Tuesday, February 27, 2007

My story...the wait continues.

Well, we'll have to wait for my story. Maybe someone read my 'B-side blog' or thought that I would be encouraged by a recent 'auto-theft' story (-:

This postponement is good though because it means that we have the opportunity to hear Peter and Bethany's story next week.

I am looking roward to hearing what the Lord is doing with and through them.

World's wealthiest country's improverished people

FOOD FOR PRAYER (Sheep and Goats stuff):
US POVERTY BY THE NUMBERS

States with the most people in severe poverty:

California - 1.9 million
Texas - 1.6 million
New York - 1.2 million
Florida - 943,670
Illinois - 681,786
Ohio - 657,415
Pennsylvania - 618,229
Michigan - 576,428
Georgia - 562,014
North Carolina - 523,511

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
read commentary by Tony Pugh at http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/16760690.htm

Bend it like Jesus? - Vatican's clerical soccer tournament kicks off in Rome

Published: Monday, February 26, 2007 2:38 PM ET

ROME (AP) - The fans were pious. The players bound for glory. And the victory? A miracle. Priests and seminarians from several soccer-loving countries took to a field near the looming dome of St. Peter's Basilica Saturday for the first match of the Clericus Cup, a tournament fielding 16 teams from Catholic institutes in Rome.

"You are playing in view of St. Peter's cupola, so behave well," admonished Cardinal Pio Laghi before giving the official kickoff at a small arena on a hill overlooking the Vatican.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/070226/K022606AU.html

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Any Thoughts?

Any thoughts? e-mail: blog@sheepspeak.com

Christ's tomb found?
THE LOST TOMB OF JESUS
Stuart Laidlaw

Feb. 25, 2007
A Canadian documentary filmmaker will reveal at a news conference Monday that he has strong evidence a group of burial boxes unearthed in Jerusalem belonged to Jesus Christ and his family.
READ MORE: http://www.thestar.com/Unassigned/article/185534

Saturday, February 24, 2007

My Story...the 'B' side

So, I've been sitting here finishing up my 10 page SA History paper, plugging away at 3 major Ethics assignments, skimming a draft of an article review due Wednesday, procratinating the writing of 2 sermons and pondering 'my story' for chapel (all well looking after the kids:)

when I realized that the 'musical influences' segment which is evident in so many contemporay bios is probably not going to wind up being a part of our chapel...probably (cadet crab? mr rogers neighbourhood?)

Mind you FP does have some songs that would fit well with a SA Theology...
Here's that great temperance hymn of the 1980s: "A Bottle in Front of Me"

Juicin it up 'til I can't see what's in front of me
Can you help me make it up the stairs
So I can hit the sack and maybe get some sleep

-
A bottle in front of me is like a frontal lobotomy
One more swig will alter my psychology
-
My mornings are pure misery,
ice pack on my head It's another Bloody Mary morning
And I'm feeling pretty sore, wish I was dead

-
A bottle in front of me is like a frontal lobotomy
One more swig will alter my psychology
-
Drowning all my sorrows in my gin
I wish that I just knew where I had been last night
-
Last call for alcohol, it's the ending of my night
Bought me a case of Tylenol just to make me feel all right

...
-
A bottle in front of me is like a frontal lobotomy
One more swig will alter my mentology
Got a bottle in front of me
Like a frontal lobotomy

Friday, February 23, 2007

Dr Was

Numbers 14-16 and Mark 3

Click the picture (or Rations and Comics link on the right) to see more comics and to read the Bible through in a year with us.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Hey, I've been busy...

I haven't blogged in a while. I'm sorry. Tonnes of assignments due. Bruggemann, Paul, Ethics X 3, Sermons and a testimony, History,... busy, busy, busy,...plus Weetamah and Stony. Oh yah, and I like to see Susan and the kids too...anyway, here's a quote from an old War Cry (Jan. 1887) commenting on the Army's first Sunday in town.

ar has been declared, and not only declared but the battle has commenced in desperate earnestness, and already, many are slain of the Lord. Glory to God! ...We bombarded the streets with War Crys on Saturday, the hotel-keepers freely patronizing us; and a hearty invitation to come again was given by nearly everyone
Although there was no public announcement on Saturday that there would be meetings on Sunday (in fact a notice to the contrary) as we did not know that we could have the hall until late on Saturday…there was a very fair attendance. Our faith ran high, and in the afternoon we had a big crowd, very deep in interest and intense curiosity. The night meeting fairly eclipsed the others. It seemed as if we could never close the meeting. The people poured in on every hand, and had the hall been large enough to hold hundreds more, it would have been packed.”

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Warm Winnipeg Day

Today Rebecca, SGV and I took advantage of the warm Winnipeg weather (-10) to head out sledding as Susan got some of her work done. We met the Dunstans at the hill and they were gracious enough to let us borrow one of their sleds. Each girl had their own then. This was a good idea.


I pulled them on the sled from our house to the hill but once we got there, they did all the walking back up the hill by themselves while I got to sit and enjoy the sunshine. Hey, there are some benefits that come with the kids getting a little older. In a couple of weeks Becca turns 6. Wow. Where does the time go?



Afterwards we headed for our traditional hot chocolate and cookie. This is so much a part of our ritual now that when we were leaving the apartment all bundled up to go sledding, Debbie asked the girls where we were headed and Sarah-Grace answered: "to get a cookie"

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Is it a good idea?

One of the Provincial Premiers laid out his party's platform on Saturday as he prepared for an election call. The promises include more personal tax cuts: $250 million over the next five years.

Tax cuts are a common promise these days for politicians of all political stripes.
Theologically though, maybe we should be wary of tax cuts. While they may sound good they mean:


1) Services that are paid for by taxes (usually for the poor, needy, and the children) have to be cut, leaving the most vulnerable in our society to fend for themselves.
2) Services that are available are more expensive. If you can buy things bulk (which is in essence what public services with public money is), it is a lot cheaper then waiting to purchasing items individually when the cost is at a premium
3) If costs aren't offset by taxes, then they have to be offset by user fees. User fees are typically more per person than taxes and again price most people out of the market for most things.
4) Tax cuts are generally more expensive in the long run. If people (for one example) cannot pay for preventative healthcare (due to user fees making up for lost tax dollars) and so do not get it, it costs the economy more in the long run due to time lost from work, worker productivity, and overall healthcare cost.


The Federal government in this past year alone has distributed more than 1 Billion dollars (through tax cuts) to the wealthiest in our society (the top 1% - 5% of money earners in our society -arguable- actually do benefit from tax cuts) away from the most needy in our society.

Read more on the article that prompted these thoughts from CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/02/17/quebec-liberals.html, pray about it, think about it, and get back to me.

See also the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46 (notice that it is the NATIONS being judged!), what role (if any) do taxes play in life as a sheep?
e-mail me with any comments at blog@sheepspeak.com
Also if you are interested, here are some articles on taxation by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: http://policyalternatives.ca/index.cfm?act=news&do=list&call=BB736455&topic_ID=22&pa=BB736455

Thursday, February 15, 2007

The Salvation Army's Position on the Environment

As people made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), we have been entrusted with the care of the earth's resources (Genesis 2:15). Stewardship requires that we use these resources in a manner which ensures the well-being of present and future generations.

God's instruction to 'subdue' the earth and 'rule' over every living thing (Genesis 1:28) cannot be interpreted to justify abuse or disregard for any life, not only human life. The privileges granted require our accountability to Him and one another.

Given the finite resources of our world, its expanding population, and the impact of industrialization, development must take account of environmental needs.

Salvationists as individuals and The Salvation Army as an organization should accept responsibility for the environment by taking practical steps to regenerate and conserve God's creation.

Canada and Bermuda
1995

TSA History in Winnipeg

From the Manitoba Daily Free Press, Feb. 14, 1887

“A ‘little soldiers’’ meeting is to be held regularly in the future on Saturday afternoons from 2 to 3 o’clock. This is a meeting for children and will no doubt meet the wants of those who have been excluded in the past for want of room. It is a common thing to see a group of boys standing at the outside door beseeching adults who are unaccompanied by children to take them into the service.”

The problems seem a little different 150 year on....

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Poor heart attack patients treated differently in Alberta: study

Poor people [in Alberta] are less likely to be treated aggressively after a heart attack than wealthier people, suggests a new study by researchers at the University of Alberta.

The study, published in the January issue of the American Journal of Medicine, also suggests people from lower socio-economic backgrounds who suffer a heart attack enter the emergency department more often but have higher mortality rates a year after an attack.

"We found a clear discrepancy when it comes to socio-economic status," Dr. Padma Kaul said in a news release.

Food for prayer. Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/02/13/heart.html

N.T. Wright on Paul's letter to the Romans

Romans is neither a systematic theology nor a summary of Paul’s lifework, but it is by common consent his masterpiece – N.T. Wright

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Princesses

The other day there was an interesting discussion around our house.

"Daddy, please tell Rebecca to stop cleaning up"

"Why?"

"I'm susposed to"

"Why?"

"Because I'm Cinderella..."

"How about she becomes the godmother and helps"

"Okay"

Daily Rations with a Smile for February 8th


Leviticus 7-9 and Acts 15





The Prophet Amoth





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Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Sometimes I lay awake at night...

Maybe I'm weird but sometimes I lay awake at night contemplating...Bonhoeffer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a person of great fame whose writings are well known - some of this is due to political and some to religious propaganda but some of it is due to the fact that he truly was
used as an instrument of God. We have a couple of his books on our shelves (I think) now even as I write this.

Bonhoeffer was a man who worked for the Lord and the Church in Germany during the conflict known now as WWII. His writings are still being used to affect much good in the world. His last grandiose act, as far as we know, was to be complicit in the cold-blooded murder of four men and attempt to assassinate his head of state during a time of national crisis. We know that many more people died directly because of these actions.

I have been reflecting on John 15 lately, where Jesus states that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches and if we remain in Him, He will remain in us. How do we remain in him? By obeying his commandment. What is his commandment? That we love one another. If we love one another, we will remain in him.

Bonhoeffer's last act: an act of hate? Certainly - unless he repented en route to the gallows - an act of unforgiveness. If we do not forgive how can we expect our heavenly father to forgive us? Sometimes I have hated. Sometimes I feel so angry that if I had a bomb and access to a leader of a Superpower...or someone closer. Sometimes I have committed the crime of hate, which may be the same as murder in my heart.

Repentance: Sometimes I think about Stalin. Josef Stalin, leader of the USSR, was once a seminary student. He renounced his vocational calling(?) and turned to Atheism and politics. He is famous for his politically and religiously inspired or motivated killings and wholesale purges. Ravi Zacarias tells a story about Stalin's last days. He claims that as Stalin was dying, he raised his fist to God. If this was an act of defiance as Ravi suggests than Stalin's expected fate awaits him. If, however, this was a wrestling with God similar to that of Jacob at Peniel then...forgiveness comes with repentance.

Mussolini: a contemporary of Bonhoeffer and Stalin. He grew up an Anarchist (okay), an Atheist and a vocal anti-Christian who persecuted the Church. His politics changed to Fascism and he ushered in the first of the infamous truly fascist regimes. In his last days, it is recorded, that he was actively seeking forgiveness of the Lord through the vehicle of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. He may be forgiven.

Sometimes I lay awake amazed at the capacity of the Lord to forgive people like Stalin and Mussolini. Maybe they themselves did repent and maybe they are saved from the consequences of their sins.

Sometimes I lay awake at night considering Bonhoeffer.

Tonight I can't sleep...

Sunday, February 04, 2007

CS Lewis on Holiness

Hat tip (as they say) to Aaron White

Here is a great holiness quote from C. S. Lewis:"When he said, 'Be perfect,' he meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; but the sort of compromise we are all hankering after is harder - in fact, it is impossible. It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird; it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad....

http://www.armybarmy.com/blog.html

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Food for Prayer: Telus and Porn access for Children

More and more children have cell phones these days and Telus defends its 'right' to distribute cell phone pornography. (What about our right to protect our kids?)

Vancouver-based Telus says it has no plans to stop selling pornographic photos and videos to its cellphone customers, despite receiving more than 100 complaints since it started offering the adult content last month.

Canada's second largest phone company is charging $3 to $4 per photo or video.

By one estimate, North American mobile phone users spent $400 million US in 2005 to download pornography.

read the article on-line:
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/02/02/bc-telus.html

Friday, February 02, 2007

CFOT Groundhog


Today, I took upon myself the role of Cadet Groundhog (look out Willie). I woke, dressed, and pulled myself out from the underground parkinglot. When I arrived at the daycare to drop off my kids - I immediately was struck with a killer headache and a strong desire to visit the washroom - so I returned to my hovel for six more hours of sleep.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

You can donate veggies for free to Winnipeg food bank

Simply by signing up for free recipe e-mails, internet users anywhere in the world can send 23 kilograms of fresh vegetables to the Winnipeg Harvest food bank.
Local vegetable producer Peak of the Market launched an e-mail campaign Thursday in an internet-age way of shoring up support.
For every person who signs up for Peak of the Market's recipe e-mails during the month of February, the company will donate 23 kilograms of Manitoba-grown vegetables to the food bank.

Sermon Illustration...

Before the sermon, four worms were placed into four separate jars.

1) The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.
2) The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.
3) The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.
4) The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the preacher reported the following results:

1) The first worm in alcohol - Dead.
2) The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead
3) Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead
4) Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive!

So the Minister asked the congregation - What can you learn from this demonstration?

The response:

A young lady at the back replied,

"As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"