Synthetic Drugs

My wife and I were taking a water taxi down the Swan River in Perth, and I got talking to the driver (Captain I should say) of the boat.  He told me of trips he did regularly, taking special needs kids on outings. On one trip he met a 24 year old, who was brain damaged, and completely incapable of looking after himself for the rest of his life. 

In his early twenties he was an intelligent young man, not far from graduating with a law degree.  A wonderful fulfilling working and family life was all ahead of him.  But he'd smoked a lethal concoction and now his brain was fried.  He'd totally ruined the rest of his life. 

What's your opinion of legal highs?  The whole issue of synthetic drugs and legal highs raises some deeper questions. 

What's the point of smoking them?  Why do people feel the need to do that to feel "up"?  What's missing from people's lives that they feel the need to get legally high?  What's wrong with people's value system and common sense in the light of the known dangers of smoking legal highs, that they would do it anyway? 

Life has its pressures for sure - I think I've faced more than my share.  But I have also discovered there are opportunities and spaces in the busyness of life where there's incredible belly laughing fun, and moments of blood pulsating adrenalin.  These are the God-given highs life delivers that don't have any life-altering side effects. 

It's my belief that when one has a healthy self-respect, healthy self-worth, and a deep personal sense of identity, we don't need anything to add to that.  We know that in the course of life, we'll experience some lows, but we have people around us and a set of values and tools that will see us through those times. 

Christians meet together most Sundays and there enjoy a legal high like no other!  It is the experience of the love and presence of God.  Unlike the short lived high that soon leaves the user of synthetic drugs feeling lower than they did before and heading for another crash, the Christian's experience confirms and affirms our value, identity and destiny.  That's just another reason to go to a local church this Sunday. 

Abraham Lincoln Quote

"The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time."
- Abraham Lincoln.  

Nelson Mandela Quote

"A good heart and a good head are a formidable combination"  Nelson Mandela.  

I think he proved true!  

Step up the stairs!

Photo Courtesy Graeme Eades

So here we are well into a new year.  I was thinking about this, and how so many people make new year's resolutions, only to have them last a few weeks, days or even hours.

Then I came across this quote:

Vision is not enough. It must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.  - Vaclav Havel.

Simple.  Profound.  Brilliant!  Sobering.

I am currently assessing my "vision", and looking at what steps I will take this year to move towards my vision.

Many of us make our new year's resolutions and consider them the year's goals.  Goals are fine, but they can become just that - an unfulfilled out-there-something, if we don't take some form of action towards it.  Goals can even become just dreams, then they become meaningless.  Jack Hayford (Pastor of one of the USA's most significant churches) once wrote an article entitled "Why I don't set goals".

How about you?  What steps are before you, that if you took a bold, decisive, wise faith-filled step onto, would send you towards your vision and even the fulfillment of it this year?

Lets step up the stairs of our vision this year!  And I'm sure we'll be amazed at what happens!

Facing The Year Without Fear

Perhaps this last year there were things we said we wish we hadn’t, things we did we wish we hadn’t, things we didn’t do we wish we had.  Too late now. 

The journal of John Wesley records conspicuous New Year resolves and prayers.  New Year’s Day 1736, he was on board a ship bound for Georgia to conduct missionary work among the Moravians, and we have this entry: “Oh, may the new year bring a new heart and a new life to all those who seek the Lord God of their fathers”.  On 1^st January 1790, after 50 years of amazing Christian service, Wesley wrote: “I am now an old man, decayed from head to foot.  My eyes are dim; my right hand shakes much; my mouth is hot and dry every morning.  I have a lingering fever almost every day; my motion is weak and slow.  However, blessed be God.  I can preach and write still”.  18 months later the old warrior laid down his sword crying: “The best of all is God is with us”. 

Fear, and dismay are two enemies lurking in the shadows to rob us of our peace and purpose, trust and confidence for the New Year.  Fear is the child of doubt, but faith is born of God.  It’s because of who God is, that He loves us intensely and has the sovereign ability to command such things for us, a year without dread, discouragement, or fear.  Fear and Faith are never good friends.  They don’t get on well, so one of them must go.  Fear ends in failure, but faith leads to freedom. 

To look around isn’t any help.  There is enough in our modern world, enough wars, strife, and contentions at every level, international and local, to breed depression, hopelessness, fear, and dismay.  To look back isn’t any help.  To do so sometimes only serves to remind us of our sins, failures, and weaknesses.  To look within isn’t helpful either.  Excessive introspection can just be morbid and depressing.  But Christians look up; “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”.  That’s how we face the year without fear!  

Putting Christ back into Christmas

Soon Christmas will be upon us again.  Some will be planning a sumptuous Christmas diner, Christmas trees and presents, maybe some time away.  But have we taken a moment to think about why all this is happening, why we have this “holiday” season in the first place? 

Has it concerned us we seem to see less and less of the Christ of Christmas than we used to?  Where is the Christ of Christmas?  We see everywhere “Xmas Sale”, “Xmas holiday special”, “Xmas Greetings”.  Even President Bush could not put “Merry Christmas” in his Christmas cards but had to put “Happy Holiday Season”.  They’re even selling “Holiday Trees” in the USA.  Isn’t that silly! 

Don’t people know why we have this “Christmas” time in the first place?  We all enjoy celebrating, we all enjoy giving and receiving, we all enjoy wonderful food, we all enjoy some time off work, we all usually enjoy hearing from friends and family either by the traditional Christmas Card or nowadays by an e-card, and all the other things that go with “Christmas”.

Whether we believe in Christ is not really the issue, but taking out the very reason for the season is pretty hypocritical.  It’s a known accepted historical fact that the man Jesus Christ was born, lived and died, and that this season we now call Christmas is the celebration and recognition of that one Man’s birth on planet earth.  There’s more historical proof for His existence than for all of the Roman Emperors. 

What a shame it is for our society to remove the Christ from Christmas.  What a shame to remove the very reason for the season.  What a shame to deceive our citizens as to the meaning of Christmas.  Come on businesses, let’s put Him back!  Let’s be true to our children and grandchildren and generations to come, as to the truth of Christmas.  They’ll find out one day anyway, so let’s do it right.  Let’s start something influential!  This Christmas, let’s wish all our family and friends a “Merry Christmas”. 

Brief Word #36 December 2013, Making Room For the Miracle Of Christmas

Hi,

Brief Word #36 December 2013, Making Room For the Miracle Of Christmas is now available on the Brief Word page at www.goodwordsnz.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Blessings,

Stephen