Progress on a building site

I have lived in Sheffield now for just over four years. In that time I have watch a lot of building work. Since my father is a builder I notice construction sites and take a keen interest in watching their progress.
When I got the job at Hallam and then moved my office to the fourth level beside the floor to ceiling windows across from two or three large building projects I have had a lot to look at. Then add to that the several large scale project along Bramall Lane and around the Matilda Street area and I'm practically in a glut of "progress".

Yet I wonder. How much of this is truly a move forward. For one thing I have noticed much of what at first looks like a clear step forward is within a rather short time all torn up again and in the end left less complete looking than it may have at the beginning or definitely at the end.
A nice new pavement (sidewalk for you Yanks)will be put down with new curbs, pedestrain cross ways, and disability sensitive surfaces for the blind and all only to ahve the heavy construction planned in that area damage the curbs, break the new disability paving stones, and later to have the new ashphalt pavement surface scared with a long gash where subsequent power, cable, gas, water, sewer, etc. had to be laid down.

Looking forward

Looking forward is a key to happy healthy living. We need to see what is coming. We need to anticipate changes and patterns. We need to plan for highs and lows along the way. The Bible says , "without a vision the people parish." And I think, people need to have hopes. Things they look forward to and things they learn to deal with which no matter how unpleasant because these things will come.
But today I was pondering, "getting your hopes up." So let us press on toward the goal and look forward to the great things in store for us. Have you ever thought about the fact that we talk about things ahead as being, "in store?" It is a good way to describe the future. Because as we anticipate the future we store up things in our hearts, we behave in certain ways and these behaviors create patterns, these patterns then become the growth which brings forth fruit and it is on the fruit we dine in life. It is the fruit, and fattened calves, and aged wine, that make up the feast we all look forward to in the end. So we need to look to the feast and pull up the weeds, carry the grain to the cattle, tread on the grapes, and wait. Wait while we work for in due time we will reap a harvest if we don't give up. but let us look forward to the harvest while we work for it will cheer us in the hot sun and the pouring rain. Today we work for tomorrow we feast.

A lot to say and a black Attaché

When I went off to university my Aunt Penny gave me a hard side very smart black Samsonite attaché. Over my years in Chicago I wore it out especially by overloading it. Finally the handle broke and the hinge gave way and it died a death.
All I wanted to replace it was a soft sided black leather attaché. I still carry it nearly everyday now. Oh I switch to other bags like backpacks and ruck sacks along the way all of which I have wore out in one way or another. But the black leather attaché given to me by Marilyn, my mother-in-law still is going strong. I have replaced the shoulder strap but otherwise this bag is the one I take to work each day.

Horray!

for the soft sided black leather attaché

given to me given to me so generously!

Where's the fruit?

So what are we looking for here folks? We are looking for good fruit. What does it look like? Where does it come from? How will we know it is from the Lord? Are we fruit inspectors? Should we be asking ourselves if this or that is good or bad fruit? Do we know? Fruit sounds like an end product. Sometimes the process seems a bit messy but ends up with a good outcome, was that good fruit? If someone thinks the messy process is off putting for them could they deem that as bad fruit before they know the outcome.
Recently Daniel said most of this is shades of grey dad, But it if the shady stuff produces bad fruit it was black as sin. What is bad fruit?

Denying God. Disobeying his word. Distrusting his the truth he has revealed. Thinking we know better than God. Wanting other peoples stuff, envy, greed, jealously, pride, selfishness, anger, malice, lust, hopelessness. Denying God is good. Denying God is in control.

So what is good fruit, affriming by my actions and my thoughts that God is good, that he is in control, that he cares about his children.

Never alone, never misunderstood

It is plain and simple. If you have a friendship with God because you trust in Jesus, you are never alone. God knows exactly what you can do, why you would do it, and how much you can take. He knows your motives. Self-righteous thoughts do no good with the one who knows your heart intimately. But although God knows my heart he also says he loves me and is changing my heart to be like Jesus.

I never have to worry about having to explain. God knows, He was there too.
I never have to try and "look" good, I can't God knows. I can respond to God's wonderful gracious forgiveness and praise him, love him, and obey him. He has set me free to do this. If by a miracle of grace I can or do today, I know it was only because of Him.

Three Point Turn

I had a friend whose road was so very easy to miss I seemed to often drive by and then have to do a three point turn in the road to go back and proceed down the intended but missed road. I don't think I ever mastered that blind corner and the road from which you had to turn off was so highly banked up and crowned it wouldn't do to try a U-turn. So there I was forever relegated to the three pint turn. I felt like Homer Simpson. I guess I often feel like Homer (like just now, I had to re type Homer no less than four times because after all these years I still can't seem to time the shift key with certian other keys, let alone get the space between a capital I and a lowwer case w like in "I was")

Well this morning I was looking for the three point turn. I had got up late. It was my own fault ( but I really wanted to blame Lyssa and did blame Lyssa even though I knew I was to blame.)

I could easily make a list off all the reasons I felt "out of sorts"(my mother has used that phrase all my life and I dreaded to hear it! I guess it does communicate what is going on with me.)

As Lyssa said as we walked in to work. "It is a beautiful day."

I have so much to be thankful for and it would be much better to resit the urge to focus on those things which I feel like complaining about. I rather should rejoice! Yes Fionia, I need to learn to rejoice.

1. God the Father hears, knows, and cares about my problems.
2. God the Son has lived the knowing what it is like. And He wants to help too.
3. My kids are helping with the painting and took inititive to move furniture about.
4. Daniel is looking for work.
5. My folks are here. ( I really do wish we could have more time. I think I miss some of the good times now since I want more than we will get.
6. I am going to Belgium in a week or so.
7. The sun is shining.
8. Bethany has been wonderful.
9. the place my parents is staying is very convienient.
10. Our church family is very supportive.
11. We have made it this far.
12. God promised to take us all the way to his Son.
13. My sins are forgiven.
14. I have been afforded many many chances.
15. Our application for citizenship goes out today!
16. I have good friends who love the Lord and are loved by the Lord in the States, UK, and Belgium!
17. I'm having lunch with Samuel today.
18. We had good visits with Maria and family and Joan Simpson yesterday.
19. Emily and Wendy's room is nearly done.
20. I'm well fed and able to work.
    

We Passed!

Today Lyssa and I passed our UK citizenship test! So now we are able to apply for citizenship. It was hard but we passed!
We could be UK citizens by end of the year if all goes well.