All You Had To Do Was Ask

The Growth Group that I attend is studying prayer throughout the Bible. Last night we were studying the first Chapter of 1 Samuel, where Hannah asks for a child. Hannah is a broken and hurt woman, because she does not have a child. While it may be difficult for our generation to understand this, it was a big deal then. But that's not my point here; look at how she prays:

10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."

15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."

18 She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, ^[c] saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."

(NIV,1 Samuel 1:10-20)

Our group leader used an example last night where God has great plans and great gifts for us, and all we have to do is ask. It's like God says "This is what I have for you, but this is what you asked for. This is what you got, which is ok, but look at what you could have had if you had only asked." I've noticed I have a tendency to say, "Lord, here is my life, do with it what you will." It's like I'm taking a back seat, ready to sit along for the ride. But look at Hannah in these verses: She was at the end of her rope, she had nothing left, nothing she could do. Only when she fully gave up her life and will to God could he do great things for her, and all she had to do was ask. And after she asked, her faith was so strong that she knew God would come through for her: "Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast." v18.

In my prayers last night I found myself conflicted; I knew that I had to ask God, but I didn't know what to ask for. What does God want for my life? What do I want for it? Ideally they are the same thing, but in order to get to that point, I have to know what I want. It's kindof like when someone asks you what you want for your birthday or Christmas, and you respond "I dunno, stuff?"

How long have we struggled from day to day, only because we have not asked? How often have we missed out on God's great opportunities, because we haven't wanted to bother God with our trifles? Is anything not worth taking to God?

"Oh, what peace we often forfeight; Oh what needles pain we bear! All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!"

Sorry for my rambling, but my point is this: just ask. That's it. All you have to do is ask. Right now. It only takes a moment. Just do it.

Weird News of the Day

Muslim man asked to separate from wife after uttering word 'divorce' in sleep: report

NEW DELHI (AP) - Village elders ordered a Muslim man in eastern India to leave his wife after he accidentally divorced her in his sleep, a news report said Tuesday.

Aftab Ansari uttered the Urdu word for divorce, "talaq," three times in his sleep, prompting his worried wife to discuss the matter with her friends, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

Under Islamic law, a husband need only say "I divorce you" three times to secure a permanent end to his marriage.

Muslim leaders in the couple's village in West Bengal state found out and decreed that Ansari's unconscious utterances constituted a divorce, PTI reported.

But 30-year-old Ansari said he had no intention of leaving his wife of 11 years.

"I have not given talaq. When I uttered talaq three times I had taken medicines to help me sleep," he was quoted as saying in the report.

The religious leaders said that before remarrying, the couple would have to be apart for at least 100 days and that the wife, Sohela, would also have to spend a night with another man and then be divorced by him.

PTI reported that the couple has been ostracized because of their refusal to abide by the decision of the village leaders.

And some people think it's too easy to get a divorce in North America?

Worst Songs Ever Written

Patio Lanterns - Kim Mitchell
. . . actually, anything by Kim Mitchell . . . or Meatloaf

Loch Ness Monster Explained

Finally,

Elephant theory in Nessie search

And the award for stupid person of the year goes to . . .

My nomination:

Fake baby, real fine.

Any others?

This is your life: Are you who you want to be?

This is a line from one of my current favourite songs by Switchfoot. I like it because it causes me to think about who I am and who I want to be. If I'm not, what am I going to do to make myself better. Or, in other words: This is my life, am I who God wants me to be? Obviously I cannot fully become who God wants me to be because I am a sinner. But it is a point to strive for. So, If I'm not who God wants me to be, what am I going to do about it?

I like to read articles on Bodybuilding.com (a very useful site with lots of information). This week's "Transformation of the Week" (a weekly article showing someone's improvements and how it was accomplished) started with the quote "Don't complain about anything, just do what you can to improve the situation."

I've noticed that I tend to be a complainer (or "whiner" as my grade 4 teacher, Mrs Deibold, called me). In reality, this is not my nature. I just tend to go on more about things that I don't like than on stuff I do. It's like news: "Good news travels, Bad news travels faster." I like to try to find the good in all things, because there must be a reason for it. But I don't always show this in the way I act. God has a purpose for everyone, it's up to us to acknowledge this and go forward.

So, this being said, I don't like being a complainer, it is not who I want to be. I will try to complain less, and do what I can (with God's help) to improve the situation. This is who I want to be.

Gym Annoyances

I like going to the gym. I like the feeling that my muscles have actually accomplished something for the day. After growing up on the farm and now living in the city, it's something that I (unexpectedly) miss.

My problem with most gyms is usually the other people there. Although I like being around people, I don't like being in someone's way. The problem comes when there are people in the gym whose personality seems bigger than the room they're in. I like to call them "muscle-heads." They're the guys (or an occasional woman) who come in and monopolize one corner of the gym, usually in front of the free weights and taking up three benches. While I appreciate their gains (because they are well developed) it annoys me that they seem to take over a space, whether you're using it or not. Case in point: I was using an incline bench to do a tricep extension, and moved to take a break and get a drink of water. Then two people come in, move the bench, kick the weight away and start up doing rows. They could have at least asked if I was finished, or subbed in while I was resting. I have no problem with that, and actually enjoy it because it opens a line of conversation. I enjoy talking about weight lifting and body building because there's always something new to learn. But I felt like I was being told to "get out." It's very demotivational.

So, if you're one of these people (and I try not to be), have some courtesy. They gym is there for everyone. Be aware of those around you and share the space. You'll be happy when someone will share with you.

Some of My Favourite Radio Stations

I like listening to the radio at work. If I couldn't, I think I'd go mad. It'd be just far too quiet. I need some sort of dull commotion going on in the background; maybe it's because I need to know there is something else going on in the world. Whatever.

My office is like a bunker, so it's hard to get any stations on a normal radio; this is why I stream audio on my computer. Anyway, one of my favourite radio stations, particularly in the morning, just started streaming on the web again; you can find it at www.koolfm.com ,

Other favourites:

cbc.ca
fm100.net (Life 100.3 from Barrie)
Mix999.com
BBC Radio
CHML AM900
and odds and sods of others

Give one or two a try!

About Me . . .

I decided to “tag” myself, just because I’m looking for filler and for something to do. . .

1. Four jobs I've had:
   Buyer
   Farmer
   Organist
   Security Guard
   
2. Four movies I could watch over and over again
   X-Men ( 1 or 2)
   The Bourne Identity or the Bourne Supremacy
   The Italian Job
   The Incredibles
   
3. Four books I could read over and over again
   Probably almost any of the books I’ve already read. I am partial to mysteries though
   
4. Places I've lived
   Dromore (the centre of the universe)
   Ancaster
   Hamilton
   Stoney Creek
   
5. Places I've been on vacation
   Meaford
   Grand Rapids
   Cyprus Lake
   . . . I need to get out more
   
6. Four favorite foods
   Roast Beef and roasted potatoes
   Turkey with dressing
   Macaroni & Cheese (from scratch)
   Pizza
   
7. Websites I visit daily
   Canoe.ca
   CnnMoney.com
   Dilbert.com
   Various blog sites
   
8. Four favorite kinds of beer
   Well, since I don’t really drink, I’ll just list some I’ve heard of:
   Heineken
   Guinness
   Steam Whistle
   Formosa Springs
   
9. Four favorite non-alcoholic drinks
   Milk
   Water
   Coffee
   Fruit Integration Fruitopia
   
10. Four favorite musicians/composers
    JS Bach
    Buxtehude
    Haydn
    Handel
    
11. Four places i would rather be
    On a warm isolated beach
    Cutting hay
    Hiking on the Niagara Escarpment
    At home
    
12. Most recent books I have read
    The Bourne Legacy
    Rumours of Another World
    My Bible
    
13. Most recent movies I've seen
    X-2
    Hidalgo
    The Incredibles
    The Italian Job
    
14. What's on my desk
    A water bottle
    A coffee mug
    Various office supplies
    Confidential stuff I can’t talk about
    One computer
    Family picture
    Work related stuff
    Business cards
    Telephone
    Note pad
    A tab from Roll-Up-The-Rim
    Noise Putty

Did you ever think that a church is like a choir? A good choir should blend perfectly in every way, moving toward one objective, without a single voice standing out (for the most part). Occasionally there will be a solo, but it contributes to the purpose of the group. Or, you have the “unscheduled” solo that can disrupt and overpower the rest of the group. You know the one: he’s the tenor that screeches away on his own line because he’s the greatest, or the soprano who decides to go to a descant that doesn’t fit at all, as if one can ascend to heaven by pitch.

A choir usually has a conductor to lead the group in the same direction, keeping them together as a whole. But the conductor is irrelevant if nobody watches him, so each one goes in their own direction (Everyone to his own way), resulting in musical mush.

A choir member also has to practice, both as a group and on their own. You can’t expect to show up for one practice a week with the group and expect to be perfect. It requires participation, commitment, and dedicated daily practice.

To sing meaningfully, you have to know what you’re singing. It also helps if you take it internally. To me, the best sounding choirs are the ones who mean and feel what you sing. Can you really sing Bach’s St Matthew Passion without understanding the pain and suffering but ultimate joy in Christ’s death and resurrection? Can you truly sing Handel’s Messiah without knowing the joy around Christ’s birth? They’re both more than just text set to music and performed. They’re more than words learned by rote.

Like a choir, a church and its members have to be participatory, dedicated, and above all know what it’s purpose is and how to go about it. It’s more than one practice a week, it’s a daily living. Without these, a church is mush, going nowhere.

So, knowing this, what are you going to do today?

New Job

Whenever you start into a new job, do you ever feel a sense of trepidation? I'm moving to a new placement with Turkstra, and although it's exciting to be doing something new, I also have this feeling that I really have no idea what I'm in for. It should only be an extension of my current job, but it's in a manufacturing field. It is an opportunity to grow as an employee and as a person, as a Christian. Sure it would be easier to stay in my box an never change. It's safe, stable, and relatively easy (for the most part). But what would be the fun in that? This is a good change, I just hope I do it well.

What?

Ok, my first trial at blogging. I'm hesitant to do this because I don't always have something to say. So I promise this: I don't make any promises. This blog will most likely be some random ramblings of a farm boy in the city occasionally interrupted with some supposedly worthwhile thoughts. Deal?