OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                           OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

 

 

 

There’s a book full of stories just outside my living room overlooking my condo balcony. I can see that the warm days of summer are past as the falling leaves have reached their end of life stage.  Some by themselves as the life has parted from their veins and others not quite so ready being blown off by the wind.

 My Geraniums, they have brought so much joy this season are still hanging in there, fighting against the cold and the rain and sapping up every ounce of nutrients remaining in their source of supply.  My yellow vine flowers have passed on, guess it was time. The empty chairs that exchanged the laughter and chatter of friends look cold and uninviting and are waiting to go into hibernation until next year.

 My condo is around ten years old and was built besides above ground hydro polls which can be an eye sore, however it also has provided company for me as the birds take rest there occasionally and talk back and forth to each other. So, I suppose in that sense it is a good thing.

 There’s an empty lot in front of my place, with two beautiful huge trees. One might be a Manitoba Maple. I’m not certain as I don’t know my trees very well.  So, help me if anyone dares to come and cut them down.

Across the alley to my left is the Fish and Games building. Prior to the present owners it was used as a church. This gives me something to think about. A lot of history wrapped up in those walls. Weddings, dedications, baptisms, funerals, Christmas carols ringing out, worship, the odd person nodding off while the preacher is giving his sermon. O if these walls could talk!

To my left, across the alley is the Dr. Woods Museum, keeping alive the rich history of a pioneer Dr. who came to the area in 1902. It depicts the domestic and professional life of Dr. Woods and his family. The Museum preserves artifacts reflecting the period of life from the late twenties and forties, as well as showcasing a Canadian Doctor’s home in a small prairie town.

I could write about the sirens I hear daily, keeping me in touch with humanity. There are the planes that fly over my condo taking people on some adventure.

That’s another story.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS

FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

We are experiencing In our society a very complex and volatile world. There’s the right wing the left wing, ethnic cleansing, and ideology driven by extreme fundamentalism.

Those who have taken on leadership roles in society are for the most part type A personalities. They can be driven to express in no uncertain terms what their personal views are. There are those among us who have strong convictions on both the right and left-wing agendas; and without a question there are those who are right on both sides. Becoming intense regarding our views can cause not only division but anger and discord.

While we can never walk from our values and morals that are based upon our Judeo-Christian faith, we need to be informed and thoughtful when in discussion with others who do not agree with us.

We live in an inclusive society where people of all countries come to our shores and deserve the same freedoms as we do as long as it doesn’t conflict with our rule of law. As we move along in society, this becomes a more complex situation.

Jesus was born into a very hostile political atmosphere. Jerusalem was ruled by Rome and they were very iron fisted. When he was asked if he a Jew should pay taxes to Caesar, he had a coin displayed showing the head of Caesar and informed the crowd to give to Caesar what belonged to him.

We are to pray for kings and all who are in authority so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life and dignified in every way. We are to show respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear and honor God.

 God spoke to his people through Jeremiah to seek peace and prosperity of the city to which carried them into exile. For lack of guidance a nation falls but victory is won through many advisers. He makes nations great, and destroys them, he enlarges nations and disperses them.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was quoted to have said; I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer, as we rise to each new day and again when each day is spent let words of prayer be on our lips.

On a more personal level, saying the right words can also be extremely challenging. It is sometimes easier to jump in with both feet when someone his expressing their opinions. The art of listening with love can sometimes give us an opportunity to express effectively a response that can bring healing and direct the conversation to a more resourceful understanding.

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we could follow Paul’s admonishment in Colossians 4:6 to let our conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt so that you may know how to answer everyone.

The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, and a wise friend’s timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger Proverbs 25:11-12  

ALASKA

How can an experience feel desolate, detached and calm all at the same time? As the cruise liner

entered the mouth of Glacier Bay, Alaska; it’s engines slowed as some 1500 rubbernecks including myself were dashing on all decks to get the best view possible. Why are more than 2 million tourists from all over the world drawn to this place every year?  Unpredictable weather could include rain and dense fog, which at times have made the glacier invisible.

Today the sun is shining, the water is calm allowing the surrounding mountains and glacier to be mirrored in a most sacred beauty. The ship turns a 360-degree angle to give all passengers the ideal view. It is fairly quiet on deck; everyone has a camera of some sort endeavoring to catch any changing mood of this magnificent scene. As the Sun shines on this ornate piece of original art the colors reflect hues of blue, green, turquoise and as the clouds cover the sun another portrait appears.

We watch the landscape changing before our eyes as giant pieces of ice break away and display diamond like bergs in the icy water.

 I ponder this majestic intimidating and ever-changing landscape. It is one of the world’s largest protected natural areas. The ship moves slowly out of the bay and I see new growth along the shoreline, as the glacier melts away to give birth to life which 250 years ago was once covered in a blanket of ice. Here we see the possibilities and resilience of nature. I am so reminded of how connected we are to the earth and all creation. And for whatever reason this journey through time became both a therapeutic and spiritual experience.

A life in the day of Facebook.

A life in the day of Facebook.

 Whether we like it or hate it, if we are part of it we are addicted somewhat. If you don’t post it you stalk it. It’s your complete resource for living. It supplies your breakfast, lunch and dinner, takes you to exercise class, feeds you vitamins, informs you about all the poisons in our food, how much sleep you need, takes pounds off in a matter of days, cleanses your colon, does your devotions and preaches you several sermons a day. It keeps you current on world events, tells you what political party to support and what will happen to you if you don’t.

More than anything it reconnects you to your history, brings back old memories; gives you a greater appreciation for the people who have been a part of your life over the years and enriches you with the gift of friendship.

 After living in some ten towns and cities in five provinces it is difficult to keep track of all the people you have met. I occasionally get a friend request whom I can’t seem to place, however after looking at their profile and seeing we have mutual friends then I don’t hesitate to accept their request in hopes that something will show to jog my memory. That being said, it has been a wonderful ride back into cherished memories of the past and keeping up with current events in the lives of people you care about.

Communication has changed considerably in my time. We have come a long way from Lily Tomlin’s one ringy dingy two ringy dingy. We have stripped the phone off the wall and put it in our pockets, we text, tweet and seldom talk. We send photo’s all over the world in a matter of seconds and by the time we hear Good Evening this is the National and I’m Peter Mansbridge the news is as old as the commentator!

O what a wonderful world!

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A LIFE IN THE DAY OF FACEBOOK

A life in the day of Facebook.

 Whether we like it or hate it, if we are part of it we are addicted somewhat. If you don’t post it you stalk it. It’s your complete resource for living. It supplies your breakfast, lunch and dinner, takes you to exercise class, feeds you vitamins, informs you about all the poisons in our food, how much sleep you need, takes pounds off in a matter of days, cleanses your colon, does your devotions and preaches you several sermons a day. It keeps you current on world events, tells you what political party to support and what will happen to you if you don’t.

More than anything it reconnects you to your history, brings back old memories; gives you a greater appreciation for the people who have been a part of your life over the years and enriches you with the gift of friendship.

 After living in some ten towns and cities in five provinces it is difficult to keep track of all the people you have met. I occasionally get a friend request whom I can’t seem to place, however after looking at their profile and seeing we have mutual friends then I don’t hesitate to accept their request in hopes that something will show to jog my memory. That being said, it has been a wonderful ride back into cherished memories of the past and keeping up with current events in the lives of people you care about.

Communication has changed considerably in my time. We have come a long way from Lily Tomlin’s one ringy dingy two ringy dingy. We have stripped the phone off the wall and put it in our pockets, we text, tweet and seldom talk. We send photo’s all over the world in a matter of seconds and by the time we hear Good Evening this is the National and I’m Peter Mansbridge the news is as old as the commentator!

O what a wonderful world!

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VALUE

Value

Oscar Wilde wrote; Nowadays we know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

The word value as a noun is in regards to the importance, worth or usefulness of something. It also refers to a person’s principles or standards of behavior. One’s judgement of what Is important in life.

Honesty, responsibility, adaptability, loyalty, confidence and compassion are some of the 500 values that have been listed.

The word value also depicts the numerical math number and the duration of sound signified by a musical note.

As a verb, value is the estimate of monetary worth. It also refers to the consideration of someone or something to be important or beneficial.

Perceived Value

We are inundated by institutional ideology whose purpose and goal for us is to believe that our value is based upon, among other things what we wear, the car we drive and house we live in. They are for the most part more concerned by what you consume than your net worth. 

The value of an artifact which has been sitting in the closet or on the back shelf may drastically change after the Antique Road Show experts have given their appraisal. 

People are often assigned values by their perceived worth. They are successful, have financial resources, status and skills. Our own self-image can be affected if we try to measure ourselves to others perceived worth. It is important for us to have a well-grounded understanding of who we are.

Statistics reveal that teenage suicide is on the rise and according to the Canadian Mental Health it accounts for 24% of all teenage deaths in 15-24 year olds. It is the second leading cause of death for Canadians between the age of 10 and 24.

Studies show that 90% of those who end their own lives have some sort of mental related illness as well as drug, alcohol and behavioral abuse. While teenage abortions have decreased over the years, twenty-five percent is still too much and suicidal tendencies plague this group of young women. 

 Self-esteem and perceived values can play a major role in how these victims view themselves.

When Darwinism survival without purpose is taught in our schools, the most vulnerable can see themselves as nothing special. They are a product of chance. Billions of years ago, lightning struck a pool of water filled with inorganic chemicals that started a chain reaction which produced simple forms of life that eventually evolved into us. We are nothing more than dumb random luck with no intrinsic, eternal value.

Young people happy living on the streets and eating out of garbage dumps must see their perceived value and self-worth in relation to the circumstances they find themselves.  

God’s Value

The Bible tells us that God created our inmost beings, He knit us together in our mother’s womb, we are fearfully and wonderfully made and all the days of our lives were written in God’s book before we were ever born. We are of inestimable value to him.

Of the 400 million seeds from my father and 2 million cells from my mother that swam together in the dark oceans of the womb, only one seed and one cell persevered and came together and made me who I am today. 13 billion nerve cells which include more than a 1000 billion-billion molecules make up my brain.

How precious to me are your thoughts O God!

It is not because of our own self-worth but it is because God ascribed to us his own righteousness through Jesus. He loved us despite our condition.

Even if you are forsaken by family and friends you are always cherished in the heart of God. His thoughts towards you are wonderful and he has great plans for your life.  If the birds of the are taken care of how much more does he value you.

You are of more value than all the species of birds!

Endnotes: Psalm 139, Jeremiah 29:11-13, Psalm 27:10, Matthew 10:29-31, John 3:16

SILENCE & SOLITUDE

Silence is a lack of audible sound or the presence of sounds of very low intensity. It can also refer to the absence of communication or hearing. It is also used in reference to nonverbal communication and spiritual connection.

Solitude is the state of being alone. It can emphasis the quality of being or feeling lonely and deserted. It also can develop in us a peacefulness stemming from a state of inner richness.

They say silence is golden. Silence can be a blessing if you don’t have a good answer.  On the other hand, silence and emptiness can cause a feeling of being separated from the world. Silence is also a source of great strength.

 The author of Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens are pouring fourth speech and displaying knowledge twenty-four seven, filtering through every spoken language on the earth displaying the glory and the work of His hands.

God speaks to us through silence. Through the little things, the mundane things of life. Not necessarily in a dream or a great show of light beaming down on us. In a challenging circumstance we may hear, be brave, be merciful. Show kindness, pick up the phone, send an email, feed my sheep. He speaks in crisis to. There is so much turmoil in our world; hate, jealousy, crime, people we love are dying, failures, betrayals, greed which can rob us of peace. Fear not…be still and know that I am God.

In order to have a greater impact on melodies and sounds, even music requires silence. Most music scores feature rests denoting periods of silence.

Silence has a peculiar speech. I remember going to see the movie Schlender’s List. The hustle of everyone getting to their seats, buying their popcorn and talking to one another. After the movie ended we filed out of that place in a deafening   silence other than a sniffle of someone blowing their nose. That was a few years ago. I still remember the little girl in the red coat and the silence that followed. 

Solitude can be a means of detoxing our inner self. Solitude helps us become who we really are. It can be a sense of achievement, a preparation for change in our life. It is important in the development of discipline in our spiritual lives. The art of being alone without being lonely. It can lead us to a better sense of self-awareness. It can take us away from the daily responsibilities and yes even people for a while. It is a way of helping us to not try and be productive and make things happen.

Elijah spent the night in a one room getaway in solitude and the Word of the Lord came to him. 2 Kings 19:9,12.

 Some of the greatest ideas have come to people in solitude.

Paul was in solitary confinement when he wrote Phil 4. Rejoice in the crisis, turmoil, again I say it, rejoice. Solitude will enable us to more clearly think upon the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable.

Who knows what God will say to me today? Or what unlikely moment He will choose to say it.