Tag Archives: spiritual journeys

Discovering Truth: Lessons from Apples and AI

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Golly! The month of September is quickly coming to an end and the seasons are about to change again! Seriously, the older I get, the faster time flies! Can I get an “amen?”! Sweater weather is creeping up on us, but we are making the most of the warm, sunny days we have left. We visited a local apple orchard this weekend for a quick pick – 20 lbs of apples later and I am wondering when I am going to get a chance to do something with them all. Apple crisp coming up.

Photo by Tijana Drndarski on Pexels.com

Fall is apples to me… despite the popular pumpkin vibe, I decorated my front porch with apples this year. Had to gather a few imitation ones from the dollar store (surprisingly not in the fall section. “Crafts” is where they are housed, should you care to gather fake fruit in the future.) Imitation apples, not only to keep them from spoiling, but also to keep the squirrels from stealing them… although I did find one down in the garden. I’m not sure if it was an attempted robbery or simply a roll away fruiting.

Speaking of fake apples… have you heard about the big A.I. (artificial intelligence) scam streaming across Canada’s social media? Purple apples engineered in Saskatchewan. A deep royal hue and supposedly tasting of cinnamon and all things lusciously fall. Fake. Not real. Apple aficionados duped by computer generated photos of fake news. The computer wizards win again.

A.I. Generated picture of “Purple Apples” (Photo via CTV News)

Which brings me around to my muse of the week: Truth. It’s a big and deep and wide subject. It goes beyond a few non-harmful photos of purple apples. It’s life choices and life changing. The difference between truth and deceit is not as simple as little white lies and fake news. Sometimes truth or “untrue” can lead us down a path of endless hurt. Ask anyone involved in unfaithful marriages or children of divorce.

It’s hard to stand up for truth. The end of September marks The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, originally and still colloquially known as Orange Shirt Day in Canada. It’s a day of memorial to recognize the atrocities and multi-generational effects of the Canadian Indian residential school system. A day for truth to be told. Like many black marks in history, these Canadian atrocities were often done “in the name of Jesus”. Nothing could be farther from the Truth.

Which allows me thoughts of “What is truth?” “Who is the right way?” ” Am I narrow minded and bigoted if I say there is only One way to truth?” Big questions with difficult answers. As a follower of Jesus, I believe that the Bible is my guide to ultimate Truth. Obviously, not everyone feels the same way. I feel for the powers that be in politics that have to weed through the fake news and A. I. generated (or simply socially generated) opinions of the masses. It is hard to seek truth when decisions of consequence are on the line… or someone’s life is on the line. Even Pilate had trouble with truth:

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.”

John 18:37-38

So, what’s a person to do? When truth is so tricky? Admittedly, it’s going to be tough. Purple apples are pretty cool. Discernment, wisdom and a whole lot of digging, will lead you to the truth. The Bible tells us that if we seek, we’ll find. It’s all I can encourage you to do. Test the waters. Ask. Seek, make mistakes, try again. Aim for integrity and honour. Ask God. I think the One who made real apples will show you the fake ones, and warn you that despite what others may say… the real thing is way better than the fraud. And I am sure my apple crisp will prove it.

Encountering God: Spiritual Reflections in Matthew Perry’s Memoir

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Welcome back, my beloveds! Sorry there was no post last week… was working hard and the week got away from us before the thoughts came together. Not that the thoughts didn’t come together… they did… and I have been wanting to tackle this thought since I finished reading Matthew Perry’s memoir: Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.

Let me start off by saying I can not recommend this book. The language is terrible. It’s not really well written, and it seems as though Perry was suffering with his “big terrible thing” in various parts of the manuscript as I found it hard to follow at times. Still, who can judge a person’s life story written from the person’s perspective? It’s real and it’s raw… and certainly had me musing.

So, for the record, Matthew Perry (a Canadian whose mother worked for Prime minister Pierre E. Trudeau!) explains his journey from childhood acting dreams to finally making it big on the sitcom “Friends”. I’m sure you’ve heard about him. Including his recent death and the fallout from his drug supplying doctors. The book certainly outlines his struggles in all its medically descriptive, pain inducing, glory.

Several girls, houses and T.V. and film contracts later, Matty lays it all on the line. His brutal honesty (including fowl language!) follows his ups and downs in Hollywood. Now, I am not a big Friends fan, but if you are a People lover, it’s an interesting read. Especially creepy knowing it was released slightly before his untimely death in a time when he was meant to be sober… I’ll let you decide where that one lies.

Shockingly, it did have me musing a much more profound, spiritually lead thought process than simply another Hollywood memoir. It was his claim of “meeting God”. I can’t quote the whole thing, but smack dab in the middle of the book, at the most bottom point of his “rock bottom”, Matthew Perry states:

“God, please help me”, I whispered. Show me you are here, God, please help me.” …. “This was {my encounter with God}. I started to cry. I mean really started to cry — that shoulder-shaking kind of uncontrollable weeping. I wasn’t crying because I was sad. I was crying because for the first time in my life I felt OK. I felt safe, taken care of. Decades of struggling with God, and wrestling with life, and sadness, all was being washed away, like a river of pain gone into oblivion. I had been in the presence of God. I was certain of it.”

Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible thing p.159-160

It was a powerful moment, obviously. And I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit had certainly reached out to Perry in a real and tangible way at the very minute when He was called upon. I have cried those very tears of emotion. I always say, one cannot encounter the God of the Universe and not be changed. And not feel something. Unfortunately, this encounter with God may have stayed with Perry, but only on the surface. His lifestyle of the rich and famous crowded out the feelings of euphoria he got a glimpse of at this moment. He didn’t allow God to truly help him as he prayed. You see, God is willing — but He doesn’t push. We must truly seek Him.

And it’s that thought that had me musing. I am deeply saddened at our dark, dark world. I am deeply saddened for the lives like Matthew Perry’s who are snuffed out by drugs, alcohol and “worldly” pleasures. So many crave peace, and when it is presented to them, they let it slip through their fingers. It makes me sad.

There are other “snip-its” of God thoughts in Perry’s book, and I think to myself… you were so close… There are others I think about when I think those thoughts too. Not strangers in Hollywood with fancy cars and mansions in the hills, but people in my own circle. People I know and care about. And that makes me even sadder. And a tad bit angry. Have you ever wanted to just shake someone and say “You just need Jesus!! (you big dim whit!)”??

So there ya have it. My own little memoir blip on this piece of the internet. My raw and open thinking about the dark world we live in and the people who need Jesus because of it. Oh beloved, if that’s you reading this and you are feeling the “touch of God” because you called out to Him… seek harder! Get real help. Find someone who can lead you to Him. An eternity away from Him is much much bigger than Matthew Perry’s big terrible thing, it is THE big terrible thing. Run from the darkness. He’ll be there, I promise.

Stepping Out of the Boat: Embracing Change and Trusting the Journey

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Welcome to another week. It’s getting cooler. Autumn will soon be upon us and we’ve celebrated a full year at #Itsnotta Farm! Our second “harvest season” will begin in the surrounding fields and the dust will fly again! We’ll fight with the youngest to make the school bus and enjoy the front porch with warm drinks. We’ve done little, or so it seems, to upgrade or change the property. Sure, we dug some in the gardens and added a few creatures. The pool is no longer green, and you can now count the fish in the pond. However, the walls are the same colour, I still have boxes to unpack. So much junk is still in the barn… but this weekend was a milestone in the “move in process”. We changed the light above our dining room table! The previous light was awful. It was huge and modern looking with spokes and numerous yellow-tinted light bulbs. It looked like a Covid molecule and I hated it from the moment we walked in. I ordered a farm-style inspired chandelier from Amazon the week we moved. It sat in the box in the closet for almost a year.

The “Before” Covid Molecule

I pulled it out of the closet and it sat on the table for another two weeks. We pondered it and perused the very vague instructions with good intentions. Hurray! Finally! This weekend, with the help of capable friends, we climbed the chairs and gathered the hanging chain. Screwed in the bright white light bulbs and voila! Done. I am so happy with it. I have no idea where the thought process was for the other monstrosity came from… brightening the room to sell? The yellow tinge was not the answer. My bright whites are just as nice. And fits the farmhouse. Still… who am I to account for someone else’s style choices?

Change. Little changes, big changes. Change is a constant in our world… we can’t avoid it as time never seems to stop. Insignificant changes like dining room lights. Big choices like moving to the country or marrying the person of your dreams. Careers. Health diagnoses. Treatment choices for things you wish you didn’t need to make choices about. Choices that make you smile. Like getting chickens and watching them run when you call them. I think God gives us choices to keep us active and vibrant. To keep us thinking and growing and adapting and smiling. Change and choices.

Thanks friends for inspiring us to get the job done!

This past Sunday, we were reminded of Matthew 14’s story of Jesus walking on water and asking Peter to come to Him on the waves. Peter had a choice to make… did he trust the “ghost figure” before him and step out of the rocking boat? Or stay where it was “safe”? I think if you have a true encounter with God, your choice is easy. You step out of the boat. You take the risk and move out of your comfort zone into a tumultuous sea and walk above the waves. Meeting the Creator of the Universe gives you the confidence to do this. It’s when we haven’t truly met with Him where choices are hard. Or you’ve asked and prayed and pleaded and you haven’t heard what you wanted to hear.

The After!

Maybe God doesn’t care about what kind of light we hang in the kitchen. Still, I think He is interested in making us happy. And challenging us to ruffle feathers and step our of our little comfort zones once and awhile to truly grow us and grow His kingdom. Change is hard sometimes. They say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It at least shapes us a little different when we reach the other side. And He’s there on the water’s edge offering us a helping hand. So, how ’bout it, my friends… are you stepping out of the boat this week? I’m gonna try. I might even tackle hanging some pictures.