Lucky 13 Things in Four Months by Bob Jones

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

We were asked to write about ten things we'll be doing in the next four months. My first thought was, “Only ten?” And then I read the rest of the prompt and saw that we could choose any number we like. So, I cooked up a baker’s dozen.

I'm lucky, or blessed I get to do these.

Number 1

In November my wife and I will be leaving for a month for Ukraine. It is an arduous journey for 70+ year-olds, flying from Edmonton to Toronto to Krakow, then transferring to a van to cross the Polish/Ukrainian border and arrive in Lviv. After teaching for a week in a seminary there'll be more cars, vans, and trains deep into eastern Ukraine.

The two days before writing this post have been the worst of the entire 4 /12 year war in Ukraine. Massive missile, rocket, and drone attacks with horrendous deaths of children and civilians. The most tragic happened on Ukrainian Knowledge Day, the first day back to school, September 1st. Imagine your children or grandchildren with no sleep the night before because of air raids, trying to find refuge in a bomb shelter and the next morning getting dressed up to go to school and gather again in a bomb shelter.

If you know Ukrainians, you won't be surprised that the children sing in those situations.

Number 2 

In the meantime, my wife and I are raising funds to assist in rebuilding churches and deliver humanitarian aid to the front lines. Our goal is $20,000CAN. We’re at $12,500 and change.

Number 3 

I've been writing a seven-session curriculum for pastors over the last nine months. After recruiting and training 25 facilitators and apprentices, we launched the cohorts September 1^st across Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

Number 4

I'm overseeing the translation and production of a book in Ukrainian for pastors.

Number 5 

And I decided that I should endeavor to keep my mind sharp and started a Masters of Leadership and Systems (MALTS) at Briercrest College. That begins in six days.

Number 6 

Before we leave for Ukraine, I'll be traveling to the Maritimes to work with pastors in Halifax and neighbouring communities, as well as up to Peace Country in Alberta, down to Calgary, and just West of Edmonton in Spruce Grove. We’ll be working as teams to listen to God’s voice and discern the Spirit’s specific vision for each church to reach their community with the love of Jesus.

Number 7

My practise for the last seven years was to write three blogs a week for REVwords. Most likely, and prudently, I will have to cut back back to two or even possibly one per week with all that's going on.

Number 8

The blog content will be heavy on justice in Alberta and Ukraine. I’ll be speaking on those subjects in churches over the next four months. I imagine I'll be extra engaged prior to October 19^th and the Alberta referendum. I also post on Substack.

Number 9

My to-read list consists of books that would source my knowledge in theology and justice. And my college textbooks will make the list a little longer.

Number 10

This week I start writing a seminary course for Growing an Effective Great Commission Church, to be completed by November 1st.

Number 11 

I've been asked to write social media prayers for Alberta MLAs in support of Pray Alberta. Isn’t that great?!

Number 12 

As well, I write prayers for Ukraine. That’s better than bombs.

Number 13

I will be experimenting on how to add an extra day of work to each week over the next four months.  

What are your goals? And if you need an extra one, I could use help with #13.

Thank you for reading. My advice to you is keep your goals away from the trolls. 

"Not my circus! Not my monkeys!" by Mary Folkerts

 

My friend used this phrase the other day, which echoes our often-held sentiments. "Not my circus, not my monkeys!"

 

In other words, "Not my problem. Don't bother me with the details!"

Sometimes, that's a good attitude to have when a situation doesn't concern me and my involvement won't improve it. 

But not always.

I wonder if we sometimes use this thinking as an excuse not to become involved in difficult circumstances. The problem may seem too large, and my efforts too small to make a difference. What can my "drop in the bucket" help do to change anything? It's easy to want to live a quiet life, mind my own monkeys and not make any waves in the water, but if God calls us to "seek justice and to love mercy," it might mean getting involved and speaking up for those who can't. 

I'm not suggesting we all become political and begin some "fight for justice" campaign, but we all see little injustices within our circles of influence that we can speak out against. We all experience areas of struggle that, if we are vulnerable about, could potentially help someone else in their struggle. Our vulnerability might help someone learn how to wrangle their own monkeys! 

One thing is clear. We can't live our lives unaffected by those around us. Preoccupation with our own struggles, concerns, and problems shrinks our world inward, but when we open our hearts to others' needs, we find blessings beyond measure. 

As writers, we have the opportunity to call attention to situations even if they don't directly affect us. Advocating for those who don't have a voice means it's sometimes necessary to get involved in circuses, not our own. Our small words can have a powerfully positive impact on someone else's life.

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8 (ESV).

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a Proverbs 31 ministries COMPEL Writers Training member and is involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s personal blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the small things https://maryfolkerts.com/  or connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maryfolkerts/ 

God's Many Faceted Love by Bryan Norford

Creation reflects the nature of God. Its varied splendour, its abundance, its joyful activities, and predominantly its faithful and loving relationships. That is a measure of God’s love for all humanity.

Of course, since Eden, humankind has been able to mess it up and introduce characteristics that are contrary to the nature of God, destabilizing the good earth, destroying its abundance, and turning joy into misery.

Even so, God provided a strategy that enables us to rediscover the missing joy we crave: He set out the Law—too often maligned by Christians and hated by those opposed to Him.

The Law was not an arbitrary set of rules to kill our joy—as many assume—but like creation, a further reflection of His nature; guidelines to a less natural, but temporary, refurbishing of His image formed in us at creation but lost at the fall.

The Ten Commandments summarize the components of love. Even Jesus summed up the Law as loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and loving our neighbour as we care for ourselves.

If we love God, we will not place other gods or goals before Him. If we love our neighbour, we will not kill him, steal from him, or covet his wife or anything else he has.

In fact, it was at the giving of the Law that God revealed His nature. As God set out a law that contained the ingredients of love, He also indicated the values by which He would apply that law: with compassion, grace, patience, love, faithfulness, forgiveness and justice. Exodus 34:6–7.

We humans recognize these characteristics because God has shared them as part of His image in us. Distorted though they are, as we express our love to one another with those values, we show evidence of our transformation to Christlikeness.

Does this sound like the love of a valentine? It should. For this is the standard of love God has set. Anything less is a thin veneer of self-serving affection posing as the real thing.

And that fullest expression of love: compassion, grace, patience, love, faithfulness, forgiveness and justice, should show first in our closest relationships, to our wives, husbands, and children, and then to the wider community.

Find God's direction in the Norfords’ marriage devotional, Happy Together, available in paperback or kindle from Amazon.