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mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (5/28/2008 9:53:06 PM)
Repentance in this world is very rarely unconditional. There’s often a price to pay – whether it’s saying sorry to a loved one, buying her chocolates and flowers, (Lord knows the fortune I’ve spent on chocolates and flowers !!!), or for more serious offences the Law punishes us with fines and even prison. Many years ago I led a team of volunteers who visited patients in hospital. We often met people in various states of sickness; from those needing minor operations or recuperating from car/motorcycle accidents to the more serious terminal illnesses and old age. We sat with the patients for a while, chatted with them, cheered them up if possible or made them more comfortable. I must admit, it was sometimes heart breaking meeting people nearing the end of their lives; and sometimes returning the next day to find an empty bed or a new patient replacing the one who has passed on. Anyway … forgive me for rambling on … To get back to the point. There are many people in our society who right now are spending time in prison. Some will be there for short periods whilst others will be there for much much longer. Like those patients in hospital, they too need someone to visit them. They may not say or show it, but I’m sure they’d benefit from contact from people just like my hospital team all those years ago. Thankfully, there are prison chaplains, pastors and priests as well as lay people who do just that. I imagine their task is much more difficult than what I used to do when visiting in hospital. I respect them for it and ask you to pray for them, as well as for the prisoners they visit.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (5/28/2008 10:33:10 PM)
I have often wondered: how did Noah ensure that the woodpeckers didn’t drill holes in his boat and sink it? Just a thought …

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (5/31/2008 7:04:17 AM)
I got lost the other day … yes lost ! I was out driving in the countryside showing off to some friends from abroad the beauty of my part of the world. I turned left and right and left again not paying attention to road signs (not many in the countryside) and before I knew it I really didn’t know where I was. Some of the signs pointed to towns and villages I’d never heard off and I really didn’t know whether I was heading North or South. I pretended I knew what I was doing of course. You won’t find me admitting to a mistake … no, never !!! Eventually we found our way home … and without asking for directions either !!! You know, life’s like that sometimes. We find ourselves at a cross-road and don’t really know where to turn. Should we change career? Move to another place? Do this or do that? Do we do it now or later? How much later? I think at times like these it is more important to focus on Him rather than focus on what we’re to do and when. After all, He allowed us to be where we are at this point in time and surely, if we hold His hand, He will see us through it.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (5/31/2008 7:05:27 AM)
It is said that Moses took 40 years to travel from Egypt through the desert to the Promised Land. Considering the distance involved this must be in-efficiency to the highest degree … he must have been going round in circles. I reckon that unbeknown to him, Mrs Moses must have been asking for directions secretly and, when appropriate, she pointed him in the right direction. Being a woman, she allowed him to take all the credit for getting there at last.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/5/2008 1:17:08 PM)
A man is very sick in hospital having undergone several operations and getting weaker all the time. The doctor approaches him looking very solemn. The patient asks in between deep labored breathing: “How am I doing doc?” Without raising his eyes from his notes the doctor replies: “Do you believe in God?” “No … never; I’ve never believed in Him or anything like that,” replies the sick man. “Well … you’d better start believing … just in case” says the doctor as he walks away. Now here’s a thought … Who is God? Is He our Creator, a loving Father, who gave us so much that we could never repay Him back? Or is He just an insurance policy … just in case.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/5/2008 5:06:36 PM)
We were in the park the other day. It was a beautiful warm sunny day and the children were playing on the swings, the slide, the roundabout and the seesaw. I decided to replenish my failing reserves of energy by sitting on a bench and soaking the warm sun. It’s not that I’m lazy, you know. Believe me, I really love hard work – I could sit there for ages and see others do it time after time and I never tire of watching. So I sat watching the mothers and (some) fathers pushing their young ones on the swings, or helping the roundabout go round and round. Another man sat next to me and sniggered: “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little old for all this energetic work!” I smiled back and said nothing. As I looked at the seesaw going up and down with a child at either end a thought occurred to me. Life is a bit like that sometimes. You have at one end of the seesaw Worry and Doubt; and at the other end Peace and Certainty. Sometimes Worry and Doubt are in the ascendant and together what powerful adversaries they make for my poor mind! I start questioning my faith. What if I got it all wrong? What if there is no God at all! I worry about my family, my friends, myself and my worldly goods. I’m sure you can imagine what it’s like. But at other times, especially after prayers or Bible readings, Peace and Certainty are up in the air. I remember the many times God was there for me and the many situations He saved me from and helped me through. It’s at these times that I know for certain that He exists alright, despite what others might lead us to believe. I suppose we can’t control the up and down movement of the seesaw. That’s what it was designed to do. But with constant prayers we can ensure that Peace and Certainty are there high up for all to see in our lives for as long as possible.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/9/2008 4:37:16 PM)
It was a warm and clear night. I sat in the garden for a while just listening to the quiet around me and thinking about nothing in particular. Just thoughts wondering in and out of my mind as they sometimes do. Every so often I could hear the cry of an owl in the distance – perhaps calling for its mate. I looked up and gazed at the stars. There were hundreds and hundreds of them. The more I looked the more of them I saw as my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness. They made me feel so small. Here am I in my garden looking up – and there they were shining in the night miles and miles away. As sometimes happens in these occasions I wondered whether I was alone here; looking up. Is there someone else on one of these stars sitting in his garden looking at my planet shining like a tiny dot in his dark sky? And if so, then surely that being looking at me was also created by God; just like me. Did God send His only Son to that being’s world too; to die for him, as He did for me? The sound from the owl brought me back to earth with a bump. I guess we’ll never know the answers to my questions. Perhaps we’re not meant to know. We humans think we’re so clever because we’ve advanced so much in such a short period of time. We thirst for knowledge and the more we learn the more proud we become of our achievements. Maybe, for our own benefit, there are things that He will not allow us to know. No matter how much we try to find the answers.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/15/2008 6:11:09 PM)
Why blog? This thought has often occurred to me. Why did I start this blog? Why do I bother writing on this computer of mine then press a button and it is on someone else’s server for others to see? Is it big-headedness and pride on my part? (I’ve plenty of that). Is it to show off? Is it just for my own pleasure, perhaps placing myself amongst the great writers in history? Should I just grow up and stop all this nonsense? Is my blog any different to the many graffiti you see painted on walls? After all, they too have a need to express themselves; so am I just like those spray-painters expressing themselves on walls? Is my computer my personal wall regardless whether anyone reads or sees my offerings or not? Do you remember hearing stories about people putting messages in bottles and letting them float away in the sea – wondering who will find them? (Not a practice I would support by the way – definitely anti-environment. But I digress). Someone once said to me that when you write a book or an article in a magazine you have no control on it once it’s out there in the public domain. You don’t know who will read it or whether they would be influenced by it or totally disagree with it. That’s why I started my blog … it’s on a Christian website, it discusses Christianity, and the probability is that it will be read by Christians. But you never know, there may be one person out there on the World Wide Web who by chance may read my blog, and perhaps … maybe … one chance in a million … he/she may decide to find out more about Jesus. Wow … how happy that would make me !!! So to you out there … if I’ve helped turn you to God, please tell me about it when we meet in Heaven.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/15/2008 7:40:59 PM)
The Lord’s Prayer contains the words: Thy will be done. What do these words really mean to us? Do they mean: “May God’s will be done and I will accept it.” Or do they mean: “Thy will be done as long as it is what I want?” Why is it that we are sometimes hesitant when we say: “Thy will be done.” Let’s be honest now, all of us, (including me); is it because deep down, in our heart of hearts, we harbor that little doubt that perhaps if His will were to be done it might not be that comfortable for us, it would interfere with our plans, our lifestyles, and with what we really want to do? Oh ye of little Faith!

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/16/2008 3:44:09 AM)
True story. A father and son had a terrible quarrel. They have not seen or spoken to each other for years. The father is now dying of cancer. His son has not visited him, nor has he phoned him. The father does not wish to see his son, nor does he want to have contact with him. What chance does God have to spread love on this planet when human stubbornness surpasses all understanding?

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/16/2008 3:46:31 AM)
Many years ago when I was young I had to drive from my office to a town some miles away for a meeting. I took a colleague with me. He was gregarious, always joking and telling stories and was fun to be with. Our journey took us through narrow winding country lanes, up and down steep hills, and at one point near the sea with beautiful mountains in the background. It was a warm and sunny day and I enjoyed the drive ahead. My passenger was unusually silent and I surmised that he was rehearsing in his head the important speech he was about to make at the meeting. When we arrived at our destination he got out of the car and said in a loud voice: “I will never, ever, get in a car with you!” then he stormed into the building. That evening he took the train back home and I drove alone. I was to learn later from other colleagues that my driving was too fast – “almost reckless” he had described it. Yet he was too polite (or frightened?) to say anything during the journey. I apologized to him of course. But the problem was that I had totally mis-read the situation and took his silence for what it wasn’t. How often do we fail to consider the feelings of those close to us as we rush speedily through our busy lives?

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/17/2008 2:38:08 PM)
After twenty five years of marriage a man goes to Court seeking a divorce because his wife keeps throwing things at him when angry: plates, cups, saucers, whatever is at hand she throws. The judge asks: What took you so long to decide on divorce? He replied: Her aim is getting better! Isn’t it funny that after so many years of Christianity we are still not reaching those we should. Is it because our “aim” is not on target? Or is it because we have diluted the message so much that when it is received people are confused and don’t know what we stand for?

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/19/2008 7:28:50 AM)
A man rings a local church for information. The telephone answering system replies: Press 1 if you wish to speak to the pastor. Press 2 for baptisms, weddings and funerals. Press 3 to check the times of our services. Press 4 if ….. He put the phone down and thought: Just pray if you wish to contact God direct. Ironically, in a modern society we sometimes make access to God really difficult.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/19/2008 7:30:41 AM)
A story in the local papers: some people were held hostage in their own apartment. The police were called and thankfully the situation was resolved peacefully. How many people I wonder are held hostage in their homes by illness or old age? Or people held hostage because they are confined to a wheelchair? Or even held hostage within their own mind because of mental illness? Let us pray for hostages everywhere – whatever kind. May God be with them.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/25/2008 10:55:43 AM)
Anxiety … You’re a destroyer of souls! Anxiety is a human emotion. We can’t help feeling anxious, sometimes unnecessarily, and in so doing we give way to doubts and worry. It’s like meeting three evil witches intent on destroying you: Anxiety, Doubt and Worry. Whenever we look away from God for a moment that’s when we allow anxiety to enter our life and implant the seeds of doubt and worry. Perhaps it’s because at that very instant when we look away from God, the devil is ready to pounce and lead us astray. The remedy is to re-focus on God in the sure knowledge that He will not let us down. “Look at the birds flying around … your Father in Heaven takes care of them! Aren’t you worth much more than birds?” Matthew 6:26

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/27/2008 9:07:16 AM)
I asked a Christian doctor friend of mine about his religion and his profession. He explained that being a doctor is very much like being a car mechanic. He learnt about different parts of the body and how to fix them when they go wrong. However, unlike a car mechanic, he does not have the complete blueprint plan of how the body was made and how it functions. He explained that, thankfully, the Creator decided to keep some parts of the blueprint secret in case we humans ruin the final product completely.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/28/2008 8:05:39 AM)
Graffiti seen on church notice board: Jesus saves! Someone wrote underneath it: He’s lucky – I can’t save a penny on my wages. Someone else added: I saved too. Lost it all in the stock exchange crash. Finally another added: Save your treasure in Heaven. It will not lose its value and earns good interest.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/28/2008 12:51:05 PM)
God indeed does speak to us these days. Maybe not as He spoke to Abraham or Moses but He does speak to us all the same. Here’s an example: A priest I knew many years ago was preparing to go to a meeting. Yet, somehow, he felt he had to wait for a while longer. He waited for five, then ten minutes; he looked at the clock, he was concerned he’d be late – but somehow, he felt he had to wait a bit longer. Eventually he felt it was time to go. As he drove down the road, about half a mile away, he encountered a road traffic accident. He stopped to help. There on the ground was a young girl from his parish being attended to by the ambulance people. She had just been knocked down and she was crying for him by name to come and help her. Had the priest left for the meeting on time he would have missed the accident. Some may call the whole event a coincidence – I prefer to think it was a God-incidence.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/28/2008 12:55:01 PM)
God sometimes leads us into situations in order to fulfill His will. Years ago a relative of mine was diagnosed with cancer. We were all very shocked and we prayed and prayed for him. He prayed too and accepted God’s will. He was taken to hospital. Whilst there he met another patient in the next bed also suffering with cancer. This man took his news badly as did his family. One evening my relative decided to talk to this patient. He was a non-believer and had accepted that he was going to die. My relative talked to him about God; possibly recognizing that it may have no direct effect, but at least it may help this poor patient who had given up all hope. He explained to him that all would be well if he handed the situation over to God. To cut a long story short – this patient was healed and diagnosed free from cancer. So did my relative. This happened many years ago; both left hospital and are now the best of friends. Here’s the good news: the patient has now become a Christian and so has his family.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/29/2008 4:31:57 AM)
Sing to the Lord a new song. Isaiah 42:10. We sing a lot of hymns in our church. Sometimes they are lively and joyful and sometimes … well, they could be better. We don’t have a choir as such, just a few people up front and the congregation singing and shouting over each other. (Lord, forgive my uncharitable comments). Unfortunately, I am not gifted with a good voice, so I just mime and pretend I’m singing. I suppose I’m singing in my heart and not with my mouth. Anyway, I don’t see why I should contribute to God’s headache! Does your church make God smile or give Him a headache?

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/29/2008 4:34:30 AM)
Doubts are necessary to strengthen our Faith. When God asked us to love Him, He didn’t want to force us in anyway. He wanted us to choose freely whether to love Him or not. That’s why He allows doubts to creep in our minds from time to time. They help us to get to know Him better. We ask questions, we learn from the answers we find, we get closer to Him. Just like any other relationship; the more you know about the other person the closer you get to him or her. Of course, too much doubt can make us lose our Faith altogether. The devil would be glad of that. That’s why he plays with our doubts and adds more to them; in order to confuse us and lead us astray. We must learn to control our doubts, and use them to our benefit not the devil’s. When we have doubts about our Faith, we should not fear them but we should pray for guidance from our Lord.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/30/2008 5:52:37 AM)
The devil appeared at the local supermarket one Saturday morning. He stood there by the main entrance looking menacingly and threatening. All the shoppers panicked. They escaped through every available emergency exits, jumped into their cars and drove off at speed. All except for one shopper. A small, short man, standing there by his shopping trolley holding a long shopping list in his hand. The devil advanced towards the small man and said angrily: “Do you know who I am?” “Yes … I do” replied the shopper. “Aren’t you afraid of me like all the others?” asked the devil. “No … I’ve been married to your sister for 25 years!” OK … joke over. Now for the serious stuff. Isn’t it a shame that we waste so much time afraid of one thing or another instead of sitting down comfortably and confronting our fears? More often than not, when we analyze what is really “bugging us”, what is making us so hesitant and cautious we find that our problem is not so insurmountable after all. Do not be afraid – I will save you. I have called you by name – you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (6/30/2008 12:03:19 PM)
A woman gives her husband two beautiful silk ties for his birthday. In order to please her, he decides to wear one of the ties as they go out to a restaurant to celebrate his birthday. As soon as she sees him wearing the tie she said: “What’s wrong with the other one?” Choices … I was at the supermarket the other day looking for some basics: toothpaste and soap. It’s surprising how many different types and brands of toothpaste there are. The same applies to soap, or any other product for that matter. In a consumer society we seem to be spoilt for choice. Choice can be a good thing, or a bad thing – it all depends on your perspective and way of thinking. Now let’s consider this: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.” John 14:6. The choice here is simple.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (7/2/2008 10:10:16 AM)
I learnt a lesson from a five year old today. We were out in the countryside and she gave a few flowers she had just picked to her mother. It was a selection of dandelions, daisies, buttercups and a few other weeds. Life is all about making a bouquet of whatever flowers are available.

mvic -> RE: Just a thought ... (7/3/2008 7:36:00 PM)
Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention. Non, rien de rien. Non. Je ne regrette rien. To have no regrets could be a sign of arrogance. We all have some regrets of things we have done, or not done. The wise thing to do is to learn from one’s regrets.

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