|
Tim Davis is a pastor at Westside Bible Church in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.? His internet pasttime is the backbone of the Cybersalt Shaker and other sites.
|
|
Written by Pastor Tim
|
|
Saturday, 13 August 2005 18:57 |
Last year our part of the world experienced a serious drought. To help with water conservation I set up a plastic rain barrel. This year, with the drought a distant memory, it has been nicely filled barrel with reserves for watering plants and casual drinking for our dog in the backyard.
However, there was one problem that arose. The plentiful volume of water in the barrel also provided an excellent breeding ground for mosquitoes by the hundreds. To solve this problem I bought some pond goldfish for about nine dollars and put them in the barrel. They loved the larvae and ate them up like popcorn. But after three days they ran out so I went to the pet store and bought them some fish food that cost close to six dollars. To protect my investment, I also put an old screen over the barrel to keep the fish from jumping out. Now not only do we not use the captured water for watering plants (because the fish need it) but the screen keeps our dog from her casual drinking.
The above illustrates a phenomena that happens at many churches. It all begins with a crisis and need to be met (the drought and the need to save water). In the process . . .
|
|
|
Written by Pastor Tim
|
|
Friday, 22 July 2005 16:00 |
Anyone who knows me just a little knows that I like electronic gadgets and toys. Whether the newest computer peripheral, the latest digital media hardware, or the most recently increased-in-size memory card, I enjoy pondering how my life can be more complicated simplified by owning it some day. So even I was surprised the other day when I heard of a new tech toy that I definitely did not want. Apparently it is now possible to buy a data screen to install in your steering wheel so you can watch TV when stuck in traffic. It fits nicely in the space left after you remove your airbag.
As I see it, such a contraption will lead to two things. First of all there will be confusion. In the process of a serious accident drivers will be confused as to whether it?s their lives flashing before their eyes or just a rerun of Seinfeld. The second result will be renewed debate regarding whether natural selection is true or not as stupid people remove themselves from the gene pool due to high-speed accidents caused by their choking up during the reveal segment of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
The concept behind the steering wheel TV is not new. People have been choosing self-gratification over safety for a long time. In Numbers 11, the recently freed Israelites wanted to . . .
|
|
Last Updated on Monday, 25 July 2005 14:21 |
|
Written by Pastor Tim
|
|
Thursday, 14 July 2005 19:54 |
There are two things that you should not do if you see me in a supermarket.
The first thing is get behind me in a checkout line. You can be most certain that the lady just before me is going to try to pay by check - filling it out with a pen that will only work if shaken after every couple of letters. It will probably dry up for good right there and send the lady fumbling back into her overly cluttered purse for another chronically dried up pen.
The second thing you should never do is take the shopping cart I have just returned to the store?s cart corral. If you do you can expect to end up with either a cart whose wheels are so misaligned that off duty police officers will stop and ask how many drinks you have had as you struggle to shop in a straight line or you will end up with a cart whose wheels are perfectly aligned and equally ceased, thus giving you an aerobic workout that would leave even the best athlete breathless. In other words - don?t follow me at a supermarket.
The world is full of people you shouldn?t follow. Whether it is the gossip in the pew next to you, the office supply thief at work, or that special someone who wants . . .
|
|
|
Written by Pastor Tim
|
|
Friday, 01 July 2005 16:00 |
|
(Please note: Don't be confused. Details in this devotional DO NOT mean I am stopping my Cybersalt Sites Activities!)
I think it is safe to say that we have all seen geese migrating as the seasons change. Every year these water birds search out better climes as they flee the advance of winter?s icy grip or summer?s consuming heat. The method of travel is, of course, flight and the formation is a ?V?.
The ?V? flying formation provides an aerodynamical advantage for the whole flock. Each goose flies a bit higher than the bird in front of it in order to enjoy reduced wind resistance. This makes their effort at air travel much easier - a kind of bird business class. Of course, for the goose at the front of the ?V?, there is no advantage. They face the sky head on and bear the burden and extra effort of leading. Fortunately for such leaders geese all take their turn leading their birds of a feather.
I?m mentioning all this fowl stuff so you will understand when I say I?m dropping back in the ?V?. By the time you read this I will no longer be . . .
|
|
Last Updated on Tuesday, 26 July 2005 21:33 |
|
Written by Pastor Tim
|
|
Tuesday, 03 May 2005 16:00 |
|
Springtime has returned to my backyard with full bloom. This seasonal reality is nowhere more evident than in the branches of a very large, decorative cherry tree in our backyard that boasts and displays full, rich blossoms. It must look like a giant, pink cotton ball to the Canadian geese flying north above our neighbourhood. In the morning, when I get out of bed and open the blinds on my bedroom window, its vibrancy of colour greets my sleepy, night-owl eyes. The sight of it fills my heart with appreciation, thanksgiving, joy, and melancholy.
Yes, melancholy. In the midst of all that there is to revel in each day that tree is in full bloom, a silent thought reminds me that a morning is coming soon when my back lawn will be covered by a pink carpet of dropped-off, faded petals; marking again the steady and sure advance of the years. Together with the last present opened on Christmas morning, the last day of summer vacation, and the last kiss goodbye at an airport, the falling and passing of the last celebrated blossom of spring sounds another reverb in the cavernous echo of human existence.
Thankfully there is an antidote for this subtle . . .
|
|
Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 May 2005 17:14 |
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 3 of 7 |
