ANCIENT-FUTURE...

How are they linked? Our study group, which has doubled in size, (also some are studying remotely) is exploring this link as we  take our next JOG through the New Testament. We're reading Women of the Gospels, Friends & Disciples of Jesus by S.J.Binz. This study uses the ancient art of lectio divina. It invites us to carefully,methodically & meditatively look at Scripture and ourselves in response.

Our first full study found us laughing, crying and sharing deeply as we recognized ourselves as "sisters" to the women who walked, talked, debated with and were enabled by the touch, interaction & acceptance of Jesus, first hand.

God can turn obstacles into opportunities.

As i was reading Our Daily bread devotional on "Divine Appointments"  these following words encouraged me and renewed my spirit that He is the father and knows our purpose in this world;

Prayer :
Dear Father , help us to focus on you alone than on any other thing that comes in our way .

God can use inconveniences in our lives if we look at them as divine appointments.

“Disappointment—His appointment,”
Change one letter, then I see
That the thwarting of my purpose
Is God’s better choice for me. —Young

What would draw you into the midday sun?

They say its 34 degrees but feels like 41. Interesting how life rattles on regardless of the heat ... From my air conditioned perch on the 23rd floor cars & trucks, looking like dinkytoys, still whiz along the expressway,  trains still carry passengers in and out of the downwtown core, ferrys in the harbour connect the island with the city every half hour, tugboats chug along pushing various platforms here & there, sailboats sail and tourboats tour but there is a distinct absence of people in view, no cyclists, no pedestrians, no children playing, but over there I see one brave soul at an outdoor cafe. He is wearing a hat and sipping on a drink, a motorized scooter by his side. What would draw someone into the midday heat to sit with no direct shade. Could it be the need to escape another environment of heat, the need to be in community (someone served him), the need to feel that he is part of something bigger than his living accomodation no matter how high or low end it may be.... what do you think?

R U Dateless?

We will be soon ....
Did you notice that the jog schedule is out of date becuase its dated?
Actually, we are working on posting a dateless version so you can jog when you want and not be thrown off course by dates that don't correspond with your schedule.
It will be ready soon.

submission to chocolate...reDQlious

... submission to one another, now that's a whole other ball game. In the letters to the young churches there was a strong emphasis on submitting to one another in love & respect . Why? Because it was and is an important part of living in community. It's a key ingredient in reflecting the character of Christ Jesus in everyday living. Submission means that you are thinking about being in relationship to support, encourage and build up others.  No matter the culture, gender or social class, the concept then, and now, is to anchor our thinking and honour our relationships in God-truths.

"STUFF HAPPENS" ... Forest, you are a genius!

Stuff happens... and we find ourselves hurting, dissapointed, anxious... you know human stuff. That's reality. So when we feel like this why would the bible in Philippians 4:4 say "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!"? Well it's about having an attitude of gratitude simply because God journeys with us ... it rolls out like this in verse 6 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything, tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done for you (in general and in specifics if you can). Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand and His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."  Good thing, because we do worry about stuff that happens and we need to know what to do with the worry.  And, the thought of having our hearts and minds protected in the process is awesome and comforting! So talking it out with God step by step, day by day can turn our hurt, disappointment & our anxiety on its heels and help us find our way in the midst of any storm we happen to be in ... because STUFF HAPPENS!

What do you hear when you read?

That depends... What we hear depends on what we are listening for...

 It was late in the night and all should have been calm when out of nowhere, or so it seemed, I woke up to the sound of metal banging metal over and over again. I waited and listened to see if I was dreaming. No, I wasn't. Then I waited to see if it would stop. No, it didn't. It continued & seemed to steadily grow louder. Then I heard voices yelling ... what was going on? Was it someone destroying the playground in the park  a few doors away? Maybe ... Was it someone wrecking the fence and posts for place to cut through? No, it was too loud for that! Was a neighbourhood car getting wrecked? No, it was metal on metal not metal on plastic. It must be the playground I thought ... how sad... what should I do? My mind raced. I peered out numerous windows but that didn't help much  until I saw small lights on the train track beside the park. Then, easily enough my ears began to hear the sounds of the night crew making major repairs on the train track and I soon fell back to sleep knowing the sounds were meant for good not for harm.

We hear what we are listening for  whether we are reading or sleeping.

Corinthians ...

We met, we jogged, we sprinted, we prayed.... love, respect, truth, faith, judgement, community ... these are some of the foundational themes we found. Its all about having the mind of Christ in this crazy fallen world. Yet God is faithful.  The Holy Spirit will counsel us in order that we may keep the matters of the heart God honouring because we cannot do it on our own.  Good thing because every day comes with its own challenges. So to be in healthy relationships with God, others, ourselves and creation we need wisdom, and discernment that only God can give us.... because "The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength".

temptation is a fact of life

 for every human. Yet if we are in an interactive relationship with God we can be confident that He knows us intimately as we stand transparent before him.  As we kneel before him God's WORD breathes life into us and the Holy Spirit's faithfulness, enables us to resist the temptation at hand.  So we must be on our guard, standing firm in our faith and being of courage & strength. The intent of our heart  and our related behaviour, as we are obedient to the scriptures, is what can challenge and dissipate sin that trys to forcefully knock us out. Yet God is faithful to journey with us and hold us up when and where we may need his preasence. It's all about LOVE... funny thing we thought we were talking about sin!

WE ARE LAGGING BEHIND!

Yuppers, thats right we are not on the schedule that we intended BUT we have persevernce and we are still on the jogging route. This week we will start the book of 1  Corinthians. So there you go ... you don't have to feel so bad. Come on, join us with a cup of tea (we usually have chai tea) and pull your bible back off the table. 1 Corinthians is only 16 chapters and remember, if you have a study bible skim the purpose, theme, relevance, outline and any info on the city of Corinth first. It's kind of like doing your warm up stretches. Together we can do it!

Perseverance...

That was the prayer that was on our lips as we finished the book of Acts. Perseverance in the life of the new church reminded us of our need to persever in our lives as part of the church 2000 years later. Perseverance in the life of individuals reminded us of our need to persever as people whose behaviour influences those around us. As we sat around and talk about perseverance in our personal lives we reflected on how critical  it is for each us to persever in our spiritual lives and on this jog.

ENDURANCE...

Dictionary.com says that endurance is ...
1. the fact or power of enduring or bearing pain, hardships, etc.
2. the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina
3. lasting quality; duration

4. something endured, as a hardship; trial.

As we have read through the book of  Acts we have not only talked about the deep need of endurance in living but also a key resource - the Holy Spirit.  As the fallen world puts demands on us we are aware of the nurturing direction and insight given to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As a group we continue to pray for guidance and discernmnet from the Holy Spirit  as we go about our daily routines.  If you are reading this we  encourage you to try this means of sustinance in living also. 

 

SKYPE-JOGGING

Tonight, Montreal is in the midst of a snow storm so we jogged from 3 locations using Skye. In the original Jog thru the New Testament vision we had discussion about meeting up anyway we could using technology. Good old mother nature facilitated our movement forward. God is pushing us to remember the vision and develop our opportunities to spread the gospel further and wider. Thank you God we give you praise!

Hows the jog???

As we have been jogging through the New Testement we have also encounterd various life events...joy in new life, sorrow in death, and uncertainty in change. Part of taking this jog offers us the opportunity to find ourselves supported and strengthened in our life journey. It's OK if you have fallen behind in the jogging schedule because of life. The small group of us who meet a few times a month to support each other on this jog are behind too. So what are we doing about it? We skim-speed-read together through some segments and stay focused in other spots. We are actually taking extra time to understand the book of Acts right now as a  foundation for  understanding the letters to the churches. Come on! Get your jogging shoes back on ... pull out your bible and join us as we read through the book of Acts.

New Year - New Fav Bible Verse!

My grandma passed away last month...I was thinking about Jeremiah 29:11-13.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
 

Jeremiah 29:11-13
 

This will be my Bible version for 2011!
Here's an excerpt from what I said at her memorial:

Grandma first showed me this verse when I was a teenager. I was thinking about this verse over the last couple of weeks - God had great plans for Grandma and Grandpa, and I can see how God blessed and prospered them throughout their lives. 

My most special memories of Grandma are how she was constantly talking with God and reading scriptures. I can remember many times when I was sick and she would immediately pray for healing – usually everyone holding hands or putting her hand on my head – or the times when I was at Braeside Camp and she would come around to pray with me.

Grandma told me about how her and Grandpa one day attended a Youth for Christ Bible conference in Forest and committed their hearts and lives to Jesus. Jesus changed their lives and they never looked back.

If I had one other memory to choose from, it would be Grandma and her roses. To this day I love roses too. Most years, she would bring roses on my birthday or send them home with me after a visit.

I hope Jesus has built Grandma’s room in heaven with a small rose garden. Love you Grandma!