Big stuff, small stuff, here comes space stuff (Asteroid)!

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I was at my Oncologist's office this morning. Yes, cancer the gift that keeps on giving.

As we talked about stuff, and the shape of the world we currently live in, I talked about my friends on the Dairy Farm, my doctor likes the fact that I call Chemo the Dairy Farm, "It makes it feel better somehow", says he. 

I talked about big stuff verses small stuff and how just about everything is small stuff. How we try to make small stuff into big stuff because somehow it makes us more important, or something. How people are getting upset and angry about things they really shouldn't get upset or angry about.

I am reminded of a story Tolstoy wrote. In the story there were two farmers. who lived next to one another. One day a farmer went to his chicken coop and found an egg missing. He assumed his neighbor stole it and accused his neighbor of stealing an egg. 

Two things about this story that always caused me pause:

1. How did the farmer know that an egg was missing and that his chicken just had not laid an egg that day?

2. Why did he assume his neighbor had stolen an egg in the first place?

Anyway, this caused a feud that ended when one farmer lit the other farmers house on fire only to have the flames catch his house on fire too thus burning his own house down in the process. 

"One match burns two houses"

Big stuff, small stuff here comes space stuff.

If we just sit back a moment and ask the question what is truly BIG verses what is truly small we have new eyes to see things through. 

According to an internet search evidently there is an asteroid that is going to hit the earth on election night. 

Big stuff, small stuff, here comes space stuff (Asteroid)!

Now if you want BIG stuff that would be right up there. After all the last time a large asteroid hit the earth it was an extinction event.

Upon further research however I found that alas this was not true, thus the Asteroid story became small stuff pretty quickly. 

I guess what I am trying to say is the next time you think you have BIG stuff do a little research to verify that it is truly BIG, chances are it too will become small.

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger  

"If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat."

 Good morning,
I pray the day finds you well.

I got up this morning thinking about a book I read almost twenty years ago. The book was "If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat." by John Ortberg. 

I have thought about this book when it came to mind over the years and always causes me pause. In the book John uses the analogy of Peter walking on the water to greet Jesus. He talks bout being daring, getting out of your comfort zone. Doing something new and different for Christ. 

He says, "If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat."

Meaning that if you want to see change and do things that will get new results you have to stop what you are doing and take a chance. If you want to do something truly amazing like walk on water, you have to get out of the boat. 

Over the years I have wondered whether I have truly gotten out of the boat? That is the thought that haunts me.

He goes on to say, "here is a deep truth about water-walking: the fear never goes away."

Meaning, that when you go into the great unknown, totally trusting Christ, it will be a bit scary, The fear of sinking will never go away. Walk on water anyway!

Laurie (my wife) and I have felt this fear. She has expressed it in terms like, "We are going to have to eat cat food or live under a bridge.

He goes on to say, "the worst failure is not to sink in the waves. The worst failure is to never get out of the boat.

I hope I have not committed this failure. Never taking a chance. Always remaining safely in the process or business that is known and not making a real impact but keeping comfortable is the worst failure, you never got out of the boat. 

He finishes with, "I believe there are many good reasons to get out of the boat.  But there is one that trumps them all: The water is where Jesus is."

You can stay in the boat and talk about the things of God or you can emulate Peter and actually go do the things God would have you do. 

You can walk on water, you can walk toward Christ. Sure the fear of sinking will be there but God has you in His hands. 

Something to Ponder.

Blessings,

Roger

---

I will try not to make small stuff, big stuff.

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I have been a bit cranky lately. I have been feeling a bit down as my "post chemo" body has been dealing with the effects of having been filled with poison for seven months. 

I was busy lamenting to someone (I do not even know who) about this when God reminded me, "Aren't you the guy who spent time on the dairy farm (chemo room)? Aren't you the guy who spent time with people a lot farther down their journey with cancer than your place in the journey? What did you learn from these people?"

I stopped in my tracks. I remembered how we talked about big stuff and little stuff, both large and small. I remembered how we talked about not sweating the small stuff and how the more we talked the less big stuff there was in our lives, in fact unless we made it big stuff it was all small stuff!

We talked about not knowing how many days we had, and making the most out of the day that was in front of us. 

As I ruminated on my conversations on the dairy farm I remembered something someone had once said. Someone whose words remained after they themselves had been forgotten. 

This is what they said:

This is the beginning of a new day.

God has given me this day to use as I will.

I can waste it or use it for good.

What I do today is important,

Because I’m exchanging a day of my life for it.

When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever,

Leaving in it’s place something that I have traded for it.

I want it to be gain, not loss;

Good, not evil; Success, not failure,

In order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it.

Anonymous

I will try and remember these words. 

I will try not to make small stuff, big stuff.

My post Chemo Body is small stuff. I will have fun working on it 

What stuff are you making "big stuff" today, is it really big stuff? If you are unsure, ask someone who is looking eternity directly in its face, they will tell you what big stuff is, and what isn't.

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger

Come on people now smile on your brother,

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

The Youngbloods wrote this song in 1967. 

Love is but a song to sing
Fear's the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment's sunlight
Fading in the grass

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen!)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It's there at your command

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

I said, come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Right now
Right now

It says it all!

I believe we should be practicing this today.

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger