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Remember being little, and Christmas couldn’t come fast enough?

How about waiting for that special birthday you know would bring a gift that you longed for? Sometimes it was so hard to wait.

“Time moves slower than molasses in January,” my father used to say.

We looked forward to turning 16 so we could learn to drive. We waited to be old enough to leave home, maybe go off to college, or just find employment and move into a first apartment.

As we age, a new phrase comes into our lexicon, “Slow down time. You’re moving too fast.”

We think in terms of decades when we look at our life. I know there are exceptions, but in general, it’s being a kid, then a teen, and then your twenties.

Your twenties are for finishing your education and possibly marriage. Your thirties for having families, buying homes. Your forties for raising those kids through their teenage years. “Lord, please give me strength to get through this.”

Your fifties bring a routine to life of working, looking toward retirement, and watching our children grow up and marry. Our sixties allow us to hopefully retire sooner than later, possibly watching grandchildren come into this world.

Then we hit our seventies and beyond. Our days are numbered here on Earth. The innocence of youth is that they will live forever.

Job 14:5: “Since his days are determined. The number of his months has been set by you. A limit is set which he cannot exceed.” (ESV)

Psalm 90:10: “The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years… So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

The fact that my husband turns 70 this year makes us ponder this more. What have we done in our lives? What have I done that I wish I hadn’t? What haven’t I done that I wish I had?

God does not want to squander our days in useless worry, materialism, and regrets, but rather keep our focus on Him and what He wants for us.

As I get older, I appreciate those that have gone on before. When my mom turned 80, I had a casual open house for her. All her friends from church came. When I look at pictures from that party, I realize all her friends have passed on, including my mom. They were special seniors; I admired them. They loved the Lord and lived out their faith by praying, visiting and caring.

I am sure this was how they lived throughout their lives. At a young age, we need to develop a habit of prayer, caring about, and helping people. Then it will become second nature to pray and minister to others.

I used to jokingly say, until I hit my 50s, “I wonder what I want to be when I grow up?”

You can say those things in the realm of careers and jobs, but at a young age, we need to be what God desires of us. Strive to be what He wants us to be.

Those precious seniors that we remember, I’m sure, did just that.

Isaiah 46:4: “Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” (NKJV)

Warning: The following column contains a wild-eyed, lurid fantasy. (Theirs) Followed by overwrought denunciation. (Mine) Reader discretion is advised.

Honestly, I read an article recently in my own paper that was so fantastically stupid that I nearly spat on the floor. It was about Generative Artificial Intelligence (the big brother of ChatGPT) and its potential to achieve self-awareness or consciousness. The writer went on to murmur about current scientific theory suggesting consciousness will arise spontaneously in highly complex systems.

I could hear Victor Frankenstein’s servant Igor screaming, “It’s alive, it’s alive!”

I ever marvel over humanity’s endless appetite to create gods and monsters.

I then poked around other reputable media sites, The Washington Post, CBC, WIRED, Scientific American, Forbes…

Of course, the media loves this stuff, and of course, this insanity is everywhere, generating handwringing opinion pieces. The more apocalyptic, the better.

The very first piece I read – IN MY OWN PAPER – displayed a level of neurotic anthropomorphism that staggered me. The article went on to paint a picture of GAI reaching a state where it would regard humanity in the same way that we regard plants. Eventually, the writer argued, GAI would become so clever that it could redesign itself into something infinitely beyond humanity.

Please! Sound the tympani of the opening credits of 2001, A Space Odyssey. “Would you like to play chess, Dave? No thanks, Hal.” Cue Strauss, Zarathustra, Opus 30.

The only problem this god-like computer system had was that it, at all costs, needed to ensure its power supply. It wouldn’t do if some slow-witted human unplugged it.

I only raise all this to offer a few suggestions about how you might think about or answer the inevitable deluge of nonsense about sentient computer systems that is going to come washing into our lives. There is already discussion going on in the nutter-verse on whether sentient computers should be accorded human rights. Humanity is once again building its tower of Babel.

Two points to consider. In its simplest, there are two things involved, software which runs on algorithms and hardware. Algorithms are essentially mathematical instructions or rules that must be followed to achieve a result. Think of a recipe to bake a cake.

And then there is the hardware, much of which you can buy at an electronics store: metal, wire, plastic, coolants, rubber, batteries. I am simplifying it here, but we are talking about inert material. Dead as a stone.

It’s a machine following a set of instructions. That’s it. It’s a glorified iPhone that can do marvellous things, but it’s a machine no more sentient than your toaster, which can also do wonderful things. It doesn’t think; it computes.

Of course, the whole idea of sentient computers is rooted in Materialism. Once you sweep God aside, you are left explaining consciousness as arising from complex systems. And the subtle, unspoken temptation of Materialism is that if there is no God, then we are gods. The computer may be sentient, but secretly we still know we are its creator.

This has happened before.

Exodus 32: [1] When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” [2] So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” [3] So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. [4] And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

Of course, gods are sentient.

When Moses confronts Aaron about this idiotic behaviour, Aaron delivers the type of response worthy of a modern Materialist.

Exodus 32 [21] And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” [22] And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. [23] For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ [24] So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

“It’s Alive!”

The idea of a sentient computer is a Materialist fantasy, and nothing more.

Waiting is an inevitable part of life. Today’s society views waiting as a waste of time.
Who wants to wait in a grocery store checkout, the drive-thru, or the doctor’s waiting room? Who wants to wait for the restoration of health or relationships?
We often desire shortcuts, instant results, quick fixes, and miraculous transformations in twenty-four hours or less, please!
As God’s children, we would be wise to see what the Bible says about waiting.
What is your theology of waiting? After all, we all have a theology of waiting, whether or not you have thought of it in those terms. Perhaps you view waiting as a waste of time, and you get irritated, frustrated or angry when you have to wait. Or maybe you consider waiting as valuable time in which God reveals Himself to you in new ways, and you intentionally choose gratitude, faith and joy even amid uncertainty.
The book of Psalms mentions waiting repeatedly.
Reading through Psalms, I have been challenged by the Psalmist’s view of waiting. Recently I read Psalm 27. That’s a familiar one to me, and I often cling to the truth of the first verse of that psalm: “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?”
As I read this psalm a few days ago, the last verse struck me: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord” (Ps. 27:14). Verse 1 reminds us of who God is to us, it’s a certain reality, it brings comfort and helps us fight our fears. Verse 14, at first, seems more challenging, especially if we read it on its own (out of context).
You may find yourself thinking, “I cannot wait any longer for this answer or for this relationship to be restored. I am not strong enough to wait!”
I have been there too. The good news is, considering what verse 1 (and many other passages in Scripture) reveals to us about God, we are not waiting in our own strength or power; we are not waiting on someone unreliable, we are waiting on GOD. He is the One whose power is unlimited, who brings light out of darkness, who rescues us, who gives us no reason to fear life’s challenges!
Our strength and courage come from Him when we choose to trust Him fully.
Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they who wait (same Hebrew word as used in Ps. 27:14) for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint.”
When we focus on Jesus in seasons of waiting, He strengthens us and sustains us. When we choose to wait (the Hebrew word means to wait, look for, hope, expect) on God, we are renewed from the inside out. He restores our souls (Ps. 23:3).
Will we steward our waiting seasons, or will we waste them? We all have times of waiting, and we all get to choose how we will respond to them. If you are reading this today, don’t get stuck in the past or fret over how you have responded in the past. Even those are opportunities from which you can learn. Nothing is wasted in God’s economy. He restores the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25). There is value in every moment and every season. God is Sovereign, and nothing happens to us without His knowledge and permission. How we respond while we wait reveals what we truly believe about God. Will we choose to worship God in the waiting seasons? My prayer is that we will choose to wait on God with gratitude, joy and faith empowered by His Spirit.

I love a meme I saw on Facebook stating boldly: “Grampa knows everything; what he doesn’t know, he makes up!”

You are blessed if you had a grandpa like that. I used to sit at my grandfather’s feet (literally) as we sat in front of the fireplace, listening to stories of the Glasgow in which he grew up. From the poverty of life in the tenements to the beauty of Loch Lomond, I listened enthralled, even if I had heard them several times.

Story is part of community. It connects generations and brings a context to life. In many cultures that don’t have a written tradition, an oral retelling of history is important. The Bible is full of wonderful stories that connect present generations with those who came before. The Pentateuch established rules for community and recounts the progress of God’s people. From creation to crossing the Jordan River, the people of God had an accurate record of their history.

After the people had crossed the Jordan River, Joshua instructed them to take 12 stones from the riverbed and make a monument to the Lord at the site of their first camp in the promised land, “that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those mean to you?” then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord … So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” (Joshua 4:6,7)

With this visual reminder, when children would ask, “what do these stones mean?” fathers and grandfathers would be able to rehearse the exploits of God as he led them out of Egypt, through the wilderness and finally into the promised land. Every generation would be connected to the previous ones by the retelling of this incredible story.

Likewise, we have been entrusted with the stories of how God has worked in our lives. Tell your children and grandchildren how God saved you, has led and provided for you. Be ready to tell exciting stories of your God.

It’s history now. It is up to me to tell the next generation of the world as I knew it, but with a twist, listen to how God worked in my life. These are my memorial stones.

I recently found myself travelling at approximately 800 km/h. You will be wondering: was I dreaming or was I flying?
Well, the latter would be correct. I had boarded a jet heading for Kelowna, B.C., my childhood hometown.
The air travel itself was pleasantly uneventful.
As I settled in and began daydreaming (I admit, while safety demonstrations were going on), I contemplated Mary and Joseph and their trip to Bethlehem. It was a journey they were forced to take to fulfill the taxation decree.
When Mary and Joseph travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, it wasn’t by car or airplane but on foot. On foot! Even on­ the plane, I remember thinking, ‘I’d love to take these shoes off.’
Likely Mary rode on a donkey the whole way. It was a journey that would have taken several days. When was the last time you decided to go somewhere and walk for days to get there? Let alone do it while expecting a baby?
Airplane washrooms can be tight in space, but on that long trip, how would this couple have endured the simple task of going to the bathroom?
In Luke I read: “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered… Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem… to be registered with Mary his betrothed wife who was with child.
A hike of about 125 kilometres. If you managed 25 kilometres a day, that’s five days hiking. And with a donkey and Mary in the last weeks of pregnancy, nobody is going to manage.
Joseph, obviously close to the Lord and schooled in the Old Testament, would likely hold on to what Moses said to Joshua as he sent him out to lead Israel in Deut 31:8:

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

My fellow passengers were polite and friendly. Unlike what you see on YouTube, videos of passengers being hauled off planes by police for being drunk and belligerent. Ah, the beauty of living in Canada.
I had treated myself to an upgrade. A front row seat, wider than those from the fourth row on back. This extravagance included a rubber chicken dinner complete with real glassware and a metal knife and fork. A small thing unless you’ve tried cutting meat with a plastic fork and knife. As I was wishing I could wash my hands, the flight attendant handed me a hot towel for just that task. So this is how the other half live. What did Mary and Joseph eat while they journeyed? I’m sure they packed food for the journey, but how much can you carry? There were no suitcases with little wheels on the bottom available.
It was good to land in Kelowna. I was welcomed by my two, dare I say, older sisters. One I had not seen in four years.
It is surreal when you haven’t been in a town for a few years. How could it change this much? Your once ideal hometown has turned into a sea of commerce and high rises. Very little looked familiar.
My niece came from Calgary for three days, and it was good to catch up. Her one-hour plane ride took a bit longer than her drive to get to the airport. After a 10-day visit, a few good laughs and some much-anticipated garlic fries, I was on my way home.
I realize we don’t all live within a short distance of the people we love. Sometimes we must hop on a plane and travel for a day to see them.
Mary and Joseph made another long trek when the Lord—through an angel—told them to flee to Egypt because Herod wanted to kill their child.

Matthew 2:13 “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod…”

Off they struggled to Egypt. Another long hike, another week or more on the road heading to a strange country away from family and friends.
They were there three years.
I’m sure Joseph and Mary’s thoughts again turned to what the Lord said to Joshua. Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (ESV)
In the New Testament, we find similar words from Jesus for our journey through life:
“…behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”