The World is Flat

That's the title of a book by Pulitzer prize winner Thomas L. Friedman, subtitled: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. This is an astounding book that, as the blurb has it - "helps you see things in a new way." Friedman writes for the New York Times where he is the foreign affairs columnist. The lightning fast and changing times in which we live reflect incredible advances in technology and communications. The globe has shrunk, time zones have become almost meaningless. Now, the new and remarkable convergences of things like weblogs, the internet, global out-sourcing and in-sourcing have created a new world for commerce, knowledge, and nearly every other aspect of life on this planet. Globalization, again as the blurb has it, "has shifted into warp-drive." This book is must reading for present global understanding and future-think implications.

Hymn to Jesus

(Tune: Love Divine all Loves Excelling)

Worthy! Majesty! - sing to Jesus!
He, the King of Kings, the Lord,
Healing touch for each soul wounded
Life abundant, fresh His Word;
Jesus, Alpha and Omega,
Christ, the Bright and Morning Star,
Precious Companion, our start and our ending
Lightens our Journey to Heaven afar.

Brightness, clarity streams from Jesus
As we seek to do His will,
Beauty, joy, in His near Presence
Each new morning's mercies thrill;
Living Door that opens Heaven,
Lamb once slain to break the curse,
Manna that feeds us each day in our hunger,
Water that quenches the gift of thirst.

Sure our victory now, in Jesus
Strength for battles we all face,
Sends us venturing with His blythe Spirit
Girds and guides us in the race;
Grants us peace that this world cannot offer,
Grace to face each daily trial,
Hymns to sing, though in a dark prison,
Songs through pain — and often His smile.

Precious solace found in Jesus,
Hope and guidance on the Way,
Such a marvellous Source of Wisdom
Showing us His will each new day;
As we trust and ask Him humbly
In our strivings we are blest;
Comforts and calms us in all of life’s ventures
Safe, we journey into Rest.

Faith

Faith, writes Frederick Buechner, is the direction your feet start walking - when you discover that you are loved.

Deep Peace

Thoughtful Love

Mahatma Gandhi stepped aboard a train one day - but as he did so one of his shoes slipped off and landed on the track. He was unable to retrieve it as the train slowly moved ahead.

Then, to the astonishment of those who were with him, Gandhi calmly removed his other shoe and threw it back along the track to land as closely as possible to the other.

He smiled at a fellow passenger who was nonplussed as to why he had done that. Said Gandhi: Now the poor man who finds the shoe lying on the track will have a pair he can use.