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We were made to be “special”…is that the same as Super???

 

 

Hi Everyone;

I bet you thought that I had given up on blogging….since I haven’t written anything for over a month! No excuses will suffice, except that I didn’t seem to have the time to sit down and…think! But, that time is over and I am back at it again! So here goes…

When I last blogged in December I was pondering the topic of being Super. I mentioned that in my life every time I began to think that I was Super it lead to disaster in one form or another! So is there a problem with being Super…or just a problem with my definition of Super? That lead me to check to see if the Bible says anything about being Super and to my surprise it does….well sort of!

The Bible tells us that each of us is Special…designed by God Himself to do a job for Him…especially selected just for us! (Ephesians 2:10) Well…if that’s not Super…I don’t know what is!

The trouble is that we don’t cling close enough to God or dig enough into His Word to find out what that Special Job is. We define our sence of “special” by the world’s standard and that doesn’t usually match the standard set by God. That was Scruffy’s problem, he felt that in order to prove his worth that he had to show-off…to hop higher, fly further, protect better than anyone else around him…but that wasn’t the right way to be Superspecial.  Nellie (his mom) told this story to give an example of being Super in action…

“Scruffy lay dejectedly in his pen, all alone, afraid to face anyone. Nellie knew that he was sad, so she snuggled close. After a while she spoke, “Scruffy, don’t be so hard on yourself…we all make mistakes, but these mistakes help us to grow…they build character. Never doubt that the Maker has made you special, perhaps not to be the SuperScruff that you wanted to be, but Super enough to do the job that He put you here to do.”…”The Maker’s idea of being Super is not the same as yours, so perhaps you should rethink what it means to be Super. He says that to be Super in His kingdom you have to be the servant of all…you have to be willing sacrifice yourself for others. Your type of Super was to be a show-off just to make yourself look better than others…do you see the difference? she bleated.  Hmmm, let me think of an example….Do you remeber seeing the pond at the end of the pasture?”

“Yes…the Scruffkids and I almost fell in when we slid down the slippery bank while checking it out.”

“Well you weren’t the only curious ones! All of the piglets checked it out, too, but with their pudgy little legs they weren’t able to stop themselves from sliding into the water. And they weren’t made for swimming.”

“What happened, Mom!”

“Well, Billyboy heard them squealing and so he yelled for Papa to come quickly and then dove into the pond to rescue them. Between the two of them, they managed to pull all of the piglets safely out of the water! Nellie exclaimed. ”

Nellie goes on to tell Scruffy that Billyboy didn’t bother telling anyone about this escapade, he just carried on with his other chores, despite the fact that he was a hero.

That story introduces the topic of what makes a person special. We know that scripture tells us that each of us is special and has a special purpose…but not all are called to do the same job…to be special in the same way…some may be quiet heros, like Billyboy, others will do seemingly inconsequential tasks that make a big impact, for God.  In the next few blogs I will share some real life stories of people showing how special they are…how they were  sometimes “shaped” by adversity for a task that our Maker had designed for them….stay tuned.

See you next time

Lynn

P.S. I would love to hear your stories…How has God impacted your life…How have you been used for His purposes and tell me if I can share it with other…send me an email …plynnhalliday@gmail.com

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NEWS, NEWS, NEWS !! Blogs to be available as “audio files”

Hi Everyone;

I have had a request to make my blogs available as “audio files” for those who are sight impaired (or like me, just like listening to stories!).

Stay tuned…I will begin the process of converting  the previous blogs to an audio format and they will be posted under the category, “audio-files”. I am new at this…so please excuse any technical issues! Do help me to improve by sending me some feedback!

Thanks…I’ll be “talking” to you shortly!

Lynn

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Being Super…what does it really mean?

Hi Again, everyone!

I am continuing on my quest, today to find out what it really means to be Super.  Last post I explored one of the pitfalls of thinking that we were Super, when I described an adventure in which I lead my campers the wrong way while trying to paddle down the French River.

Well Scruffy is well on his way to learning a similar lesson…just listen to his “thoughts” at the beginning of this escapade!

“Scruffy thought that he ought to practice, but his head was all puffed up by all the attention he was getting. Clearly he was already “SuperScruff” to his adoring fans so he couldn’t let them down. Inside he had always known that he had Super powers…it was time to show his stuff so he jumped on top of nearest bale of hay, so everyone could see and hear him.”

Oh my…Scruffy  is finally accepted by all of the barnyard critters…but acceptance and friendship were not enough for him. He had to be number One…the best! In his mind he felt that he had to prove his right to be number One by showing the others all the wonderful things that made him special… Super! The problem for Scruffy was that he really didn’t have a clear view of what it meant to be Super! Do we?

One dictionary defines Super as follows:

“The adjective super comes from the Latin super-, meaning “above,” “over,” or “beyond.” Super is another way to say “the best” — you are above the rest. Super can also describe something that’s really big.”

In contrast the Bible defines Super as follows:

Matthew 20:26-27

“…whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served…”

Which type of Super really counts…I wonder?

Something to think about.

See you next time.

Lynn

 

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So…you want to be Super?

 

Hi Everyone;

Well, SuperScruff has arrived! It is available at Amazon, Chapters, Book Depository and in Espanola at Robinson’s Pharmasave and RemedyRX and I am “Super” excited about it!

Let me tell you a little bit about this newest edition of Goat Tails. Scruffy has arrived back home following his big “lost” adventure, but instead of being glad to be back…he was a little afraid. He really thought that he was in trouble again and would end up back in Pen Prison! But this adventure actually ended up making him famous….he had become a SuperStar! For once in his life other critters looked up to him and thought that he was wonderful! Well, as you can imagine this new fame felt pretty good…actually it felt GREAT and it went right to his head! And so a new journey of discovery…to find out what it means to be Super began…!

I can really identify with Scruffy in this adventure…can you? Have you ever set your sites on a goal…worked really hard…sacrificed your time, your relationships, perhaps even your finances to achieve it and then…after what seemed like an endless wait you have done it? You’ve achieved your goal and perhaps for a brief, sunny moment been at the pinacle of success..been recognized, even rewarded for your…greatness?? Ouch…none us like to appear that prideful…but deep inside we can be pretty pleased with ourselves and our achievements.

Well, I am (and I admit it) an eager, beaver over achiever…I love a challenge…love a contest…want, ernestly to be at the top of my…whatever I’m into at the moment. But this attitude has landed me in an emotional muddle many, many times in my life…probably because it totally goes against God’s design for me (and for all of us, I think). But God knows me and is intimately interested in my growth, so He allows me to dig the pit…into which I eventually fall…to teach me to walk humbly.  Let me share a story with you…!

Quite a while ago…in my early 20’s…I lead an outpost camp, at Camp Mini-Yo-We. One of the goals of this outpost camp was to teach 14-16 year old girls how to enjoy and survive wilderness canoe trips. Well, I was the leader of that camp and as such had a fair amount of experience in canoe tripping and campcraft skills. I loved it and thought I was pretty good at it.

Well on this particular year…things had been going pretty well at the camp and I had planned a difficult canoe trip for the most senior, experienced campers. I was to lead it (of course) and I had a university student with some experience as my co-leader! Can you hear the attitude behind these words…I was so puffed up it was amazing I even fit into a canoe! Anyway…the trip was planned to go down the French River South channel, was 4 days long, was a moderate white water trip and I had done it once before…so easy, peasy…right?

Wrong! I made several crucial errors at the beginning of the trip….I had not studied the maps well enough to discover that there were 3 possible exits from the lake that we began on…I let the girls practice their navigating through the myriad of islands that dotted that lake….I failed to pay attention to exactly where we were on the map, assuming that we would just paddle to the end of the lake and naturally go down the South channel…big MISTAKE!

Well…the wind blew, the waves built and we were pushed to the north side of the lake (unbeknown to me) and so when we finally came to the end of the lake…we were well North of the South channel and I spied “the channel” straight up ahead…everyone cheered as we paddled down it, until I began to realize that it looked nothing like the South channel…had cottages on it…was not a wilderness at all…so I stopped at a dock and asked the fisherman to pinpoint our location on my map (which I now had in my possession). “Right here, Miss, ” he said as he pointed to spot on the channel! Then he said, “we don’t often get canoe trips going down this channel.” “Thank you,” I mumbled, “I bet you don’t…we were just, ah…exploring,” I explained, as I shouted for the girls to turn around…(to a chorus of moans and grumbles).

We paddled out of that channel and I assured that girls that I was in command of the map so no more mistakes would happen…(there I sat all puffed up just about ready to fall into that “pride pit” that I was digging). Up ahead I finally spied the channel, everyone cheered, happy once again! After a couple of km, I ordered a rest stop to have a snack…it was getting late…but that wasn’t really the reason for the stop…the real reason was that this channel didn’t look familiar either! I pulled out the map and once again found that I was on the wrong channel! This time there was no one else to blame…I fell into my pit, figuratively speaking and had to confess! (for the outcome of that story see…”Stuck on the Rocks, Again”)

What a difficult lesson that was…but one that I really needed to learn….one which needs repeated teaching! God has been patiently teaching me over the years…thankfully He never gives up on me!

Proverbs 16:18

Pride goes before destruction,
    a haughty spirit before a fall.

I hope you enjoy the new book!

Happy Reading!

Lynn

 

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Faith displayed in living each day for Him

Hi Everyone;

I had a few thoughts this morning that I would like to share with you. As I have sat here pondering my morning devotions…the impact of faith upon life has really struck me. Faith in God, in Jesus His Son and the His purpose in and through my life has always been a central theme of my writing. Upon reflection I have looked back upon the many adventures and stories of my life and have seen the consistent thread of God woven through the whole. Each event…good and bad,  has helped me to grow in faith and character…which is why God tells us to “count it all joy.”  Well in today’s readings I have been challenged to live out my faith in my actions…”faith without works is dead” it says in James 2:17,20,26.  The faith that counts is the faith that shows in all the aspects of life…it was this thought that reminded me of a story, of a quiet unassuming man that I got to know…at least a little while we lived on our farm in Manitowaning.  Listen…to his faith in action!

Scruffy Finds His Way by

A middle-aged man sits by a stall, bending to check on the progress of the faithful beast beside him. Sounds of quiet munching overlaid by the steady hum of pumps fill the air. A peaceful scene spreads before him as he goes about his work. He stands and stretches before moving on to the next cow. His work is to manage a dairy farm; gruelling, back breaking work that draws him from bed at 5 am and puts him back there again in the early evening. As he surveys the old barn he stops to consider the path that brought him back to this century farm with its hereditary work. He sure hadn’t planned it; it was not what he thought he was called to do. But God had other ideas and although he would never feel that his work was anything special; being humble in nature, others would. Looking back you could see that his life had been used mightily for God right here on the family farm, not in some distant land.

From an early age studying the Word had been an integral part of his life and as he grew he knew that following this Word was to be his lifelong calling. At first he had dreams of far off missions to reach and teach those who had not had the same opportunities as he. With that goal in mind and a thirst in his heart, he went off to Bethel Bible College in Indiana to prepare for the work ahead. There he met his lifelong partner, who, though small in frame was a firebrand for God. Together they headed to the mission field in Jamaica. Being a quiet, humble man who sometimes stumbled over words, he felt a bit awkward in the pastoral role, but he had a heart for God and so he served. Through continued study and prayer he came to realize that not all were called to be pastors and so he resigned his position as pastor confident that God would have some other work for him to do. He returned once again to the dairy farm where he was raised and began farming as his father had before him. This truly was the real beginning of his ministry.

God always prepares us for ministry. He gifts us with the tools and expertise we need to do the job that He has prepared for us. How was this man gifted? He had many skills that equipped him to do his daily work and a common sense approach to life that appealed to the country folk around him. He had an unshakeable faith in God and thirst for learning the Word. His wife was also gifted for service, as a musician, a teacher, a homemaker and a tireless servant of all. So how did God use these gifts; what work were they brought home to do? They bloomed where they were planted and produced an abundant crop. They worked together to spread the Good News of the Gospel in their community, at church, at home and in places far off as they touched the lives of all who visited. She taught Sunday school, music, led choirs, and welcomed all new comers to their home, while serving her family that had now grown to five. He served as a Deacon and an Elder, and became an abundant source of wisdom for the church. He reached out into his community helping with all manner of causes and charities even becoming the Reeve of the small town in which they resided. He brought Jesus into the council rooms of government…to show them a better way.

These seedlings were planted by God and fertilized by His Word.

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SuperScruffy finally arrives

Hi Everyone

I am so excited to announce that Book 2 of the Goat Tails series will be available in September!! SuperScruff will catapult onto the scene with a brand new, crazy adventure…but this time he is no ordinary kid…he is SuperScruff…protector and hero of the barnyard!

Here’s a sneak preview as Scruffy arrives back to the barnyard following his great adventure…

“Everyone was curious to know how he had survived out there… in the terrifying world beyond the fence. He shut his eyes and then shook his head in wonder… he wasn’t in trouble at all… he was a Super-Star!

Joyously, he began hopping around the barnyard baa, baa blabbing to everyone he met.

The lambs wanted to know how he beat the wolves…

The chicks wanted to know where he hid for so long…

The piglets wanted to know what he ate

(pigs always think about food)…

All the youngsters followed him everywhere…

Hopping when he hopped…

Flipping when he flipped…

Repeating every word he said…

Like he was a Super-Hero.

It suddenly struck him!

He was Super… the Super, Duper, Hopping Hero of the barnyard!

SuperScruff… the fearless… leader of the Scruffkids!

“Look out, world… here I come,” thought Scruffy. And in a flurry of little hooves, he was off to find adventure… followed closely by his adoring fans.

The adults looked on, with heads shaking. “Oh no,” bleated Nellie, “here we go again.”

So…look out world…here comes SuperScruff! Find out how the barnyard survives it’s newest SuperHero…stayed tuned because SUPERSCRUFF IS COMING SOON!

Lynn