Author: T L

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.

.

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.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

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.

.

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.

…

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”;

.

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.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

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.

.

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.

…

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.

.

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.”

…

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.

.

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.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

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.

.

…

.

(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.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

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

Could God

Do Great Wonders

Saturday, June 21, 2025

Here, Now, For Us, For You?

Healing With Fire,

Powerful Fire

Consuming the Chaff.

Psalm 136:3-4

O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever.

.

Acts of the Apostles 8:6-8

The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured. So there was great joy in that city.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

The greatest wonder of all is that God actually loves us sinful humans!

Accounts of preachers bringing hearts and minds to realize God is not only to be feared but to be loved, in return for God’s steadfast, unending love for us all.

Accounts of illnesses being cured, illnesses that no one thought could be cured.

Accounts of God’s love enduring through people’s darkest times.

Accounts of people responding to God’s Wonders with great joy, spreading like wildfire – the only smoke being from the incense burned in ceremonies of thanks.

Account of …

Well they are account of God curing other people.

How about you! Will God cure you?

Will God ever get around to curing you of a disease that destroys people around you, a disease that is hidden in plain view, a disease that no one thinks can be cured, for you play it to your advantage while it consumes life around you?

Will God?

Yes, God will, whenever we allow God to turn our hearts and minds inside out. Whenever we surrender our lives to be as God created us to be: loving sacrifices, conduits of God’s love for all people. Whenever …

Whenever the Holy Spirit enters our lives and we do not refuse all that the Holy Spirit has to offer.

Whenever.

And then there will be great joy. In the city. In the deserts. In the bush. In the mountains. On the lakes and oceans. There will be great joy across the face of the earth.

Whenever, though, can take more than a lifetime,

which is sad,

no an occasion for joy at all.

Happy Birthday

Death Day

Friday, June 20, 2025

Funeral Day

The sun will set

also on the longest day of the year.

Psalm 25:16

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

.

Mark 10:47

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

It’s the longest daylight day of the year,

here, and most places in the northern hemisphere.

It’s a birthday coming,

A death date going.

Makes for long thoughts to fill the long hours.

Celebrating life, mourning death,

but mostly counting on God’s mercy

and compassion

to save us yet again,

from all that would undo us

or put us, too, six feet under

for the long dirt-nap.

Oh, that honesty and kindness were possible ….

Oh, that Grace would prevail ….

Oh, Lordy, Lordy, have mercy on us all, help us each day

when death is easier to deal with than the opposite of honesty and kindness practised against us so, costing us so much,

but costing those who lack honesty and kindness so much more, the very essence of life itself.

Light our way, heal us all, bring your promises to come true, also in this time and in this place for us, as we celebrate and mourn your own Irene.

The End

Averted or

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Coming

Is the Bulldozer come to build

or raze?

Isaiah 56:8

Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.

.

Matthew 24:14

And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

It’s okay, maybe fun, to watch in films or read in books as the End of All life is portrayed, brought on by forces unstoppable …

and then averted.

Who doesn’t want to know we have ingenuity and heart enough to avert the End of All Ends?

It’s okay, maybe fun, to watch in films or read in books as the End of Love is portrayed, brought on by forces that should have been stoppable, but selfish choices still brought on the end …

only to have true love inspire and move a simple person of heart to express love in actions that cannot be denied so that

…

love

wins

and lives on in hearts that were hardened.

But in real life …

all that is not fun to watch or be involved in.

In real life the stakes are higher,

for everyone involved.

The only thing that saves us

each day

is

the Holy Spirit working in us

to love where there is no room for love.

Only God saves us from ourselves and other people’s wish to hate us.