Afros, Bobcuts, and Combovers

                Hair is an interesting piece of our total makeup. It’s thin, yet durable. Along with that, it knows its place. Have you ever done your hair in the morning and try to alter it later on in the day; something as simple as changing where you part it perhaps? You spike it, curl it, straighten it, flatten it, whatever you do to it, it usually withstands the daily elements. Sure, sometimes you need to fix it later on during the day to give it an extra boost...but it’s resilient. However you do your hair in the morning will affect it throughout the day.

                Now let’s compare hair with our spiritual endurance. Just like hair, you need to get spiritually ready in the morning. We do our hair because we know we want to be ready for the day. Look presentable. God has specific appointments for us daily that we need to be prepared for. Just like you wouldn’t go to your first job interview with bed head, you shouldn’t go throughout your day without heart, soul, and mind prepared. When we neglect God in the morning, we miss out on the opportunities to share what we learn; we aren’t awake or thinking about Him all day. Sometimes it’s even necessary to add extra time for Him afterwards to regain that enthusiastic approach to the rest of the day.

                I know I have disregarded God in the morning many times and I’m sure I’ve missed out on countless divine appointments. Something always seems to get in my way, my mornings are hectic, there’s no time, I have things to do, I get no quiet time, God understands if I worship with Him later (I mean, I’m still worshipping Him , right?). These are all excuses I’ve used too many times. Is God ever too busy for me when I call on Him? Does He ever turn a deaf ear when I’m talking with Him? Does He ever push me away because I’m not worthy? Never. God is always there and all He is asking is a little time in that “chaotic” morning for Him to recharge you for another day. We always have time for our hair, don’t we? How much more should we arrange time for our Lord?

Because He Lives!

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

And then one day I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!


Later in the year when we think of Easter, most of our thoughts directly focus on the commercialism of the holiday; the easter bunny, colourful eggs, various sizes of chocolate, Easter lilies, feasts, and scavenger hunts.

Just the other day I was helping my kindergarten teacher with her Easter craft for the kids. I was enjoying the project while listening to her read a story to the children. Now, this school I was at (and attended as a child) is a public school; yet my old teacher paused the story for a moment and asked the students, "Who doesn't know who Jesus is?" To my GREAT surprise, HALF the students rose their hand. She simply explained Him as a kind man who never got angry and was generous and loves us. Simple for the kids, yet hopefully enough to make them remember Him. She told them of His importance to this holiday and that it didn't start with the Easter bunny.

Now I'm sure if parents complained she could get in a little trouble for talking about the Lord in a public school, but I was pleasantly surprised that she took the time to tell those kids about Him.

What was most surprising to me though...was that HALF the students didn't know Him. Doesn't that say something to us as servants of Christ? We all, I'm sure, at some point in our lives, want or have wanted to go on a mission trip. I know I do! But we need to stop for a moment and think. Don't we have work in our own countries? Aren't there people in Canada, America, and other homelands that we live in, that don't know God? Flight tickets themselves can be thousands. Can't that money go to Christ's servants that are already in the area? Can't they witness themselves?

Just something to think about for the season. God is calling us to witness NOW. Where ever we are. We don't need to travel far to spread the gospel because there could even be people in our own families that neglect to worship our Saviour.

Today, Christ lives in me. I pray that He will make me a missionary in my own country, province, city, and home first.