faith

What Route Should I Take?

July 18, 2026 By Annette1 11 Comments

Kate has had a bit of a week according to her post to us. Switching around her servers, dealing with a heat wave (with smoke from fires) and more. All that to say she’s given us the word route. I started this post Friday night but was falling asleep so here I am on Saturday morning trying again. I’ve come up with what route should I take?

What Route Should I Take

Yesterday afternoon I
had my route planned out.
First I’d go to mom-in-law’s
and then to the mission store.

Delighted to know of course
the store was open til 7!
The mission store you see
has a large homeschool section
I thought I’d boost
the area a bit.

Let’s just say, things
did not go as planned.
Turns out the Mission
Store does not accept
donations after 5 p.m. and
I’d missed by just a bit.

ANNOYING.
Even more annoying that
the girl at the desk
didn’t tell me this.

Oh the way home I had
a chance to reflect.
Was there a better
route I could take?

Should I have gone
there first?
Should I have perhaps
called first to confirm
all the details?

Did I spend too long
talking with mom?
Could I have, even though
I didn’t talk to the girl
afterwards, considered better
my frustration with her?

What route I take in how
I handle myself and the
world around me matters.
God calls me
“Be holy as I am holy“.

Can’t say my frustration
was a fine example of
holiness…. now was it?

So now’s the challenge
of improving myself
for the next frustrating
event in my life….
can I do better?
More reliance on God
is a necessity for sure.

The Apostles Arrested and Freed, Part Two

July 15, 2026 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Continuing in this series where the Apostles are arrested and freed, this is part two. Acts 5:21b-26. We seen the miracles and the arrest, followed by the get out of jail free card. We’ve also seen the apostles being obedient to God’s will. Let’s see what happens next eh?

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. ²²But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, ²³“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” ²⁴Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. ²⁵And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” ²⁶Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

The Apostles Arrested and Freed, Part Two

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

This was not a casual get-together. This was a serious judgment time. Calling together the high priests, the council, and the senate. Calling for the apostles in for questioning.

Can you imagine their surprise?

²²But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, ²³“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.”

SHOCK

I’m betting those guards were scared witless. Back in the day letting prisoners escape wasn’t exactly met with a slap on the wrist. But at least the prison doors were securely locked and the guards were still on duty. I’m guessing that might have helped, but I don’t really know. The prisoners…. GONE. Can’t you just picture the absolute shock everyone must have been in?

²⁴Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.

And then to discover that the apostles didn’t run away but were doing the very thing they were locked up for! Preaching to the people.

²⁵And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”

The end result, brought before all the muckety mucks. Not forcefully, because the police of the day, were afraid of the crowd using force against them.

²⁶Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

So in the end nothing really changed.

The guards probably frightened, but there was proof they did no wrong.
Mob control had to be maintained, a quiet “can you come along with us” rather than a forceful dragging along.
They ended up standing before the council, high priests, and senate.

What was the point then?

Putting the fear of God into the leadership?
Testing the apostles and their determination to preach to the people as God told them to?
Showing the Jewish leaders that God is more than?
Helping us to see the benefits of obedience?
Showing us the power of God through the preaching of his word.

Hmm… consider this.

The police of the day asked the apostles to come rather than forcefully compelling them to come along. Because they were afraid of the potential voilence from the crowd. A crowd of people who “were so fully persuaded that a divine power attended the apostles, that they held their persons sacred, and would not have borne any open attack upon them.” (Hub) Eye-opening I’m guessing for the police force eh? When the head-honchos want a job done… you tend not to mess around. But here they took their time and played nice.

So God’s power at work.

God’s power shows up all the time.

We saw the miracles and works of wonder.

We saw the apostles arrested, jailed, and then walk out freely.

The amazement of the Jewish rulers at the locked jail and empty cells. we’ve seen.

Also seen in the fervour of the crowds with the apostles that the police had to be careful.

Isn’t it so cool to be aware of the might of God to move in the lives of his people?

a black and white photo of a prison cell — Photo by Héctor Berganza on Pexels.com

Follow Along

If you are interested in the rest of the series you will find them here eh?

The Long and The Short of It

July 10, 2026 By Annette1 4 Comments

Shakespeare’s 1602 comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor, first gave us the line “the Long and the Short of it”. What does this line mean? Can it lead us to discern a greater truth? Or does it just leave us living in the now?

Anyways, it’s an idiom. I remember having a French student once who was struggling with Canadian expressions or idioms. I looked up a bunch of well known expressions and had him research them. Discovering the history behind expressions such as “throw your hat in the the ring” helps us to better understand the expression itself.

Do you truly understand what’s behind this particular idiom? Let’s suss it out a bit eh?

the Long and the short of it

The long and the short of it
is how to start a tale,
a story with a bit of fib,
and a lot of truth to tell.

Or the long and the short of it,
could simply be sounded
out reasoning for why something
may or may not work.

Renovating the bathroom
we need to know the
long and the short of it
Ordering enough material important.

The long and the short of it
is sometimes an idiom used to
define the salient points of
an argument or a meeting.

The Long and the short of it
is made clear to us when
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus
“you must be born again”.

Without rebirth,
salvation is not possible.
Without being born again
We cannot truly know God.

The long and the short of it
is God wants no person to
be without him, but the truth
remains, we MUST be born again.

Make that choice today
Thread the eye of the needle
Be smarter than a camel
And find your salvation today.

sewing needles — Photo by Nic Wood on Pexels.com

John 3:1-8

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ²He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

³Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

⁴“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[

What’s the Outcome?

July 3, 2026 By Annette1 10 Comments

Okay, so it’s like 10 p.m. I’ve had a long day and tomorrow might be busy too! 🙂 I didn’t want to wait until Sunday to suss out an appropriate response to Kate’s word prompt Outcome. I got to thinking how funny it was at work today when I rearranged the pickle section at work. I maintained the same spacing for everything, and yet I ended up with 3/4’s of an empty shelf. It made no sense! My manager (not feeling well today) came walking by and asked how I was doing. I said “I’m done and I’m so confused. Why do I have empty space?” She double-checked everything and agreed it made no sense. What’s the outcome? The most favourite pickles got more shelf space. I’m still shaking my head over it….

What’s the Outcome?

What’s the outcome
I have to ask
What do you want to see,
as a result of this task?

Today I decided
pickles needed to move
I thought it was funny
helping them to groove.

All that moving
and shuffling about
Lots of empty space so
My manager used her clout!

This makes no sense
was her confused cry!
You moved them about,
This change makes me sigh!

It was decided that
despite exact spacing
We’d give the pickles
an increase in their spacing.

It’s made me think
at the end of long day
what other shuffling
needs to have sway?

Are there things in our lives
that aught not to be
things that God
might find unsightly?

Just like the pickles
that had to moved
Give God a chance
to help you find the right groove.

The Apostles Arrested and Freed, Part One

July 1, 2026 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

So this next section in the book of Acts is quite long so I’m going to break it up into smaller bits. I should be studying all of Acts 5:17-42 but I’ll break that down today into Acts 5:17-21. This is the start of the Apostles arrested and freed, part one.

¹⁷But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy ¹⁸they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. ¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ²⁰“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” ²¹And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

image of handcuffs on dark background. Ext The apostles were arrested and freed Acts 5:17-21

the Apostles arrested and freed, part one

Remember that signs and wonders were being performed on a daily basis? Well…the plot thickens.

The priests weren’t happy!!!

¹⁷But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy

Jealousy is an ugly emotion. This wanting something you don’t have. The wanting what others have. All these signs and wonders of God on display and it wasn’t with the high priests and the Sadducees.

Who were the Sadducees you ask? Good question. The Sadducees were predominately part of the Jewish aristocracy. So you are talking the high priests, the wealthy merchants, and noble families. A lot of them were part of the ruling council called the Sanhedrin. Highly involved with politics and yet having to work with other sects in order to maintain that power. Got Questions proved to be very helpful in teaching me more about the Sadducees.

Anyways, they were jealous. Jealousy can cause you to do all sorts of things. In this case, they arrested the apostles and tossed them in the clink.

¹⁸they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

God acted

Do you think that God let them stay there? Nope. During the night, an angel of the Lord came to their rescue. He opened the prison doors and brought them out.

¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out,

He didn’t bring them out to just send them on their merry way. He brought them out with a purpose. They were to stand in the temple and preach the word to the People.

and said, ²⁰“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”

And that’s exactly what they did’ Entering the temple at daybreak and began to teach the people the words of Life.

²¹And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Like no hesitation eh? They just went and did what they where told. Solid men with a firm foundation of trust in God.

think written on white label — Photo by Eva Bronzini on Pexels.com

Think about it

Just think about this a bit eh? Being locked up, having an angel of the Lord stop by and tell you “keep preaching and teaching”, even though they’d JUST BEEN LOCKED UP!! My inclination would be to run hard and fast. BUT I also am not part of a group of people used to seeing God performing signs and wonders.

They had just be rescued from prison because God was doing marvelous things within their community and the men in power god jealous about it.

Perhaps they saw it as par for the course. God acted, men responded negatively, God acted, gave them a job, and they responded affirmatively. It was in essence the continuation of the same. Men of God being faithful and God showing up.

So here’s my question: why don’t we see signs and wonders happening in communities of the faithful now? Wouldn’t that change the face of the church now? Wouldn’t that create more believers willing to stand in the gap more firmly because they see God at work more often?

Don’t get me wrong. I see God at work all the time. Guiding conversations, coming the aid of his people in small ways, doing things in ways that those who know see it clearly. But signs and wonders that make the larger community see? Why don’t see those more often? That would shake up our world wouldn’t it!!!

The question is, would that be a good and needful thing? Isn’t God’s word enough to build faith? Can I trust God to continue building his church without those obvious signs and wonders? It’s hard sometimes right? I want the easier path sometimes you know? The obvious point it out… that’s God at work which doesn’t cause me to have to search out explanations or having to explain. Signs and wonders are just easier to point to.

TRUST GOD

That’s what it seems to boil down to. How much will I trust God to lead the church as he is currently doing? Who am I to demand it be any different? I should rather be asking God, how can he use me to facilitate his glory being known so that people are drawn to him? Isn’t that the goal of every community of believers? How can we showcase his glory so that our community of faith grows!?!?!

Can signs and wonders help? For sure, but as we’ve seen in this passage, those same signs and wonders can also create rifts that can ripple through the world around us. Those ripples can affect that community of faith.

I also wonder if they can create expectation? For instance, I have a young Christian friend who is always seems is looking for the next fix or high from God in action. What prophecy, what healing, what _____ He never seems happy is God tells him to wait, or to rest, or to just serve quietly. And if the church were filled every day with signs and wonders what atmosphere might that create? Might it create more “seeking the fun” believers? We need both, we need those constantly expecting God to act in big ways people, and those with a quieter, steadier faith of seeing God in the small things. Both create an active community of faith.

Good passage that’s helped me to think through a bit.

What do you think? Would the church benefit from a more signs and wonders time? Do you think that how things are in most North American churches is beneficial too?

Follow Along

If you are interested in the rest of the series you will find them here eh?

Part of God’s family

June 15, 2026 By Annette1 6 Comments

Huh… the word this week is part. A word that can be used in a variety of ways. So this should be fun to do. We’ll see eh? I’ll be adding something to this intro after the post gets written. In the end we come to the thought, we are part of God’s family. So what does that mean for how we live, act, and seek to change?

part of God’s family

Part the way
Make the space
Coming through
CLEAR THE PATH
Like knights leading the
charge for royal procession.

Now seen in part,
just glimpses of the whole,
the mysteries of God
slowly revealed,
understanding begins with
fear, a true reverence
of the most Holy God.

So long, farewell,
auf wiedersehen, good night
This parting tune
is known by people
far and wide.
The sound of people
parting ways for
good or ill.

Should I part it down
the middle or off to the side?
Which looks better
help me decide?
Oh! That looks cute, I
love that angle down
the side there!

Which part of history
draws you in the most?
The fear of death for bad
choices made?
The radically unexpected?
The showing forth of
power or the delight in
growth seen in people?
God’s story tells it all, the
the little parts show a greater whole.

What issues in your life
do you need to part with
to be the person you need to be?
I know a guy who wants to be
married, so I asked him one day,
what do you need to change about
yourself to attract the sort of
woman you want to marry?
I remember his utter surprise.
But the women he attracted up until
then were not women you’d want to marry.
So change was needed.
Every parent is faced with changes
they need to make as they raise
up youngers for the Lord. You learn
that it’s not all about you.

But then as part of God’s larger
family, we do have to see
our part in it. How do we fit into
the larger whole? How does our foot,
lift the leg, which moves the hip?
Are we the breath that helps the
body move as a cohesive whole?

Many Signs and Wonders Done

June 10, 2026 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Okay, it’s another week and I’ve been pondering Ananias and Sapphira all week. The juxtaposition between God who can kill people and yet God who shows mercy upon mercy to his wayward people. Believers all, Sinners all, and yet some die by his hand in dramatic fashion. This week we come to Acts 5:12-16. Not a long passage, but one that focuses on the many signs and wonders done in this time period.

¹²Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. ¹³None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. ¹⁴And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, ¹⁵so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. ¹⁶The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

What are the many signs and wonders that were done?

The time of the apostles was a great time for the start of the church. The apostles were kept busy. They regularly performed signs and wonders among the people.

¹²Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles.

I found this picture of Solomon’s Porch. This makes me rather curious. Why were they in Solomon’s Porch? Did they live their or just gather there regularly? What was the significance of this?

And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.

¹³None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

Regardless of what was going on with Solomon’s Portico they were there. Visible. And I guess kinda scary. No-one would join them. I’m supposing that they were held in too high of regard because of all the signs and wonders being done among them. But even though folks wouldn’t join them, they were admired. They were also being noticed.

¹⁴And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, ¹⁵so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

They were being noticed so much that believers were being added. Both men and women. In multitudes.

Isn’t that interesting?

Isn’t it? People watched them. Waited for the disciples. Wanting just a hint of power to pass over them. (Peter’s shadow).

So this group of believers, this close knit group that stayed at Solomon’s Portico, that had signs and wonders performed among them daily, that no-one would come near and where held in high regard. This group impressed enough people that others were drawn to them, drawn in to become believers. So many people that they overflowed the porch into the streets, hoping that Peter’s shadow would fall over them.

I have to admit, this feels so foreign to me. I’m imagining people living in this porch area of Solomon’s temple, or at the very minimum going there everyday all day. Just being where the apostles were and seeing all the marvelous things that were happening. I can see the draw, but at the same time it’s like….going to the same place everyday? Maybe living at a temple? Just seeing wonders and signs and being amazed?

Maybe I’m too practical but I’d also want to be getting on with the business of living too. It seems so outside my paradigm of thinking that I’m not sure what all to think.

At the same time, I want to have this draw you know? This need to be part of a community that is so connected with each other they want to be together. A community that has God working visibly in it. A community that is perceived well by those around them. So different from many communities of faith now-a-days. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to see this lived out today?

People Healed

¹⁶The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

If we could see this today I’m betting we would also see people coming from all around wanting to be part of it all. People wanting to be healed. Along with people wanting to just see the show you know?

Sick person … healed. Demon possessed person…healed. Signs and wonders performed by the disciples.

I was thinking about this passage today and this is just after Ananias and Sapphira’s death caused great fear to arise in the church. And now God is at work every time they turn around. It’s like people got a real taste of who God is and then God shows up even more clearly. The awe (fear based) and wonder (surprise at God at work healing/helping) must have been great (as in surpassing). So to go from that fear to the anticipation of God daily working miracles, to seeing all those signs and wonders of people healed. It’s like how do you reconcile that all in your mind? From death to new life seen.

And so one longs

Oh, it makes me long for those days you know? When people truly feared the Lord and were blessed by God at work in their lives in visible ways. Too many people, myself included, take God for granted. “He’ll forgive, He’ll understand, He watches over me…. etc etc.” Without remembering just WHO God is. Mighty, powerful, just, awe-inspiring, kind, compassionate, healer, etc. He is so much more than what we often give him credit for.

I don’t know.

I read a facebook post the other day that signs of revival are starting to be seen here in Canada. Would be rather neat eh? But I wonder….will God show up in signs and wonders to help people see him power and might more clearly? Curious hmm?

mother walking with baby son — Photo by Jonathan Cooper on Pexels.com

Follow Along

If you are interested in the rest of the series you will find them here eh?

faith

What Route Should I Take?

What Route Should I Take

The Apostles Arrested and Freed, Part Two