Rivers of Life

Out of the top 10 dead rivers in the world, Manila Philippines has 2 of them. That’s 10 rivers that produce NO LIFE, contain no fish, oxygen, bacteria, and plants.  Nothing.  Dead.  Imagine, a water source with no purpose but to be death to all who use it.  Yet millions of people live within feet of its toxic banks.  Used as drinking water, laundry, toilet, garbage disposal and a pool, these people don’t listen to the advice of ecologists, scientists and government officials and continue to use this cesspool of filth as their life line.  Although we may not live in the squatter village that lines the bank of the Marilou or Pasig Rivers in Manila, what river have we planted ourselves close enough to that we are drawing our sustenance from? 

From the top of the bridge high above the grey murky death pool, there appears to be small plants growing on the shore of the river.  A closer look perhaps would reveal that although this greenery appears healthy, the inside is toxic, dead, empty and void of any life giving qualities.  It’s roots, dry, shrivelled and unable to withstand the impending floods of July’s rainy/ typhoon season.  If we were to dig up our roots, would they appear the same? If we were to look beneath the soil, dig deep, would we find that the roots we’ve tried so hard to keep buried were just as dead, brittle and unable to breed life? Or, when the rains came, would we find that our roots had been so nurtured and watered and planted deep that we could withstand the flood and persevere until the rains receded?  You see, it depends on where you’re planted.

Are you “like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.  Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Psalm 3:1

Or are you “like a great tree with withered leaves, like a garden without water” Isaiah 1:30

Am I rooted next to a life giving water source that brings life and nourishment and hope to my soul?  Or is my tree great and mighty on the outside but planted near toxic ‘nourishment’, slowly starving my roots and emptying my veins of life and fruitfulness?  Sadly, most of the people living beside the Pasig River don’t know that it is toxic.  Yet some still chose to take the risk.  Here’s MY choice:  Do I stand on top of the bridge and yell for these unsuspecting souls to get out of the water because it’s killing them, afraid that I might be contaminated if I get too close?  Or do I go down to the water’s edge, give them a hand and show them a pool of living water that won’t drown them when the rains come, and will give them everything they need to not only SURVIVE, but THRIVE?    I too, need to be choosing the right water source.  I too, need to be daily making the choice to root deep in the Word.  I too, need to live in ‘THRIVE MODE’, not ‘SURVIVE MODE’!

I’ve walked among the squatter housing.  I’ve touched the faces of the children; I’ve wiped tears of mothers, high-fived young boys.  I’ve breathed deeply the toxic air that fills their homes.  I’ve looked into the eyes of a little girl who pulled on the hem of my shirts and pointed to her mouth.  Hungry, thirsty and in desperate need of food and water for herself and her young siblings.  In this moment, as tears stained my face, I couldn’t deny the presence of the Father.   In our desperation do we seek for the presence of the only one who can satisfy our needs?  He is, the life giving water. “But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  John 4:14

Root deep, root strong, root beside LIVING water. Healthy roots produce healthy plants, healthy plants withstand the storm.  Healthy plants breathe life, nourishment, provide a resting place and shelter for others.  The world needs strong, healthy trees.  Bring them to the waters edge…

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35

Tara W.

Bless the Lord!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits!

Please join me on my Awareness Walk. I began this habit when I took the
Spiritual Disciplines course from Horizon College & Seminary in Saskatoon.

 I firmly shut the door, leave my yesterdays, leave my tomorrows, and become
'present'. Some call this 'mindfulness'. It's a time to meet God in His
world.

It is a prairie winter morning. Cold air slaps my cheeks. I catch my breath.
Take a long, slow breath. I pause and feel the breath of life fill my lungs.
I take another long, slow breath. And another, enjoying the rhythm. For in
Him I live and move and have my being. Thank- you, thank-you for the gift of
Life!

A giant poplar stands in my path. Tall and bare and patient. It knows the
seasons. It is resting. I touch the bumpy buds that hold a secret. Life is
present and waiting. Lord, I want to be like this tree - patient and strong.
Make me a giver of life!

Snowscapes catch my eye - snow, wind and snowploughs  push the prairie into
sweeping sculptures. Some with glossy peaks. Some are jagged cliffs. I
ponder the creativity of God.  Sacred ground. You meet us in the burning
bush and in the steps of snow. You are ever present! You are an amazing God!

Gentle snowflakes wash my face. Thousands of them. Ten quintillion water
molecules make up one snowflake. Each one unique in symmetry. A Master
Designer, for sure. O God, when I look at the work of Your hands, I praise
You!

I stop walking. I stand in silence. Perfectly still. I eavesdrop on a party
- of birds - there in the tall evergreens. Hidden in the boughs, they're
having a party! Chirping with friends, low pitch, high pitch. They're
Manitoba birds and talking about the weather. But they're cheerful, not
grumpy. I stand there a long time. And stand and stand. Do they mind the
intruder? Their music delights me. I smile at my tiny friends. I sing with
them, All creatures great and small, Lord God, You've made them all.
Thank-you, thank-you!

 Ribbons of blue are driving away the grey in the West. The horizon is
brilliant! I pause and muse. Awe and wonder! I know this Master Artist! My
heart pours out praise!  The Heavens declare the glory of God! I worship
You, O mighty God, there is none like You!

My steps are full of joy and I keep walking. I feel the muscles in my thighs
and calves. They're working hard; they enjoy working for me. I feel my toes.
They're happy to give me balance. The systems that allow me to walk are
infinitely complex. I pause. I celebrate. I am fearfully and wonderfully
made! I am God's masterpiece! Thank-you, Thank-you God!

I am home again. Relaxed. Refreshed. Joyful and humbled.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits! Bless His holy
name!

Ruth G.
Ruth is a mom, grandmother and distant ed. student at Horizon College & Seminary in Saskatoon. God has used her to bless numerous others in her local church.

Feelings

I am a female and sometimes I feel insecure. There, I said it!

I don’t know if all females feel this way, but I do know many who do wrestle with feelings of insecurity.

I also realize just because I FEEL this way doesn’t mean I am. It means I feel this way and there can be a difference between feelings and reality.

Our feelings can drive our thoughts and our actions, and I want to suggest we can pull our feelings into check and realize they are nothing more and nothing less than our feelings. It tells us something about ourselves, and ourselves in relation to the situation around us.

I have always lived in Canada, which means I am very familiar with the term wind chill factor. Wikipedia says wind chill “is the decrease in air temperature perceived by the body on exposed skin that is due to the flow of cold air.” Interpretation – if it’s cold and windy, it feels colder than it actually is. (For those of you who live in significantly warmer climates you may be more familiar with the term humidex. Wikipedia says humidex is used “to describe how hot the weather feels to the average person, by combining the effect of heat and humidity.”)  The terms wind chill factor and humidex are used as a measuring stick. It tells us how hot or how cold it feels. It’s important information to have, but not reality in regards to an actual temperature.

If the actual temperature is -30C and there is a 10 km/hr wind, it will feel like -40C. Wind can do that to an actual temperature. It changes the actual to feel like something which is different. This would be a good place to say that whether the temperature is -40C or whether the wind chill is -40C, it’s still really cold and one had better dress for the weather or risk frostbite!

My point is this. Just because I feel insecure about a situation or a comment made, or a look given, doesn’t make it reality. However when I feel something, like insecurity, perhaps it’s a good opportunity to look inward and ask myself why that specific situation or those specific words resonate for me. Perhaps this is an opportunity to stand on the foundation of God’s Word and remind myself of His truth about me.

This is where it’s important to have scriptures memorized and tucked in the recesses of our mind. Here are a few to start with:

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” HCSB

Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with faithful love.” NIRV

Isaiah 43:1b says, ““Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” ESV

These scriptures are a good starting place to realign our feelings about ourselves to God's reality about us.

Jo-Ann

Offering Jesus

Have you ever felt like you've got nothing left to give?

Have you ever felt like even though you've offered all you could to a situation; it still wasn't enough?

Have you ever felt like you just weren’t enough?     

. . . Me too!

I am reminded of what Jesus says in Matthew 20:28-29.  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” NIV

What if YOU really don’t have anything left to give? . . . But Jesus

What if YOU really don’t have anything more to offer? . . . But Jesus

What if YOU really aren’t enough for the situation ahead of you? . . . But Jesus

We can have all of the life experiences in the world, but if we don’t point people to Jesus, how will they ever find rest for their souls? Our world is longing for this Jesus, who will carry their burdens and give them rest, but they need to meet Him. Jesus needs to be introduced in the midst of their everyday situations.

The reality is – the only thing we truly have to offer into any situation is Jesus.

So how do we do this?

     1. Know God’s word in season and out of season.

Begin with memorizing one verse. Once you’ve memorized it move to another one. After that memorize one more verse. And so on and so on. You have to start somewhere – begin with one verse . . . today.

     2. Offer God’s truth into the situation.

It’s stronger than any conviction you’ll ever have, it’s more significance than your opinion, and His Word is essential in informing our views of the things around us

     3. Learn to trust Father God to love and care for His children even more than you do.

God has created us for a purpose – to give Him glory – in ALL we do and in WHATEVER situation we find ourselves in. He is trustworthy and worthy of our trust.

Let’s equip ourselves with God’s Word tucked into the recesses of our mind to pull up at any given situation.

Let’s be prepared to “care for the orphans and widows” in practical and tangible ways – always for the purpose to show Jesus to others.

Let’s cling to God’s truth.

This is how we give to others . . . even when we have nothing left to give . . . We Offer Jesus!

Jo-Ann

Where Is Home?

I recently spent some time sitting at a garage waiting for some service to be completed on my vehicle. A magazine that I picked up there had a multiple choice quiz in it entitled “How Canadian Are You?”

Now, this has not been a burning question in my heart! I was born in Canada. I have lived my entire life in Canada. I had made the assumption that I was as Canadian as the next person.

Apparently I was mistaken!

According to an in depth analysis of my responses, which consisted of counting the number of times that I chose the ‘b’ answer, I am not a “quintessential Canadian”. In fact, I rate just above the “are you sure you are in the right country?” category!

Have you ever felt that…a sort of ‘maybe I am not in the right country’ feeling…that something is not quite right…that this place is not  home?

This is not about where you have chosen to live. It is not about flag waving or patriotism.

It is about citizenship somewhere else.

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Philippians 3:20)

This life is not all that there is…that should challenge us…that should comfort us…

The challenge is in remembering that many things are just not as important as we deem them to be…because they are just for now.

The challenge is in living for the things that do matter…because they are not just for now.

The comfort…ah the comfort is that there is more!

That longing that you carry…that sense of being a stranger here…it is because your citizenship is not here.

The comfort is that as you struggle…whatever your struggle…it is only for now…really only for a moment.

That is not to make light of anything that you are battling…but it is just that it’s not all about now. There is more…so much more…

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Ruth