Sharing some thoughts

  I love the sea – in fact of all the beautiful places for me that I’ve ever been I think most would involve some water somewhere. I also enjoy going out on boats – of whatever size – the cross-channel ferry to the small speed boat – I should perhaps add that I’m not so keen on rowing boats to be honest, because they’re a bit too wobbly when you try to get in and a bit too much hard work when you eventually do.  Going out to sea on a beautiful still day is a wonderful experience  - the peace I think surpasses anything we can find on dry land. Of course, there can also be the rather bad days where the water is not quite so calm. I remember one particular trip where I had gone to Dublin to watch Wales play one year.  Wales had won the game and there was a good degree of celebration – for some bizarre reason which I don’t recall now, we had booked the 9am ferry back to Holyhead the following morning, and it was raining and it was very windy. When we got there we found m...

  I like the story about Mother Theresa who went one day to her superiors and said,  "I have three pennies and a dream from God to build an orphanage." "Mother Teresa," her superiors replied gently but understandably, "you cannot build an orphanage with three pennies...with three pennies you can't do anything." "I know," she said, smiling, "but with God and three pennies I can do anything."   There’s another story about a man who bought a house with an overgrown garden. The weeds had long since taken over the garden and it was a mess. But slowly the man began to clear the weeds and work on the garden and plant seeds. Finally, he had made it into a showcase garden. One day the Vicar came to visit, and when he saw the beautiful flowers and plants, he observed, "Well, friend, you and God have done a marvelous job on this garden." To which the homeowner replied, "You should have seen it when God had it by himself though !...

  There’s a story told of a couple going on holiday, standing in line waiting to check in their bags at the airport, when the husband said to the wife, "I wish we had brought the piano." The wife said, "Why? We've got too many bags already!" The husband said, "Yes, I know-- but the tickets are on the piano!" Organisation and priorities are important to us all! And I think our readings today challenge us to think about our priorities in life.  For example, we heard part of Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians (4:13-5:1). Paul had suffered badly for his faith, and sometimes in pain it’s very easy, even natural, to focus on that pain, but Paul didn’t do that – he focused on the promises of Jesus – the promises that said whatever we face, God faces it with us. He doesn’t leave us, but helps us through pain... And so, instead of focusing on pain, or prioritizing the emotion of pain, we can focus on the hope and peace of Jesus. We can focus on news th...