HONESTY, SELDOM EVER HEARD

Today, I've been thinking about Billy Joel's song, "Honesty", that he recorded in 1978.

Why you ask?  Well I'm just so disappointed that people find it so difficult to be honest.

Why do people prefer to lie?  Why do people need to embellish, smooth talk, whitewash and even blatantly lie?

Do they really think that the average person cannot see through their deception?  And do they really expect to be trusted ever again once they have been caught with their pants down lying?

Perhaps I'm unusual but lying is simply such a foreign concept to me.  If anything I am honest to a fault hurting those around me by my blunt truthfulness at times.  I have to think before I speak to prevent myself from inadvertently stating hurtful truths. 

I don't know about you, but once I have caught someone lying to me, I have difficulty trusting them afterwards.  This proves to be very trying if I rub shoulders with the individual on a regular basis.  I wonder how these people manage to develop any meaningful relationships if they find it so easy to lie.  After all trust is a crucial foundation of any close relationship.  I venture to say, I think it is as important as love.

Billy Joel was obviously hurt by relationships built on facades when he wrote these words:

                           Honesty is such a lonely word
                           Everyone is so untrue
                           Honesty, seldom ever heard
                           And mostly what I need from you

I am grateful that I am surrounded by family and friends who I can trust to tell me the truth.

Give Thanks!

A HUSBAND WHO COOKS

Is there any wife out there, that doesn't love coming home to a fabulous dinner prepared by a loving husband?

I don't mind cooking but I don't love it either.  It is the end result that I love....homemade food!  At our house, I do most of the cooking but my husband will use his basic skills from time to time and totally impress me!  Eating in is always better when I'm not cooking.

His talents are limited though, to barbequing and meat and potato meals.   Nonetheless, I love it when he cooks and tonight is one of those nights.  Barbeque season is now upon us so later we will both be biting into one of his famous homemade burgers.  He has been making them for longer then I have known him and he has passed his secret recipe on to his son.   His burgers are huge (what man doesn't love that), juicy and loaded with toppings.   

I will have to load up the freezer this week with barbequing food.  My mouth is watering already for hubby's equally famous ribs that have hot spices cooked right into the meat and a smoked barbeque sauce basted on the crispy, grilled outside.  The meat is so tender it practically falls off the bone.  It's a favorite all summer long for us and our guests.

So, calling all husbands out there.  Warm up the BBQ and surprise the wife with a fabulous home grilled meal done hubby style!

Give Thanks!

THE ANSWER IS EASTER

Easter is not about bunny rabbits and egg hunts.  It is about Jesus and yesterday I watched Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California, preach his Easter weekend sermon.  It was entitled "The Answer is Easter".  Today, I am sharing my synopsis of his sermon and encourage you to listen to it online at www.saddleback.com.

Rick Warren is our modern day Billy Graham, only he is a pastor rather than an evangelist.  Five days after Easter last year, his son Matthew took his own life after suffering from mental illness since childhood.  Rick shared that it was the worst day of his life and that this past year has been the most difficult as he has struggled through the pain and grief.

His Easter sermon tells us how he made it through this past year by following the example Jesus left.  Rick followed the last 3 days of the life of Jesus.  He said that they were 3 days that all of us will experience again and again in our lives.

First, there was  Friday, a day of enormous pain, suffering and agony for Jesus as He was beaten, tortured and then crucified.  He also felt humiliation, shame, betrayal.  And He had to bear the weight of the sins of the entire world, past, present and future.  So if anyone knows what physical, emotional and spiritual pain is, it is Jesus.

Rick encouraged us to face our personal "Fridays" like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane just before his death.  First, reach out to friends (Matt. 26:36-39).  Resist the tendency to want to be alone and be openly honest about your pain to your friends.  Second, reach out to God (Mark 14:35-36).  When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane He was heavily burdened with pain because He knew exactly what was about to happen.   But the prayer of Jesus in the Garden, did 3 things.  It affirmed God's power, expressed his personal desire and offered his trust when he prayed "I Want Your Will Father".  Rick encouraged us to pray this prayer whenever we are in pain.

Next was Saturday, a day of doubt, confusion and grief for the followers of Jesus.  Jesus was dead in the grave and his disciples were asking "Now What Do We Do?" and "What If?"  They felt guilt and even fear for their own lives.   They had seen all the miracles Jesus had performed while he walked the earth and knew that He could have saved Himself from the cross.  So they could not understand why He didn't.  They later realized that Jesus chose to stay on the cross out of love for us to fulfill God's plan.
 
Rick shared that when we face days of confusion we need to remember the promises of God.  There are over 7000 promises from God to us in the Bible.  Rick warned that, "Worry is the symptom when we don't know the promises of God".   He said we should "never doubt in the dark what God has told us in the light".  Learn God's promises such as "I will never leave you or forsake you"(Hebrews 13:5) and keep believing them in days of confusion.

Finally Sunday came, a day of joy, victory and celebration.  Rick said that we cannot resurrect ourselves from the pain of Fridays and the confusion of Saturdays so we need the power of Jesus as our Saviour to get us to the Sunday of Joy and Victory.

Once the disciples saw Jesus resurrected they knew His Resurrection Power and became utterly fearless and confident.  They were full of joy and began preaching the good news of Jesus to everyone.

That same power is available to us so that we can live victoriously (Ephesians 1:19-20).

But to get to the Joy of Sunday, we must rely on the power of Jesus.  And to get through the Saturday of Confusion we must remember the countless promises of Jesus.  And to survive the pain of Friday we must reach out for the presence of Jesus.  

Months after the death of his son, Rick was asked if he ever doubted that there was a loving God.  He replied that he could never doubt a loving God that he knew personally.  But what he did doubt during his pain, was the wisdom of God.  He questioned, like David did again and again in the Psalms,  if God really knew what He was doing.  God does not mind hearing our questions and He understands the pain that proceeds the questions.  And He loves.  He Always Loves!

Rick says that when we each go through our Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, we need to remember that The Answer is Easter.  The Answer is Jesus.  The Answer is Always Jesus!

Give Thanks!

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SIGN OF SPRING

Recently in Mexico, while I gazed at the numerous Palm Trees, I concluded that the palm tree is my favorite tree.  It probably helps that I am a sunshine and sandy beach fanatic.

When I returned from my Mexican vacation to Western Canada, I noticed the Cherry Blossom Trees were blooming, and quickly decided that my second favorite tree is the Cherry Blossom.

Each year the Cherry Blossom trees are a welcoming sign of the beginning of Spring.  Their glorious array of colorful blooms line many streets in our communities.

The Cherry Blossom tree is native to Japan where there are over 100 varieties.  Most have flowers that are light pink or white in color but dark pink, yellow and even green blossoms exist.  Most of the flowers bloom in either early or late Spring.  However, some extreme varieties bloom in autumn or even winter.  Most are 5 petaled species but some have more, and it is those with more that tend to bloom later.

Cherry Blossom trees have been given to several Canadian communities as a gift from the Japanese.    In Victoria B.C. in 1937, 1000 trees were given to mark the 75th Anniversary of the city.  A Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrated each year in Vancouver, B.C. where 50,000 Cherry Blossom trees bloom each Spring. (www.vcbf.ca)

This has been a very hard winter for many, so any sign of Spring is beautiful.  Start looking around and you will begin to see many reasons to..........

Give Thanks. 

A GIVING GOD!

As I read my Bible this morning, Psalm 29:11 stood out to me:

       "God makes His people strong.  God gives His people peace." (The Message)

I believe God is the Giver of all good gifts to me.  James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.....".   When someone thinks of this verse, their first thought would typically be towards the tangible gifts God gives us.

But God gives us so much more!

The biggest and most amazing gift of all is salvation which demonstrates the enormity of His love for us.  Romans 5:8 says, "But God shows His love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us".

God gives us our faith.  Hebrews 12:2 refers to, "Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith".  Romans 12:3 says, "God has allotted to each a measure of faith".  So clearly, even our faith is not something we attain but rather something God gives us.

Well this morning, I was reminded once again of how God gives me the strength I need to climb each mountain and the peace I need to calm each storm.

Many years ago, I wrote a little musical chorus and the words were:

                     Lord give me hope in my hopelessness
                     Lord give me peace in my restlessness
                     Lord give me strength in my weariness
                     Lord give me more of You.

                     You are my Hope
                     You are my Peace
                     You are my Strength
                     Come fill me now

Life is a journey full of many strenuous mountains with glorious views, and many heart breaking valleys with sickening pain.  I am thankful that I have a loving God with me through the good and bad.  He promises to never leave me or forsake me.  (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6)  And until I meet Him at the end of this road, He will provide for all my needs because He is my Father.  He has even prepared for me a mansion in the heavens where I will some day meet Him face to face. (John 14:2)

This is the Giving God I love and adore.  He provides both tangible and intangible gifts for me each day.  I am forever grateful!

Give Thanks!

COCONUT SHRIMP ANYONE?

Did you know that Mazatlan, Mexico is famous for their shrimp?

My husband is pictured above enjoying Coconut Shrimp on our first night here, at a restaurant across the street from our hotel.  It has been difficult to stop eating shrimp after that first bite.

And after spending only a few days here, I have concluded that all the shrimp I have ever eaten before eating shrimp in Mazatlan, was really not shrimp at all.  After all, how can it possibly compare?

The size of the shrimp alone is like nothing I have ever seen.  Then there is the incredible, fresh, juicy flavor.  Then there's the vast variety of ways that they prepare the shrimp here.  You can eat a different kind of shrimp every night of the week while in Mazatlan and never feel like you are eating the same thing.  You can even buy fresh shrimp on the beach every day and cook it up just the way you like it.

My favorite is the Coconut Shrimp.  It helps that I love coconut too.  Coconut shrimp seems to be on most menus here but served with different dipping sauces.   I have had Coconut Shrimp back home in Canada but it simply cannot match what Mazatlan has to offer.

Last night, I ate Shrimp at a famous restaurant in Mazatlan called Poncho's, located right on the beach.  (www.restoranpanchos.com)  I had Poncho's Special Shrimp which was bacon wrapped and tasted like it had just come off the grill.  I don't know what the secret marinade was but the flavor tantalized my taste buds.  It was mouth watering!

At Poncho 's we were serenaded by some local fine musicians while we watched the sun set over the ocean.  Then we took a leisurely stroll back to our hotel enjoying the fresh evening air.  It was truly a lovely evening in a wonderful country that I love.

Before this trip, shrimp in my mind was just OK.  Now, shrimp to me is a must if it tastes like shrimp in Mazatlan, Mexico.

YUMMY!!

Give Thanks!