Quack

So they fired the Aflac Duck.  Well they didn’t actually fire the duck,  they just fired his voice.  It is kind of an interesting situation. Aflac hired comedian Gilbert Gottfried who is known for his insensitive and offensive humour but then they fired him because he sent a tweet that was insensitive and offensive.  Who would have thought?  Really, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck.   As for Gottfried’s tweets damaging Aflack’s reputation, I didn’t even know Gottfried was the duck until after they fired him, but now I have to wonder if I would trust an insurance company that would hire him as their spokesman. 

How often do we do  things knowing the potential consequences, and then we get all upset when what we should have known was going to happen, happened? 

Like people who buy a house in a flood plain and then are surprised when their house floods, or people who cheat on their spouse and can’t understand how they wound up divorced.  Or, or, or. . .

Seriously folks, not only did God give us His word to guide us, he also gave us common sense to use.  But it’s still up to us to read and use what he gave us.  

Peter, Peter Peter.

Peter, Peter, Peter!  What were you thinking?  $400,000.00 on  Black Eyed Peas?  How many people were you feeding?   It’s not about the money..... well maybe it’s a little bit about the money, but you keep changing your story.  You didn’t know.  You did know but you didn’t know it was wrong.  You did know and you did know it was wrong but you thought it was all right because your staff made the decision.  You did know and you did know it was wrong and you knew it wasn’t right just because your staff made the decision but it’s all right because the staff who did it resigned. 

Peter, Peter, Peter!  What were you thinking?  We expect more out of our mayor.  We know you are human, and we know you sometimes make mistakes but how about a little integrity.  Whatever happened to: The buck stops here? 

Actually, forget about the Mayor, that would be a pretty good way for all of us to live. To do the very best that we can and be people of integrity.  When we’ve made a mistake, and we will make mistakes, just fess up and believe in the power of forgiveness.      Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

Lucky or Blessed?

Crazy stuff on the news. In the past three months we have seen flooding of Biblical proportions (their words not mine) in Australia, earthquakes in New Zealand, earthquakes, erupting volcanoes and nuclear accidents in Japan and the U.S. has Charlie Sheen.  In a discussion with someone about the weird stuff happening worldwide I mentioned how lucky we are to live in Canada and they corrected me and told me that we weren’t lucky, we were blessed. So I stopped and thought about it and pondered it and considered it and I think I’m going to have to stick with lucky.

If we are blessed to live in Canada that means that we have been blessed with God’s favour.  I have no problem with that, but have serious problems about why other people in the world have not been blessed with God’s favour.  Obviously, it’s not because of the sterling moral character of the people of Canada.

We live in a fallen world that is drawing closer and closer to its best before date and we are lucky to live in a country that so far has escaped the consequences of that.  When that happens, then we will be blessed to have God’s grace to carry us through. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

Rollllll up the Rim

As a country, we have now come together for a national season of prayer.  Collectively, even though most folks wouldn’t consider Canada to have a national religion, it becomes very apparent at this time of year that we have a common point of faith.  I’m not talking about the season of Lent leading into Easter, I’m talking about the great Canadian Religion.   That’s right it is time for, “Roll Up the Rim”, and in Tim Horton’s across Canada and into the States people are fervently whispering, “Please God, let it be the car”, as they roll up the rim of their coffee cups.   Of course, we have already explained the rules about Roll up the Rim at Cornerstone: You win it here you leave it here.

It is funny and sad, how many Christ Followers will get more excited over having won a free coffee or donut than they do about having experienced the grace of God, which results in eternal life.  They will talk about it to complete strangers, they will rejoice over it publically, and yet are silent about the great gift that God has given them.   And seriously the odds are much better with God’s Grace than they are with Tim’s. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

Brothers with different Mothers

Do you know the name “Sayed Mossa”?  Well you should, he’s your brother, or at least your brother from a different mother, but you have the same father: God.   Mossa is a Christ Follower from Afghanistan who just recently escaped the death penalty. His crime?  Becoming a Christ Follower.  Sayed, a Red Cross worker, lost his leg in a land mine explosion, and while recovering began a relationship with Jesus.   It was during a baptism service, shown on Afghan television that he was identified as having converted from Islam to Christianity, and he was arrested and subsequently sentenced to death. It was only because of a Twitter campaign that he was released.  But there are millions of Sayeds around the world who live in fear of their lives because of their relationship with Jesus. His story is very similar to the story of the man throwing the starfish back into the ocean, who commented, “made a difference to that one.”

So what do we learn?  First, how blessed we are to have the freedom to worship as we please, but secondly, that we can make a difference in the life of a brother thousands of miles away if we are just willing to make the effort.  Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.