Job

I'm doing 5 talks through Job for my youth groups at the moment. I haven't visited Job for a while and (as usual) it's the surprise that grab you.

Job has had everything stripped from him in Ch 1 (although worse is yet to come in Ch 2). Money, status, security and kids, all gone in a heartbeat. So Job looses it, tears robes, shaves head and mourns. Check the next sentence;

Then he fell to the ground in worship . . ."
[OK, I didn't see that one coming]

"and said, Naked I come from my mothers womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised."

Thoughts.
Job seems to understand a lot better than we do that everything he had from the second he was born doesn't belong to him. It was a gift from God. Or a loan from God - becuase one day, when you die, God will take it back. So if God calls back some of his gifts a bit early, that's OK. Suffering in this way doesn't mean God hates you or that God has suddenly become untrustworthy.

It also seems that Job knew this before the suffering came, he didn't figure it out in the midst of the storm. His reaction was to fall down in worship. He was prepared for this. He knew this stuff already and had used this knoweldge to discipline and brace himself for such a day.

Last comment.

Job can see what is happening around him clear enough, but he is totally clueless as to the reason behind it. (The narrator gives us a glimpse into the conversation between God and Satan, but Job himself never hears about it). Job's response is a response to suffering which arrives with no explaination or interpretation. Which gives us a choice. Do we react to what we SEE around us, or, from what we KNOW to be true about God? It seems to me that while he is a full participant in the tragedy around him, Job chooses the later.

More to come (perhaps)

Scott

Nat and Ev

This is long overdue (they are somewhere in Namibia now) but better late than never.

Nat and Ev came for a visit or 2 while they spent a week in Cape Town recently. They are doing a round the world thing with a twist - not just pure hedonism ;) but with a mix of Christian service (2 months with an aid organisation in a former Soviet Republic / Christian orphanage in Uganda etc). I like their style.

Anyway, it was tops to catch up - i think I heard a click - and you would do well to check their travel site http://natandev.travellerspoint.com/

Explore away, my friends.

At Newlands watching the Stormers thrash the Lions.

Scott

Two Oceans 2007

The road home

The mighty Celtic's at UCT and behind, the mt

This guy fell apart with about 50 m to go.

The mission: To get under 1hour 50 min.

The hurdle: Enough training to feel good but not enough to probably make much difference.

The crisis: 20 seconds into the race - I get a killer stitch. My training partner disappears and I'm in a hurt locker.

The panic: Half way thru the race i check the time - 1hr 03 - if I stay on this target I'm running a 2hr 06! Nooooooooooo!!

The decisive moment: I pop one of Trevors blue pills. I don't know what's in them but it kicks on so that . . .

The finish: I run the second half in 45 min and finish with 1:48:42

The next mission: To take another 5 min off for next year.

Scott

Actually, it has me

I'll whack up some pics and a post of the Two Oceans tomorrow, but for now . . .

This mornings Cape Times told me about Lisa Perry, 45 year old from St Paul's Minnesota.

She wants a fresh start before she moves across the country so she is selling all her belongings (except her cat, dog, photos and some clothes) on ebay. The top bidder would get over 300 items inclusing snow shoes, a futon, a village people album and seashells.

Listen to what she said;

"This might be mid life, but it's not a crisis. It's mid life excitement. I don't need it all, I don't use it all. I just have it all. Actually, it has me."

Has a truer word ever been sopken? "Actually, it has me"

You can not serve 2 masters - it comes down to being owned by God or owned by your stuff. Remember, you don't own it.

Would anyone out there like to follow in Lisa's footsteps?
If so, what would you keep (let's just say you'r allowed to fit it into a big suitcase.)

Scott

Help

Here is my problem.

I have a home phone, a work phone, a cell phone and a fax number.

I have email at work and email at home.

I have skype I have this blog and another blog .

I have a door bell.

There is Dawn at the front desks who hands me little squares of paper telling me to call people.

And now, for some unknown reason I have begun Facebook. Face book is kind of like my space, but nicer (I think). All the kids are doing it and I didn't want to be left behind.

Come visit me here.

Or don't - because I have 50 million ways to communicatwe with people but no time to do it. I still have 3 people we have promised to have over for dinner from last year. I want to go tribal, stone age, maybe a carrier pigeon at best. Is anyone else stung by this too?

Scott

The Chad

Hey y'all!

Go check out Nathan and Cass' blog from down south in the US of A.

I miss these guys . . .

(It's true, I miss you guys!)

http://www.nathandcass.blogspot.com