Who Knew?

Today, I heard an interesting blip on the radio (CBC, naturally!). I say "blip" because I was only in my car for a few minutes. The show was about public spaces and the move towards a green economy. Using public spaces, including public transportation, puts us all on what was referred to as a "bladder leash," some of which are shorter than others. The gist of the comments was this: if we're going to take public transportation and enjoy the green spaces in our cities, then we need an efficient and reliable system of public . . . facilities. Public washrooms. Johnny-on-the-Spot. If our "bladder leash" is short--if we're young, old, pregnant, infirm, sick, or in any other condition that might shorten that leash--we need to know that we'll be able to find the needed facilities at the moment of need.

For men, this may pose less of a problem for them, but it poses just as much of a problem from the sanitation point of view. Yes, they can duck into an alley (and many of us have seen this happen), but what about that alley??? What about the people who live next to the alley or in the apartments above the alley? So fixing one problem has created another.

On the radio show, I learned about the WTO, the World Toilet Organization (not to be confused with the WTO, World Trade Organization). This group, which had humble beginnings of 15 members in 2001, now operates in 56 countries and boasts 195 member organizations. Many governmental departments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), prominent people, and ordinary citizens join as members. That's their logo at the left. Their goal: to improve access to basic sanitation for the 2.5 billion people who have never had the chance to sit on the "throne." You can read their full declaration on their web site at: www.worldtoilet.org

The discussion today was not about the millions of children and adults who die each year because of diseases rampant in areas which lack basic sanitation, but about creating a network of public washrooms in our modern cities. It seems city planners don't want to mention the unmentionable. We all know the uncomfortable feeling when we enter a commercial establishment looking for a bathroom, only to be confronted by a sign above the counter that reads: Our washrooms are for our customers. I myself have on occasion become a customer by buying something that I didn't need or want just so that I could use the facilities.

Of course, the idea of public washrooms is not new. I was reminded about a public washroom that the Women's Institute set up in our city in the 1950s. Many rural people would come to town and for the mothers of young children, or nursing mothers, or other mothers, and anyone else who rode over those bumpy roads, a "rest room" was deemed necessary and useful. The local Women's Institutes worked on the problem, and established a public rest room where local travelers could use the facilities. It was a stroke of genius, much appreciated by the families who lived in the area at that time.

Some of the women who were involved in that project are still around. They proudly remember that contribution to the growth and comfort of our city. They could tell you all the details--I've only sketched the picture here. It was a good work. Perhaps we need that kind of determination and drive again.

Half-mast

Municipal taxes are due July 2. On Tuesday, before the holiday, I stopped by the government building to pay my taxes, but the line-up was out the door, with about 50 people who had the same idea as I did. So I made a new plan: I'd go Thursday morning before work, arriving before 8:30 a.m. when the government offices opened so I could be first in line.

While I was waiting for the doors to be unlocked, a worker approached the three flag poles that are in front of the government building and lowered the three flags to half-mast. This is used internationally as a sign of mourning. Someone important must have died.

I asked the worker, Why are you lowering the flags to half-mast? Who died?

His answer surprised me, but perhaps it shouldn't have. It just presented such a stereotype of "the government worker." He said: I don't know. I was just told to lower the flags.

If my supervisor had given me such instructions, my innate curiosity would have led me to at least ask in whose honour the flags were being lowered. If not my curiosity, then the thought that perhaps someone might ask me and I'd want to be able to answer correctly.

During the day, I asked several people with whom I work and others that I saw at a meeting if they knew. No one knew. So maybe I shouldn't fault the poor government worker for not knowing (although I still think he should have known!!) I tried to catch the radio newscasts for a clue, but came up with nothing.

Finally, tonight, a simple Internet search gave me the information I sought. The Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc (1927-2009), Governor-General of Canada from 1995-1999, died on June 24, 2009. It was in his honour that the flags were lowered to half-mast after flying at full-mast for the Canada Day holiday.

His funeral is on July 3, after which the flags will be returned to full-mast.

We're at "Lock Up" But No Can Do

Building a house is a pretty exciting project. There's lots to do: so many choices, so little money . . . I mean, time! Choosing a plan, flooring, colours--many small decisions along the way right until move-in day.

There are a few landmarks during this process. Digging the basement. Walls and trusses up. Roof on. Lock up. Interior walls and flooring. Finishing. Painting. Moving Day!

Lock up. That's just what it says. Everything is closed in--all doors and windows installed--and the building can be locked up.

That's where our project is; however, there is one small problem. We can't lock it up.

The reason we can't lock it up is because someone trespassed onto the building site and STOLE all the door knobs, deadbolts, and locks, along with six rolls of tuck tape and a set of laminated plans.

Replacing the hardware today cost a little over $500. So now we can lock up.

I ask myself: who would steal door knobs and locks? What would they do with them? Are these people reselling them--I suppose that's a possibility; after all, we know that they are worth . . . a little over $500.

On the other hand, perhaps in the midst of a financial crisis (we had one ourselves today, worth . . . a little over $500), this is a new way of building a house. Visit all the building sites in and around town. Pick up a load of two-by-sixes here, a few doors there, some windows from another place. You might even be able to pick up a set of laminated plans.

Lock up? yes--but the house is not the only thing that needs to be locked up!

Letting Go . . .

We are preparing for the grandmother of all garage sales being held this weekend by a group that I’m in. We’re looking around our house to see what we can contribute. What do we have the most of?? Books! So we start there, scanning each shelf to see what might be redundant or no longer of interest. Women’s Studies—I don’t want to count the dollars that I spent over the years I was teaching this subject! Literature—lots of stuff here that I won’t look at again. Business Communications? What are the chances that I’ll teach that again? Pretty slim, I tell myself.

And then there’s the wide swath of books that I read when I was writing my thesis. Oh my, did I actually read all this stuff? I flip open several volumes. Yes, there’s underlining, highlighting, and my own notes neatly written in the margins, from the first chapter to the last.

I start pulling books off the shelves and quickly fill four boxes. I survey the shelves, ready for a second pass. I marvel that although I have removed 67 books, it hardly seems to have made a dent. Admittedly, I did pull some books from on top of the bookcases—not actually a shelf but drawn into service several years ago because there was no room for yet another bookcase! And I rearranged some, sorting as I moved from shelf to shelf. Hmm . . . what’s this Atwood doing over here? Back where it belongs it goes! Three copies of The Handmaid’s Tale??—There’s a reason: one for home, one for the office (so I don’t have to carry a copy back and forth every day), and a previous edition that has many useful handwritten notes. I decide to keep all three—extravagant, I know, but I’m not ready to part with them—or maybe it’s just with something they represent. A George Macdonald separated from its siblings! Ah! a happy family reunion.

The books may be a little looser on the shelves, making them easier to take from their formerly too-snug spot, but really, the shelves look pretty much the same: full. I must keep culling.

The problem is that as soon as these are delivered over to the garage sale organizers, someone will ask me for a book, and I’ll say, Oh, yes, I have a copy of . . . oh, no, actually I just got rid of that!

But such is life. There is a time to let go of stuff. And for me, this is It.

Well . . . some things.

Entomology and Etymology

Yesterday, there was a frenzy of activity at our house. It's a new and sudden interest, prompted perhaps by some lessons last in my grandson's grade 3 class. The students learned the vocabulary concerning butterflies--it's a French Immersion class, so they learned:
le papillon - butterfly
le cocon - coccoon
les oeufs - eggs
la chenille - caterpillar
l'abdomen - abdomen
les ailes - wings
la Belle Dame - Painted Lady (a kind of butterfly)
les feuilles - leaves
la chrysalide - chrysalid
les antennes - antennas
la transformation - change

At supper, being more interested in etymology than entomology, I introduced the word lepidopterist.

It was a beautiful sunny summer day yesterday, and the kids were catching butterflies in their nets that had been purchased at the dollar store. Once you catch a butterfly, though, you need to know what to do with it. A search on the Internet brought forth detailed instructions on the procedure. First, a killing jar (I don't like this part, but apparently, this is what scientists do). Then the butterflies are carefully pinned on a board. This was easily made with short lengths of molding from the building-supply store. After a day or two, the small strips of paper can be removed and the specimens repinned, studied, and displayed.

We needed just a few rules. No catching two of the same kind. Handle each one with care.

The kids were very interested in all aspects of the procedure, although they definitely needed help with the jar and the pinning. We've ordered some proper pins so we don't have to continue using quilting pins, and we're perfecting the making of our pinning boards.

It's hard to tell what interest from a person's youth will last throughout his or her life. Robert Bateman, the great Canadian wildlife artist, was producing promising artwork by the time he was seven years old. Closer to home, I have been interested in the night sky since I was in Grade 4, and now spend time with my telescope observing the night sky.

Who knows? This current interest in butterflies may foster a lifetime of wonder for God's great creation.

A Full Day!

At least twenty times a day, I think to myself, "Oh, that would make a good topic for my blog!" Now it's 10:34 and I'm sitting on my back deck in my PJs with my laptop in front of me. It's warmish although the air has cooled off from what it was this afternoon. There is no wind at all, so it's very pleasant. There don't seem to be any mosquitoes. Now that I'm sitting here ready to write, I wonder where all those great ideas are hiding.

I was out here this morning first thing before 7, once again in my PJs (in case you're wondering, yes, I did get dressed during the day). I had my telescope set up and was observing the moon. It rises late and by 7 a.m., is in the southern sky about 45 degrees off the horizon. The moon is in its last quarter, which really means you see a half-moon, which is a quarter of the way through its phases. The sun rising gave a beautiful highlight to some of the features.

At church, an interesting question was posed for us to consider: What do you not let anything get in the way of? In other words, what's most important, perhaps not in the grand scheme of things, but on a day-to-day basis, what ascends the throne of our life? Something to think about here.

I wrote recently about removing the training wheels and letting a four-year-old "fly" on her own. Well, I needn't have worried. Today, she graduated to a 14-inch wheel, and she is flying! Up and down the street, out in the school yard--she is definitely ready to roll!

It's the end of a glorious day! The sun was shining. The birds were singing. Now darkness has fallen. Let's remember that "The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods." Psalm 24:1-2.

A Valuable Twenty Minutes

I listened today to the keynote address at the convocation of the local college. At the beginning of the speech, the speaker announced that she was going to tell us several stories from her own life, stories about the "influencers" in her life. This she did, relating experiences of her educator father and her nurse mother. Not surprisingly, the speaker had followed in both their footsteps, first training as a nurse, and then becoming an educator herself, training future nurses. She told of one of the legacies of her father, who had taught in one-room school houses in Southern Alberta. Wherever he lived, he planted trees on the dry prairie. Besides the many lives he touched because, as teacher, he was central in the community, he left a wonderful legacy of green: today, forests grow where his plantings took root.

At first, it might have appeared that the speech was entirely self-centred. Ego-centric. Or worse yet, egotistical. But from the stories she told, she drew out important principles that apply to young people, working people, and people facing change in these uncertain times. Be honest. Work hard. Touch lives. Help others. Leave a legacy.

There are so many urgencies in our world, so many things that could be said to graduating classes as they launch themselves from one phase of their lives to the next. The environment. World peace. Financial responsibility.

Today, I heard another urgency--the great need to be mindful of our roots, of where we’ve come from, of those who have been influencers in our lives. Her charge to the graduates was this: take a moment today to think of those who have influenced you.

The logical follow-up is this: How are we influencing others?

My Heart is in My Throat!

I can't look. I cover my eyes. I have to go in. It's just too stressful for me.

They've taken the training wheels off her two-wheeler. I know this is a rite of passage children go through. Most survive. I know all that. But still, I can't look.

She's four-and-a-half. From inside the house, I can hear her wailing. She must have wiped out. I did notice that she had her helmet on. Also, knee pads and elbow pads. There wasn't too much left exposed that could have been damaged too badly.

Maybe it's not so much the scrapes and bruises that she'll suffer during the next few days as she perfects her technique of balancing and steering (I saw her concentrating on the balancing part, and then she just let go of the handlebars! If her dad hadn't been holding on . . .).

Maybe it's her growing up so fast right before my eyes. Two years ago, it was the trike. Last year, the hand-me-down two-wheeler with training wheels. And now, this. By the end of the summer,she'll be off to the park and around the block, keeping up with her brothers or maybe setting the pace for them!

One minute they're little. We run along beside them, shouting encouragement and giving them confidence. The next minute, they're gone. Hopefully, those shouts are still ringing in their ears!

An accident waiting to happen

It's very strange the way the brain works. Some say mine is stranger than most, and judging from a recent incident, I might tend to agree.

A friend and I were sitting on her front lawn. She was telling me about her next door neighbour who is elderly and whose eyesight and reaction times are not as good as they once were. She related two incidents in which her neighbour had had a slight run-in with her: once, he "tapped" her car as he was backing out of his garage, and another time, he bumped into her as she was standing on the pavement between their two townhouses. That time, she flung her grandson out of the way, lost her camera from her hand, and was pushed to her knees by her neighbour's car.

Her next sentence sounded to me like this: it's a ka-TAL-puh-tree (that's an approximation of the phonetic spelling.)

I did what I always do when I hear an unfamiliar word. I started flipping through my mental Rolodex, looking this time for a four syllable word with the stress on the second syllable. Of course, this means that, effectively, I am eliminating all other words that don't fit this pattern.

From the context of our conversation, I thought the word was perhaps related to "catastrophe" because we were talking about her neighbour's driving, tight turn spaces, and backing out of a garage. I flipped to the "cata-" section of my in-brain dictionary, but was coming up with nothing.

Just as I was about to repeat the word in a question form--"Catalpatry?--the conversation switched tracks back to a conversation from the previous day when we had been sitting in exactly the same spot talking about the tulips and other plants in the little garden spot at the front of my friend's house. She had planted a small tree but couldn't remember the name of it.

Well, you guessed it. She had planted a catalpa tree, and she had suddenly remembered the name. And just as suddenly, had catapulted to the previous day's conversation, brought it forward to the present, and announced, "It's a catalpa tree."

I almost drove right into that one. It could have been a catastrophe.

Delightful Chinese Kitchen

We drove along University Avenue, which turns into 10th Avenue, and then down to 4th Avenue, looking for a place to have a bite of supper. There were restaurants advertising various kinds of food - Mediterranean, Mexican, Indian. Then on the far side of the street we saw Chinese Kitchen. We decided that yes, we'd go for Chinese.

It was small. Five tables with white tablecloths, at each of the four settings a colourful placemat explaining the Chinese zodiac and the tabletop covered with plate glass. Bead curtains held back in a swag surrounded the entrance to each booth.

The place was empty. We were the only customers. The servers were very friendly, chatting with us about the lack of people in the street because of the hockey tournament. We ordered our food and it came quickly and it was very good.

The servers kept bringing the dishes that made up our "dinner for two." We ate and were filled and were satisfied.

A relaxing, friendly atmosphere--we felt welcomed to the city.

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

I've just come in from a two-hour star-gazing episode with a friend. Even though it's a lovely windless night of 5 degrees Celsius, we were cold. My neck was cold (of course, we've already put away all our scarves and mitts.)

We set up the telescope and had a beautiful view of the crescent moon with its many craters in high relief.

We saw some double stars and picked out the constellations we know. I always try to spot something new. Tonight we worked on Draco, but we were too close to town light to see it all clearly.

There are so many stars. I never tire of looking at them. Well, my neck gets tired from bending my head back to look up, but I don't tire of gazing at the sky. I love to see that handful of stardust we call the Milky Way. The Chinese call it the Silver River, I'm told.

The sky charts make it seem so easy, with all those lines connecting the dots of the stars into shapes: eagle, crown, bear, dog, a woman on a chair. But they are flat, two-dimensional. Looking through the telescope gives a small glimpse of the three-dimensionality of the sky. There is depth there; it goes on and on and on.

Beautiful Saviour, Bright and Morning Star, how glorious is your name!

No "Examination Copy" of this Book

As a teacher, I often get sent what are known as "desk copies" or "examination copies" of new text books being published in my field. Publishers send out these free copies in hopes that teachers everywhere will adopt the new book as a class text, thereby boosting sales of the books. They're free samples, letting the instructors examine the new text (hence the name, examination copy), view the features, and compare it to the textbook currently in use in a particular course.

After many years of teaching, the new editions seem to multiply on my bookshelf, and at the end of the semester, I'll often put some of these samples in a box outside my office. I tape a FREE sign on the box and within a couple of days, maybe even a couple of hours, some students have gone away happy with a new book, and I have some room cleared on my bookshelf.

It's a good thing, isn't it, that God has not offered an "examination copy" of the Lamb's Book of Life. We get no chance to check it out and see whose name is there and whose isn't. When we get to Heaven, we're going to look around and maybe there will be some surprises. Some people we were sure were going to be there will be conspicuous by their absence; on the other hand, our jaws may drop when we recognize those we thought were destined for somewhere where we were sure we weren't going to be.

Of course, we are called to holy living, and we can judge the tree by its fruit, but beyond that, we can only declare what God has done for us and in us, not what He hasn't done for someone else. For it's only God who knows the heart . . . and there's no examination copy of the Lamb's Book.

Canada Post, I'm Disappointed in You

It was only a small slip of the mind, which led to a small slip of the pen. I got most of it right. Riverside . . . should have been Riverview. The house number was right, as was the town, province, and postal code. But back the envelope came today in my own mail (of course, I had obeyed the "rules" and put my return address on the envelope).

But it's puzzling to me. From my understanding of reading the Postal Code directory, there are only a few--three or four, maybe five--addresses with each postal code. They will be on the same side of the street (even or odd numbers) and within a certain range of numbers.

So I'm wondering about the person who put that Return to Sender stamp on the envelope I had sent, and checked off "no such address." It's a small town. The letter carrier has been delivering mail to my friend for more than a year at that address. How difficult would it have been to ask a question or two? The postal code is supposed to be a fail-safe system.

But no. It was easier to stamp it Return to Sender without a second thought and send it on its way back.

I am sure it would have been possible to deliver my letter despite the small error. But that would have required some brave soul to step out and think.

A Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath, Proverbs 15:1

I was driving through a particularly confusing intersection at which the traffic pattern has recently been changed. I slowed, looked both ways, and pulled ahead. As I did, I saw a large red pick-up truck right next to me, slowing down on my left to let me pass. He had been in my blind spot, but now I saw his face. He did not look very pleased. I waved briefly, acknowledging his care, and we both proceeded through the intersection.

He pulled into the same parking lot where I was headed. I pulled in right beside him, got out of my car, and walked to the driver's side of his vehicle. I motioned for him to please roll down the window. He still didn't look very pleased.

I smiled. "Thank you for being such a careful driver," I said. "I'm sorry I didn't see you. You were in my blind spot."

"That's all right, lady," he said, now looking a little suspicious.

"Well, I just wanted to say thank-you for your care."

We nodded and went about our separate business.

Some people would say I was lucky--lucky perhaps that that other driver hadn't been talking on his cell phone, not paying attention to the road.

Luck? No, I would chalk it up to a Heavenly Father who looks after me. He has no blind spot.

You're Not Just Whistling Dixie!

Children have a unique perspective on the world. They try to make sense of what they see and hear by using their limited experience, knowledge, and vocabulary. Also, they tell it like it is.

My four-year old granddaughter was riding in the family van, and being able to see out the window from the vantage point of her carseat, noticed a man in another vehicle driving alongside the van.

"Mommy, that man has a whistle in his mouth."

Parents also try their best to make sense, in the midst of traffic and icy roads, of what their children are saying.

"Oh?"

"And . . . there's smoke coming out of the end of the whistle."

The light begins to dawn, on Mommy's face, at least.

Now there is more surprise in the little voice in the backseat: "And he's sucking on the whistle, instead of blowing on it!"

She blew the whistle on him, in no uncertain terms.

A Portrait Made Her Famous

On this day, January 8, in 1962, the Mona Lisa was exhibited for the first time in the United States. More than 2,000 dignitaries, including President John F. Kennedy, gathered for the unveiling at the National Gallery in Washington. The exhibit was opened to the public the next day, and in three weeks, more than half a million people had seen the painting. It was then shown in New York City, where another million people saw it at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and French Minister of Culture André Malraux arranged for the painting to be shown in the United States.

The painting by Leonardo da Vinci was completed in 1504 - do the math: that's 505 years ago! - and depicts the wife of a wealthy Florentine citizen, Francesco del Gioconda (hence, the other name by which the painting is known, La Gioconda).

It's not very big--30 inches by 21 inches (77 cm by 50 cm). The room in which it is exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris dwarfs the painting. On the opposite wall, near the entrance to the room, is a huge wall-sized painting, The Wedding Feast at Cana. As you enter the room, your eyes are drawn to this immense painting that is about 1000 cm by 700 cm. You view the cast of characters, the colours, the play of light and shadow, and then you slowly become aware of the other people in the room. They aren't looking at The Wedding Feast. They are captivated by neither the story it depicts--that of the first miracle of Jesus--nor by the colours and expanse of blue sky at the top centre of the painting. That's not what they have come to see.

They've come to see one of the Louvre's three "famous ladies." Perhaps they've already seen the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. They've saved the best for last: the painting that has been studied and analyzed more than any other piece of art in the world. It is protected by a guard, maybe two. It is covered by a Plexiglas box that keeps the dust off and provides a humidity-controlled environment for the painting.

Hundreds of people are in the room. They move forward slowly in the line, to stare for a few moments at the famous face with its enigmatic smile. Then, knowing the impatience of the those waiting behind in line, each person moves away, their eyes having gazed for a few moments on The Real Thing.

For most people, these kinds of moments don't happen very often. They are special, remembered. It's like being introduced to a famous person. We are awed--whelmed--by the experience.

And that's a wonderful feeling.

Some of My Best Friends Are Psalms

Colm Wilkinson, best known for his starring roles in the musical productions of Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, is also a talented singer-song writer. His latest album is entitled Some of My Best Friends Are Songs.

I'd like to use his title--with a slight change: some of my best friends are Psalms.

Once you get to know the Psalms, you'll visit them often. Like a good friend, they can encourage you when you feel down. Feeling frustrated about how things in your life are going? Dip into the Psalms. You'll find a Heavenly Father who is on your side. Maybe you're feeling especially blessed. The Psalms provide wonderful patterns for praise and prayers of thanksgiving.

In your reading for the New Year, put Psalms on your list. Which is your favourite? Where do you turn in times of trouble or temptation? Which Psalm best expresses your praise in times of victory?

Befriend the Psalms. Climb the heights. Sing the Songs.

Going Green

It's a new year, and that's an opportunity for a new start!

One of the things I received for Christmas from my grandson was a set of six compact fluorescent lightbulbs for the outside of the house. Because of the extremely cold weather since Christmas, these have yet to be installed, but I'm hoping they soon will be, now that it's warmed up to -14 degrees C (there is something fundamentally wrong with that statement--that it's "warmed up" yet it's only -14, but that's another story for another day!)

Yesterday, I replaced other incandescent bulbs in the house with CFLs: my bedroom and the living room lights (except for the single potlight). Those of you who have "gone green" in this way know that slight "hesitation" of perhaps two seconds (or maybe only two microseconds) between the moment you turn on the light at the switch and the moment the lights actually turn on. (I have already been warned by another in my household that under no circumstances am I to replace the lights in the entranceway at the front door because "it would make the entrance dim and unwelcoming."

I protest by saying that soon, we won't be able to buy incandescent bulbs, but I think there is a plan afoot here to begin hoarding those soon-hard-to-find bulbs. Regardless, I carry on.

It does take some getting used to. The light doesn't seem as bright, even though I replaced 60-watt bulbs with 60-watt-equivalent bulbs. For someone who likes bright light and doesn't see so well in dim light, I can't say I'm entirely pleased with the effect. Maybe the technology just isn't there yet. Regardless, I carry on.

Hopefully, this will make a difference, both personally and globally. Personally, because we don't always to remember to turn the lights off when we leave a room. We live where summer is short and winter is dark and so the lights are on a lot in our house. We are two families living on two levels in our house and so that's a lot of lights that go on and off during the day. Personally, because electricity is rising in price and our household use doesn't qualify at the moment for the lower price in the two-tier system recently implemented by the utility company.

Globally . . . well, we all have to do our part. Use less, reuse more, reduce our footprint.

Last year, it was plastic bags. in our household, we made an effort to reduce the number of plastic shopping bags coming in to the house. We set up a system: reusable bags that were stashed in the vehicle, came into the house with the groceries, and then went back to the vehicle to be reused. It took some getting used to, some planning, some remembering. Were we 100% successful? No, but we made an effort and created a new pattern, a new habit.

This year, it's the lights. I carry on.

Definitely Not the Ordinary!

I was listening to the radio today--CBC, of course--and heard an intriguing discussion about gratitude. The host interviewed a writer who undertook a month-long experiment in which he would write a thank-you note to everyone who did something kind for him. At first, he thanked for everything: holding the door open or providing directions or passing a package of Sweet-n-Low in a restaurant. As the month wore on, he began to be a bit more discriminating, and each morning, would look back on the previous day and choose three people to send thank-you cards to.

His conclusion at the end of the month was that gratitude requires humility.

Trying to catch up to religion and philosophy, scientists are now studying gratitude. From the results of his experiments, Dr. Richard Emmons, of the University of California at Davis, explained how gratitude has positive psychological, physical, and social effects.

The host of the radio show then read a thank-you letter that she had written to a friend. The letter mentioned many specific things about the friend and their relationship that the writer was thankful for, but that she felt she had never adequately expressed to her friend.

You can catch the whole Jan. 3, 2009 show at the following site:

www.cbc.ca/dnto

So here's the challenge: to whom would you like to write a thank-you letter, expressing gratitude that perhaps you've never articulated before? Your parents? Your children? A teacher? A friend? A colleague or business associate? An author whose book has influenced you?

Write the letters. Choose the paper and pen. Use your best handwriting (okay, type it, if you must!) Even if these people are from your past, people you've lost touch with, try to find them. Google their names. Use Canada411.ca or another similar online phone directory. Don't give up! Address the envelopes! Buy some stamps and mail the letters. Who wouldn't love to receive a letter like that! It will be a wonderful surprise for the recipients!

You yourself may feel the world is a bit brighter place for having done it.

Who Were those Bible People Who Made Resolutions?

Maybe after reading my entry from yesterday, you're wondering, "Just who were those Bible people who "resolved" to live a certain way?"

Daniel, for one. Daniel 1:8 says:

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."

Purposing in his heart--he was resolved.

Joseph (the supposed father of Jesus),for another. After he found out that Mary was pregnant, he "was minded to put her away privily" (Matt. 1:19).

Was minded--he was resolved.

Paul, too. Acts 19:21 says that "Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Madedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome."

Purposed in the spirit--he was resolved.

Paul, again, advising the Corinthian church. 1 Cor. 10: 14, 31-32:

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. . . . Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God."

Flee . . . do all to the glory of God . . . give none offence: resolve to do these things.

Paul instructing the church at Colosse (Col 3:12-17):

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

All those imperatives--be resolved to do these things.

Paul . . . again. This time, his counsel and heart to the church at Thessalonica:

"To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus my be glofiried in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1:11-12).

Every resolve for good--be resolved for good.

So making resolutions is Biblical. There are many more examples that could be cited. Bible men and women have always shown resolve: Joseph, when enticed by Pharaoh's wife, fled from her presence, and was thrown into prison because of her false accusations. Joshua and Caleb, outnumbered by the spies who brought back stories of an enemy that couldn't be defeated, were resolved to stand by the word of God and so encouraged the people to go forward because God had promised them the land. Esther was resolved to speak to the king on behalf of her people, even though she risked her own life in doing so.

There are many more. Search them out for yourself. Hebrews 11 tells about a great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us, men and women of resolve.

Take courage. Live each day to the glory of God. Be resolved.

Happy New Year! Welcome, 2009!

I've been away from my blog for a while; I've been busy studying. But now I'm set for a new start in the new year. The artwork at the left was done for me today by my grandchildren.


Usually, I make a list of resolutions and present them to myself on New Year's Eve. This year, for some reason, I waffled--I couldn't decide if I should carry on with the tradition. Looking at my list from 2008, I could see that perhaps the value of making such a list was small. For sure, it wasn't because I think I don't have any faults. More likely I just felt overwhelmed, not knowing where to start!

To be resolved to do something is to be determined to do it. To have made up your mind with firmness and conviction. Many people in the Bible resolved to live a certain way, and many of the commands given to us in the Bible could be prefaced with "be resolved to."

In 1722-1723, when Jonathan Edwards, the great American theologian, was 19 years old, he wrote a list of 70 resolutions by which he meant to govern his behaviour and his life. After a brief opening statement (see below), the next sentence was this: Remember to read over these resolutions once a week. (Maybe that's where I've gone wrong!)

His were not resolutions like the ones that might be garnered from a survey of recent blogs: get more exercise, lose 10 pounds, don't buy on credit, don't talk on the cellphone while driving. These resolutions may be useful and even common-sense, but they deal mainly with the outer person and not the inner life.

Edwards' resolutions, on the other hand, go to the heart of his life. For example,

Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God;

Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

You can read all of Edwards' resolutions here:

The Seventy Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

He prefaced the list with the following brief introductory sentence:

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these reolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

He first recognizes that without God's help, he will not be able to accomplish any part of the list. He asks for God's help in keeping the resolutions insofar as they are agreeable to the will of God. And finally, it is for Christ's sake that Edwards wishes to keep the resolutions, not for his own sake or glory.

Over the years, many people have compared the resolutions of Jonathan Edwards to those of Benjamin Franklin. Whereas Franklin's resolutions were focused on becoming the model citizen, Edwards' were focused on bringing glory to God through a life dedicated to Christian principles.

So, then, what should my list look like for 2009? As much as I'd like to adopt Edwards' list, I cannot do that. I must take a look at my own life and see my own failings and ask God for help in purging those sins from my life.

1. To redeem the time: use my time wisely.

By this I mean to make more minutes count each day. I am, in my own nature, a time waster and a procrastinator. I know this about myself. I've seen it time and again. I don't make good use of the time I have and therefore, many times, I stay up way too late. Now that I'm taking a course, I have lots of reading, studying, and writing to do. Wasting time affects many things: often I don't make time to read and study the Bible.

2. Be patient.

There are many scripture verses about patience. I think I'd like to think I'm a patient person, but really, I don't think I am. I have little or no patience for little annoyances. I'm often not patient with the little kids. I would like to move forward towards sanctification in this area.

3. 2 Timothy 2:15 says: Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Now that I'm taking a course, I see how much I don't know. Stuff I thought I knew (that means I sort of knew it in my head, but couldn't really explain it out loud in any comprehensive or comprehensible way, with Scripture verses for support) wasn't really solidly a part of me. When I open my mouth to say something, I want to be able to explain what I believe.

Jonathan Edwards stated it this way: "to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same."

4. Read through the Bible in a year.

I tried The Bible in 90 Days last year, but I found that, first, it was really hard to keep up, and second, it didn't leave me time to do any extra study. So I'll go back to another more modest goal.

Maybe part of my trouble in the past has been that I've made too many resolutions. Edwards made seventy. Franklin confined himself to thirteen. For this year, I believe I'll ask God to help me with the four I've stated above.

If you see a lack in my life--a particular sin that needs dealing with--and bring it to my attention, I'll add it to the list.

And "lose 10 pounds"? That's probably not a bad idea, either.