Leap Of Faith

We all know what today is; Leap Day, the extra twenty four hour present gifted to our world in years that mark both US presidential elections and Summer Olympics. One of my co-workers has her birthday today and her son is in my 8th grade Bible class. His classmates teased him that he was as old as his wonderful mother, a dear friend of mine! According to a tradition, apparently coming from Ireland, February 29th is the day women can ask men to marry them in a spin of the traditional order of things. (Not one girl in my classes thought it was a good idea. So much for gender role reversal!) One of my friends in Vietnam, a gorgeous young lady, was told the legend by an American missionary. This morning, she posted this:
Today is Ngan officially start looking for a husband.
Is that a man is looking for a wife, I want to get proposed to today, please pm me.
Believe me, the wonderful Ngan doesn't need any help finding a guy. For any of us, finding the right one, male or female, that's always the issue, isn't it? Whoever Ngan picks will be extremely blessed!

For years, I've read the Bible through each year, using Tyndale's One Year Bible as my source. Dividing up the year into 365 daily scripture readings makes it much less daunting a task. This year, I'm taking a break and using an Internet site, Oneyearbibleonline.com. When I opened for my daily bread this morning, this is what it said for February 29:
There are no regularly scheduled readings for leap day, February 29th in our journey through the Bible in a year. If you are current in your daily readings feel free to use these passages or topical readings in your daily devotions.
Below that announcement, a number of suggested readings were posted. I chose two selections from Romans, chapter 8 and chapter 12. I always feel Paul was writing with me in mind, just for me. The way the site handled it reminded me that today is different. For example, I have one more day than the typical February in my apartment but without any more rent! I get one free day of car insurance and one free day of my club membership! But in a serious vein, I do get to choose. I'm not a victim of fate. I can make decisions which not only can change the course of my life but potentially hundreds of others as well. In Deuteronomy 30, Moses spoke to the people of Israel for the last time and set out their options. To me, his speech can be condensed into just two words: CHOOSE LIFE. That's the same choice we have today, whether Leap Day or any other day. Don't wallow in self pity: Choose Life. There is no other viable alternative.
PS: There's still three hours left and no wedding proposals for me!

Applicable quote of the day:
“Today is an ephemeral ghost...
A strange amazing day that comes only once every four years. For the rest of the time it does not "exist."
In mundane terms, it marks a "leap" in time, when the calendar is adjusted to make up for extra seconds accumulated over the preceding three years due to the rotation of the earth. A day of temporal tune up!
But this day holds another secret—it contains one of those truly rare moments of delightful transience and light uncertainty that only exist on the razor edge of things, along a buzzing plane of quantum probability...
A day of unlocked potential.
Will you or won't you? Should you or shouldn't you?
Use this day to do something daring, extraordinary and unlike yourself. Take a chance and shape a different pattern in your personal cloud of probability!”
― Vera Nazarian

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com