Finding your answers

A lot of us have been asking what ever happened to that little girl from that scorched almonds television commercial from many, many years ago?
I think in our house we have just about asked this every Christmas for years!
We actually kept asking this question each year - and each year we still didn't have an answer...

Then this week, a local television producer did something about this conundrum.
They got to work researching and amazingly found this little girl - or should I say young lady?
As she is now 21 years older!

I sat there thinking about this last night and a few thoughts have spun through my mind since...
Maybe something from this story mixed with my thoughts, could inspire you and help you at this time?


Someone got off their butt and did it!
That's right, a producer decided to make something happen and it happened.
The reality of life is that answers come most of the time when we put in the effort to finding them.
They don't come so easily when no effort is applied.
If you want some answers from God, then go to Him about it.
I love how His word talks about "finding Him when we seek Him."

Nestle apparently owed her royalties and had been sitting on it for years!
Obviously they hadn't tried that hard to find this lady...

Talking about it only with others who didn't know - left us still not knowing!
A theme I have seen play out too many times, is one of where people question the wrong people for answers they really need in life. If you want answers from someone who doesn't know either, most likely it will leave you still not knowing and actually even more frustrated.


I saw this play out on Facebook again this week.
As usual at Christmas, someone posted a question about what has happened to the scorched almonds girl. There was no lack of response. Everything from how much they liked the advert, to whether they liked scorched almonds, to other random directions in conversation.
In the end, there still was no real answer!

God says about Himself some pretty bold claims.
Things like that He knows how the world was formed and how we were made.
So if He knows that much, it makes sense to talk to Him about the big stuff in life.
And if I have questions to ask another human being about God, I ask people who I believe know more about God and how thing work than me.

I see a parallel here with part of the original Christmas story.
A bunch of people called the Wise Men wanted some answers about a coming Messiah.
They didn't sit there simply pondering it!
They didn't post something on facebook waiting on an opinion!
They Wise Men wanted answers...so they went on a journey that cost them both time and money!

Maybe you have some big questions that will have equally important answers?
Do you need to decide to put some more effort into searching for the answers?
Do you need to change your strategy?

I love how it concludes for the 'Wise Men'!
They find what they were looking for all along.
The same is waiting for you!

Something to think about...

TV3 Story

You who are highly favoured!

I think a good Christmassy 'Simple Thought' begins with something from the real Christmas story.

Nothing about North Poles, and Santa 'Clauses', or naughty or nice lists...or a lump of stupid coal as a threat for better behaviour.

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. Luke 1:26-30 niv

I will keep this real simple because the point here is simple...

God wants his favour to rest of you.

Not because of how special or not you are.

Not based on your talent level.

Not predicated on what others think of you.

But because God wants to give His favour to you.

Remember Mary is not shocked because of His divine pregnancy plan being told to her yet.

She is not surprised that an angel would suddenly appear.

What bakes her noodle is that God would tell her that His favour is on her.

Someone who is not special in the world she lives, is seen by God himself as more than special enough to receive His favour.

I think that is pretty cool! 

And that should encourage you because most of us are just like Mary.

We are not that special compared to everyone else, and yet God chooses to favour us.

Outstanding!

May you go into this Christmas Season wearing that as your christmas jumper?

May it cover you and show you and others just how special you are to God.

Something to think about...

The Rest Is Up To You...

I watched this amazing footage today of a diver checking through an overturned boat at sea.
As he swam through the decks with some torch light leading the way, all of a sudden you see a hand reach out to his!
I wonder if it gave him a fright?
Maybe he 'went' in his wetsuit? I guess it wouldn't of mattered?

The story goes that the boat capsized some day before, and out of all the 8 crew, one guy manages to find an air pocket. He then sits alone in the darkness, hearing apparently the noises of the boat slowly sinking. I can't imagine how horrible that would have been! Alone. In the dark. Waiting to die. Waiting longer to die.

Over the weekend someone very famous to this generation jumped into a car for some joy ride thing. The terrible irony of what happens is astounding. This guy is famous for being in ridiculously fast cars driven in even a more ridiculous fashion and living through scrapes and even crashes. The reality he faced was a tree and a car are not a good mix at speed. And at the age of 40 his life is now gone.

I know personally of someone who stared mortality in the face after a parachute malfunction.

Here is what all this reminds me of...

Life is so much shorted than we think.
Life stops on a day and a time we know not of.
Life is a gift to make the most of only while it is within your grasp.
Life is here and now for you and me.
Life on this earth was never promised to last forever.
Life is indeed a gift. And gifts by nature and design are given, received...and well...the rest is up to you...

Something to think about...