Excerpts From: The Messenger |
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“Contentment is being content with what you already have.”
Money, money, money. The topic of most people’s discussion these days. The car just broke down. The heating bill came in. The tax bill came in. I want a new car but I need money. I can’t afford to keep my house. The children need school supplies, clothes, etc. I don’t have enough food.
A University of Southern California did a study they entitled "Explaining Happiness". They put together responses from about 1,500 people in a survey that lasted almost 30 years. Participants in this study ranged from early adulthood to retirement. They recorded their feelings, responses and all pertinent information during this time period and researchers tallied the results. This is what USC economist Richard Easterlin stated: "Many people are under the illusion that the more money we make, the happier we’ll be. So we put all our resources into making money at the expense of our family and health. The problem is we don’t realize our material wants increase with the amount of money we make. We always think the more money we make the happier we’ll be. This illusion leads us to misallocate time to material pursuits." This secular study concluded that finding happiness in "stuff" was an "illusion."
Whether they know it or not, they just reaffirmed what the Bible has been telling us from the beginning: "Stuff" won’t make us happy. Money won’t make us happy. Nothing in this world will make us happy. I personally believe that happiness begins with a sold-out commitment and thankfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thankfulness, I believe is the attitude of the heart, that if we are able to give thanks in little things. Surely, it comes naturally to give thanks in bigger blessings. But if we see the cup as always half-empty and not half-full we somehow miss out on what gratitude and thankfulness is all about. In this relationship, believers learn to prioritize their time not around things, but around their response to God and response to needs of people. They learn to be grateful for what they have. They learn to spend their time doing things and not buying things. There is a proverb in my native country, Ghana that says: “Contentment is being content with what you already have.”
“Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife"
(Proverbs 17:1).
Or to put this proverb another way, "Better to have little materially with peace than material abundance with strife."
Are you wishing you had more "stuff?" Are you struggling to pay for the "stuff" you’ve already accumulated? There is far greater peace in having paid-for things than owed-for things. There is far greater peace in not worrying about impressing other people but in impressing the Lord with your obedience, love and faithfulness and thankfulness.
Want to avoid a lot of strife in our lives? Stop looking for satisfaction in things and start working on a deeper relationship with Jesus. What we often fail to realize is that God's measuring stick is the character and likeness of Jesus Christ Himself in each of us. This cannot be gained through a life of ease and pleasure and money. Let me remind you that everyone, no matter how poor they may seem, has some gift or contribution they can give to someone else. A gift for which we should give thanks. We all have something we can share with others.
The act of giving thanks stems from our recognition that all we have including our very life come from God. And a deep trust that God will provide all we need day by day. The Bible tells us not to worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' We should first seek God knowing God will supply all our needs. At least that is my testimony, and believe me Happiness will follow.
<p>"Why do you spend money ... on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me ... Pay attention and come to me; listen, so that you will live ... Seek the Lord .." (Isaiah 55:2a, 3a, 6a).
On Thanksgiving, I asked the congregation to list things they were thankful for. I was so blessed and encouraged by what some shared with us: Here are some of the responses:
May God continue to instill in us the heart of contentment and thankfulness.
Have a blessed month,
Pastor Samuel King-Kabu
Saturday, August 26 we headed off from Birkerød, early in the morning for a stop in Slagelse. We arrived at the appointed time, 9:30 a.m. for breakfast at the home of my cousin Ole and his wife Karen. Ole arrive shortly after us, he had been out to the beach to pick up his father (my Uncle Ib) and Rita.
We had a lovely breakfast and chatted for 2 hours, took group photos and shared our photos. Then it was time to set off on the next leg of our trip.
We set off for Fyn (Funen) across the ‘Storebælt Bro’ (large bridge connecting Sjælland [Sealand]) and Fyn, and arrived in Odense at lunchtime. After getting lost in downtown Odense we eventually found our way to the Hans Christian Andersen museum. My brother Mikael, and I went inside while the others waited for us near the entrance. The last time I saw the museum it was much smaller, comprising only the tiny house H.C.Andersen was said to have lived in as a boy. This time the museum was quite extensive, and it incorporated the tiny house within its walls. Andersen’s paper cutouts, drawings and samples of his writing were framed on the walls and placed in glass cases, as were several sculptures depicting the author. Rooms were set up so we could see what furnishings his grandparents might have had as well as in his sparsely furnished childhood home. They were all poverty stricken, so a record of their belongings had been kept by the authorities.
A film about Andersen’s life was running continuously – alternately in three languages. They also had a souvenir shop where you could also buy a number of books about Andersen’s life and books of his writings.
The next leg of the trip ensued. We drove to the next bridge 'Lillebælts bro’ (smaller bridge connecting Fyn to Jylland (Jutland)). By late afternoon we arrived in Ikast at the home of Uncle Ole and Aunt Ida, where we had coffee upon our arrival, then a rest before dinner. We had typical Danish food, specially selected by our hosts. Soon we were falling off our chairs so we were ushered to our night quarters in the basement and had a restful night’s sleep.
Next morning after breakfast and a visit with Ole and Ida, we drove off to the next town, Herning, where we had lunch with cousin Hanne and her husband Torben. Hanne's oldest son, Martin, and his girlfriend arrived to meet us. It was nice to see them too. I had last seen Martin in 1987 when he was a small boy. Now he was a tall, white-blond young man in his mid-twenties, very poised, belying his age.
After a three-part lunch (with long breaks in between), ending with home baked danish pastry and coffee, we set off again. This time to Skagen by way of the highways. Showers gave way to heavier rain. By the time we had unloaded the car at our quarters in Skagen it had started to pour heavily with crashing thunder and lightning. Marianne made a spaghetti dinner for us and then we retired to our respective rooms.
Next morning we made breakfast in the little kitchen attached to our quarters before heading off to see the sights. We drove to the ocean, a short distance away and forded the sand dunes to reach the shore. It was extremely windy and the sand blew into our faces.
We spent two entire days at Skagen. We visited the very tip of Jylland to see the point where the two oceans met - Skagerak and Kattegat (the Atlantic and the Baltic). Mikael and I took off our shoes and socks and stood in the waves. We visited the museum where the Skagen painters were exhibited. These artists were drawn to Skagen to paint in the very special light that you find there, and their paintings are a fine example of that light. Later we went to Gammel Skagen on the west coast, and saw that special light, indeed very special !!!
In the sand dunes we found the grave of one of the finest poets and artists of Denmark's past, Holger Drachmann, who wrote the mid-summer song. Some of his paintings were in the exhibit at the Skagen museum.
We visited the sand-covered church at Skagen and climbed to the top of the church tower to see the view from there, quite spectacular! We went there on foot, while my mother had a rest. That evening we went out for dinner at a notable seafood restaurant, Bodilles Kro, at the harbour.
Nearby was a museum of the region, which featured an old windmill. We visited it briefly the next day, our last on Skagen, while my mother waited in the car.
Except for the first day, when we arrived at Skagen, we had beautiful weather. Sometimes it was cloudy, but the clouds were spectacular. And because of the wind, the clouds passed by quickly.
After three nights and two full days at Skagen, we got up at 6 a.m. to have breakfast before our 7:30 a.m. departure. We had a booking on the ferry to keep.
We had chosen a different route to Frederikshavn than the day we arrived at Skagen, to circumvent the morning rush-hour in the city of Frederikshavn and arrived in Aarhus at 10:00 a.m. Shortly after we arrived at the ferry to Kalundborg, early enough to be the 5th car in line. We got out of the car to stretch our legs until boarding time.
Once the car was parked on board, we headed up to the lounge but ended up in the panoramic dining room, where we had a grand view. We purchased coffee and Wienerbrød (Danish pastry) and ate our packed sandwiches. The three younger folk spent time on the top deck and took pictures, while I kept my mother company in the dining room, and watched a three-masted sailing ship pass. We saw the island of Samsø as we sailed by.
Once in Kalundborg (on Sjælland) we headed off towards Frederiksværk and northern Sjælland. A side trip to Selsø castle and a small pond with ducks was a highlight. We were back in Birkerød by late afternoon, a mighty tired bunch of travellers.
My brother-in-law, Max (Anton is his real name – he acquired the nickname as a boy, because of his uncanny resemblance to the Austrian archduke Maximilian [1832-67]) was our driver throughout the trip and Marianne, my sister, was the navigator. My mother Bente, myself, and my brother (Mikael) sat squished in the back seat and made a mighty good impression of three sardines in a can. Good thing we enjoyed each other's company. The trunk was packed to the gills with our belongings - including bed-sheets – but not the kitchen sink. Bedding and towels were not included at our B&B. Guess it's not really a B&B since no breakfast was provided, but it's the closest description I can come up with. It was a wonderful, restful trip, despite our busy schedule as tourists.
The day after our return to Birkerød, it was time for Mikael to catch his flight back to Toronto. I accompanied him to Kastrup airport. Marianne had things to do for my mother back home and Max took in a trip to downtown Copenhagen.
Friday, the day after, it was Max and Marianne's turn to leave. They had a ferry to catch to Germany. The remainder of their trip to Austria was two days' travel time and a stay at a hotel in Germany.
Today my mother and I went to church in Birkerød. We took a taxi there and had lunch at the parish hall (something they do once a month) and had a nice chat with a man at our table, who had family on Vancouver Island – it’s a small world, isn’t it?!!
Jette
I awoke on the third day of my bicycle ride along the shores of Lake Huron to a bright, sunny morning. The 5km back into Goderich was much more pleasant in the daylight, as was the ride along the bike trail that crossed the old CP trestle into town. I was treated to marvellous views of the vast, deep blue of the lake, stretching out to the horizon.
It was a hard climb back up from the waterfront to the main section of Goderich, with its famous octagonal main street. I had breakfast at the same restaurant where I had been the evening before, and talked the waitress into filling my little mini-cooler with ice.
I had my destination for the day, Pinery Provincial Park, near Grand Bend, but beyond that was a black hole in the campground guide. Where was I to stay when I got to Sarnia, and then Windsor? The Ontario road map listed nothing but a few tantalizing campgrounds along the Saint Clair river, but shown in different colour. The map key called these 'Parks Commission Campgrounds", but offered no information. Armed at last with the Sarnia tourist guide I had picked up the day before, I discovered they belonged to the 'Saint Clair River Parks Commission'. The attendant did not want to give me a reservation for only one night, but my sob story about arriving by bike after a long day's ride finally prevailed. I also made my reservations a bit before and a bit after Windsor. Leaving my phone booth office, I felt content that the rest of my campgrounds were taken care of and I could just relax and ride.
The 'Bluewater Highway' south of Goderich was pretty unexciting. It was a two lane road, with lots of traffic, stretched on due south without a single curve. There were no trees. Along both sides was a succession of wheat fields, many of which had large combine crews working them. Far off to the right, but edging ever closer, was the distant line of trees which I knew marked the lakeshore, but I see no water.
By the time I got to Bayview, the shoreline has moved fairly close to the highway. I dipped down into a steep ravine and saw the road climbing up an equally steep slope ahead of me. I turned instead to the right, to follow the road out to the harbour. Sitting far out at the end of the concrete breakwater, surrounded by water, I had my morning snack.
Bayview rests upon a bluff overlooking the harbour and turns its back on the water. I hiked my heavily-loaded rig up the steep pedestrian trail to 'Main Street', an overly trendy tourist haven which did not seem to have any real shops. The street was thick with tourists, exploring the myriad candle and curio shops.
The highway south of Bayview was a repeat of the earlier highway. Once again, the distant shoreline edged ever closer. There began to be roads leading towards the shore, which fanned out to a range of shoreline homes. None of these roads connected though, so I had to continue along the highway.
I came at last to an open wheat field, the back of which ended at the cliffside above the lake, without houses. A short ride down the road brought me out at the lake, atop a fifty-foot bluff. Looking south, I could see the big bend in the Lake Huron shoreline, as it curved westward.
The town of Big Bend was a typical beach town. I could have been at the seaside. The main street streched several blocks, lined with trendy stores and ending in a vast and crowded beach sporting a giant Canadian flag. After eating my lunch out at the end of the breakwater, I walked my bike back up through the town, along the sidewalk, so that I could experience the energy of all the throngs of people walking up and down the street.
My campground was still 5km further west, along a highway which was now very busy. It had grown to four lanes. The Pinery Provincial Park was a huge complex, but it had only one entrance. Once inside, there were miles of roads. It was another 5km from the gate to my campsite! I stopped in at the huge camp store complex, almost as big as a supermarket and complete with restaurant. The hundreds of campsites in the park translated into literally thousands of people. Most got around the park by bicycle.
After leaving for supper along the highway and coming back, I managed to get to the beach, beyond the dunes, just as the sun was setting to the west over Lake Huron.
(The story will be continued in subsequent editions of the Messenger. Accounts of earlier bike rides can be found at http://rogerkenner.ca/Bike/Bike.html)
Roger Kenner
(This is beautiful! Try not to cry.)
She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: "How is my little boy ? Is he going to be all right ? When can I see him ?"
The surgeon said, "I'm sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it."
Sally said, "Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't God care any more ? Where were you, God, when my son needed you ?"
The surgeon asked, "Would you like some time alone with your son ? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's transported to the university."
Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good-bye to her son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair. "Would you like a lock of his hair ?" the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.
The mother said, "It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for Study. He said it might help somebody else. "I said no at first, but Jimmy said, 'Mom, I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom." She went on, "My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could."
Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car.
The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room.
She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She laid down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.
It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Laying beside her on the bed was a folded letter. The letter said:
"Dear Mom, I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say "I Love You". I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do. You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn't look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him.
Jesus himself took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom ? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important. That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good bye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't allowed. Well, you know what Mom ? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him 'Where was He when I needed him?' "God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children. Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to give God His pen back now. He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure the food will be great.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore. The cancer is all gone. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either. That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery ! How about that?
Signed with Love from God, Jesus & Me.
(Story from the Internet)
Contribution by Jette
I said, "God, I hurt."
And God said, I know."
I said, "God, I cry a lot."
And God said, "That is why I gave you tears."
I said, "God, I am so depressed."
And God said, "That is why I gave you Sunshine."
I said, "God, life is so hard."
And God said, "That is why I gave you loved ones."
I said, "God, my loved one died."
And God said, "So did mine."
I said, "God, it is such a loss."
And God said, “I saw mine nailed to a cross."
I said, "God, but your loved one lives."
And God said, "So does yours."
I said, "God, where are they now?"
And God said, "Mine is on My right and yours is in the Light."
I said, "God, it hurts."
And God said, I know."
Web Page prepared by:
Roger Kenner
& Jette Blair.
Content-New Topics Last Updated: 2007/03/14
St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church - Montreal