Firepiper's take on life

The “R” word. | Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff

2010-12-15T12:18:00.002-05:00

The easiest way for a store to make my wife mad is to have a complicated return policy. She refuses to shop at Forever 21 for this very reason. Their return policy is so complicated that the cashiers will often read it to you when you’re making a purchase, kind of like a cop reading you Miranda Rights. “By purchasing this melon colored scarf you realize that should you ever take it out of the bag and merely make eye contact with it, that will forever be held against you in the court of no returns.”

This type of frustration often manifests itself at Target. There have been a number of times when they’ve refused to make some return easy over an amount in question as small as a few dollars. The great irony is that Target will spend tens of millions of dollars trying to get people into their stores via advertising and then argue over $1.50 once they’re at the returns counter. If they paused for a second, they would jump at the chance to pay a $1.50 to get a customer who over the course of her life will spend thousands of dollars in their store.

That’s why I love places like LL Bean. You can bring a canoe on fire into their store and they’ll take it back. Same with Wal-mart, a store we spend a considerable amount of time in. Although the Wal-mart in Franklin is situated in kind of a pit of despair parking lot, we still go pretty regularly. A few years ago, during one of our trips there, I saw something interesting that I’ve written about before. It was a powerful action that in a strange way reminded me of Christmas this year.

One afternoon, in the middle of an ordinary Saturday, the loudspeaker buzzed to life and a less than calm voice said, “All employees, we’ve got a Code Adam.”

In seconds, every employee sprinted to the front doors. A few went outside to scan the parking lot, the others formed a wall blocking the exits. It was like an anthill had been kicked over.

Why?

Because a Code Adam means that a child is missing.

I imagine that most times, the child is found quickly and all is returned to right. That’s what happened when I saw my first Code Adam. But for a few minutes, nothing in the store mattered as much as finding that missing kid. The world of commerce and price tags and sales figures stopped dead as they tried to locate a lost child.

And I think that’s how God is too.

When I am lost. When like the prodigal son, I stumble from the father’s grasp and gaze, I don’t think He cries out “look at Jon sinning again! Look at him failing me again!” I think God cries, “Code Jon! Code Jon!”

And then He rushes outside, hoping to intercept me before I get in the wrong car, desperate to keep me from making the type of decision that is going to hurt me. Because He loves me. I am His delight. He longs, not likes, but longs to show us compassion.

And we are the reason for the greatest Code Adam moment in the history of all mankind, Christmas.

In the tinsel and the lights and the balsam flavored candles we forget that sometimes. It is a beautiful season. It is full of merriment and cheer, but at its heart, Christmas is a rescue.

From the safety and security of heaven, stormed Jesus. From the contentment and perfection of God rushed the Lord. Why? Because God had declared a Code Adam. A Code Jon. A Code Christy. A Code Stacy. A Code Chad. A Code Chris. A Code You.

When we were lost, He did more than just lock a store down. When we were beyond all hope he did more than sprint to the parking lot. He sent his son to the cross for us, to rescue us. And, he speaks this message in a thousand ways every day. He would move the mountains and the cosmos if it meant we came home safe. If it meant we returned to the father and he could stop saying, “Code Adam, Code Adam.”

That’s what I hope we all remember this Christmas.

The reason for the season is a rescue.

God Won - 'The Deacon's Bench'

2010-10-14T01:20:00.001-04:00

http://blog.beliefnet.com/deaconsbench/2010/10/god-won.html

Yup, He did!!

2010-07-02T08:28:00.007-04:00

When God made the world, He chose to put animals in it, and decided to give each whatever it wanted. All the animals formed a long line before His throne, and the cat quietly went to the end of the line. To the elephant and the bear He gave strength, to the rabbit and the deer, swiftness; to the owl, the ability to see at night; to the birds and the butterflies, great beauty; to the fox, cunning; to the monkey, intelligence; to the dog, loyalty; to the lion, courage; to the otter, playfulness.

And all these were things the animals begged of God. At last he came to the end of the line, and there sat the little cat, waiting patiently. "What will YOU have?" God asked the cat. The cat shrugged modestly. "Oh, whatever scraps you have left over. I don't mind". "But I'm God, I have everything left over". "Then I'll have a little of everything please", said the cat.

And God gave a great shout of laughter at the cleverness of this small animal, and gave the cat everything she asked for, adding grace and elegance and, only for her, a gentle purr that would always attract humans and assure her a warm and comfortable home. But he took away her false modesty. - Lenore Fleischer

Unexpected blessings!

2010-01-23T15:55:00.017-05:00

Philippians 4:6 ~ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

I received an unexpected blessing just the other day...15,000 Aeroplan miles are being credited to my account just because I gave some medical assistance to someone when I was returning to Canada from a holiday in Germany.
In a wonderful coincidence, the day after I was informed about the Aeroplan miles, a friend sent me a group e-mail about a conference in Swaziland in which she had been selected to participate. She is going with the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign, a group launched by the Stephen Lewis Foundation to raise awareness of AIDS in Africa. www.grandmotherscampaign.org.
My friend told us all about the conference and then, in her words;

"So, I am going to be shameless now and pitch a plea...

If you have any Aeroplan miles (or any portion of) that you care to donate to the Stephen Lewis Foundation's Grandmothers to Grandmothers Gathering, it would be greatly appreciated."

Talk about good timing eh? I do believe my Father blessed me with those air miles just to give them away. "Ask, and ye shall receive" really rings true!

Thank you Father for your blessings, not just this particular blessing but for everything You've done for me.

Thank you Lord

2009-10-06T20:54:00.003-04:00

I feel safe with Jesus

2009-09-30T03:19:00.000-04:00

What a great way to start the day!

2009-08-23T04:08:00.000-04:00

Jesus paid my bill

2009-08-23T03:12:00.001-04:00

Come to my rescue

2009-08-21T20:30:00.003-04:00

Nature (and cats) abhor a vacuum

2009-08-10T08:42:00.003-04:00

My cats love me for me.....(yeah, right!)

2009-08-08T23:46:00.002-04:00

Soundtrack of your life

2009-08-06T12:37:00.003-04:00

Here's an interesting exercise;

Soundtrack of your life

Here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Zune, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie - just go with the flow.

Opening Credits: Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky
Waking Up: Darude - Ecstasy
First day at school or work: Jackson 5 - Give me one more chance
Falling In Love: 48th Highlanders - Amazing Grace
Fight Song: The Chieftans - Dueling Chanters
Life: Guess Who - American Woman
Mental Breakdown: Bachman Turner Overdrive - Takin' Care of Business
Driving: ABBA - Take a Chance on Me
Wedding: Jackson 5 - Dancing Machine
Birth of Child: Indigo Girls - Carolina in my mind
Final Battle: Elvis Crespo - Salsa Merengue
Death Scene: Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain
Funeral Song: Shakira - Objection
End Credit: Dick Dale and the Del-Tones - Peter Gunn Soundtrack

"911 - What is your emergency?"

2009-07-29T23:39:00.000-04:00

I LOVE Gregory House!

2009-07-19T01:22:00.002-04:00

see more Lol Celebs

What was Eden like before God created Eve?

2009-07-12T17:38:00.004-04:00

CATS - another reason why we love them

2009-07-05T10:14:00.001-04:00

Adopt a stray

2009-05-06T16:57:00.001-04:00

Installing Love

2009-04-16T21:20:00.002-04:00

Tech Support: Yes, ... how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install LOVE. Can you guide me though the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running?

Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge, and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart.Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So LOVE is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. LOVE is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T12:21:00.000-04:00

Just Imagine...

2009-03-03T22:48:00.001-05:00

I've got the lazies today!

2009-02-09T14:23:00.009-05:00

I don't believe in reincarnation, but if I did, I want to come back as a cat!

And God created...

2009-01-17T21:54:00.002-05:00

A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer to "Where do pets come from?"

Adam and Eve said, "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us."

And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.

And it was a good animal.
And God was pleased.

And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.

And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."

And God said, "No problem. Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG."

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.

And they were comforted.

And God was pleased.
And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."

And God said, "No problem! I will create for them a companion who will be with them forever and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration."

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve.

And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.

And Adam and Eve learned humility.

And they were greatly improved.

And God was pleased.

And Dog was happy.

And Cat didn't give a shit one way or the other.

I am a Christian

2009-01-09T00:06:00.002-05:00

When I say "I am a Christian"
by Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian", I'm not shouting; "I'm clean livin'." I'm whispering "I was lost, now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say... "I am a Christian", I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian", I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak, and need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian", I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed, and need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian", I'm not claiming to be perfect, My flaws are far too visible. But, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian", I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian", I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner, who received God's good grace, somehow!

Life is sweet!

2008-12-31T11:59:00.000-05:00

My job in a nutshell!

2008-12-20T13:47:00.000-05:00

The heavenly host of angels sang (and played)

2008-12-18T11:58:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas to one and all!
(hey, who's to say that the angels didn't play bagpipes!)

Consumer Christmas

2008-12-14T18:21:00.005-05:00

On the last day of Christmas Jesus came to me, and whispered in my ears;

"That's not what I meant."

Something to think about eh? What would Christmas be like if we rejected consumerism and the rush to buy, buy and buy some more? What would happen if we gave of ourselves, with gifts of time and companionship, with something repaired, cleaned up and recycled, or with something handmade? What would happen if instead of running around the shops looking for the 'perfect' gift, we spent that time reflecting on the Perfect Gift we've already received; the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/index.html

Introducing...Jesus Christ

2008-12-13T02:48:00.002-05:00

Exodus 15:11
Who is like unto thee, O Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Be an Unashamed Christian!

2008-12-13T02:25:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-01T10:39:00.005-05:00

Dear Children;
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival; although I do appreciate being remembered any time.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth just, GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn.
If all My followers did that there wouldn'tbe any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.
Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can and may remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching that explains who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks are. If you have forgot that one, look at John 15:1-8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is My wish list. Choose something from it.

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.
2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.
3. Instead of writing Stephen Harper complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.
4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.
5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.
6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference. Also, you might consider supporting the local Hot-Line: they talk with people like that every day.
7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas", that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day, they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.
8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name. You may already know someone like that.
9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them (and I suspect you don't), buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity that believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.
10. Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

P.S. Don't forget; I am with God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but it is now up to you. I'll do My job, but I won't do your job. And do have a most blessed Christmas and remember all those you love with
I LOVE YOU.

Jesus

Just for fun...

2008-11-14T01:49:00.017-05:00

Where is your cell phone? Somewhere in my purse, battery probably dead.
Your hair colour? Dark Brown with burgundy highlights, and silver sparkles at the temples!
Where is your mother? Probably talking Jesus's ear off!
Your father? Right beside my mother telling her to leave the Lord alone, he has work to do.
Your favorite thing? Sleeping.
Your dream last night? My dreams are too weird to remember!
Your dream goal? To get my house cleaned and cleared of all the clutter (sad, ain't I?)
Room you're in? Fire Communications radio room, first night of 4 in a row.
Your hobby? Playing the bagpipes.
Your fear? Death by drowning.
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Traveling the world...but can't do that with cats at home, so mortgage free would be nice.
Where were you last night? At home watching a DVD.
What you're not? As much as a pushover as I used to be.
One of your wish-list items? To have my kitchen completely renovated.
Where did you grow up? Who says I'm grown up?
What are you wearing? Blue uniform pants, navy long sleeve t-shirt, navy blue uniform sweat shirt.
Your TV? Is starting to die.
Your pet(s)? Hamish, Fiona and Rebus are guarding the house while I'm at work (yeah right, they're probably wrecking it, or puking on something!)
Your computer? Video card is dying...'puter still works, but the picture is all messed up!!
Your mood? Meh
Missing someone? Mum and Dad, and my cats...and my sister and brother, and their families
Your car? Needs to be cleaned inside and out.
Something you're not wearing? Perfume
Favourite shop? Tval...a great natural cosmetic and bath shop out of Newfoundland
Your summer? Wet
Love someone? Yeah, one or two people.
Your favourite colour? Surprisingly, blue!
When is the last time you laughed? Tonight, looking at stupid cat pictures on a silly website.
When is the last time you cried? On what would have been my mother's 77th birthday.

At the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month...Remember them

2008-11-08T15:25:00.001-05:00

In remembrance

2008-10-22T16:03:00.014-04:00

Hail to the Chief!!

In memory of my Fire Chief Garry Morden, who passed away today (Oct 22). Garry was not much older than I, and was a wonderful man. I had the great privilege of serving under him when he was Deputy Chief and Chief, and never had anything but great respect for him. He took my friend Shelli and I out to dinner when we were in Ottawa for the first Canadian Fallen Firefighters memorial service several years ago, and had us in stitches telling us tales of his youth, and some of the stuff he got up to as a young firefighter. He was respected by the rank and file and senior staff alike, as an honest and fair Chief...he'd walked the walk, and that made all the difference in the world when having to deal with his staff.

Garry developed Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma several years back, and seemed to have beaten it. Unfortunately, the cancer came back and he fought the good fight, right to the end.

You can stand down now Chief, your shift is covered. You are now a beloved member of the biggest fire department the heavens have ever seen! Rest easy in the Lord's arms.

We will all miss you...

I'm not sure I'd like to see Sarah Palin in the White House

2008-09-28T14:21:00.001-04:00

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

A letter from my Father

2008-09-14T14:37:00.000-04:00

Never forget 9/11

2008-09-13T23:07:00.005-04:00

411 Emergency Services personnel died on 9/11. Most of us think of the 343 FDNY firefighters and the many NYPD and Port Authority police officers lost. What we may not know is that there were Paramedics and EMTs from hospital and private ambulance services who also lost their lives. They're rarely mentioned, their names forgotten amongst the greater numbers of those killed. Remember them as well!

Day by Day

2008-09-07T12:48:00.006-04:00

This is how I try to live my life. Trying to live as a new Christian in a secular world is a lot of work. It is really easy to fall back into my old ways of doing things, as in 'I don't need anyone's help, I can do it on my own'!

Ummm, actually, I can't. My independent nature tries to override the Holy Spirit, and most of the time I either fail miserably, or get frustrated and give up on whatever it is I am trying to accomplish. And then these words echo in my head..."So, how'd that work out for you?" Ouch!

Back to the drawing board, only this time with Him at my side. And I take it day by day.

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" Phil 4:13

Salute to the 2008 Olympics

2008-08-11T15:02:00.011-04:00

Crazy cat lady? I think not!!

2008-08-08T01:20:00.001-04:00

At least, not until I get the expansion pack!!

Oh, the Humanity

2008-08-07T01:27:00.002-04:00

Bible vs Cell Phone

2008-08-06T19:19:00.000-04:00

Bible vs. Cell Phone

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go, hmmm, where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing; Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected, because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think, "Where are my priorities?"

And no dropped calls!

kitteh emoticons

2008-08-05T04:06:00.000-04:00

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it...or something along those lines!

2008-08-04T22:37:00.004-04:00

Funny post from the Victoria Times. Who said Canadian history is boring?

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it -- poorly
Jack Knox, Times Colonist Published: Sunday, July 13, 2008

The 2008 National Historica Fair is in Victoria this week, 165 students from across the country taking part in history's equivalent to a science fair. It inspired me to dredge up my own recollection of Canadian history class.

Here's what I remember:The first contact between aboriginal Canadians and the seafaring foreigners known as wetbacks came in 1000 BC when the Minnesota Vikings played an away game at L'anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland. Fearing this NFL invasion would lead to the demise of the Canadian Football League, aboriginals sent the Vikings packing. It wasn't until 1497 that Europeans would return to Canadian shores in the person of English television actor Sebastian Cabot, also known by his Italian name, Mr. French.

French exploration continued with the arrival of Jacques Cartier, who established a chain of fur-trading posts and fine jewelry stores along the St. Lawrence River. It was Cartier who first heard the Huron-Iroquois word Canada, meaning "big pink bit on the map. Western exploration and the fur trade were both soon taken over by the British in the form of the Hudson's Bay Co., though the latter soon found itself in a long, bitter struggle with such rivals as the North West Co. and Canadian Tire, which provided the wheels for the Red River carts that became emblematic of Manitoba settlers.

Meanwhile, the West Coast was reached in 1778 by Capt. James Cook of HMS Enterprise, who had set out across the Pacific "to boldly go where no man has gone before." Cook defeated both the Klingons and the Spanish, whose influence is still reflected today in such places as Cortes, Quadra and Galiano islands and the Strait of Wanda Fuca, the latter named for the daughter of Queen Isabella. Deterred by high ferry fares, Cook stayed on Vancouver Island, so it wasn't until 1837 that the mainland coast was reached by firebrand explorer William Lyon Mackenzie who, travelling overland from Ontario, reached the Pacific near Bella Coola (Spanish for "beautiful refrigerator"). En route he discovered Canada's highest peak, Mount Logan, named after Sir Horace Mount, inventor of the horse.

Confederation came on the Fourth of July, 1867, following the Charlottetown Conference in Quebec City, which was then known by its native name, Regina, or "Pile of Bones." The first prime minister, Sir John A. Appleseed, opened up the west to farming by building a railroad that was completed when Pierre Berton drove the Last Spike in the Klondike, an event that lives on in Gordon Lightfoot's 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'. Alas, the Klondike was soon stripped of gold, just like Ben Johnson at the Seoul Olympics, leading to a national malaise known as the Great Depression.The funk didn't lift until the assassination of Louis Riel sparked the First World War, where Canada came of age at Vimy Ridge but, lacking proper ID, was sent home without liquor. This was known as Prohibition.

The First World War was so successful that they held a sequel, just like Wayne's World II, though the latter was a bigger bomb. Speaking of bombing, it wasn't until the Japanese attacked the domestic car market that the U.S. agreed to join Canada in the war on Germany, signing an agreement known as the Otto Pact. But this call to arms was ignored by Quebecers who, objecting to the air force's use of the Planes of Abraham, merely turned over in their beds and went back to sleep (the Quiet Revolution). This highlighted the schism between French and English Canada, a rift that was only healed in 1984 when the two solitudes joined together in chucking Pierre Trudeau on the political dungheap (leading to his famous declaration "Just wash me"). Trudeau was eventually replaced by Brian Mulroney, best-known for bringing in the NAFTA agreement that sent Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a softwood-lumber tariff.

Those wishing to learn more about our country are advised to dust off a copy of the CBC's 30-hour documentary Canada: A People's History. The rest of you can go back to watching American Idol.

Catnip anyone?

2008-08-04T21:05:00.007-04:00

more cat pictures

My neighbours brought me some fresh catnip from the garden the other day, and I offered it to my 3 kitties. With the two younger ones (Rebus and Fiona) being so manic in the evening, I have to wonder why I did it. Well, SOMEBODY had to!!

Rebus just sniffed at it then went completely ballistic, jumping and attacking the little sprig I left on the floor for him. He then went out of his way to attack my arm, hand and anything of me that was in close range.

Fiona just screwed up her face and rolled all over the floor, and Hamish wanted to eat whatever I had in my hand, drooling all over me while he did so.

It seems that fresh catnip is a bit too powerful for these kittehs, so I'll have to put my food dehydrator to good use and dry it to make it less overwhelming for them!

My sister's cat Lizzie (as in Borden...so you get an idea of what she is like!), goes out at night and gets into the neighbour's catnip garden. Apparently, Lizzie comes home much later and is out of control for hours. Mona calls Lizzie her 'little catnip whore".

The picture above shows perfectly what Rebus looked like after he got a good whack of catnip on board. I love my little kittehs!!

This one shows what Fiona is like when she goes nutty in the evenings!!

Prayer in School

2008-07-19T14:45:00.001-04:00

TEACHING TODAY

After being interviewed by the school
administration, the eager teaching prospect
said:

"Let me see if I've got this right.

"You want me to go into that room with all
those kids and fill their every waking moment
with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to
instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify
their disruptive behavior, observe them for
signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt
messages and dress habits.

"You want me to wage a war on drugs and
sexually transmitted diseases, check their
backpacks for weapons of mass destruction,
and raise their self-esteem.

"You want me to teach them patriotism, good
citizenship, sportsmanship, and fair play, how
and where to register to vote, how to balance
a checkbook, and how to apply for a job.

"I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a
safe environment,recognize signs of antisocial
behavior, offer advice, write letters of
recommendation for student employment and
scholarships, encourage respect for their elders
and future employers.

"And I am to communicate regularly with the
parents by letter, telephone, newsletter, and
report card.

"All of this I am to do with just a piece of
chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin
board, and a big smile AND on a starting
salary that qualifies my family for food
stamps!

"You want me to do all of this, and you
expect me NOT TO PRAY?"

Something to think about

2008-07-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

This is love

2008-07-18T22:18:00.001-04:00

Just some funny cat pictures

2008-06-10T01:23:00.011-04:00

In praise of the written letter

2008-06-03T16:02:00.015-04:00

I recently wrote a letter to a friend, and found it to be a real struggle to write. Not the subject matter, but the actual act of writing. Keyboarding has replaced penmanship and I know that my handwriting has suffered as a result. It is so much easier to send off a quick e-mail than it is to get out the writing paper and pen, and sit down to compose a missive.

I got to thinking about some of the most memorable hand written letters I've received over the years, and not surprisingly, most of them have been love letters. One I received was from a young man I'd met at a Ranger/Rover camp the summer of '73 before I went into Grade 12, and with whom I kept up a correspondence until the middle of the school year. His name was Glenn, he wore a kilt as part of his Rover Scout uniform and I thought he was charming! He spent the summer working as a Junior Forest Ranger with the Ministry of Natural Resources somewhere way up north, so phone calls were pretty rare. One day I got a letter written on a piece of birch bark, enclosed in an envelope made of 2 larger pieces of birch bark sewn together with leather cording! Yes, Canada Post delivered it, and I hung on to that letter for years, long after I lost contact with Glenn. Last I'd heard, he'd become a Catholic priest...I wonder what would have happened if we'd kept in touch?

Another neat love letter I got was written by another boyfriend who was a university student in Waterloo. He sent me a letter written on computer paper 4" wide and about 6 feet long! He also wrote it lengthwise, so that the letter was only about 2 lines deep, meaning I had to lay it out on the floor to read it!

My most recent serious love interest was a financial planner with a flair for painting watercolours. He would send me hand painted cards, usually scenes of places we'd been together. They weren't strictly letters, but they were personal notes to me, and I treasured them. I still have them tucked away, after all, they are original watercolours signed by the artist!

However, my most treasured letters are those I've gotten from Leslie, my sponsored child in Peru. Right now her mother is doing the writing, but I look forward to the day I get a letter hand-written by her. I'm also waiting to hear from my newly sponsored child Felicia, a beautiful young girl from Ghana. Now those are truly LOVE letters!

Ironic isn't it, that this computer generated blog has inspired me to get out my fountain pen and start writing long letters, SWAK (that's 'sealed with a kiss').

Eden was Vegan

2008-06-03T04:55:00.023-04:00

Many people have asked my why I'm a vegetarian, most often following up the question with "I could NEVER give up eating meat" and "If humans weren't meant to eat meat, why does it taste so good?" (usually accompanied with a rather uncomfortable grin). I originally gave up eating meat for health and ethical reasons, at the time both about equal in importance to me. I did lose a fair bit of weight, about 15 lbs in the first year, and kept it off for quite some time, only to gain some of it back because of my addiction to potato chips. (Yeah, I know they're made from a vegetable, but that doesn't make them good for you!)

I'm convinced of the healthful aspects of eating a plant based diet, and now my reasons for vegetarianism are leaning heavily towards the ethics of raising animals for food.
As a Christian, I believe that God telling us that we have 'dominion' over the animals of the earth does not mean to use and abuse them in any way we see fit. It means that we are to care for animals, to be stewards of the animal kingdom.
In Genesis it says;

Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small."
- Genesis 1:26

and

He created them male and female, blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds and all the wild animals. I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done. God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased.
- Genesis 1:27-31

Doesn't that say that man and animal were meant to eat fruit and grains and leafy plants? In other words, eat like a VEGAN?
It wasn't until after the fall that man started to eat meat, and the animals feared him and each other. In modern day, how can we have stewardship over the animals, yet treat them so cruelly? Factory farming practices, the outright cruelty seen in slaughterhouses, even the way some people consider their pets as disposable shows that we have not followed God's word.

I had to laugh when I read that KFC were now going to buy their chickens from factories which use a more 'humane' way of slaughter, as if slaughter in any way could be humane! When I also look at the number of nasty and sometimes fatal diseases that man can contract from meat eating (Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, E-coli infections, parasitic infestations etc.), I have to wonder why more people aren't switching to a plant based diet.

There are many more reasons for becoming a vegetarian or vegan, more than I can write here. I encourage you to do your own research, and make up your own mind. I do believe that humanity will be judged on the way we treat those in our stewardship, be they children, seniors, the disabled, animals or Mother Earth. Unfortunately, I think we will come up very short in that regard.

A few links you may find interesting;

Christianity and Vegetarianism

An article by Father John Dear S.J.

Christian Vegetarian Association

Mother's day

2008-05-12T00:22:00.018-04:00

Fiona

Rebus

Hamish

Ok, I'm not a mother of 2-legged kids, but I do have three 4-legged babies who are my life. God gave me Hamish, who chose me (rather than me choosing him) when I visited the Upper Credit Humane Society. He just sat in the cat room, watching me while I visited with the other kitties, and then deigned to allow me to visit with him....after that I was hooked, and he found his forever home!
Rebus and Fiona, along with their sister were dumped at the Halton Regional Police station in Georgetown. They were only 4 weeks old, and needed to be hand-raised by foster parents, before they could be adopted.

Hamish isn't too happy with the kittens, at times he tolerates them and occasionally will give them little lovies. For the most part however, he acts like a curmudgeonly old uncle, hissing at them when they get in the way, and most of the time they seem to shrug it off. On the odd occasion both Hamish and Rebus get into it, and Hamish has gotten some nasty scratches on his nose. If they'd only sit still when I try to trim their nails, that wouldn't happen! But do they listen to me? Oh no.....that would be too easy for me, and goodness knows making my life easy just wouldn't do!

My furniture is shredded, covered in hair (hey, that's why they call it FURniture), and there are always little bits of litter tracked through the house. But when they come running to meet me when they hear the key in the door, and all three of them end up on the bed with me at night, that's when I know I'm blessed. God may not have wanted me to have children of my own, but he showed me how to love when he gave me my three furry babies.

Mum and Dad

2008-05-04T00:25:00.007-04:00

I miss them a lot, but I figure this is what they're doing up in Heaven. Watching the neighbours go by, telling bad jokes to anyone within earshot, tossing a ball to our dogs who met them at the Rainbow bridge...Susie, Midget, Crystal, Penny and Skipper. Our cats Whiskers and Woo-Si are probably just sunning themselves in God's celestial garden, waiting for their staff (aka mum and dad) to give them a cuddle and a treat!

2008-05-02T01:11:00.000-04:00

NEVER GIVE UP!

Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee

2008-05-02T01:07:00.001-04:00

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Perspective

2008-04-30T01:20:00.000-04:00

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, ‘How was the trip?’

‘It was great, Dad.’

‘Did you see how poor people live?’ the father asked.

‘Oh yeah,’ said the son.

‘So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?’ asked the father

The son answered: ‘I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.’

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added , ‘Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.’

Isn’t perspective a wonderful thing?

Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don’t have.

Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

Life is too short and friends are too few.

Friendship isn’t about whom you have known the longest; but about who came and never left your side