When the fog rolls in

Oh the joy of oil painting. I start out with such vigor and things go great. The painting gets further and further along and then it happens. I realize something is not right. Now what am I going do?Oil painting is not like drawing where out comes the Pink Pearl eraser when I make a booboo. I have two choices, wipe it off or use more paint. Trying to cover up mistakes is difficult and the painting starts to look like a big fog has come in covering over all the details.

How often in life do we start out with great vigor? What happens when the fog rolls in? How close are those rocks in the sea of life that looked so far in the distance before the fog rolled in?

Psalm 23 tells us that the Lord will lead us through the valley of the shadow of death. How about the valley of what ever we are going through? I believe He will. Maybe at this time, you are like me, and you seem to be in that fog and the details have become smudged. Rest assure if we look to our Shepherd He will lead us through and the sun will once again shine.

And my painting will once again have details and be finished.

Favourite Inventor

Do you have a favourite inventor? I do and it's Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb.
How about a second favourite inventor? How about Archimedes, you know, the maker of the Archimedes screw for drawing water up from ditches to irrigation canals.

The great thing I like about the stories about Edison is that he was accustomed to failure. But he didn't quit. "Results? Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10, 000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed." - Thomas Edison.

Failure is normal, and haven't we all failed. I know I have, whether it be failed tests, failed relationships, failed dreams, or failing to clean up my apartment. I am working on the apartment thing...really I am.

I am reading a book called, "The Art of Rejection" by Hayley DiMarco and Michael DiMarco. They use Edison as an example and his invention of the lightbulb, and maybe that is why I like the book so much.

Every undesirable result brings me one step closer to finding the answer. One day I will invent the lightbulb.

How hard could it be?

Today I made my way down to Duncan to visit a friend to play some golf...I totally rallied, great word Heather. Anyhow, while I was down there I thought I might as well go find the airport in Duncan after I had finished visiting. I have had some interest in finding it as I am a former student pilot. So the time came for the adventure to the airport.

I had a general idea of where to go, but not really. How hard could it be? Things where going great until I came to a four way stop, or was it a five way stop? Anyhow, which was the right way? I choose a direction and went with it. After driving for what seemed a long time I decided to pull over and see if my map of the Cowichan Valley was still in my vehicle. It was, so I located it and still got a little lost but eventually found my way to the private airstrip. When it came time to drive back to town, with the help of the map, I discovered that the airstrip really wasn't that far from the main road. I had made my journey way harder than it had to be without the map.

My adventure is not unlike my Spiritual walk at times. I figure I can make it on my own. How hard could it be? After awhile I eventually do pull over and look for the map I have had from the very start.

"Maybe you should pull over?"
"No Lord, just a little bit further I think I can make it from here."
"Ok, but I am here when you need me."

I may have the Bible but it also helpful to have people to guide us who have been down the same road. Just like when I asked a gentleman working in his garden if he knew where the airport was. I read the map wrong and it lead to his house, but he had been down the road to the airport before and was able to guide me back on the right path.

I am reminded of a message given by Chris King that went something like this. As long as we keep moving God can still direct us. It may take longer to get where He wants us, but we will eventually get there.

Get those roots down

Back in elementary school I can clearly remember a science project I saw in one of our text books dealing with erosion. It had a before and after picture of the effects of erosion. There was pile of soil with coloured popsicle sticks placed in it. The popsicle sticks where standing straight up. After water was applied to the soil the popsicle sticks where no longer straight but a various angles. Erosion changes things.

My Christian life is also subject to erosion. Erosion doesn't happen all of a sudden, it's gradual, from my understanding. My thought life can erode my Christian walk. Summer is tough on a guy. There is a lot of erosion out there...any time of the year. If you think you are going to be safe at church, don't kid yourself. I find that can be one of the worst places. The mall ranks right up there in the top three. Not sure what the third is? I will have to think about that one.

So how do we fight erosion? "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands." Psalm 119: 9-10

One way to stop erosion in the natural is by having plants send down roots. So we should do the same. I need to send my roots deeper into the word of God. Psalm 1 talks about the righteous, being "...like a tree that is planted by the sreams of water which yeilds its fruit in season and does not wither." I want to be that tree.