"Hawsers away boys!"

Nautical term. Yes, I used a nautical term. Am I a nautical kinda fella? Well, no, not really. That fact is besides the point of my post. For those unfamiliar with this most common and oft used term, a hawser is a rope employed in many capacities upon the high seas. But for the purpose of this post, it illustrates a rope used to tie two ships together while on the open ocean. Sorry for those of you who are weary of my deep posts and thoughts brimming with spiritual benefit, but this is another one of those. The thought for this post alighted in (or on) my brain whilst sitting in the communion service that my church has on the first Sunday of every month.

I was listening to the testimonies that were being offered and for some reason the word "connections" sparked an image/vision in my mind. And this is what I saw:

A small ship out on the open ocean, a sloop not very strong or seaworthy and it was crippled and unable to sail (the ship provided a representation of me). And without the ability to sail, I couldn't make it to port in order to have the necessary repairs made on my frail frame. But then Jesus, represented by a larger ship came alongside and threw a hawser to me. Guess what that hawser represented? Communion with Jesus. Partaking of the Lord's table provided a connection between Jesus and myself that enabled us to be drawn closer together and allowed me to make the heavenly "port" of heaven.





Then I got to thinking, don't I need more than just one rope to keep me securely tied to my Master? The thoughts began trickling in and I realized there were other "hawsers" that kept me close to my best friend. Among them were church attendance, personal devotional time with Him, prayer, honoring of the shed blood of Jesus, and resisting the 'enemy' who would love to use his ax to cut the ropes that bind my ship to God's (and I'm sure there are many more that I haven't even thought of) [please excuse the "church" lingo for any reading this who are unfamiliar with this type of language. Please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to explain].

This whole thought pattern was both encouraging and inspiring to dwell upon. I can stay close to Jesus because He has provided a way! Ultimately I believe Christianity to be about a relationship with Jesus instead of the often thought of 'list of rules and do and do nots'. Hey I hope this thought and image will also be an encouragement to you as you face the trials of life upon the seas. Chuck that hawser and ride-out the storm secure in who your Anchor truly is!

Bevy of Images--enjoy!

Digging

I have just stumbled upon a button in my life that I wish I had known about before. It's called the 'preview all' button on your local iTunes album search. I'm currently previewing the soundtrack to the movie "Leap Year". I'm quite fond of that movie because of my Irish heritage. I'm darn proud to be Irish too!

"Ew! Yuck! Gross! Acky!" are all expressions of utmost distaste, yet they are ways of communicating emotion over something that needs to be done occasionally (no, I am not talking about changing diapers or any such nonsense). I'm referring to the fine art of vacuum cleaner regurgitation. Oh, you know, that thing you have to do when you think your trusty 'hoover' has successfully sucked up your favorite engagement ring. Wait a second, I don't have one of those and even if I had, how could it be my 'favorite'?! Don't puzzle over that one for too long. Merely thought of an amusing and entertaining object that my 'hoover' could inhale. Anyway, I had the extreme pleasure of sifting through the contents of my family's vacuum cleaners innards last night because the last three puzzle pieces of my mother's puzzle had gone AWOL. I didn't think my trusting servant had grasped those last three precious pieces, but I wanted to make sure. In short, I felt bad for what might have been my fault so I wanted to make every effort to vindicate myself.

I must say, and I'm not ashamed of admitting to the fact that I used gloves, but hair is extremely prevalent in our society. Whether it be on your noggin or in the belly of a vacuum cleaner. Yikes! Not to mention that I don't know the last time that thing had been cleaned out. Perhaps I was doing a favor to seek for that which was lost. But I can't take too much credit because my mother had already replaced the bag and all I had to do was physically touch (through the gloves) most of its contents. Did I find the pieces?? No, I didn't!! Argh! Those varmints weren't to be found in that bag, which means, I was released from suspicion!!

Still, that didn't resolve the problem that those three pieces still were on the outside lookin in. So I set upon a search and lo and behold, there was one sittin right on the floor of our living room just as saucy as you please (mom spotted that one)! Various chairs hit the floor in an effort to leave no stone unturned in my assiduous efforts to now find the last two pieces (in order to give some perspective, this is not just ANY ordinary puzzle. This is a mammoth one thousand piece puzzle of tiny proportions. No kidding the pieces were the smallest pieces I have ever seen in all my puzzle probing days. That is why they were lost much easier than most. They could get stuck in your clothes and you would have no clue where they had gone...and it was a challenge that had daunted our family for the last two weeks. There was no way I was going to give up without a fight!)

Hmmm only one more place to look. Under, in, or around the great papa chair in our corner. I wondered if the pieces had fallen down in the cracks, so I stuck my hand down to probe its depths. What's this? Oh, only the cover for the back of the chair. Nothing special. As I reach down again I'm ready for greatness. Must...keep...looking...eh? Oh, only the arm-rest cover. Sigh...eureka!!! There nestled together in a fold of the arm-rest cover were the two coveted last pieces to that puzzle! Thank you Jesus! So with a gleeful chortle of victory and triumph I hold up those two pieces and am rewarded with the extreme pleasure of depositing them into their proper abodes in that puzzle. (chuckle) In fact, they were the only pieces I put together in that puzzle. How fitting that the laziest puzzle person gets the last laugh? But then again, I had to endure the suffering and misery of that wretched vacuum cleaner bag. I guess after all poetic justice rules in the end!!

And that my friends, is the end of my tale. I'm Ronsard and I approve this message!

I hope you enjoy this sweet picture of the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy!!

Muscle Doesn't Cut it...

So, before I ramble off on the soliloquy for the night, I thought I'd give an update on my life. I'm here. Sitting in a chair. Typing at my computer. Alright, now that you're thoroughly enthralled with every minute detail of my life, I can go onto the 'big' stuff.

Upon receiving that oh-so-coveted piece of paper called a college diploma, I have been happily living at home and working for a nearby bank. That much most of you already know. I was planning on attending Graduate School this Fall in the warm and sunny state of California, but unfortunately (or more fortunately) God had something better in mind. So, no scholarships came through and I was left wondering what was next. Well the 'next' appears to be taking a graduate course online this Fall (Human Growth and Development), continue to work, and then go back to Graduate school for the Spring semester. Lancaster Bible College is the preferred school of choice in which I will begin my pursuit of another highly coveted piece of paper. But I don't plan on graduating with my MA from LBC, because even though I love the school, they do not have the masters degree I would like. So I'll take the courses I earn from there and then transfer them on out to another MA program of my choice. Why even go there in the first place you might ask? Good question. As an undergraduate of LBC they offer each and every one of their traditional four-year graduates a free graduate course. I'm hoping to take advantage of that free course and then tack on another to make me a full-time student while there. Save some money and earn some credits. A win-win!

Now, onto the 'meat' of this post. You know what? I'm tired. Sick and tired! Tired of doing things on my own and for myself. I'm weary of trying and hitting the proverbial brick wall. Torn between what I want and when I want it and what and when I believe God wants for me. Riddled with bullet holes from my own stupidity and mistakes. The joy of mistakes is supposed to be what you learn from them, right? The conclusion I've come to is, I can't do it on my own. I have to have God do it for me.

While typing this, I'm reminded of the parallel thought presented in C.S. Lewis' book "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (coming out in theaters by the way on December 10th yay!). Eustace is turned into a dragon and he can't change himself back. He's bound and can't survive on his own. His friends have brought him, as a boy, to an island and then he becomes a dragon, and they can't take him as he is along with them. So he finds himself faced with a dilemma. How can he change himself back? The answer for him is not found in "how" or "what" he can do for himself, but in WHO. Aslan (or in my case Jesus Christ) is the only one who could change Eustace back into a boy. Back to the present world and to how this applies to my own life, back to where Jesus is the only one who can change me. I'm not talking about my own decisions or pledges in areas where I want to change. And I'm not talking about surface change where I've made a choice, stuck with it for a little while, and then reverted back to my old ways of doing things. I'm talking about change from the INSIDE OUT!!! Change that runs so deep into areas you thought were engraved in stone and you didn't think anything would ever budge. Well that can happen, but it's only through Jesus Christ. I've reached a point, in one area of my life, where I've 'given up' trying to change and I'm letting my Master do His work in my life. Because I can't do it on my own, and I'm sick of trying!

I know God has my best interests at heart and I (choose) not to doubt that for a minute! There really is something to the phrase, 'letting go and letting God'. Because sometimes, that's really what it takes. But it's not 'letting go' to then grip it with my pinky finger and keep holding on. It's choosing to forsake something I know to be a God given privilege. Yet by choosing to 'let God' I'm choosing to let it GO COMPLETELY! I'm not holding onto it at all because I can't. In my own desires and in my own weakness I'll mess up the good God has in mind for me. Is there anything you're holding onto in your life that you know you should let go of? A tough question, but one that each one of us should answer. And keep answering. That's why my muscle just doesn't cut it. God has to do it for me and I know He will!

Blessings,
Ronsard

Does IT Matter?

The title really does matter. In some of my earlier posts I've simply slapped some words in the title line and forged ahead. Well, I'm going to try and not do that as much from now on. Of course there will be the occasional post where that is the case, but not this one. I relish asking questions because it makes me think and examine thoughts or issues that perhaps I haven't faced before. And as one who is along for the journey on this blog, I'm afraid you might have to exercise some brain power as well.

I know sometimes I can become weary of questions, but asking those sentences with the little squiggly thing at the end enables me to learn, and I don't want to ever stop learning. So the question I pose to myself (and you as my reader) is this, "How do you know you are making a difference in the lives of others"? Perhaps an additional question in the natural progression of thought would be, "Why do I care what difference I'm making in the lives of others"?

I viewed a film recently which poignantly illustrated this thought. Whether we realize it or not, and I would challenge each one of us (myself included) we do make a difference in the lives of others. Whether that difference is for the better or worse, well I leave that up to you to ponder. I know I want to make a difference in the lives' of the people I interact with and I want that influence to be a positive one. Yet how can I know for sure that I'm not wasting my time? Well in a way, I'll never know. I guess the only real way that question can be answered is if somebody thanks me for making a difference in their lives. I find it a bit amusing because this influence we exert over others is also illustrated in a well known Christmas film. Remember George Bailey? Yeah, mhm, I'm talking about "It's A Wonderful Life".

Though definitely not wishing what George wished for, it is thought provoking to consider what life would be like for others if I didn't exist. Now as he found out, life would be radically different for all those he knew and loved (and doubtless they were extremely glad he had been borne, which the movie demonstrates when he comes to his senses). I'm not suicidal nor suggest or encourage any such notions, but I found the thought that I impact others, to be a very challenging one to consider, which was heightened by the wonderment of what life would be like if I didn't exist. My words and even more my actions, which speak louder than words, demonstrate the impact I can have on those around me. How am I demonstrating love to those around me? What more can I do to be a positive role model to those following in my footsteps?

In the arena of sports I've been very aware of the impact I have on the younger generation back when I started playing Varsity Basketball for Conval High. Why is that? I came to that realization because of the impact those guys had on me. I grew up watching the CV Cougars Basketball team and I idolized it's players. My family will regale you with who was my favorite player if you're ever interested to know. So when I stepped on that court I knew all the kids in the stands would be looking up to me. There was a weight of responsibility that I hadn't realized existed. I must admit, I was scared by that realization, but that didn't make me any less determined to carry myself with as much professionalism and good sportsmanship, as I knew how.

I'm additionally aware of that responsibility every time I stepped on the court/field of a collegiate athletic event. But even though it is a great responsibility the privilege of being an athlete makes it all worth it.

Athletics however, are only a small arena where I can impact peoples' lives. I hope every area of my life has a positive impact on others (that's what I'm striving for). After all, what I say or do really DOES matter.

When Life Makes Cent$

I suppose some sort of exclamation along the lines of, "Yikes! I haven't posted on here in over a month!!!" wouldn't quite make up for the fact that I haven't?? But I suppose I'll try and remedy that. Who knows, you might even read two or three posts in a row! I mean I have been storing up for a while. (chuckle) I actually thought of things I wanted to post about at work in the last month or so, but that didn't exactly turn into action.

Since my last post I've experienced something new. What, may you ask? You may. But I'll string this out for a few characters more. There! I think I've just about reached my max of suspense (at least what you'll be able to reasonably handle without throttling me). I was asked to preach. Yes, you heard it correctly. You know, that thing where you get up in front of other people and speak for God...? Yeah, that thing. Thankfully I was given a couple months warning, so I was able to really pray and mull over what God wanted me to speak about. I decided that it would only make sense to intertwine what God has been teaching me in everyday life into an applicable presentation that would be of mutual benefit. At least that is what I hoped.

Honestly, my life has taken so many twists and turns this summer and it seems like all I can really do is hang onto God's hand for dear life because I can't see where He's leading (but then again I don't have to know, all I have to do is follow). I feel like the dust has settled a little bit, even since I spoke for church, but I've been able to learn some pretty invaluable lessons along the way. Okay, okay. I'll stop 'salting the oats'. For those who were there, they already know where this post is going. But then again I might add some different twists here than I did in person. The sermon was built around a question. I wanted to come up with a different way of illustrating something each one of us experiences. The question is this, "What do you do when life doesn't make sense"? Because mine sure hasn't made sense.

So honestly, what do you do? Think about it for a second. I came to realize that generally my first reaction was what I really did, and my second reaction was what I wanted my reaction to be. For example, I FREAK!!!! Oh, wait, no. I don't do that. I pray and suffer in silence. Alright, so that 'suffer in silence' bit is a little bit of an exaggeration, but I thought I'd add it for effect. But then again shouldn't my first reaction be to pray and NOT freak?! Because where I run to or what I choose to trust in when life isn't going as I wanted it to reflects on where my trust truly is. The passage I spoke from was James 5:7-11. Blessed are those who endure. Did you get that?! BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ENDURE!

So even though my natural reaction(s) when life doesn't make sense are to complain, panic, and bolt, are those really the best I can do? Is that the best God has in mind for me? The emphatic answer to that is, NO! Because as the end of verse eleven says, God is compassionate and merciful. He knows what's going on. Instead my reaction(s) should be to pray, trust, and wait. I realize this is one of those things that are 'easier said than done'. But that doesn't negate from its veracity! The good God has in mind for me (and He really does have my/our best good at heart) is not always what I think would be good for myself. I can't look to God and say, "I know what's good for me, now give it to me"! It just doesn't work that way. In fact I'm glad it didn't, because I wouldn't know what is really good for me.

Therefore, life only really makes cent$ when I'm trusting in God and choosing to let Him show me the way. So what if that means I don't know where or what my future holds. He does, and that's all that really matters. I want to make sure I don't have the attitude of barging ahead with my own plans and then deciding, "Oh Lord, would you please bless me on my adventure." Instead I need to be asking, "Lord would you please lead me where You want me to be" and then move when He directs. Can you see the difference in the attitudes portrayed? One is all on my own and the other is dependent on God. So that's what this is all about. Life really only makes cent$ when God is in control and I'm choosing to follow Him day by day.


P.S. That is not to say that one/me should not have plans/hopes/dreams. Because I certainly do. But I need to hold the plans very lightly as I'm seeking to follow God wherever He leads. I think God directs a moving ship, but He needs to have full access to the rudder. Savvy?