I enjoy receiving and leafing through Land's End catalogues. For the twenty years we've lived in Florida however, serious purchase consideration has been primarily limited to light weight knits, chlorine resistant swimsuits, and various lengths of shorts. All those wonderfully warm and woolly items might as well be Indian saris for all the use I would have for them.

Yet now that my husband is considering a career move to Colorado, an interesting change has taken place in my page scanning. I now pore over pictures and descriptions of winter merchandise with the longing others might direct to the racy sections of romance novels. I imagine such previously forbidden pleasures as luxuriating in a sweater of "buttery-soft cashmere" and slipping into the satin lining of a "good wool coat," feeling secure and well cared for in its embrace.

I had no idea that my yearnings for the full range of seasons – and seasonal clothing – were so great until presented with the possibility of attaining them. And this, I think, is the nature of all temptations.

When an item, a relationship, or an experience is clearly understood and accepted as "off limits," it arouses little or no desire in us. As we shift the "taboo" to a "possibility," as we consider the sensual details associated with the desired actions or ownership, our interest is stimulated and if unchecked, becomes an obsession. The more we think about it, of course, the more likely we are to succumb to it. As written in the book of James, "Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death." (James 1:15)

Though forgiveness is available, it is far better to avoid those temptations which can lead us into sin by keeping them boldly labelled "off limits." In addition, "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Prayer: Faithful God, Help us to be content with all that you have given us and wherever you have placed us. Root us in your word so we will not fall away in times of temptation. Lead us to prayer and a surrender of our selfishness when we consider reaching for forbidden fruit. Help us to find the way of escape you always provide. This we ask in the name of Jesus, the One who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Amen.

On my first assignment as a supply teacher, I spent the hour before the start of school looking over the various mathematics lessons that I would teach that day. What clever examples I had devised for illustrating the commutative, associative, and distributive properties of numbers! Solving for x would never again be problematic for the algebra students! Those in the more basic classes would surely understand how a decimal point moves when the number is multiplied or divided by various powers of ten.

But oh, how quickly my plans faltered! It didn't take long for the students in each class to size me up as "green" and push the limits of my patience with their interruptions, unsolicited criticism, requests for passes, chatting among themselves, getting up to sharpen a pencil, napping on their desks and in general, undermining of my authority. A quick, desperate reading of the "Survival Checklist" in my Substitute Teacher Handbook provided the absolutely useless advice to "Praise the Positive!" "Show enthusiasm" and "Avoid harsh tones and sarcasm."

What I really needed was an understanding of the school's discipline policy. My planning time should have included a familiarization with the procedures and forms necessary for referring to the principal and assigning detentions. Without a knowledge of the laws for behaviour, my skilful approaches to mathematical laws could not come to light.

The second day, though not perfect, went much more smoothly with an explanation of various infractions placed prominently upon my desk. As the writer of Psalm 119, I rejoiced in a document that I could refer to when problems would arise and when decisions needed to be made. I was actually able to teach some math when my Grade Eight microcosm of the universe had its natural tendency toward chaos reined in. An understanding of the rules and their consequences enabled us all to rise above our base behaviours and aspire to something greater.

In a similar way, our adherence to God's commands frees us rather than limits us. We become greater in our servanthood than we ever could become on our own when we plan and carry out our daily activities in ways which are in keeping with God's laws.

Prayer: Lord, yours are the words of everlasting life. Your commands are as blessings to those who know and follow them. Write them upon our hearts and help us to live by them. In the Name of Jesus, the Word made Flesh. Amen.

In the movie Contact, a search committee decides that the person representing Earth to other life in our universe should believe in God. The courageous heroine of the film, portrayed with all of Jodie Foster's usual intensity, cannot meet that requirement. She is a scientist, after all, and must rely on data, evidence, and empirical proof. By the end of the film, however, her space travels introduce her to a powerful force which she cannot explain, cannot prove, but which she knows beyond all doubt to be "Truth." In a passionate address she encourages others to take comfort in knowing that we are not alone, that there is something larger than ourselves at work, and that there is more to the universe than meets the eye. Her words parallel those of the theologian/love interest of the story but do not merge with them, for she cannot yet acknowledge God as the "Powerful Force" behind the creation of the universe. She is so close, so very close, yet so far away. How sad that the movie ended rather ambiguously, as though it really doesn't matter what one believes in, as long as one believes passionately. It does matter! Of course our lives are enriched by the benefits provided by scientific research in a variety of fields. Yet faith gives us a greater insight into life, making it the promised "abundant life," and extending our understanding beyond that which is revealed by an electron microscope or Hubble Space Telescope. In Jesus, God has revealed Himself as a Person who can be known intimately."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may all your children seek you while you may be found. Through your Holy Spirit help me to sow and nurture the seed of faith in soil which you have made fertile. Through Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Amen.

It took more than an hour, but I finally got the window shade brackets securely attached in just the right spot so that my son's room-darkening shade could be hung. It was summer vacation after all, and sometimes even 11-year-old boys want the luxury of sleeping in. The "wonderful light" filtering through and around his curtains was enough to call him out of the darkness of sleep much sooner than he would have liked.

Being prematurely awakened out of a cozy bed can be irritating, just as there is often a challenging burden associated with being called out of our spiritual darkness. We're to change our lives, walk a straight and narrow path, take up a cross, and die to our worldly selves. There is no favouritism in being called to be a person of faith. "Chosen" people from Abraham on down are certainly not selected for any intrinsic worthiness, but rather for the sake of the unchosen. The sufferings of the chosen people have been great but as recognized in the Book of Isaiah, the sufferings heal others.

Yet from whom much is expected, much is also given. We may declare the praises of the Heavenly Father who loves us and has prepared a place for us, both in this world and the next. We know that we are not mere biological accidents, but created by our loving God with a soul as unique as our fingerprints. With God's help we can overcome the temptations of temporary worldly comforts, live with an eternal perspective, and let the Light of the World shine through our lives.

Prayer Gracious God, help us to follow the Light which shines in the darkness, the Light you have placed in our hearts, the Light we are to reflect to others. Give us the courage to go on despite any danger, doubt or derision to become a living example of your love to those around us. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Aunt Edna prided herself on her independence. No one was allowed to assist her in the maintenance of her home or even to drive her to and from her dialysis treatments. She was a good and generous person, but absolutely refused to be what she considered "a burden" to anyone, or, I suspect, beholden to anyone.

After she died, several family members got together to prepare her house for sale, weeding gardens, washing windows, cleaning out closets, and repairing sticky doors. We enjoyed working together, but regretted that we never experienced the joy of pleasing Aunt Edna by doing "what we could" for her while she was alive.

It's very difficult to let ourselves "break the jar and pour the perfume" to express our love and appreciation for each other. How many of us are hoarding a fine bottle of wine for which no occasion seems quite special enough? For many of us, however, it's even harder to let others perform a grand, sacrificial act for our sakes. We discourage, even forbid people from expressing kindness to us so as not to trouble others or be in anyone's debt.

Jesus had no such worries. He graciously accepted acts of love and hospitality without fears of "imposing" or concerns over "reciprocating." Imagine the joy Jesus gave to others by displaying pleasure over their gifts! His love, like the fragrance of the perfume, must have filled the entire house of Simon the Leper. Would that we try to be as Christ-like in our pleasure as we try to be in our suffering!

Prayer: Loving Father, help us to express our love for each other as you have taught us through your Son, Jesus. As we have accepted your most precious gift of salvation, help us to accept the gifts from our brothers and sisters which they freely and lovingly want to share with us. In the holy name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

I finally got to live among hills, mountains actually, during our much anticipated family vacation in Alaska. For most of our holiday we were blessed with clear, crisp weather, allowing for fantastic visibility. On other days we were blessed with a mystical, other-worldly presentation of our surroundings as rain clouds hovered over land and sea, dissolving the mountains as if by magic.

It's no wonder that writers of psalms compared the glory of God to the majesty of mountains. Their startling presence is as ancient as the earth, as high as the heavens, and as fresh and radiant as their newest layer of snow. The memory of great expanses of mountain ranges, so unlike anything I've ever seen before, is etched into my thoughts and has been a source of strength and comfort since we've returned home, somehow helping to put life's little problems into perspective in light of eternity.

Weather conditions can distort our perceptions of the mountains around us, just as crises in our lives can make God seem farther away and without a solid presence in our lives. However, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." (Psalm 125:1-2)

Prayer: Almighty God, your righteousness is like the mighty mountains (Psalm 36:6). Surround me with your never-failing strength and love. Help me to walk with You when I cannot see You, and to embrace You when I cannot feel your presence. This I ask in the holy Name of Jesus, who, by living and dying for us, became our Way to You. Amen.

When my daughter and I attended a concert recently, we were disappointed to discover that our seats were quite a bit farther from the stage than the TicketMaster chart had led us to believe. "At least we're not in the nosebleed section," we rationalized, glancing up to the highest tier of the Orlando Arena.

As the black-clad roadies prepared the set for the opening act, a deejay from the radio station sponsoring the event announced that he had tickets for front row seats to give away. The two recipients would be randomly selected from the upper deck and could each bring a guest with them to the front row. The entire audience cheered as the elated winners whooped and "high-fived" their way down to the coveted center front seats.

The joy of those four exalted ones continued throughout the concert, and we could clearly see them as they exuberantly danced, swayed, and clapped to the music, moreso than the others, it seemed. Even the performers got caught up in the excitement, reaching over to shake their hands or give away a guitar pick now and then.

During the drive home, after we had critiqued and compared the performances of Pat Benatar and Styx, I ventured cautiously into a "teaching moment," mentioning the obvious happiness experienced by the four lucky winners.

"You know, I think that's what it will be like in heaven. We'll always feel like those lucky winners – as though we're getting far more than we're entitled to, but very happy and not at all apologetic about it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Cool."

I think she got it.

Prayer: Almighty God and Father, thank you for loving us so much that you give us glimpses of our heavenly life with you, in images that we can understand. Holy Spirit, thank you for giving me the wisdom to recognise you at work, and the restraint needed to share the lesson appropriately. Jesus, my Brother and my Lord, thank you for teaching with examples that are as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago. Amen.