Favroite Past time

This is a game from my childhood, and later when visiting my parents with our children we would play this game called Sjoelbak, otherwise known as Dutch Shuffleboard.

There was a lot of good natured rivalry between all my brothers and sisters and I was more than excited when my Dad gave us our very own Sjoelbak for Christmas, just a year before he passed away, so we could play it with our boys and girl and hopefully keep the tradition going.

Let me first say these boards are hand made mostly from oak and buffed to a shiny gloss finish with oil. It is large and a bit of a challenge to store as it is 6-1/2 foot long and 17 inches wide. It is best to store it verticaly so I keep it propped up in the spare bedroom where it is out of the way. Keeping it in a humid area could warp the board so keep that in mind. This game comes with a box of 30 discs to play the game with. These discs, made of beechwood, have a small concave shape to them so they slide smoothly down the board. The longer you play, the faster they will slide.

There are 4 slots, each is worth 1, 2, 3 and 4 points for a total of 10 points. If you look at the closup picture you can see slot #1 on the left is worth 1 point, the next 4 points, then 3 points and the last one on the right 2 points. These are marked on the board with brass decorative tacks. Each player get 3 tries per round to score 30 discs by sliding them through the slots in the board. If you are lucky and get two in each slot your points double to 20 and on the third try your total could be 49.

On each round the discs that did not go through the slots and score are used again until your 3 attempts are used up and you tally up your score. You can play individually, in teams (like brothers again sisters) and so on until everyone has finished and the highest score wins.

These Sjoelbak sets are imported from the Netherlands and sold here at Dutch Import stores. I'm sure you would not have a problem finding a store that would ship one if there was not one in your area. This is a great family game, lots of strategy and rivalry to see who scores and ends up the winner!

What an awesome time to see the rivalry between the parents and children.When my family moved to Canada 50 years ago, we made sure we brought our sjoelbak

(shuffleboard) with us. Given the cold, snowy winters we

encountered here it was a wise decision as we passed many

cold evenings playing shuffleboard with family and friends.

Having had to finally retire our 'family' game, we started

make new ones using the lines and measurements of the

shuffleboard we brought with us so many years ago.

Because you can choose to play with as many people as you

want, this is not only a great family game but also perfect

for evenings in with a group of your friends.

How easily are we distracted!

Watch this video before reading the text

http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=41870f36e74781645619

When we watch this video is hard to focus on what the man is trying to tell us. Looking at what the man behind him is doing is much more interesting and amusing. I mean, how many times have you heard this passage? How many sermons people make out of this passage? It's always the same thing...
Many of us have been distracted by the wrong things, we have been distracted by our "friends", by addiction, by temptation, by entertaining ourselves with other things rather than God, making up excuses for not going to church, for not serving, for not praying, and for not seeking God. It's really easy to be distracted by other things. Get led astray by more "interesting" things than God. The problem is that when we start being easily distracted by other things , we begin falling into religious rituals and we begin thinking that reading the bible for a couple of minutes a day will do, praying before lunch is enough, or how about giving a homeless guy some coins that were left from your brand new 52" inch LCD TV. You get so easily distracted that you begin to think that it's ok to trade God for a game on TV, it's ok not to pray once in a while, because you know , there was this real good movie on TV, it's alright to not read the bible every day, because I had some papers to finish for work or school , for next week. It's ok, it's alright, no problem...
Really? Is it really ok to trade the creator of the universe, the God who left everything to be nailed to a cross for my sins and your sins, the everlasting Father and the lover of your soul for things that will pass away, things that will not be eternal? Is it really ok to live a life being distracted and making up excuses for not serving God and serving others just because you rather fulfill your personal needs? God is calling us to live fully devoted to Him and dedicate everything in our lives to Him. It's not wrong to have some personal entertainment and enjoyment, but it is wrong to trade God for your personal satisfaction! Think about it, how easily have you been distracted and drifted away from God? Isn't time to go back to His arms and let Him be everything for you?

May you meditate on this during this week.

Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3

Did you see it? How beautiful a though it is: "let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and PEACE they will add to you (Proverbs 3: 1 and 2). It almost seems unfathomable, to imagine our lives truly ever feeling completely at peace with the world we live in; yet that's what God's Word promises to us IF we will not forget the Lord's teachings and make them cling to our hearts.

I think of all the years of trying to do things my way in this lifetime; and how miserable I was in my so called "freedom to choose" decisions I made along the way. After thirty plus years of living the "Sinatra" lifestyle of doing it my way; my heart grew weary and I felt as if I couldn't possibly go on another day this way. So, thankfully at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I surrendered my life and my ways back to the Lord via re-dedication. I can honestly say, that as I've let His Word guide my thoughts, my actions and my deeds...life is good and full of peace.

It is only when I let my eyes drift to far to the right or left; or try to SEE too far into my future, that life seems like a never ending roller coaster of disappointments. Yet,the solution to having true peace in our lives is so simple to attain: vs. 5 - Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart,and do not lean on your OWN understanding. vs. 6 - In ALL your ways ACKNOWLEDGE HIM and He will make straight your paths.

I see a lot of obedience issues being presented in Proverbs 3 and at the root of most of our day to day struggles, it usually boils down to an area in our lives where we are not fully obedient to God's Will. Again, we are reminded of the value of tithing in Verses 9 and 10: "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; THEN the barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be busting with whine."

Want to experience overflow like you've never encountered before? Give the Lord HONOR by giving Him the FIRSTfruits (the 10th BEFORE the taxes and deductions come out of your wealth) and He will ensure your every need is covered and more actually. This is actually the only area that God says to test Him in and He would prove to us the Promise is REAL.

We serve an amazing God. I mean, even when we can't wrap our puny little minds around what's best for us; HE ALWAYS grabs hold of the rutter and re-positions us toward victorious living. All we have to do is be a yielded vessel to HIS guidance and the end result is sure Victory in all our struggles of this life.

Whoever Finds Me, Finds LIFE

Proverbs 8 - Whoever Finds Me, Finds LIFE

Before the earth existed, before sound came booming to the planet, before one blade of grass sprouted up from the earths soil....Wisdom existed! Who or what is Wisdom? I'd suggest that Wisdom is none other than Christ Himself.

He is the Alpha and Omega (Beginning and the End) - the same yesterday, today and forever...He was once dead but three days later he rose from the grave and IS ALIVE TODAY!

What great promise and hope is found there in those realities of Christ? The same one who was before all else and will be long after it all; is the same one that asks us to SEEK HIM, FOLLOW HIS WAYS and RECEIVE REWARD in Heaven for simply letting Him love us, shape us, use us, clean us up, teach us...all so God may be Glorified.

Scripturally speaking, I am only going to state the obvious, directly from the Word of God:

35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the Lord .
36 But those who miss me injure themselves.
All who hate me love death."

We either Love Him in an ALL in capacity or we HATE Him with an ALL OUT tendency...which side do you find yourself walking today?

Love is Patient

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres. Love NEVER fails." -1 Corinthians 13:4-7

"Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, the huge waves of the sea, the long course of rivers, the vast compass of the ocean, the circular motion of the stars... but they pass by themselves and don't even notice." -Augustine

"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine." -Psalm 33:18-19

'So you're at the toughest place in your life..How can you know that God is going to hold you together and bring you through? You know because there is a cross standing over history and it is looming over everything. It is the place where the Star Breather became the Sin Bearer, where the Universe Maker became mankind's Savior. And it is proof that God doesn't always change the circumstances, He did not change them for Jesus on that hillside outside of Jerusalem. But it IS proof that God always has a purpose in circumstances and that His purpose and His plan will always prevail and will triumph through any circumstances ." -Louie Giglio

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." -Isaiah 40:28-31

"Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society." -George Washington

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life" -Proverbs 4:23

Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he
who keeps the law.”


What is your vision for life? Your vision has to do with your dreams, your goals and your hopes. Where there are no dreams, goals and hopes, people perish. What do you want to do with your life? Just get by? If you don’t have a vision for more than just getting by, that is all you are going to get.

How successful would you be if you didn’t care what was happening in different areas of your life? Do you even think beyond what is happening today? Find out what it is that you want to accomplish and keep that vision in front of yourself.

Do you have a vision or direction for your life? What are your goals? What are you doing to reach your goals? Some practical areas that you can set goals for are: 1) Personal – spiritual and physical 2) Business – how much increase this year in business, in money 3) Family – goals with your mate, with your children 4) Financial – increase in your tithe, increase in your salary. This is just a very sketchy outline. Of course, you can be much more specific.

This is really important as the Lord says to follow him. When we read our bibles and proclaim what we have heard then he will do the rest. Don't let your dreams die go after them. Take Him with you as he will do the hard stuff for you. Just let him. Lay it at the alter and he will take care of them.

A FINANCIAL CHECK LIST For everyone who is a Christian

1. Are we giving at least 10% to the work of God which is the tithe? (If not, we are using God's money, and robbing Him.) Malachi 3:10: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Matthew 23:23 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

2. Are we giving our tithe to the ministry where we are being fed? (Offerings, above the tithe, may be given to the poor, good works, etc. however, our tithe should go to the spreading of the gospel. Additional offerings also should be given to the church and it's five-fold ministries as listed in Ephesians 4:11; apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.) 2 Corinthians 9:6-8: "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."

3. Are we giving to God first, before paying other bills? Proverbs 3:9-10: "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."

4. Are we indifferent to the needs of the poor? Proverbs 28:27: "He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse."

5. Are we going in debt for lustful things? Wants, instead of needs? 1 Timothy 6:6-10: "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."

6. Are we planning and budgeting our financial spending? Luke 14:28-30: "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish."

7. Are we lazy or slothful on the job(a day's work for a day's pay)? Ecclesiastes 9:10: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Proverbs 21:25 "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour."

8. Are we too generous in giving to others without paying our own bills? Do we spend for lustful wants while making our creditors wait for their money? Proverbs 3:27-28: "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee."

9. Are we being wasteful? John 6:12: "When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost."

10. Have we committed all our money and material things to God? Luke 12:34: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

11. Do we need the things we buy or are they luxuries? Proverbs 21:17: "He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich."

12. Are we selfish in our families, spending more on our own desires? 1 Corinthians 10:24 "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth."

13. Are we willing to sell or give away anything that God would tell us to? (Make sure you hear God's voice when giving or selling all, as this is a major step and God does not require this of you unless you absolutely understand what His plan is for your life; however, we must all be willing.) Matthew 19:21-22: "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."

14. Have we paid our debts or made arrangements to do so when we are having difficulties? Romans 13:8: "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."

15. Have we been sowing money into the kingdom of God? We reap in proportion to what we have sown (a little or a lot). Luke 6:38: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

16. Have we done our spiritual homework in fasting & prayer over our finances? Isaiah 58:6 & 9: "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity"

17. Have we been hard on people who owe us money, demanding payment with no mercy? Luke 6:34-36: "And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."

18. Are there other areas that could be blocking our finances such as any unforgiveness, disobedience, stubbornness, etc.? Matthew 6:14-15: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

19. Are we spending our money foolishly or are we being wise? Proverbs 24:3-4: "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

20. Are we totally committed and thankful to God, no matter what is happening? This does not mean we are to praise God for bad things as He does not send bad things in our lives as His children. It means we are to be thankful and praise God in the midst of all of our problems as He desires to show us the way out of our troubles. We praise God "in" the trouble, not "for" the trouble. Psalm 34:1: "I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Philippians 4:4-7: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

21. Do we lack faith in God as our total source? Psalm 121:1-2: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth." Romans 14:23: "---for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

22. Are we hoarding things through fear or greed? Luke 12:19-21: "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." This is different from preparing for the future by saving and storing at God's direction. Proverbs 30:24-25: "There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer."

23. Are we seeking financial blessing instead of seeking God and His will? (Wanting God's benefits, but not God's ways.) Matthew 15:8: "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."

24. Are we giving excessively to God's work in an attempt to ease our guilt, yet are not paying our bills? Although not many are guilty of this sin we felt we should deal with it as the devil tempts us to go to one extreme or the other. If we are giving too much and not paying our bills it would be wise for us just to give a tithe for awhile until the Lord showed us how to pay our debts. Giving 50% to God and not paying our bills is not in harmony with the Scriptures. "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8). The Lord wants us out of debt, then we will be able to give more to His Kingdom. Some Christians go to the other extreme and say when they are out of debt, then they will give. The devil sees to it they never are out of debt. We must always put God first in our finances, then He will show us the way out of debt.

Proverbs Day 228 (KJV):

Proverbs 22:28 (KJV):

28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

Proverbs 22:28 (AMP):

28 Remove not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.

Thought for the Day

This verse in Proverbs tells us that we are to respect the boundaries that our fathers have set. This verse has several implications in the natural, as well as the spiritual. Landmarks in Bible times were boundary markers. Sometimes these were rows of stones or double furrows so that people would have their property rights established for others to see. These were to keep people from infringing on the property rights of others. Certain other landmarks were used on roads to guide people so that they would not get lost. Sometimes these were large trees, or a pile of stones and a board marker.

Keeping this in mind, we see this word in Proverbs is telling us to respect the property rights of others, plus to honor the hereditary rights that our fathers have set in the past. We should also not tear down a marker that others use to guide them. This causes confusion and can get people lost. I know from experience when I have gone back to my home town and they have changed the streets and torn down old buildings, I cannot find my way around. I must go and get a new map or ask a local person for directions. This does not mean we can not change things for the better, but with the change, we need to consider those who look for the old landmarks, and with that consideration, identify the old streets by leaving the old names or restoring the old buildings.

This verse also has a spiritual application, and that is for younger Christians to respect their elder's boundaries, and for children to respect their father's boundaries. There is a reason the boundaries are there, and it would be wisdom for the younger generation to honor them. In fact, one of the "Ten Commandments" has to do with honoring our fathers and mothers so that we will live long in the earth. We will live longer if we heed their godly and wise advice, that they have learned from experience. The devil is trying to get our nation to get rid of the "Ten Commandments" because he knows without these standards in the earth; he will be able to destroy society. Without respect for elders and authority, our world will be reduced to anarchy and chaos.

Exodus 20:12: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

Sometimes the younger generation, in their desire to be free and independent or acceptable to their peers, will disregard their elder's advice, to their own detriment. Many of the fads of the younger generation are traps of the devil to lead our young people into things that will destroy them. The wisdom of the fathers could spare them trouble, if they would listen to it. This also can apply to teachings. Some of the "so-called" new teachings are really not new at all, but old erroneous ones that lead to heresy, and they are just another "wind of doctrine" that is tossing people around. In the Bible, the younger are told to submit to the elders. The Lord gave the "five-fold" ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to help us find the right way so that we can grow up in Christ. It would be wisdom to listen to our godly church elders.

1 Peter 5:5-6:

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.

Ephesians 4:11-14:

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

Prayer for the Day

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for the elders in my family, and also the church elders before me, who have paved the way for my life to be blessed. Even though I qualify for this office myself, may I always be child-like and humble in realizing that without my elders, I would not be one today. May I always honor and appreciate them. Help me to respect the young people in my life and not discard their ideas, but be able to embrace those ideas that come from You, not allowing pride to prevent me from recognizing the things You are giving them. Lord, may You restore the hearts of the fathers to the children in our day. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Well it is time to go to bed and I need to speak with the Father to get part of my life in order. We will see you all tomorrow. In Jesus name Amem!!