September seems to have come early for me as I thought I was going to take the Summer off writing and even said as much in my last blog post.
Some thoughts have came to mind that will shape the rest of this blog.
The title to me means things are not always as they appear.
I base my life on logic and rational thought. I look for patterns and use routines to get me through my every day life. I realize this is practical to a point but I have come to realize that I have to look beyond and try to see past what my "logical eyes" see.
The Ottawa Marathon was ten weeks ago and my body has almost recovered. That is one of the reasons why I do not like running a marathon. Running has became my respite from the craziness of this world. A full marathon puts a great deal of stress on your body and I fear losing the gift of running.
Here are some of the lyrics from three songs that I heard during this Summer and my thoughts of them refined while running down my ravine.
How To Save A Life The Fray
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
I read this is a song about suicide. Reading comments on the webpage I realize my ignorance about our youth and their struggles. Thank you Clara Hughes for your bike ride across Canada bringing awareness to the issue of depression in Canada`s youth.
My first thought when I heard this song. I pictured a child in Cambodia in a brothel. I saw a large group of people such as the recent Ratanak 5km walkathon. I saw all the hard work, the funding, the awareness of all involved allowing the child to cross over from the brothel to a place of safety.
My next thought was whose life is actually saved?
Matthew 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to
one of these little ones, I tell you the truth, he will
certainly not lose his reward.
Matthew 25 31-46 40 The King will reply, I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine
you did for me.
I am not a theologian but an strong argument can be made for final judgement and "what we do for the least of these" as having a big say on where we spend our eternal destination.
This week while watching a Police press release a name appeared that I know. Someone I had played Hockey and Baseball with is being charged with serious crimes, some involving vulnerable
children.
I have not had any contact with this man for many years but I wondered how do people end up so far away from where they belong?
I thought by spending time where God intends us possibly we are prevented from leaving the trail and ending up far away from where we are intended to be.
Brian McConaghy (Director of Ratanak International) once told me that some men give gifts of money and food to poor parent`s in Cambodia. Brian went on to say how a trap is being set in which the children of these parents are going to have closed on them.
The men who set these traps and abuse these children are stepping into their own traps, of which they will not escape. If they are fortunate the trap may spring on Earth giving them time to repent. If not the hands that close their traps will not let them escape.
God is indeed no man`s debtor. My eight years of volunteer work for Ratanak International including running six marathons may have helped save a child`s life, but I believe this time has saved my life!
Slumber NEEDTOBREATHE
But hearts are stronger after broken
So wake on up from your slumber
Baby, open up your eyes.
First thought on these words was that I saw a speaker at a conference explaining the lives some of Cambodia`s children live. I saw a picture of a child appear on a screen I saw the speaker calling the people at the conference to action. I was the speaker.
A project at my former place of employment went wrong. Somehow somebody had measured the building space wrong and a machine could not fit where it was supposed to. The manager said to "be careful when you point a finger, four point back at you."
The next lines from the song I omitted.
All these victims
Stand in line for
The crumbs that fall from the table
Just enough to get by
All the while your invitation
Wake on up from your slumber
Baby, open up your eyes
Wake on up from your slumber
Baby, open up your eyes
I saw a long line of children in Cambodia as the ones receiving my giving and realize I am giving crumbs. I must give more. I have started a process to give more.
Matthew 6:28-29 And why do you worry about clothes? See how
the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or
spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all
his glory was dressed like one of these.
One day while running I came across this type of snake. This is a picture from the internet; as I would not go close enough to take a picture as I thought someone had lost an exotic dangerous snake. I read later this type is called an Eastern milk snake and is found in Mississauga, thankfully they are not common. With smaller snakes, like garter, and sand I stamp my feet and they slither off. Two stamps of my feet did not move this snake and I wisely decided to change my course for the rest of this run. I thought of seven years of running at least 600 times down this ravine and this being my first encounter with this type of snake. I thought of Pastor`s encouraging members to read their Bibles daily as they do not know what may be revealed today which was not yesterday.
Brave Sara Bareilles
Everybody`s been there, everybody`s been stared down
By the enemy
Bow down to the mighty
Don`t run, stop holding your tongue
Maybe there`s a way out of their cage where they live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
I want to see you be brave
The first part of the song I see the words as an encouragement to keep on whatever you are doing to make a difference in the world. The ending where I change the words is a statement or a proclamation that I have been told cannot ever happen.
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you free
I hope to see you
I hope to see you
I hope to see you
I hope to see you free
I will one day
I will one day
I will one day
I will one day see you free
View this song in this light and see the day when all the exploited children in Cambodia are set free.
http://youtu.be/dyAfjUHlFSM
Larry
Some thoughts have came to mind that will shape the rest of this blog.
The title to me means things are not always as they appear.
I base my life on logic and rational thought. I look for patterns and use routines to get me through my every day life. I realize this is practical to a point but I have come to realize that I have to look beyond and try to see past what my "logical eyes" see.
The Ottawa Marathon was ten weeks ago and my body has almost recovered. That is one of the reasons why I do not like running a marathon. Running has became my respite from the craziness of this world. A full marathon puts a great deal of stress on your body and I fear losing the gift of running.
Here are some of the lyrics from three songs that I heard during this Summer and my thoughts of them refined while running down my ravine.
How To Save A Life The Fray
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
I read this is a song about suicide. Reading comments on the webpage I realize my ignorance about our youth and their struggles. Thank you Clara Hughes for your bike ride across Canada bringing awareness to the issue of depression in Canada`s youth.
My first thought when I heard this song. I pictured a child in Cambodia in a brothel. I saw a large group of people such as the recent Ratanak 5km walkathon. I saw all the hard work, the funding, the awareness of all involved allowing the child to cross over from the brothel to a place of safety.
My next thought was whose life is actually saved?
Matthew 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to
one of these little ones, I tell you the truth, he will
certainly not lose his reward.
Matthew 25 31-46 40 The King will reply, I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine
you did for me.
I am not a theologian but an strong argument can be made for final judgement and "what we do for the least of these" as having a big say on where we spend our eternal destination.
This week while watching a Police press release a name appeared that I know. Someone I had played Hockey and Baseball with is being charged with serious crimes, some involving vulnerable
children.
I have not had any contact with this man for many years but I wondered how do people end up so far away from where they belong?
I thought by spending time where God intends us possibly we are prevented from leaving the trail and ending up far away from where we are intended to be.
Brian McConaghy (Director of Ratanak International) once told me that some men give gifts of money and food to poor parent`s in Cambodia. Brian went on to say how a trap is being set in which the children of these parents are going to have closed on them.
The men who set these traps and abuse these children are stepping into their own traps, of which they will not escape. If they are fortunate the trap may spring on Earth giving them time to repent. If not the hands that close their traps will not let them escape.
God is indeed no man`s debtor. My eight years of volunteer work for Ratanak International including running six marathons may have helped save a child`s life, but I believe this time has saved my life!
Slumber NEEDTOBREATHE
But hearts are stronger after broken
So wake on up from your slumber
Baby, open up your eyes.
First thought on these words was that I saw a speaker at a conference explaining the lives some of Cambodia`s children live. I saw a picture of a child appear on a screen I saw the speaker calling the people at the conference to action. I was the speaker.
A project at my former place of employment went wrong. Somehow somebody had measured the building space wrong and a machine could not fit where it was supposed to. The manager said to "be careful when you point a finger, four point back at you."
The next lines from the song I omitted.
All these victims
Stand in line for
The crumbs that fall from the table
Just enough to get by
All the while your invitation
Wake on up from your slumber
Baby, open up your eyes
Wake on up from your slumber
Baby, open up your eyes
I saw a long line of children in Cambodia as the ones receiving my giving and realize I am giving crumbs. I must give more. I have started a process to give more.
Matthew 6:28-29 And why do you worry about clothes? See how
the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or
spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all
his glory was dressed like one of these.
One day while running I came across this type of snake. This is a picture from the internet; as I would not go close enough to take a picture as I thought someone had lost an exotic dangerous snake. I read later this type is called an Eastern milk snake and is found in Mississauga, thankfully they are not common. With smaller snakes, like garter, and sand I stamp my feet and they slither off. Two stamps of my feet did not move this snake and I wisely decided to change my course for the rest of this run. I thought of seven years of running at least 600 times down this ravine and this being my first encounter with this type of snake. I thought of Pastor`s encouraging members to read their Bibles daily as they do not know what may be revealed today which was not yesterday.
Brave Sara Bareilles
Everybody`s been there, everybody`s been stared down
By the enemy
Bow down to the mighty
Don`t run, stop holding your tongue
Maybe there`s a way out of their cage where they live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
I want to see you be brave
The first part of the song I see the words as an encouragement to keep on whatever you are doing to make a difference in the world. The ending where I change the words is a statement or a proclamation that I have been told cannot ever happen.
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you free
I hope to see you
I hope to see you
I hope to see you
I hope to see you free
I will one day
I will one day
I will one day
I will one day see you free
View this song in this light and see the day when all the exploited children in Cambodia are set free.
http://youtu.be/dyAfjUHlFSM
Larry
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