"It is a joy for us to bless you."

This coming Saturday my baby (well…my adult daughter) is getting married!!!  Brian and I are thrilled by Emily’s choice in a partner. Matthew is a wonderful young man who has easily fit into our family and we love that he adores our Emily.

I need not tell you that weddings are full of extra activities and, the occasional stresses. Planning a wedding in the midst of a Global pandemic is all the more…how shall I say it? Interesting ;) We have been so blessed to have dear friends who have come alongside to assist in ways I didn’t even realize we needed help. 

These same friends are the ones who have, for years, shared our burdens and made our lives all the richer. When we express our gratitude to them, their response is always, “it is a joy for us to bless you”.  Their humble response is indicative of who they are.  They give of themselves, freely and often, and not just to us but to so many others!

They remind me of the scripture we talked about on Sunday, in There’s a Reason (part 2)

Mark 10:45:

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." 

- Jesus

Jesus is our greatest example of selflessness. Scripture is full of examples of Him serving others - from going out of His way to talk to the woman at the well, to healing lepers, to washing His disciples' feet, to the ultimate sacrifice of giving His life. 

We can get so caught up in own own needs that we may not think of others or look for ways to serve like Jesus. But not my friends.

They truly inspire me. 

Opportunities to serve are all around us. From raking leaves for a neighbour, or buying and delivering groceries to shut-ins, to throwing a beautiful shower for the daughter of a friend.

We are given plenty of opportunities to imitate Jesus. And I know that if we are open, God will put someone in our path whom we can serve today. 

Let's consider their needs and serve them unreservedly and gladly, and may we too, find the joy in blessing others.

Be Well and Be Grateful… you are loved beyond measure!

Pain with a purpose. Really?

Before becoming an ordained minister, I worked as a Childbirth Educator in two hospitals, and I owned my own company called Expectations. I had the privilege of being in hundreds of deliveries.

I remember like it was yesterday, one delivery where I was assisting a young woman who was in labour. What was so memorable about this delivery was how very difficult it was.  This young woman literally had every medical intervention under the sun. She had a medication that slowed down her labour, so she was put on a medication that sped her labour up. The contractions then came fast and furious, so she had an epidural. When it was time to push, she had an episiotomy and vacuum extractor but that didn’t move the baby, so forceps were then used. She had every medical intervention available. I remember weeping for all that she was enduring and yet, after the precious life was delivered and put on her chest, she looked at her newborn, looked at me and said, “Mona, I would do it all again in a heartbeat.” I will never forget that moment.  Pain with a purpose.

I have a friend who runs marathons… on purpose…with a purpose! Yes, it is painful but she would attest that the payoff, the satisfaction, the fulfillment, the sense of accomplishment — “is worth the pain”. 

Or what about my friend who recently got a tattoo??

People can, and will, endure a lot of pain if there is a purpose.  But what if we can’t see the purpose of our pain?

Today we may not be facing childbirth or running a marathon or getting a tattoo but we may be experiencing the pain of the unknown; the pain of the loss of a loved one or broken relationship; or the pain of being isolated, alone and afraid during this uncertain time.  

And we might ask, what is the purpose of what I am going through?

Sometimes it’s hard to remember, especially in the midst of a painful time that perhaps there is a purpose. We just can see it yet. God may be doing something in you before God does something through you. 

I love what the apostle Paul said in Romans 8:28, one of the most quoted verses in the Bible and with good reason. He says,

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

God works in all things — everything — whatever you're going through in this season, God works in all things for the good, according to God's purpose, not according to your pain. 

Let’s not just look at life from a perspective of pain, but see our pain through a perspective of purpose, because that difficult thing that you're going through right now… God is in it, God is with you and we know that in all things our good God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Join us this Sunday, on-line or in-person for Part two of our new sermon series, There’s a Reason.

So how was it??

So how was it? How was our first significant holiday, in almost two years, for you?

Thanksgiving for many of us is a time to gather with friends and family. To share a meal and to reflect on all that we are grateful for.

How was it for you, this year?

Frankly for us, it was good, but it was weird.  We were missing people around our table partially because of Covid sensitivities but mostly because Brian and I are in a position of sharing our children with their partner’s families. It is as it should be, but it is still “weird”.

I am so grateful that both my children have found loving partners and that their partners families have welcomed my babies with such love. It is truly a blessing. But for Brian and me it’s still a bit weird.  Things can be two things ;)

Whether your thanksgiving weekend was full of people, a small gathering, or you spent the day alone, I pray that you had time to reflect.

What are you most grateful for?

What is it that brings you joy?

With the constant barrage of negativity in the world it is easy to get caught up in the mire.  And I believe the old adage is true… What you see is what you get.

What do you see?

I like how Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, he said that "Today is a king in disguise.”

When you look at the things around you, your children, your home, your car, your job —when you look your life… what do you see? 

You can choose to just see normal, average, ordinary, you can see things you're not thankful for, things you would change if you could, OR, you can choose, in the midst of it, to say, this is just a king in disguise. I see God's hand in this. I see God has a plan. I see God is up to something. You and I can choose to see a king in disguise and be grateful!

My prayer for all of us is that wherever we find ourselves today that we might see God. That we might see that God is up to something. That we might see that God has not abandoned us but that God is just in disguise waiting for us to move in closer. 

For what we see is what you get.

Let’s see the tremendous blessings of God!

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As you may have heard we are back to in-person worship! We are following all Covid protocols strictly with your safety and comfort in mind. If you are interested in joining us, please go to the website to register. For the foreseeable we will continue with our hybrid worship. So if you prefer, sermons will be available on our Amberlea Youtube page. Check out amberleachurch.ca for all the details.