Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Throwing Bouquets to the Dead



Hundreds gathered for a Candlelight vigil this past Saturday night in the small town of Berwick.  The public outpouring of grief wasn’t for an actor or pop star. It was for 62 year old Harley Lawrence, a homeless man who died last week when the bus shelter he was sleeping in caught, (was set?) on fire. 
I might be a cynic….. okay I am a cynic, but I wonder how  over four hundred people who showed up at Saturday’s vigil treated Harley when he was alive?  I wonder if they spoke kind words when they saw him outside the local Tim Horton’s or how they felt about him sleeping on the bench in the shelter?  It’s not as if Berwick has a homeless problem; Harley was their homeless problem.  And from all accounts, Harley Lawrence didn’t want help, but everyone deserves kindness, and not just after their brutal death.  It’s easy to throw stones, and I probably would have ignored Harley and perhaps questioned why the local government didn’t do anything to address the homeless problem (that would be Harley) in town.
So perhaps each of us needs to look around for the Harley Lawrences in our lives and offer the kind words and thoughtful gestures before it’s too late.    Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.   


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Sea Monsters and Dragons!

Weird things in the news lately, I mean weirder than usual.  In the last week, two rare oarfish have washed up on a beach in California.  You might be wondering what an oarfish is, so was I.  They are like giant eels with a pug face.  The two that washed up were fourteen and eighteen feet long.  Scientist tell us that the fish are elusive creatures which can live at depths of 914 metres and are thought to have inspired legends of giant sea serpents.  Considering that they can grow up to 56 foot long I can understand that. 
And then there was a video was released from Truro England showing what appears to be a dragon flying in the sky. A dragon!  This is so cool. I was brought up reading about sea monsters and dragons and was so disappointed when they disappeared from my life.
No doubt the dragon video will be proven to be a hoax and the harmless oarfish will put legends of the kraken to rest but God’s world is still a place of mystery and wonder.  And in His time if God wants to send a dragon to shake things up, there is no doubt in my mind that He will send a dragon.  Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.  

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

A blast from the Past



Angela and I were marvelling at the autumn colours last week as we drove along the highway. The woods were a kaleidoscope of colours, no two the same. It wasn’t hard to imagine Jack Frost painting each leaf individually.
One of the many things we missed during our time in Australia was fall colours. As beautiful and gorgeous and wonderful (have I used enough adjectives yet?) as the weather was in Australia, and it was beautiful and gorgeous and wonderful, their trees didn’t change in the fall. To be truthful, I don’t think I ever truly appreciated the various hues that paint our forests until they weren’t there to see. That’s a sad reality of life as well—you don’t realize the good you have until you don’t have it anymore.
As much as I enjoy the fall scenery I don’t appreciate what it takes to make the leaves change—chilly fall mornings leave me cold, so to speak. That’s human nature though isn’t it? We never seem to want to pay the price, no matter how small. The great thing about the beauty of heaven is that the price has already been paid, and all we have to do is claim it. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.  

Thursday, October 10, 2013

It's Your Choice.




I was part of democracy in action this week. Not only did I vote but I also worked on Election Day as the Supervising Deputy Returning Officer, which isn't nearly as important as it sounds.
Pretty good gig, all in all, I was paid by Elections Nova Scotia to welcome people to Cornerstone.  During those twelve hours I was able to make several observations about people as they voted.
Some people were visibly excited to have the privilege to vote while others it seemed were simply voting out of obligation, they felt they had to. There were those who were hardly behind the screen long enough to mark their ballots while others were obviously deep in thought or asleep.
What they all had in common was they had each been offered a gift, the right to vote, and they had accepted it.
Many others were offered the same gift and turned it down, for any number of reasons. Perhaps some thought they were too busy,  others left it too long and ran out of time, some were disinterested and still others viewed the entire process with disdain. Bottom line: some people chose to vote and other chose not to vote, but it was their choice. Kind of reminds me of salvation. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.  

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Watch your . . .



It’s not what you mean, it’s what people think you mean.  Sometime ago, I read a story, and I can in no way vouch for its veracity, about a woman who misunderstood what” LOL” stood for.  She thought the acronym meant “lots of love” and in many instances that would work.  However when responding to a friend who had recently lost her mother the unfortunate lady wrote something along the lines of  “Sorry to hear about the death of your dear mother, LOL.”

There are all several of those acronyms out there that should not be used by those who claim to follow Jesus.  The problem is that when they’re mentioned  being inappropriate, their response often is “sure that’s what other’s mean  when they use ________ (you can fill in the blank), but that’ not what I mean when I use it.”  But the truth is, it’s not what you mean, it’s what people think you mean.  So even if you think OMG stands for Oh My Goodness, people are hearing you misusing God’s name.  And when the Bible speaks about taking God’s name in vain, it means using it in a frivolous manner.  And ending a sentence with the Name of the One who created the universe is frivolous, whether it’s written or spoken.  Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.