No Text Needed...Picture Says It All

The Choice

THE CHOICE  
Marion Perrott Donaldson

My candle flickered in the gloom
as, huddled in my dismal room,
I gloated in its warmth and light,
a golden circle in the night.

A gentle knock came at my door.
A sweeter Voice than heard before
said, "May I share my Light with you?
My Life is full; My Love is true!"

A harsh voice whispered, 'Keep Him out!
He means to snuff your candle out,
and take your warmth and light away,
Or - wait, at least some other day.'

My choice I made. My door flung wide.
I welcomed Christ Himself inside.
All shadows fled before His Face.
His Love now warms my dwelling-place.

Penned years ago by Marion Donaldson as an expression of her experience when she came to know the Lord as her beloved Saviour.

Marion's son Stephen works with me at FRIENDS Peterborough.
www.friendspeterborough.com

My Identity? Who Am I?

For most of my life as a child, teen and adult my identity has been wrapped up in who I was related to and/or what I did.  That wasn't always a bad thing.

For example, I was Ches and Jean Fisher's son and I was always proud of that fact.  I still am although dad has gone "home".  Mom was the one and still is who pointed me to Jesus!

In recent years I've become someone else through somone's prowess as a hockey player..  Mike Fisher's uncle and through marriage, Carrie Underwood's uncle.  That's a pretty noteworthy association too!

For 29 seasons I was known as "the chaplain to the Toronto Blue Jays".  Those were great years. In additon to my duties as "spiritual caretaker" of the Jays I was asked to speak on literally hundreds of occasions over those years.  Sunday church services, youth groups, father and son banquets, men's breakfasts, 100 Huntley Street guest TV appearances, service clubs, Sunday Schools, Christian Women's Club guest nights.  They all were anxious to book a "celebrity by association". My itinerary was a mile long...well, not quite.

Then everything changed!  I resigned from Baseball Chapel at the end of the 2005 season.  A decision made after much prayer.  My chaplaincy days with the Blue Jays were over.  The phone stopped ringing.  The invitations dried up.  Suddenly I was a nobody.

Why?  My identity was wrapped up in what I did, not who I was.  

So who am I?

Well, that list is a mile long just like my itinerary was.  Perhaps the graphic below best illustrates who I am.  I am all these things in Christ Jesus.  It's not what I do or what I've done!  It's what He has done.  

Thank you God for giving me true identity in Your Son!

Hope as an Anchor

What an incredible gift that God has given those who trust Him!

You cannot buy this kind of hope.  It's freely given by the Giver of Life to anchor our souls during the turbulent times of life.

This hope is strong and steadfast, never failing.

Avail yourself of all the Savior offers you!

It was paid for at Calvary when He shed his precious blood to redeem YOU!

THANK YOU, Father, for giving us Your Son!