A LOVER’S QUARREL WITH THE WORLD
Are our quarrels lover’s quarrels?
What does ‘ A lover’s quarrel’ mean?
There are two elements he mentions:-(a) It is a quarrel (‘an occasion of complaint against a person or a person’s actions),Dissatisfaction, our restlessness with things as they are and our sense of what they may be.
(b) It is a lover’s quarrel - for example; we get angry with ourselves but we don’t give up on ourselves.
Often our quarrels with other’s are not a lover’s quarrel. We write them off because of some miss behaviour. Jesus said, “Love your neighbour, as you love yourself” ... a lover’s quarrel.
Make sure your quarrel with the Church is a lover’s quarrel. We can criticize the church for its many failures but still see it’s great value. In Monica Furlong’s book “With love to the Church” she expresses her love for the church but called the Church to task for a number of things e.g. ‘”slow to celebrate, for being narrow, unkind and unworthy”. The Church has many imperfections, however, “Thank God for those people who, in spite of the imperfections of the church, encounter Christ there, and are made Christ-like by Him”
By Maurice Boyd
HANDLING ANGER
Anger is an essential part of how we function
Anger is an essential part of how we function.
1. How we respond to anger
We suppress anger: To suppress anger is like putting it in a barrel. You are aware of your feelings and you try and contain yourself by pushing it under the surface.
We express anger: Anger is a strong emotion, and it needs to be expressed in some way. Expressing anger with violent passion, yelling sharp words and high emotions does get results, but they are not positive.
We repress anger: Refusing to accept that you are angry, when you actually are, is NOT healthy
John Powell said: When I repress my emotions my stomach keeps score. Dr William Menniger writes: “Sometimes we push each other away and the problem between us festers and festers. Just as in surgery, free and adequate drainage is essential if healing is to take place.”
2. Unhealthy reactions to our anger
Ignore your feelings
Keep saying “I’m not angry!!”
Concentrate on scoring ‘points’ against your partner.
Blame your partner. (loudly)
Walk out and feel sorry for yourself.
3. Healthy reactions to our anger
Identify and acknowledge your feelings.
Identify why you are angry.
Recognise the surrounding circumstances e.g. both are tired and frustrated by the circumstances.
Express without anger, or blame, what the actual issue is, and why you are struggling with it.
Allow your partner to share their side.
Agree to find a solution with both making positive suggestions.
Agree to put the new plan into action and re-assess in a weeks time.
WRESTLING WITH GOD
Wise words from Nikos Kazantzakis (nominated for Nobel prize in literature 9 times, wrote books and plays- well-known one: “Zorba the Greek”)
In his memoir, Report to Greco, Nikos Kazantzakis shares this story: As a young man, he spent a summer in a monastery during which he had a series of conversations with an old monk. One day he asked the old monk: “Father, do you still do battle with the devil?” The old monk replied: “No, I used to, when I was younger, but now I have grown old and tired and the devil has grown old and tired with me. I leave him alone and he leaves me alone.” “So your life is easy then?” remarked Kazantzakis. “Oh no,” replied the monk, “it’s much worse, now I wrestle with God!”
There’s a lot contained in that remark – “I wrestle with God.” Among other things, it suggests that the struggles in later life can be very different than what we struggle with earlier on. In the normal pattern of things, we spend the first-half of our lives struggling with sensuality, greed, and sexuality, and spend the last half of our lives struggling with anger and forgiveness – and that anger is often, however unconsciously, focused on God. In the end, our real struggle is with God.
But wrestling with God has another aspect. It invites us to a certain kind of prayer. Prayer isn’t meant to be a simple acquiescence to God’s will. It’s meant to be an acquiescence, yes, but a mature acquiescence, come to at the end of a long struggle.
We see this in the prayer of the great figures in scripture: Abraham, Moses, Jesus, the apostles. Abraham argues with God and initially talks him out of destroying Sodom; Moses at first resists his call, protesting that his brother is better suited for the job; the apostles excuse themselves for a long time before finally putting their lives on the line; and Jesus gives himself over in the Garden of Gethsemane only after first begging his Father for a reprieve. As Rabbi Heschel puts it, from Abraham through Jesus we see how the great figures of our faith are not in the habit of easily saying: “Thy will be done!” but often, for a while at least, counter God’s invitation with: “Thy will be changed!”
Struggling with God’s will and offering resistance to what it calls us to can be a bad thing, but it can also be a mature form of prayer. The Book of Genesis describes an incident where Jacob wrestled with a spirit for a whole night and in the morning that spirit turned out to be God. What a perfect icon for prayer! A human being and God, wrestling in the dust of this earth! Doesn’t that accurately describe the human struggle?
We would do well to integrate this, the concept of wrestling with God, into our understanding of faith and prayer. We honor neither ourselves nor the scriptures when we make things too simple. Human will doesn’t bend easily, nor should it, and the heart has complexities that need to be respected, even as we try to rein in its more possessive longings. God, who built us, understands this and is up to the task of wrestling with us and our resistance.
The classical mystics speak of something they call “being bold with God”. This “boldness”, they suggest, comes not at the beginning of the spiritual journey, but more towards the end of it, when, after a long period of fidelity, we are intimate enough with God to precisely be “bold”, as friends who have known each other for a long time have a right to be. That’s a valuable insight: After you have been friends with someone for a long time, you can be comfortable with expressing your needs to him or her and in the context of a long, sustained relationship unquestioning reverence is not necessarily a sign of mature intimacy. Old friends, precisely because they know and trust each other, can risk a boldness in their friendship that younger, less mature, friendship cannot.
That is also true in our relationship with God. God expects that, at some point, we will kick against his will and offer some resistance. But we should lay out our hearts in honesty. Jesus did.
God expects some resistance. As Nikos Kazantzakis puts it:
The struggle between God and humans breaks out in everyone, together with the longing for reconciliation. Most often this struggle is unconscious and short-lived. A weak soul does not have the endurance to resist the flesh for very long. It grows heavy, becomes flesh itself, and the contest ends. But among responsible persons who keep their eyes riveted day and night upon the supreme duty, the conflict between flesh and spirit breaks out mercilessly and may last until death. The stronger the soul and the flesh, the more fruitful the struggle and the richer the final harmony. The spirit wants to have to wrestle with flesh which is strong and full of resistance. It is a carnivorous bird which is incessantly hungry; it eats flesh and, by assimilating it, makes it disappear.
BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS LIFE
Important things to do….
Every minute someone leaves the world behind.
We’re all in “the queue” without knowing it.
We will never know how many people are ahead of us.
We can’t move to the bottom of the row.
We can’t get out of line.
We can’t avoid the queue.
So, while we wait in line.
Make the moments count!
Every minute someone leaves the world behind.
Make priorities.
Make time.
Let your qualities be known.
Make people feel important.
Make your voice heard.
Make big things out of small things.
Make someone smile.
Make the change.
Make love.
Make peace.
Get it together.
Make sure you tell your people that you love them.
Make sure that you have no regrets.
Make sure you are ready.
Live life and let live, enjoy, be grateful, don’t waste your time arguing, fighting and doing bad things.
Life is short, live it and be humble, love yourself and be happy with what you have.
Have a happy life.
Nicolas Geusens
I CHOOSE
Before the world wakes, in the quiet of dawn, a powerful declaration is made: I Choose. This heartfelt reflection invites you to start each day with purpose—Will you choose the same?
It’s dark outside. The world is still asleep. The new day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive with the rising of the sun. The stillness of dawn will soon be broken by the noise of traffic. The calm of the morning will be invaded by the days commitments.
In the stillness of the morning, I start by meditating on God‘s word for today. Thereafter, most days I go for a 4 km walk to the nearby beach and think on the Word, and communicate with the Lord.
There are a number of choices to make in life and so I am free to choose as I am led by the Lord.
Jesus’s practice was to rise early in the morning, go to a quiet place and communicate with His Father in heaven.
I try to follow that model, and have committed myself to use the passage in Galatians 5:22-23 as a blue print to guide me. “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control”
To these, I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail I will seek His grace.
So, each day I choose the following:-
I CHOOSE LOVE.. I choose to love others unconditionally. The greatest command given to us is to love God, love others, and love ourselves. To this I commit myself each day, and will endeavour in all I do and say to honour this commandment.
I CHOOSE JOY… True Joy is not dependent on circumstances but is found in relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I will try to rejoice in the Lord always. It is a decision each day to choose Joy. It is a decision to see the good in others without being cynical and judgemental. I choose Joy rather than being negative and destructive in my feelings for others. I will endeavour to laugh a lot, and be joyful in all my dealings with others.
I CHOOSE PEACE.. I will choose peace by not being anxious about anything. But in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, I will present my requests to God-in this I will experience the peace that passes all understanding.
I CHOOSE PATIENCE… In moments of agro and frustration, I turn to the Lord in prayer asking for patience and understanding, rather than complaining. I try to face these moments patiently with joy and courage.
I CHOOSE KINDNESS… I choose kindness each day as it motivates me to be friendly, generous and considerate towards others. It brings a sense of purpose and meaning to my life, and especially helps me to listen intently to others.
I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS… Today I choose faithfulness, and will be loyal and reliable in all my commitments, promises and beliefs. I will be true to my Saviour and Lord, and trustworthy in my relationships, obligations and principles.
I CHOOSE GENTLENESS… I choose to be kind considerate with a soft, calm demeanour. Treating others with compassion and tenderness. Speaking gently with others, thoughtful of their feelings and needs.
I CHOOSE SELF CONTROL… I am a spiritual being. Each day I will place myself under the control of the Holy Spirit to guide and lead my life. I will call on the power of my Lord in moments of temptation or mishap, to guide and empower me to act responsibly.
To all the above I commit myself each day, and challenge you to prepare your choices each day.
TODAYS JOKES
Two jokes to brighten your day
What the future will be like.
“Hello, is this Gordon’s pizza?”
“No sir, it’s Google’s pizza”
“Did I dial the wrong number?”
“No sir, Google bought the pizza store”
“Oh, alright then. I’d like to place an order please”
“Okay sir, do you want the usual?”
“The usual? You know what my usual is?”
“According to the caller ID, the last 15 times you’ve ordered a 12 slice with double cheese, sausage, and thick crust”
“Okay, that’s what I want this time too”
“Mass suggested that this time you order an 8 slice with ricotta, lettuce and tomato instead?”
“No, I hate vegetables”
“But your cholesterol is not good”
“How do you know?”
“Through the subscriber’s guide. We have the results of your blood tests for the last seven years”
“You know what, I’m sick of Google, Facebook Twitter And everyone else having all my information! I am going to an island without Internet, where there’s no mobile line and no one to spy on me!’
“I understand sir, but you may want to renew your passport… It expired five weeks ago”
A guy goes to his doctor because he can see into the future.
The doctor asks him, "How long have you suffered from that condition?"
The Guy tells him, "Since next Monday."
DEALING WITH DIFFERENCES AND DISAGREEMENTS
Practical suggestions that are ‘do-able’
Realistically, every couple will have differences and disagreements. It is normal…. Do you remember the phrase “men are from Mars and women are from Venus”? Both are human, however, in a relationship there can be hiccups or tsunamis, but fortunately, we can improve our relationships with a few practical skills. This is one creative way to deal with negative issues:-
Choose a time and place where you will be private and not be disturbed. Agree to switch off mobiles etc.
Select one important issue that you would like to resolve.
Define the issue so that you are both on the same page.
Unemotionally, if possible, share your own personal feelings about the issue, and allow your partner to do the same. Avoid trying to suggest solutions at this stage, just ‘hear’ each other and try to understand their feelings, even if you do not agree with them.
Attack the problem, not each other!
List the things you have done to resolve the issue that have NOT been successful. Do not slip into the ‘blame game”! Look at the issue objectively. In many cases the disagreement stems from a lack of proper communication, etc.
If possible, inject a bit of light-hearted humour, but avoid making it personal. Rather, as a couple, see the comic side to some issues. However, be sensitive to each other in this, e.g. “O dear we really dropped the ball in this instance!”
Brainstorm possible solutions, try to find at least about 10 possible solutions, asking for divine wisdom from God. Do not judge or criticize any suggestions at this point just look at the pro’s and con’s of each suggestion. Then select one possible solution to implement and discuss how each will work towards the chosen solution.
Set a date, time and place, within a week or two, to discuss your progress. Acknowledge each other’s positive contribution and effort in working towards the solution.
Plan some regular pleasurable activities that you can engage in as a couple.
Effort from both will reap a rich benefit in enhancing your lives!
Marie Curie
An exceptional scientist and person
Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie was born on the 7 November, 1867 in Warsaw, Poland. She died on the 4 July, 1934 in France.
She, and her husband, Pierre Curie were an exceptional team in the field of scientific research.
She is famous for her work on radioactivity and twice a winner of the Nobel Prize. With her husband, and physicist Henri Bechuerel, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903. Marie was the sole winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and to win the award in two different fields. In 1906 she was the first woman to become a professor at University of Paris.
In 1906, Pierre Curie died in a Paris street accident. Marie continued her work and won the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This was for her discovery of the elements polonium and radium, using techniques she invented for isolating radioactive isotopes.
As one of the most famous scientists in history, Marie Curie has become an icon in the scientific world and has received tributes from across the globe. She also received many honorary degrees from universities across the world.
Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, the only woman to win in two fields, and the only person to win awards in multiple sciences.
What impressed me was that Marie and Pierre Curie worked individually and together. They were probably a great inspiration to each other!
IMPROVING OUR WELL-BEING
We can make positive changes in our lives.
We are not powerless, regardless of our circumstances. We have the power to change our struggles, even if the circumstances cannot be changed. A good example of those valiant persons who, for example, were in war-camp prisons and found ways overcome their dire situations.
I came across this article amongst my collection of reading matter, it listed fifteen steps we can take to improve our well-being:
Walk tall, swing arm
Smile.
Volunteer.
Make new friends.
Count your blessings.
Exercise.
Forgive and forget.
Meditate.
Music.
7-8 hours sleep.
Remember the goals you have.
Challenge your inner critic.
Tackle your goals.
Seek positive people.
Chat to a counsellor.
Listen to your heart.
In a world full of noise, discover the life-changing power of listening to the gentle, whispering voice of Jesus in your heart.
You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:19b)
Listen to your heart. It’s there that Jesus speaks most intimately to you. Praying is first and foremost listening to Jesus who dwells in the very depths of your heart. He doesn’t shout. He doesn’t thrust himself upon you. His voice is an unassuming voice, very nearly a whisper, the voice of a gentle love. Whatever you do with your life, go on listening to the voice of Jesus in your heart. This listening must be an active and very attentive listening, for in our restless and noisy world God’s so loving voice is easily drowned out. You need to set aside some time every day for this active listening to God if only for ten minutes. Ten minutes each day for Jesus alone can bring about a radical change in your life.
You’ll find it isn’t easy to be still for ten minutes at a time. You’ll discover straightaway that many other voices, voices that are very noisy and distracting, voices that do not come from God, demand your attention. But if you stick to your daily prayer time, then slowly but surely you’ll come to hear the gentle voice of love and will long more and more to listen to it. [Henri J.M. Nouwen, You are the Beloved]
TODAYS JOKES
Three jokes to brighten your day
"There will be a meeting of the Board immediately after the service," announced the pastor. After the close of the service, the group gathered at the back of the auditorium for the announced meeting. But there was a stranger in their midst. He was a visitor who had never attended their church before. "My friend," asked the pastor, did you understand that this is a meeting of the Board?" "Yes," said the visitor, "and after that sermon, I'm about as bored as you can get!"
The chairman of the pastor search committee informed the congregation: "Next Sunday our visiting preacher will be the Rev. Bill Oaks. If you would like to see the other preachers, you will find them hanging in the vestibule."
My wife told me to take the spider outside instead of killing him.
Went out. Had a few drinks.
Nice guy.
He's a web designer.
THOUGHT AND CHARACTER
How important are our thoughts?
THOUGHT AND CHARACTER
I came across a book by James Allen published in 2003, at first, I was put off by the title “As a man thinketh, so is he”. Then I realized that he was merely using an aphorism (a pithy observation which contains a general truth) and that the issues that he explored were relevant to all humans.
An important factor that he expounds is that we are a product of our thoughts. Not just the thoughts that come as a result of serious consideration, but also those that are spontaneous acts.
Consider this poem that he wrote:
Thought in the mind hath made us. What we are by thought was wrought and built.
If a man’s mind hath evil thoughts, pain comes on him as comes the wheel the ox behind.
If one endure in purity of thought, Joy follows him as his own shadow-sure.
He continues to say that a noble character is not because we a favoured, or just by chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking.
The opposite is also true. We become what we focus our minds on. In essence, we are shaping ourselves by the things we fill our minds with, what we feed into our minds, what we watch on TV, what we read, what we think about, or contemplate.
The author states that we are always the master, even in our weakest states. We have more power and control than we give ourselves credit for. We are not helpless individuals in the whims of life, our part is to reflect on our own conditions. We then can direct our energies and intellect to be aware of our thoughts and their effect on our lives, positive or negative. With this knowledge and understanding we gain wisdom and power. We are not powerless products of our lives and thinking. We have the power, with the help of God, to reflect on our lives, our feelings, our actions, our words and the power to direct these into a more accurate, more positive, view of who we really are. Who we were created to be.
Some wise words from the bible….. “ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” PHILIPIANS 4:8
MAKE ME STRONG, LORD
Developing authentic strength…
MAKE ME STRONG, LORD
A. Strong in defence, but not attack
B. Strong in inner peace, but not weak
C. Strong in forgiveness, but quick to forget
D. Strong in seeking the truth, but silent in speaking
E. Strong in caring, but respectful of each person
F. Strong in judgement of myself, but slow to judge others
G. Strong each day, but unconcern about tomorrow
H. Strong in compassion, but wise to human weakness
I. Strong to love, but aware that we live in a broken world
J. Strong in my belief, but not arrogantly so
K. Strong in hope, but not superficial
L. Strong in realistic thinking, but aware of the mystical
M. Strong in this life, but aware that life is temporary
N. Strong in body, mind and spirit, but conscious of my human frailty
PRACTICAL COMPASSION AND CONCERN
Saving lives through prevention..
Costa and I had the privilege of having Peter and Louise Auersperg and their son Alexander, as friends when we lived in Plettenberg Bay(a coastal town in the Eastern Cape, South Africa). We shared many happy, and sad, times together. I believe that Louise and their son, Alexander, have shown how compassion and concern can rise above personal loss and grief. They had the foresight and dedication to teach skills, and as a result, many lives have been saved from drowning.
This tribute captures a glimpse into how one person can see a need for skills that can save lives, and a willingness to dedicate time and effort to teach those skills to underprivileged children in South Africa.
“My name is Julie. I am the Country Ambassador for Difference Makers South Africa. South Africa has quality individuals, of the best! There are many unseen heroes in South Africa. I have come across a beautiful story of courage and selflessness from Plettenberg Bay, this is the story of Louise & Peter Auersperg. Peter Nominated his wife Louise at the end of last year 2018, to become a Top 100 SA Difference Maker. She was notified of this, and I had noticed that Louise became quiet for quite a while. Then last week I got a call from Louise where she told me that Peter had passed away. Here I am today, I am announcing Louise as one of S.A,’s newest Top 100 SA Difference makers. In her own words, Louise says: “I am humbled and privileged to share a gift God has given me to enrich children’s lives and I learned so much from them. I encourage every South African to share with those who do not have opportunities. Together we can make a difference. Thank you for the nomination that was done, thank you Julie who is making this possible, I want to dedicate this nomination to those who have made a difference in my life and honour my son, Alexander Auersperg, senior lifesaver and other volunteers for their dedication to the children.” ( http:www.differencemakers.co.za/top-100-nominees)
CELEBRATING OUR MOTHERS
Making your prayer time meaningful
Each year in May we celebrate our mothers. We thank God for our mothers. We all have a mother. On Mother’s Day we honour our mothers, to those who mothered us, grandmothers and the mothers of our children, our wives, and the mothers of our grandchildren.
The role of a mother is a lifetime task, which cannot be confined to one day a year. In fact, every day is Mother’s Day.
However, Mother’s Day is set aside as a day for remembering what our mothers have done and are doing for us and our families.
I do not believe that anything has ever been said or ever will be said that is eloquent enough, or expressive enough to articulate the true value of a mother...
In Proverbs 31, the author sums up a mother’s task. She sows, shops, cooks, gardens, cares for the family.
“She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”
“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”
WHAT’S THAT OLD SAYING? "Man works from sun to sun, but woman’s work is never done."
Many authors have written poems and stories in paying tribute to their mothers.
John Milton wrote,
“Grace was in all her steps,
Heaven in her eye.
In every gesture dignity and love”
Thomas Edison once said, “I did not have my mother long, but she cast over me an influence which has lasted all my life. The good effects of her early training I can never lose. If it had not been for her appreciation and her faith in me at a critical time in my experience, I should never likely have become an inventor. I was always a careless boy, and with a mother of different mental calibre, I should have turned out badly. But her firmness, her sweetness, her goodness, were potent powers to keep me in the right path. My mother was the making of me. The memory of her will always be a blessing to me.”
What a loving tribute to a blessed mother.
All of the other qualities of the godly mother are hinged on this one quality, LOVE, Love is the major driving force in the godly mother, not only a love for their children, not only a love for their husband, godly mothers must have a deep and unswerving love for God, this love is what motivates and develops the rest of the love that is in their life, without the love for God - the rest of their life and love will be incomplete.
An epitaph on his wife’s tombstone written by her husband after 60 years of marriage, read, "SHE ALWAYS MADE HOME HAPPY."
That’s love. That’s a mother in the true sense.
For ‘Love’ is fuel for life
When life gets rough - love gives strength
When life gets tough - love gives power
When life lets you down - love gives encouragement
When life seems empty - love gives meaning
When life gets mundane - love gives enthusiasm
When life seems sad - love gives joy
When life gets confusing - love gives clarity
That love is demonstrated to us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Who is our ultimate mother? Is it mother earth? My wife Marge spoke to an old Bushman woman in Botswana in Southern Africa, she looked ancient with wrinkled face and wise eyes, and when asked through two interpreters whether she knew God…She replied by tapping the ground next to her saying “I know God, He is here”.
Who is our ultimate mother? Our ultimate mother is our Heavenly Father. God is our Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Mother. HE IS OUR PERFECT PARENT WITH ALL THE QUALITIES NEEDED TO BRING US INTO PERFECT MATURITY.
He is both director and nurturer:
The hand pointing forward and the other hand guiding us from the back. Our conscience that convicts us and the grace that saves us.
The mighty warrior and the tender person with children around Him.
Some of us only see God in His Father role but let us never forget that He is all to us, he is our heavenly Father, but He is also our heavenly Mother.
Happy Mother’s Day
TODAYS JOKE
Bored with the sermon.
Our mothers are very special people. One writer recorded his experience of his mother in this humourist way:-
“Things Our Mothers Taught Us “
My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
- My mother taught me about RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
- My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week"
- My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that’s why."
- My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, or I’ll give you something to cry about."
- My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
- My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
- My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"
- My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home"
- My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"
Easter Funnies
A Few Easter Funnies to Smile About
One Easter, a father was teaching his son to drive when out of nowhere a rabbit jumped on the road. Slamming on the brakes, the son said, "I nearly ruined Easter! I almost ran over the Easter Bunny." His father replied, "It's okay son—you missed it by a hare."
How do dinosaurs celebrate Easter? They don’t. They’re eggs-tinct.
What kind of jewellery does the Easter Bunny wear? 14-carrot gold
How does the Easter Bunny stay healthy? Eggs-ercise, specifically hare-obics
How does the Easter Bunny dry off? With a hare dryer
What do you call a bunny with fleas? Bugs Bunny
What did the kids do when their treats were all hidden on Easter morning? They demanded an eggsplanation.
What do you call an unconventional Easter egg? Egg-centric.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
We have more power in our lives than we believe..
Our eldest son John had an enquiring mind; and still has it. When he was young a standard question was; “what if…?” He did not just accept things as they were presented, but looked at alternatives.
My question is “are we like conditioned robots or are we autonomous, thinking, learning, human beings?”
Some thoughts about how we might be conditioned:-
1. MOB MENTALITY:-
Political propaganda, news broadcasts, racial discrimination etc leading to unfair judgements (due to incorrect or biased information) For example; Adolf Hitler’s propaganda against the Jews. Unfortunately, we humans are gullible, we believe without thought, or proof.
2. LIVING OUT OF A ‘SCRIPT’:-
These were subtly imposed on us in previous years and still today, for example- the ‘inferior’ status of women and this resulting in the present creation of ‘masculine women’ rather than ‘strong females’
3. THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY INFLUENCE OF RELIGIONS:-
Jesus clearly taught us to love one another
“ A new commandment I give you: “Love one another as I have loved you”. (John 13; 34) This was an all-inclusive love. He even loved the Scribes and Pharisees, who plotted His destruction, and said from the cross “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34) However, they did not accept His love, and concern for the direction they were going in.
And it continues… what about the brutal “Holy wars”, misguided religious fervour, etc. e.g. Adolf Hitler’s brutal massacre of millions of Jews, whitewashing this atrocity by calling them Christ killers.
Today it is more subtle, mocking Christians and their beliefs; in the media, movies, and even in social contacts. Young people are often afraid to state that they are Christians, for fear of this judging and mocking.
4. THE PAST, AND PRESENT, HISTORY OF HUMANITY:-
Our history is dotted with brutal wars, some justified them as the only way to stop evil practices, and others stem out of greed, revenge, various disputes e.g. land ownership. Wars are devastating to all involved and one asks the question, “Was there not another way to deal with these travesties?”
There is a need to challenge evil practices that are still evident in our world today. For example, I recently read an account of human trafficking that is flourishing in our world today. This is unacceptable and the question is, and I do not have the answer, how do we stop this for the sake of the children being sold, and the de-humanising effect on the perpetrators?
The good news is that there is as much good, and hopefully more than evil, in this world. Think of the outstanding figures of the past, and I call them the ‘bright lights”. There are so many. I love to read biographies about significant positive people. Of course top on my list is Jesus Christ who taught “My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12)
5. UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD TO ALL PEOPLE:-
Consider these steps from prejudice to “unconditional positive regard” to all people. Not judging, nor “starry-eyed view of humans, but a realistic acknowledgement that each person has their own history, even Hitler (an interesting revelation about his childhood), and the right to be treated with dignity and respect. We can create a new world that does not continue to create victims.
OUR CHANGING WORLD
From the beginning of time our world has experienced change…
Who of us can know for certain what tomorrow may hold? Our lives can change in an instant.
Recently we had a visit from cyclone Alfred causing floods in various parts of Australia. Instantly lives changed, and miraculously only one life lost. This event reminded me of a similar flood event in 2011. We lived in Moggill and our church was transformed into a haven; SES set up their operation in the office area, people slept in the church, barbecues were set up on the verandah. The shopping area was underwater and when urgent medication was needed a diver plunged into the water, found the chemist and was able to bring to the refuge centre medicines that were urgently needed.
However, there could also be sudden positive events; a substantial inheritance, a long-prayed for pregnancy, meeting the love of your life..
None of us can predict these things. As one person said, “Life happens”. Nothing remains the exactly the same, although perhaps we would like to think it does. Think for instance when we were young nothing was more delightful than to spend hours getting ready for a party, where we danced the night away to loud music. However, as we age nothing is more delightful than to spend a few moments getting rid of the tight clothes, the uncomfortable shoes, slipping into a gown and slippers and settling down to a quiet evening with a good book, watching a good movie or listening to soft music.
The other reality is that our relationships change, people come into our lives, but few are life-long contacts. Each move along their own path which may well take them to distant lands. Children grow up and leave the nest, friends may immigrate, death comes into all our lives. The secret is to value each other, while we can.
Amongst all this change there is one constant; Our eternal, unchangeable God. Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) and in Hebrews 13:8 we read, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” He is our heavenly Father, our eternal Friend and Saviour, our strength in times of weakness, our guide through all the vagaries of life.
Can I ask then, “Why are some people afraid to become a Christian when God has demonstrated His love so magnificently?” Who would not want a positive, strong, up-building constant in this changing world?