The Last Hope

For Life Lost

Friday, July 4, 2025

Where Will You See It?

Waves Come In and Go Out

Washing Us Free.

Psalm 119:114

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.

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John 6:40

This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.

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Words of Grace for Today –

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How do you find that precious slice of time-place-tempo-song that gives you

everything to live for,

that gives you hope,

for another day, week, year, decade?

In the lives of those who have found a way to move from desperate-despair-loss-end

to become someone for someone, and maybe for a few more than one or two, maybe even for us all?

In the words that inspire one to dig deep?

Or in the faces of sounds defying the obvious end, despite the great loss getting into tomorrow from here?

Or in the safety of laughter and joy with children not yet stained by the short-harsh-brutish?

…

in the turmoil that is inevitably life,

the only hope for all kinds of life is

…

knowing that God is with us, for us, and

more than eager to redeem us, renew us, and give us renewed life each day.

Plans of Mice and Men and Women

Steps to Life

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Holy Spirit Guided

Colouring In Between the Lines of Life:

Greedily gobble it all up,

or give it your all, today.

Proverbs 16:9

The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.

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Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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Words of Grace for Today –

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We’d like to think that we can plan and set goals, work hard according to our plans, and reach our goals … and thus make life worthwhile.

We’d like to think that as we are executing our plans and reaching our goals, God directs our steps … and thus makes life worthwhile.

BUT

always that big butt gets in the way.

The rear-end of reality

that the plans and goals and executions we undertake, and even the goals we reach and celebrate

are

ALL

meaningless.

And God does not direct our steps along our planned paths.

…

Life as a human is so much more than we can plan.

And the only way to reach into that life and realize even a tiny bit of it, is …

to give up trying to plan and execute our way through life towards success (or the inevitable failures.)

The Holy Spirit offers gifts and guidance, and life becomes full, filled with meaning, as we strive to serve others selflessly, following Jesus’ Way, teaching, healing, and giving life to others with our daily sacrifices.

Then we are able at the end of the day, to give God thanks

for it all.

Precious as it all is

when we give it away so others may live.

Rich And Done

Or Sacrificing All Now and …

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Rich Forever

Why Wait To Really Live?

Give Your All, Today!

Psalm 138:6

For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.

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Luke 12:19-21

The rich will say to their soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.

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Words of Grace for Today –

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How people have yearned to be rich. To be able to ‘take a break’, head off on the ‘freedom 55’ train, give up deadlines for lifelines, to do what you want, when you want, where you want, and how you want, to turn ‘short, nasty, and brutish’ into ‘eat, drink, and be merry!’

But life simply does not work that way.

Life lived for oneself becomes perverse, if it wasn’t that already. And it rots from within, spreading to those around one, and affected by one. It’s living hell.

The true treasure of life is free, but not without cost. It is to live as Jesus did, giving everything to give life to others, to love one’s neighbour as oneself, even one’s enemies, and the downtrodden and outcast most of all.

To be truly rich, we only need recognize that God walks with us, blesses us, and sends us out to be that same blessing for all other people.

What’s In A Number?

158

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

42
10,000 – 1867 – 1870 – 1905 – 1986 – 2025
83.26 – 2.40

Numbers Usually Mean Something.

Can Numbers Mean Everything?

Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

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Revelation 3:7-8

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens: I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

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Words of Grace for Today –

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from Wikipedia:

Canada Day, is the national day of Canada. A federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the British North America Act, 1867, when the three separate colonies of the United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were united into a single dominion within the British Empire called Canada.

1 July 1867 to 1 July 2025, 158 years: Happy Canada Day.

Of course Alberta was not part of Canada until July 15, 1870, and then only as part of the Northwest Territories. Only in 1905 did Alberta, along with Saskatchewan, become a province. So I guess for us in Alberta we only have 150 years to celebrate as part of Canada, and only 120 as a province of Canada.

Then again I didn’t show up until 1986, so I only have 39 years, and lots of Canadians have less, reflecting their birth dates, of course.

Then again there are many people who can celebrate being here in Canada’s land spaces since at least 10,000 BCE, so call that a 12,025 year celebration. Makes one feel old just looking at that number of life years.

But that’s not for individuals, just the indigenous ancestors. This year in Canada, on average, the life expectancy is now 83.26, but we have a 100% fatality rate, still. It’s the nature of things for us, eh!

As far as the other two numbers 2.40 is the latest bill I received that I have to pay. There’s certainly lots more waiting to be paid and many, many more to come (if I live as I hope to.)

And 42, well that’s the computers’ answer to the question, “What’s the meaning of life.”

Which any thinking person knows is wrong.

It’s either chocolate or ice cream, according to some.

More serious answers come in all forms. That’s the nature of things for us thinking (at least sort of, anyway) beings.

…

As for me and my household (which is non-existent anyway) I’ve noticed that God’s left a door open for us, for each and every one of us. It’s a door that no one can close in our faces.

Grace upon grace flows through Jesus’ sacrifice to save us, to rehabilitate us (daily), and to send us out to be that same Grace for others.

And that’s more than any number can contain.

Trying to Get Free

From What? From Whom?

Friday, June 27, 2025

To What? To Whom?

Made for this!

Living in the fog,

seeing the many woven webs

of humans, too.

First Samuel 2:6

The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

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Romans 14:8

If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

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Words of Grace for Today –

…

So much is wasted in life trying to get free from things and people

and especially God!

The real challenge and the greatest waste is trying to be free for something or for someone,

while trying to be free from God.

But we were made to be free

from everything

except God.

We were created to be slaves to God,

and Jesus made it plain:

we are given life to give life to others.

Thus slaves to God

we are servants to one another.

Simple math.

Simple ways.

…

And the most fought against of all the wasted human efforts through all time.

What’s wasting your day away today? The same old same old?

Of have you surrendered

to Jesus’ Way

and

God’s unconditional love?

Give it a go

or rather a surrender

and life will never be the same

and

life will be oh so good,

but never easy.

Fearing and Learning

Or Loving and Living

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Jesus’ Way

Love by any other name

still has thorns

the cost of love.

But you are nowhere without loving God.

Deuteronomy 4:10

How you once stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, “Assemble the people for me, and I will let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me as long as they live on the earth, and may teach their children so”;

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2 Timothy 3:14-15

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

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Words of Grace for Today –

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Learning to fear God …

and

be instructed in salvation …

All the stuff that people put together to make there own salvation, even when they say that God provides the salvation, it’s just that they themselves have to earn it, and of course they have earned salvation (of course, of course) and all their enemies and ‘those other people’ have not and fail to because they just did not do and learn and believe the right things.

The truth is

fear of God is only the beginning of a really miserable life.

Fearing and loving God is the complete package,

because what God has already done and made most obvious in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection –

namely God has offered salvation to every person of all time.

The only way to miss out is to resist and refuse and deny and turn away and rebel against the Holy Spirit’s work bringing us to believe.

From then on it’s all living as you were made and empowered to live:

righteous,

faithful,

loving,

kind,

and

working for justice for all.

A simple way to live,

just take up one’s cross and give up one’s life and find joy in giving life to others.

So we can do nothing to earn God’s Grace,

but we certainly can choose to turn away from Jesus’ Way and refuse to follow.

And that leaves us

fearing God and loving God

each day.

Come Builders All

Builders of All Kinds

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

There’s a Temple to Build!

Not Something Ugly or Deadly or Destructive to Earth Itself!

Build Something Worth the Goodness of God!

It is your body,

your life,

a gift from God!

Zechariah 6:15

Those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord; and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.

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Revelation 15:4

Lord, who will not fear and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your judgments have been revealed.

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Words of Grace for Today –

…

Young folks

Old folks

Everybody Come

Join the On-line Sunday School and

have a lot of fun.

Please check your chewing gum and razors

(and guns and knives – gotta include that nowadays)

at the door

and you’ll hear some Bible Stories like you never heard before!

…

Come and build! All you builders!

…

For the earth was made in six days and finished on the seventh.

According to the contract, it should have been the eleventh.

But the painters wouldn’t paint and the workers wouldn’t work.

So the quickest thing to do was to fill it up with dirt.

…

So

there’s lots of building left for us to do,

in each generation

in each time and place,

building God’s temple here on earth,

starting with your body, your life.

…

Everyone’s a builder of this temple.

Make it a good one, a worthy one, a vibrant one

that reflects the goodness God poured into you at birth,

the gifts the Holy Spirit dumped on you at your baptism,

and the cost Jesus paid to get you in the door of God’s steadfast love, grace, and …

well, and everything good!

…

Come, one and all, start this day

no matter what yesterday or yesteryear was and where it landed you and your body and your life,

start building a temple for God.

…

your neighbour needs you

more than you’ll ever know!

Get Going, To Good

While You Still Can

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Time Will Ravage Also You.

Don’t Be A Chicken And Run Away!

Face Life and It’s Challenges

Each Day.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

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John 21:18

Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.”

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Words of Grace for Today –

…

Getting old is not for sissies, and it’s not for everyone.

Just look at all the people who die young, who will die young because they live hard lives. I’m not talking about those who are caught in a hard life. That’s most people who have and will ever live. I’m talking about those who choose to live fast, furious, stupid, pleasure seeking, danger seeking, alcohol or drug or nicotine or sugar induced entertainment until it becomes an addiction.

Getting old is tough.

Real tough.

So while you are young,

start doing what you know is right.

If you don’t who is going to do what only you can do

to help the helpless

to feed the hungry, in famines and wars and poverty cages,

to bring water to those caught in droughts or dry areas because someone steals their water,

give clothing to those without, who suffer the environmental dangers and risks each day,

give homes to the homeless, as their number multiples year after year,

give peace to the troubled, whether they’ve made their own trouble or had it dumped on them,

give hope to the hopeless, for what else is there!

Give love to the loveless, for to be unable to love is a curse greater than any other.

And receive God’s thanks, for as a servant, this is what God gave you life for.

God will reward you with straight paths,

straight to heaven on earth,

or, if you resist and refuse and deny and turn away and rebel against the Holy Spirit, there will be a path straight to hell on earth, a hell of your own making.

…

So he said to himself, as he rose to another day, wishing for youthful energy, fewer challenges of age, and a long list of must-do’s and should-do’s

and little opportunity to help others

much.

…

What about you?

Need a word of encouragement? Heaven or hell? Which is it for you today?

Pounding, Knocking

Wakey Wakey

Monday, June 23, 2025

It’s The Rain!

There’s a Long Road Ahead,

Just for Today!

Psalm 145:9

The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

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Romans 8:21

… the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

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Words of Grace for Today –

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So you thought you could sleep in because no one really depends on you today?

Or just because you were going to get away with it again?

Not so fast.

Whether it’s the co-worker,

the boss,

the clients,

the neighbours,

or even just the weather

or (watch out for this one!)

Maybe it’s the Holy Spirit,

Someone is counting on you getting on the road, getting to the destination, the goal for today and getting done what needs getting done,

and if there’s nothing pressing, then to get around to that ever growing backlog of things that ought to be done sooner than later,

and now it’s later

enough.

So Hit the Road Jack!

Swing into action.

Rain or Shine.

Honesty and Kindness

Always need some doing in many a creative ways

for those least deserving,

and for the regulars

that count on your love

or at least God’s love

which you are supposed to be the agent of.

So

…

the most honest and most kind thing is to yell again

GET YOUR BUTT MOVING

before it’s too late,

and things go into the can real quick.

Honest and kind because then

… well then, it’s a whole other kind of mess you need to clean up.

So

knock

knock

the rain is pounding

on your roof.

Come out, come out wherever you are

and start

reflecting the light given you at baptism.

Small task it is not!

Just know that God is good to you, no matter what, look at nature around you, as God sets it free from us, and it reflects the goodness God created it to be.

.

…

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(What!?

Just some motivational words, since I slept in after staying up late.

What are you looking at? You’ve done it, too!)

Searching??

Or Following

Sunday, June 22, 2025

The Guide Already There!

Seeing

The Wonders, Truth, Hope, Guide, Joy

Right

In Front Of Us

And All Around Us.

Exodus 13:21

The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night.

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John 5:39

You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf.

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Words of Grace for Today –

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So often we realize we ourselves or others spend our time and energy searching, searching, searching for

searching for truth,

searching for guidance,

searching for love,

searching for joy,

searching for God!

.

Then someone points us to the scriptures that show God has been with us all along, guiding us onward, like fire at night and clouds by day, showing us truth, loving us completely and unconditionally, giving us innumerable causes for joy, being right there with us

through it all.

By Grace alone the Holy Spirit enables us to have clear minds, open hearts, and active hands, always leaning on God.

Each day

clear minds

open hearts

active hands

always leaning on God