Son of God made His way through life dealing wisely and graciously with everyone He met. Of course, that didn’t mean that Jesus’ relationships were perfect. Try as He might, other, less perfectly tempered people had a hard time dealing with Him. ToO angry or too easily influenced by folks with the wrong ideas, they failed to understand Jesus. Other more evenly tempered people, ordinary folks like us, simply refused to be touched by Him. Sad as it might seem, that’s part of our reality; even though we may be evenly tempered and have the perfect personality traits, we still have the power to make bad decisions, like refusing to let Jesus in.
He’s OK with that. Part of His wonderful temperament is to be very patient. Jesus was, after all, pre-existent, around before creation began, so a few years waiting for us to make the right choice is nothing to Jesus. When we’re ready, He’ll be there for us. What’s even better is that it doesn’t matter if we ourselves our perfectly tempered. Jesus will take us however we come, whether it’s hot-headed or wimpy; all we have to do is to make the right choice.

December 3rd

Lord, I so thank you for the friendships that I've been able to form here in Chatham. It was so nice to be able to go out with some folks I like and for Lois and I to just be ourselves rather than the Pastor and his wife. Thanks for that blessing and for the friends you have provided. Help me to be as good to them as they are to me.

December 2nd

A busy day visiting and getting ready for worship, but a good one. I pray for Ruth, who is in so much pain she didn't feel up to chatting at all. I thank you for her honesty in expressing her need and not feeling she needed to be polite in receiving me. It's important for me to know what people need right from them. Help me, however, to be discerning when they can't express themselves directly, or aren't even sure of what they need. Bless me with wisdom and understanding and the ability to read into a situation so that I can do the right thing when folks can't express themselves as clearly as someone like Ruth.

December 1st

The Lunch 'n' Learn Bible study chugs merrily along. It's a good group of folks that gather and we have formed the kind of relationship that allows us to really let the Bible speak to real life. We're able to share our stories and needs in a way that allows for questions and support and even some agreeing to disagree. Thanks for the folks that take part in the study; bless me as their teacher and help me to learn from their combined wisdom. I would also ask, Lord, that you help increase our numbers so that we can form a broader base of friendship and experience to work and grow from.

November 30th

It's been a bit of a brutal day today; a friend and parishioner in crisis and great pain. I appreciate being able to help and be there for her and thank you for the gifts that you have given me. Seeing someone you care for in pain is tough, but being invited in to help gives a sense of purpose that helps decrease the intensity of the suffering for me and fore her. It's also good to see little signs of hope and progress as I counsel her and help her work through the trauma of her situation. Again, thanks, Lord for empowering me to be helpful; grant me the patience I need to work through the process, and bless my friend with the peace and comfort you alone can provide.

November 29th

Made a couple of hospital visits today, God for friends and acquaintances. It was good of Fern to invite me to visit her friend as it means that folks are responding to by ministry and are starting to use my gifts more and more. I know I'm not supposed to  to need a pat on the back, but it felt like one when Fern asked me to do her a favour, and it felt good actually making the visit.
It was also good to visit a friend and to have the pastoral gifts to be with him and pray for him. Thanks, God

November 28th

Didn't get a lot done today, God. Relaxed and enjoyed some time with Lois, but generally kept quiet. Thanks for days like these.