Taradiddle

Whether it is a petty lie or pretentious nonsense, no sane person in politics or in any manner of office should make up such a taradiddle. And yet, as we head to the election polls to cast our votes, we are reminded of the divisive lines that are drawn between people, parties and provinces. We are believing that our government can save us from our predicaments, problems and past.

We like to think of ourselves as being honest, but if you check the statistics, everyone is a liar. According to researchers, the average person lies at least once or twice a day. Just think about these questions:

Have you ever given someone a compliment that wasn’t genuine? Have you every told another person that you were great when you were really suffering from health, relationship or other issues and having a horrible day? Lastly, have you ever told a person you were too busy just to avoid talking to them or doing something with them? If the answer was “yes” to even one of these questions, then you are a liar.

Proverbs 19:9 tells us that, “a false witness will not go unpunished and he who breathes out lies will perish.”

If you suspect someone might be lying to you but aren’t sure, an easy way to find out is to ask him or her “Why?” questions. “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” Proverbs 6: 16-19

Let’s be honest and know that the only way to the truth is through Jesus.

insouciance

There are people who are night-owl naysayers hooting about the latest trends. Some are day-break blabberers beaking off about some issue. And then there are the insouciance individuals.

We all have a community of family and friends who have radically divergent thoughts about our world today. The naysayers might believe that the chaos, craziness and confusion of our world will end soon with Satanic forces at full play. The blabberers think that life is awesome and plagues like greed, disease and discourse consume humanity but will be over by WEF’s 2030 agenda. We are caught between miracles and messes.

Then there are the casual, lack of concern crowd; the “insouciances” where matters don’t seem to matter when in fact they do! We have arrived at the arena where opinions get shared like soup at supper. Voices are raised above the noise over every issue, on various platforms and people get shut down, shouted out and shouted at.

We are all part of the immense network but our relationships have become disconnected, short circuited or neglected from what really matters in this life. Perhaps it’s time to leave indifference, not be hypnotized by social comments and opinions. It’s time to get back into nature, kick the shoes off or even hug a tree. By taking in God’s beauty and the simpler things, we might reconnect with our inner self - connect with the Holy Spirit and listen or pray that our apathy is left in the woods, buried under a bush and forgotten when we return to a world where relationships matter.

The bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will guide us, direct us, comfort us and mentions other references to the power of the Holy Spirit. He teaches, instructs, strengthens, frees us, renews us, empowers and unites us. We are sealed, given access to the Father and producing fruit in us. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts, testifies of Jesus and even enables us to wait and cast out demons! The Holy Spirit is mentioned over 90 times in the New Testament!

So let us not be insouciant, but ask the Holy Spirit to convict us as believers.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26

shevah

Lucky number 7 has many connections and representations and has been significant in ancient times and today. In numerology, the union of number 4 (physical or body) with number 3 (spiritual or soul) is particularily interesting when considering number 7. It was considered important in the wizarding world as well as religiously. In the New Testament the number seven symbolizes the unity of the four corners of the Earth with the Holy Trinity.

In Hebrew, the one number that is spiritually significant in the Torah is the number 7. She’vah, which is also the word for “oath”, relates the idea of spiritual submission to God’s will, even though the number is associated with luck. Our short term memory can retain 7 numbers adequately.

The number 7 also indicates completion. In Leviticus 23, God ordains the 7 Holy seasons that the Israelites are to keep and observe. (70 days) God also created the earth in 7 days. There are 7 days in a week and 52 days, or (5+2=7) a year and 7 years in a Jubilee.

The number 7 also represents Judgement. It’is something no one these days really wants to talk about and yet in the book of Joshua, God commanded Joshua to march around the walls of Jericho once, every day for six days and then 7 times on the 7th day. The city was to be attacked using this strategy. Seven priests were instructed to blow the trumpets and as they marched with the Ark of the Covenant in front of them and all the people behind the Ark of the Covenant, the walls fell.

There are countless references to the number 7 in the bible. Jesus even mentions the number 7 in Matthew 12:45 when refering to evil spirits: “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

And so, the next time you see a number 7, be reminded of She ‘vah and submitting to God’s will; not just the lucky digit.

noiseless

“Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning sun can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day - like writing a poem or saying a prayer.” Anne Morrow LIndbergh

There are always lists of things to get done in a day. There are always trips to take, weights to lift, things to buy, but hustle and bustle doesn’t quiet the spirit. As winter is kicked aside with the odd howl, spring makes her way into this season. LIttle buds on trees, robins nesting, green shoots popping their heads into the sunlight are certainly signs that she’s ready and we get that antsy feeling of getting back into the full swing of life. Even today was like a summer day with temperatures soaring and roaring in the 20’s!

Jim Berg wrote a book called “Quieting a Noisy Soul” where he explains that often the “noise in our soul” is experienced because of pressures in our lives. These are things like despair, anger, fear, frustration, guilt, shame, position or possessions, recreation, obsessions, addictions, lust, hatred or even entertainment that want to budge in and take their place in our lives by making enough noise that we notice them. These “sources of noise” are in marriages, church communities, families, hobbies, and any place where we have relationships. The garden just isn’t growing the way it’s supposed to in our everyday life. We can’t be as fruitful with junk in our spiritual walk.

And so, what are we mere mortals supposed to do about the discontent in our souls? Why are so many willing to cave to pressure? Where are we finding time to spend time alone, reflecting, meditating, praying and praising the God of creation? As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, there was a crowd of disciples joyfully praising God “in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.

Luke 19: 37-40

And even in the quiet moments, the bible tells us in Psalm 62: 5

“My soul, be quiet before God,
    for from him comes my hope.”

So, whether it’s praising Him loudly or praying to Him softly, we can find contentment in our souls. Not the noise that the world offers, but the adoration, worship and peace that only the Holy Spirit can give us.

finifugal

Afraid of finishing anything? Afraid to wake up to yet another dreary day? Afraid of failure? Afraid of feelings, circumstances or stepping into something new? Afraid of obedience and leaving the security, safety and soundness of a space? Afraid of death itself? Why?

It is hard to face fears and have faith when you face disappointments. You play the mistakes you made like a skipping record that can’t find the grove to sing to. You feel disqualified, kicked off the team, no longer able to do the things you once were passionate about. You can’t see the ending.

But there is one! After death there is eternity. For believers, eternity starts the moment we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. For some it will be heaven and for others hell. Our hope is in Jesus who is faithful. Romans 5:3-4 tells us to press on.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, he discusses the "10,000‐Hour Rule", and shares that the key to success in any field is a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours. As an example, he brings up that The Beatles performed live in Hamburg, Germany alone over 1,200 times from 1960 to 1964, collected more than 10,000 hours of playing time and we can see that they are still a popular group to this day. Basically, practicing for 10,000 hours of anything would probably include failures, frustrations and possibly falling short of goals at times, but as the bible tells us, perseverance produces character, which produces hope.

As Christians, our hope is in Jesus! Reading scripture, praying, worshiping and pressing on in this life for those 10,000 hours will produce a connection with the creator of the universe. It’s key to success. Press on, good and faithful servant. It’s worth it!

skandalon

What’s your trigger? What’s the cage that holds the action, the word, the thought that sets you off? What’s the hunter’s trap? We become captive when we take the bait of offense and build walls to protect ourselves; whether mentally or emotionally so we can stop the pain. It’s the stumbling block that stops us from healing. Sometimes it’s the behavior or attitude that keeps us from love, kindness and care. Other times, it causes others to fall into a defence mode and attack us.

Skandalon was the stick that was used as the trigger for a snare trap.  Eventually, the word evolved into meaning a thing that trips up a person or causes them to stumble and fall, not just literally, but figuratively. The bible even talks about this:

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this – not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. Romans 14:13

In Matthew 18: 6-9, Jesus taught that skandalon is a terribly serious offense and warned that anyone who caused the “little ones who believe” to stumble will face God’s anger.  In fact, that person should have a millstone hung around his neck and be thrown into the Sea of Galilee! When the disciples argue on the way to Jerusalem about who was the greatest, Jesus welcomed a child, and invited them to see the value of the least among them.

But what about our stumbling blocks and triggers? Our hearts and emotions are the biggest places, capable of creating an endless supply of skandalons that have us stumbling, bumbling and tripping all over the place. Perhaps it’s time to call on self-control, mercy and love to keep us upright.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” With the Holy Spirit inside of us, we are able to possess self-control and demonstrate love, kindness, care or the fruits of the Spirit. We are able to live in a way that honors God.