I am Learning not to Over Analyze Everything

A NEW LEARNING
I quote the following highlighted sentence from among the axioms that control the lives of the two global travelers, Cindie and Tim Travis, whom I mentioned in my piece about loving my stuff yesterday.

We needlessly complicate the world around us by over analyzing everything until we find faults and become angry.

I believe that line reflects the lifestyles into which we have evolved inside the North American urban/suburban circle. Closely connected to this observation is the realization that together we are a consumer society and individually consumerism dictates our choices.

For the business community these two social traits spell money because people will constantly over examine where and how they are living and will want more and better things. Objective social consideration informs me that these two traits produce a toxic formula for human interaction. People complicate their marriages, their own happiness, their church community, and many things by over analyzing and then becoming dissatisfied, upset and even angry because they want something different, newer, better.

Last week Christine said that she felt I had finally adjusted to being retired. Perhaps she is right. It took almost one year. For an intense, driven guy, being laid back didn’t come easily, but I like it. Today, I painted my son’s kitchen, peddled for a long bicycle ride with my grandson, sat and napped on the couch while watching the US Open, and may cruise with Christine in the convertible. It all seems so right and good. I will increasingly simplify my life. I will be content.

Day 11 - Arles and Van Gogh

Arles, a place of inspiration for Van Gogh and many other artists, like Picasso, Cézanne or Gauguin. The name of Arles is closely connected with Vincent Van Gogh. It is impossible to evoke the light of Arles without thinking of his paintings. It was this luminosity that attracted Van Gogh to the south of France. Vincent arrived in Arles one day in February 1888 looking for the outside light but also seeking an interior illumination.
Here he started a period of intense and impassioned work under the bright sunny sky of Provence. His stay in Arles was the most productive period of his life, with more than 300 paintings and drawings done in his 15 months here. It is one of the most brilliant chapters in the history of art. Even though there are no original paintings by Van Gogh in the city, the shadow of his presence is everywhere.

In the city, the places where Van Gogh set up his easel are pointed out by panels representing his works. Ten spots have been thus indicated : The Place du Forum for the "Evening Café", the Trinquetaille bridge for the "Staircase of the Trinquetaille bridge", the Rhone River quay for the "Starry Night", the Place Lamartine for the "Yellow House", the Rue Mireille for the "Old Mill", the Summer Garden on the Boulevard des Lices for the "Public Garden", the Espace Van Gogh for the "Hospital Garden", the road along the Arles à Bouc canal for the "Langlois bridge with washerwomen". The Arena and the Alyscamps were also depicted in several paintings.

Langlois was the name of the bridge guard. Vincent painted and sketched this drawbridge many times.
The bridge reminded him of Holland, his native country. He wrote to his brother Theo : "I've found a funny thing, I won't do things like this every day, it's a drawbridge with a little yellow buggy and groups of washerwomen, a study where the earth is bright red, the grass green, the sky and the water blue." This bridge has become a French historical landmark since 1988. (Langlois is also my wife Christine's maiden name so we took special note of this name.)Van Gogh's painting of the Langlois Bridge at Arles was painted in 1888. It includes two cypress trees, a woman walking over the bridge with an umbrella, and a horse buggy that has just crossed over the bridge. The bridge can still be seen in France, near Arles in Provence.

Day 10 - Avignon

The site of Avignon was settled very early on; the rocky outcrop (le Rocher les Doms) at the north end of the town, overlooking the Rhône River. Avignon, written as Avennio or Avenio in the ancient texts and inscriptions, takes its name from the Avennius clan. Founded by the Gallic tribe of the Cavares or Cavari, it became the centre of an important Phocaean colony from Massilia (present Marseilles). Avignon is an ancient city with vestiges dating to 3000 BC. Under the Romans, Avenio was a flourishing city of Gallia Narbonensis, the first Transalpine province of the Roman Empire. Barbarians invaded in the 5th century following the collapse of the roman empire. There followed a long series of wars and sieges until the 12th century. It then was established in 1129 as a commune and the city became independent, governed by the knights and the rich citizens under the authority of the Bishop. In 1309 the city was chosen by Pope Clement V as his residence, and from 9 March 1309 until 13 January 1377 was the seat of the Papacy instead of Rome. This caused a schism in the Catholic church. At the time, the city and the surrounding Comtat Venaissin were ruled by the kings of Sicily from the house of Anjou. The city is well known for its Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes, one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe), where several popes and antipopes lived from the early 14th to early 15th centuries. Avignon belonged to the Papacy until 1791, when, during the disorder of the French Revolution, it was reincorporated with France.


Pablo Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in the same year that Cezanne died, 1906. While it resembles Cezanne's The Bathers, the cubist painting style was a signal of the most dramatic and quick change in the history of art.

Day 9 - Aix en Provence and Cézanne

We are told that this town has a dual identity which includes water and art. It is also a town with rich culture and it spans different eras. It is colourful and when the sun shines, the stone of facades is golden, the fountain a transparent greenish blue and the shade of trees deep on the ground. In a region where water is scarce and precious, Aix is supplied by many springs. In the late 19th century, works on the Verdon canal and the Zola dam brought water in abundance through the basins of fountains.

Aix has an old city and a new city and the ring road is built on the site of the former ramparts which circle the old town separating it from the new city. There is an historic landmark called the Cours Mirabeau which is wonderful strolling walk through greenery punctuated by fountains. On either side of the ring road built in the 17th century, the leading families of nobility built elegant homes. There are magnificent hotels and cafes here.

The most famous artist of Aix was Paul Cézanne (1839 – 1906), and the city honoured his memory with 2006, the entire centenary year of his death being dedicated to him. Around the international "Cézanne in Provence" exhibition, a multitude of events painted the city in the painter's colours and commemorated his intimate relationship with the landscapes and light of Provence. Cézanne studied law according to his father's wishes but art emerged as his premier passion during his Bourbon boarding college where he met Emil Zola. His father agreed to his aspirations and he pursued art studies in Paris where he also met painters Pissaro, Monet and Renoir. He met Hortense Fiquet who became his companion and wife, and by whom he had a son, Paul. He systematically explored and painted the Aixois countryside. "I go into the country every day. The motifs are beautiful and I spend my days better here than elsewhere".(Letter from Paul Cézanne to his son, Aix 09/22/1906).

In the final period, the twenty years from 1886 until his death, Cezanne pushed toward a conclusion, generally in the direction of increased abstraction. In the last decade of his life, Cezanne began to be well known. By age and by association, Cezanne was one of the impressionists. He was five years younger than Degas, a year older than Monet, two years older than Renoir. He was a solitary man, but insofar as he had friends at all, he found them among his impressionist contemporaries. In fact some people say that Cezanne was the most revolutionary painter since the dawn of the Renaissance.

Red Green and Duct Tape

A NEW LEARNING
It is a classic statement to say the least. It is the summary statement of men whose wives wish that their husbands would be different and don’t stop telling them so. The wives would appreciate their husbands to be a touch more romantic, or sophisticated, possessing a touch of culture outside their red neck environment. Here is the hilarious Man’s Prayer, full of acceptance and resignation, which is recited by the entire membership of Possum Lodge.

“I’m a man,
But I can change,
if I have to,
I guess.”

Possum Lodge is part of the fictional comedic creation known as the Red Green Show. Red Green is the title character of The Red Green Show, and Red is really Steve Smith, and Red is the leader of Possum Lodge the small northwestern Ontario town on Possum Lake, near the also-fictional town of Port Asbestos. Possum Lodge is a fictional men's club and Red and his fellow lodge members have their own TV show (which is more or less the show itself), in which they give humorous lessons and demonstrations in repair work and outdoor activities (such as fishing and camping), and advice for men on relating to women, among other things. Red is a self-proclaimed handyman who is constantly extolling the virtues of duct tape ("the handyman's secret weapon"). He is married to his fictional wife Bernice Green and does not have any children. He is seldom seen without his trademark red-and-green suspenders. Numerous memorable lines are regularly repeated or indelibly printed on signs seen each episode.

“Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati (When all else fails, play dead.)”

“If the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.”

“Remember, keep you stick on the ice.”

The handyman’s secret weapon deserves some attention. Duct tape (sometimes called duck tape) is a vinyl, fabric-reinforced, multi-purpose tacky pressure sensitive adhesive tape. It is generally silver or black in color but many other colors and transparent tapes have recently become available. With a standard width of 17⁄8 inches (48 mm), duct tape was originally developed during World War II in 1942 as a water resistant sealing tape for ammunition cases. Permacel, then a division of Johnson & Johnson, used a rubber-based adhesive to help the tape resist water and a fabric backing to add strength. It was also used to repair military equipment quickly, including jeeps, firearms, and aircraft because of these properties. In Canadian military circles, this variant is known as "gun-tape", typically olive-green, and also known for its resistance to oils and greases. Duct tape is also called "100-MPH tape" or 'Hurricane Tape' in the military - a name that comes from the use of a specific variety of duct-tape that was supposedly supposed to hold up against 100 mph winds. As a quick fix, duct tape can be used as a temporary bandage, until proper medical treatment and bandages can be applied to a wound.
After WWII, the housing industry boomed and people started using duct tape for many other purposes. The name "duct tape" came from its use on heating and air conditioning ducts, a purpose for which it, ironically, has been deemed ineffective. Its strength, low cost, and remarkable versatility make it a household staple throughout North America and Europe for temporary repairs and general-purpose use.
Don’t you wish you had invented it?

The Duct Tape Guys (Jim Berg and Tim Nyberg) as of 2005 wrote seven books about duct tape. Their bestselling books have sold over 1.5 million copies and feature real and wacky uses of duct tape. In 1994 they coined the phrase, "It Ain't Broke, It Just Lacks Duct Tape". Added to that phrase in 1995 with the publication of their WD-40 Book was, "Two rules get you through life: If it's stuck and it's not supposed to be, WD-40 it. If it's not stuck and it's supposed to be, duct tape it". Their website features thousands of duct tape uses from people around the world ranging from fashions to auto repair. The combination of WD-40 and duct tape is sometimes referred to as The Redneck Repair Kit.

You have to see the Duct Tape Guys site
The Red Green Show site

ONLY THREE MORE SLEEPS

A NEW LEARNING
In three more sleeps we board a Lufthansa airbus bound for Marseilles via a Frankfurt layover of four hours.

Lufthansa was so named after its founding president who was left handed. Gotcha! Unless you are German speaking and didn’t fall for that nonsensical translation. Actually, roughly translated it means "air company" or "air group". The name of the company is derived from Luft (the German word for "air"), and Hansa (after Hanseatic League, the powerful medieval trading group). The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their guilds that established and maintained trade monopoly along the coast of Northern Europe, from the Baltic to the North Sea and inland, during the Late Middle Ages and Early modern period (c.13th–17th centuries). The Hanseatic cities had their own law system and furnished their own protection and mutual aid.

Lufthansa is headquartered in Cologne with its main base is Frankfurt International Airport in Frankfurt and another hub at Munich's Franz Josef Strauß International Airport. Lufthansa is a founding member of Star Alliance, one of the world's major airline alliances. Currently, the Lufthansa Group operates more than 500 aircraft.
The Lufthansa “stylized crane” was created in 1918 by Otto Firle. The design was intended to accentuate both flying and technical skills. In 1955, the logo was changed to reflect Lufthansa’s new post-war look. The crane, now blue, was placed on a yellow parabola. Lufthansa altered the logo again in 1967, placing the crane in a small circle on a yellow background, as it is today. Since 1988, Lufthansa aircraft have been painted white, with a grey belly denoting clarity, simplicity and positive attributes like safety and reliability” according to the airline.

This is the first leg of our journey into two months in various regions of France, a dream holiday for Christine and me, where we will stumble with the French language, frequent street side cafes, tour artistic locations, sit in the sun, sketch and paint, walk and taste and laugh and fall in love again.

ARTISTS IN MY COMMUNITY

A NEW LEARNING
Before I retired I frequented local galleries and saw the names of local artists and admired their work. Since then I have perused their websites and appreciated the volume of art that they have produced in recent years. Most of these artists, like me, have worked at other professions while painting on the side and then in retirement, occupied their time with this pursuit.

One afternoon not long ago, I met Darren Perkins, a Langley artist who kindly accepted my invitation to talk. At a Starbucks we sat together and spoke about art, our lives and other artists. Darren is a retired school teacher. In earlier years he and his wife operated a successful pottery business. Darren is a landscape painter and I have seen his work in a couple of shows in recent years. So this was a treat for me to become acquainted with an established artist. (Paintings: above Perkins' Swimming Hole' and right 'Still Point', Gabriola)

In conversation I learned that two of his close friends are former school teachers as well, and they are the celebrated local painters, Jack Turpin and Perry Haddock. Each Thursday the three of them paint together. They share life, critique each other’s work occasionally, and encourage one another in this shared creativity.

I am sharing their respective websites with you in hopes that you will enjoy the displays.


Darren Perkins
Jack Turpin (Painting: 'Pender Island', left)
Perry Haddock (Painting: 'Shore Grasses')


Actually Turpin and Haddock have a show in the Birthplace of BC Gallery in Fort Langley right now. You should visit their work in this attractive gallery owned by Kurt and Brenda Alberts.

The top two images above are used with permission of Darren Perkins and the painting images are copyright of the painter and not to be downloaded without permission of the artist. Jack Turpin and Perry Haddock painting images used with permission of the artists and downloading is conditioned upon permission by respective artists. Toggle their underlined names above for their sites.

CORNER GAS - THE FINAL EPISODE

A NEW LEARNING
I'm retired. So is this show. Final Episode. That was yesterday, Monday April 13th. In fact, On April 6, 2009, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall signed a proclamation that declared April 13, 2009 (and the same day every year after) "Corner Gas Day" in Saskatchewan. Is that a success or what!

You know how we tend to compartmentalize major events among the trivialities of life? Where were you when man first walked on the moon, or President JFK was assassinated, or when the Challenger shuttle blew up shortly after launch? Okay, my examples demonstrate my seniority. Something more current might be the 9/11 twin towers disaster. Where you and what were were you doing? You get my point. Corner Gas has been such a successful Canadian TV sitcom production that some of us will recall where we were when the final episode aired last night.

We were with friends who didn’t want to miss seeing the last episode. They recently vacationed in Australia and New Zealand, and the show is highly popular there. In fact it is shown in 26 countries. It’s a big success. What an enjoyable half hour of humour Corner Gas has been for the past six seasons. Like Cheers, Seinfeld and Friends, all of which garnered huge audiences at the end of a successful series Corner Gas was celebrated last night. The difference is Corner Gas is an all Canadian achievement. During the six seasons, it averaged one million viewers per episode and it won six Gemini awards. Creator Brent Butt wanted to conclude the series at its peak of popularity and he did.

Saskatchewan born and resident comic Brent Butt created the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan where the only gas station for 60 kilometres in any direction is located. He wrote the concept while reflecting on what his life might have been like had he stayed in his hometown of Tisdale or some other prairie town to pump gas for a living. Brent has starred in the lead role as Brent Leroy, the station proprietor. The station is called Corner Gas and was first owned by Brent’s father Oscar. The station’s convenience store retail assistant is Wanda Dollard performed by actress Nancy Robertson who as a matter of fact, became Brent’s real-life wife on November 19, 2005 following production of the third season. The coffee shop called Ruby’s is owned by Lacy Burrows, played by Gabrielle Miller, and Lacy inherited Ruby’s from her aunt Ruby. Fred Ewaniuk plays Hank Yarbo, Brent’s best friend who is chronically unemployed and in fact finishes the series with a comment made about him never ever having a job. Genuine characters, easily likeable, and understood in any culture and with a gentle pace to dialogue and fun, Brent’s own production company, Prairie Pants scored a big one with this series. Can’t wait for his next venture.

Corner Gas Website

RESURRECTION SUNDAY

A NEW LEARNING
Resurrection Sunday
On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Christians believe according to Scripture, that Jesus came back to life, or was raised from the dead, three days after his death on the cross. As part of the Easter season, the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion, is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just before Easter. Through his death, burial and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for sin, thus purchasing for all who believe in him, eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Because of Easter's pagan origins, and also because of the commercialization of Easter, many Christian churches have begun to refer to it as Resurrection Day. The biblical account of Jesus' death on the cross, or crucifixion, his burial and his resurrection, or raising from the dead, can be found in the following passages of Scripture: Matthew 27:27-28:8; Mark 15:16-16:19; Luke 23:26-24:35; and John 19:16-20:30.

When Jesus entered into Jerusalem for the final week of his life, he came into a city crammed with people who were present for the observance of the feast of the Passover. At one point Jesus gathered his disciples into an upper room where he communicated with them at length. Much of what he said to them is recorded in John chapters 13-16. In this borrowed upper chamber Jesus observed the paschal meal with them and it was virtually his last supper. This Passover meal was given a new significance and meaning as he took bread and wine and identified these items as symbols of his body that would soon be injured and his blood that would soon be spilled out. Following his death he was hastily placed without the customary burial treatment into a cave tomb which was sealed by rolling a large carved stone against the entrance. The Gospels’ account describes a scene on resurrection morning when the stone was discovered to have been rolled away, and Jesus body was gone. The linens that had surrounded his corpse lay in where his body had been placed. A succession of confirmations of his resurrection from death are then expressed by people who were first hand witnesses who walked and talked with Him. They ate food that he prepared for them. They touched him and they saw Him appear and vanish and forty days later ascend into the heavens.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.

GOOD FRIDAY's SIGNIFICANCE

A NEW LEARNING
April 10 2009 is celebrated as a holiday because in Canada as in many countries, Christianity is the dominant faith and the death of Jesus Christ is commemorated as a voluntary and vicarious action by which death itself was conquered. Together with Christ’s bodily resurrection on the third day, this comprises the heart of the Christian faith. ‘Vicarious’ is a term applied to Christ’s death by crucifixion because Jesus experienced and endured death and eternal punishment on behalf of humanity. He served as a substitute for humankind.

From the earliest times the Christians kept every Friday as a feast day. Why the Friday was called ‘Good’ is unclear but this anniversary Friday of Christ's death has been called Great or the Holy or the Good Friday. Some say it is from "God's Friday" (Gottes Freitag). Sometimes the day was called Long Friday by the Anglo-Saxons; so today in Denmark.

It is important to separate pageant from purpose of the actual day of Christ’s death. Scripture does that. Whereas his crucifixion was intended to shame Jesus and expose the error and failure of pretending to be God and pretending to be royalty, his death in point of fact became the means by which his opponents were exposed. Colossians 2:15 uses these words, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” The principalities and powers that were disgraced that day were his physical and spiritual enemies. The verse is found within a poignant paragraph in which the apostle Paul wrote first to believers in Colossus urging them to be careful about falling for prevalent futile philosophies or human traditions rather than the person of Jesus Christ. The paragraph announces that the fullness of deity dwells in Jesus’ body, that he is fully God. It affirms that the former physical male circumcision that marked Old Testament Judaism has been replaced by spiritual circumcision by which sin is removed through the act of faith in Jesus Christ who bore human sin and for that reason was cut off from God the Father while he paid the penalty for our sin. He has made people who were once as good as dead in their sins, to be alive with Him through the forgiveness of those sins.

Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”


The painting in today's image is by Spencer Williams, a talented landscape, wildlife and underwater artist that is worthy of a good look. See his online gallery at http://www.jesuspaintings.com/

Other contact information for this artist:
Call his gallery at (865) 908 0335
Gallery Address:
180 Old Mill Ave.
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
1.) Email him at Idyedaily@aol.com
2.) call (865) 908-0075 or,
3.) mail request to:
Spencer Williams
1610 Licking Spring Way
Sevierville Tennessee 37876

A WORKING RETIREMENT?

A NEW LEARNING
The recession may be making it clear to me that a leisurely retirement is impractical. Some economists say it’s not practical for many people. The majority of baby boomers plan to work in retirement. So say numerous surveys. That is, they want to keep working, even a little. Yet for those who didn’t want to work, the message may now be, ‘Forget Retirement!’ Well I didn’t do that. Retiring seemed a good idea at the time. Knowing what I know now, I might have considered postponing retirement.

The recession isn’t the only factor that compels me to rethink what I will do with some of the years ahead of me. In my mid sixties I don’t want to work full time. But will we have enough resources to fund the next 25 years. My father lived until he was 93. Increased life expectancies must play into my consideration of how I spend these years. And for me it’s not even just about economics. I want to be useful. I have 45-50 years of accumulated wisdom and experience that can benefit emerging leaders, pastors, executives. Whether the experience pays anything now is something I should investigate. Sure I want to paint pictures, but realistically that is not going to garner income to sustain a lifestyle to which we had become accustomed. The fact is, seven months into retirement, we are already realizing many adjustments with a drastically reduced monthly income. We have managed the adjustments well enough. We just bit the bullet.

We have seen some of our hard earned assets disappear in this recession and we will not recover them. Then after our imminent two month international trip which we planned for a long time but which will nonetheless cost us big bucks as the loonie dropped, I may have to come home to new realities. The long touted modern retirement picture of daily rounds at the golf course, buying an RV and spending three months in Arizona, biannual cruises, and luxury condo living will not just be reconsidered, it’s out of the question. The economy of retirement is changing.

Then I suppose there is another consideration. Working is mentally and physically energizing. It stems off dementia I am told. I probably miss the workplace social environment as much as anything.

LEASING MY PAINTINGS

A NEW LEARNING
I am considering leasing my paintings. The practice is not new in the art community. I have hung paintings in public locations thereby providing a decorative service to the location as well as exposure to my work. Having examined the practice of some galleries to rent paintings to clients I have been struck with the potential this option may provide to me. Granted it’s an arrogant assumption that someone will want to rent or lease my paintings to decorate their home or office suite, but such vanity is characteristic of any aspiring artist or he/she would never venture to offer the work for sale in the first place.

There are many reasons why leasing might work for me. Sometimes a prospective buyer is uncertain that a piece will fit in the home or office area for which they are seeking an art piece. Sometimes buyers are cautious because of the price. Providing an option whereby the client may hang the work for a period of time to determine its suitability may be of interest when the cost is reasonable. My paintings are relatively low priced because I am still emerging as an artist and even though I may do some good work I have an undeveloped reputation. When an artist’s reputation garners higher prices, from $3,000 - $8000 a potential buyer may be reluctant to purchase but may be interested in renting the piece for $100 per month. An artist must sort our personal feelings about this practice. As I consider it now, if I were to have ten paintings leased to clients, each garnering $25 per month for a three month contract, it would have some appeal to me. I just had eight paintings hanging in a member of parliament’s constituency offices for free.

Galleries and artists who lease paintings customarily use three month rental contracts. Some offer year long contracts with new pieces being offered every quarter. Some Galleries allow people to borrow artwork for a dinner party. Making it possible for lessees to lease-to-own may result in some art sales eventually and typically the option puts 50% to 60% of the rental fee toward the purchase.

PREACHERS WITH THE RIGHT STUFF RIGHT NOW

A NEW LEARNING
When economic times stumble and prosperity flows from the hole in the bucket and ordinary people are helpless in the midst of loss and concern, then the preachers of righteousness need to stand up to humbly speak for God that it’s not all about us or our money. This is about God and godliness and getting ready for heaven. Preachers should be agents of hope. So perhaps you can detect that I am utterly opposed to opportunistic preachers using the chaos of a downturned economy to pretend to be visionary prophets announcing something new. It is easy for compelling leaders to exploit hard times using fear and simplistic answers and empty promises. I am very supportive of preachers who do not ignore the times but speak about God’s omniscience and compassion and readiness to forgive and receive repentant people. It appears to me that scripture models for us that God’s representatives should be telling people not to let their hearts be troubled but rather put faith exclusively in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

For so long in the western world of nations we have become accustomed to a current reality of prosperity and exhilaration and progress and advancement. The focus for most of us, whether believer or unbeliever, has been upon pleasure and gratification. When that present reality develops an oppressive overcast sky and the wells dry up, the focus can easily become despair and discontent. Doesn’t it make biblical sense that God’s spokespeople should tell all who will listen that right now would be the time to improve our vision? Should we not be counseled to clearly look ahead and into the distance? The better place and the most secure future are not here but there. It seems that we only catch on when we experience some suffering and loss. Generations in the past understood as they set their hopes on things that are “above.” The glory that lies ahead should shape the way we live today.

HOW DOES CANADA RANK?

A NEW LEARNING
HOW DOES CANADA RANK?

Of course, with 9,984,670 km2, Canada is the second largest country in the world, covering 6.7% of Earth’s surface (Russia is the largest country at 17,098,242 km2). Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy tides sometimes 12 metres high are the highest in the world.

Of greater interest and importance may be some of these rankings.

Canada’s banking system has withstood the financial crisis while other countries banking systems like the U.S. are in such dire straits? In 2008, the World Economic Forum ranked Canada’s banking system the healthiest in the world. The U.S. was ranked 40th. Canada’s system has much stronger federal regulations and lower mandatory leverage ratios. Canada’s firms never engaged in subprime mortgage lending. For over a decade, Canada has posted budget surpluses; only in the last quarter did they enter into a recession. That’s very impressive.

According to The International Monetary Fund Canada had the ninth largest economy in the world at $1.432 trillion in 2007. Canada is immediately behind Spain and just ahead of Brazil.

Canadians can expect to live 80.34 years; the life expectancy for men is 76.98 years and for women it’s 83.86 years. This according to the 2008 CIA World Factbook which places us tenth.

In 2007, Canada had an average of 1.85 murders per 100,000 people. Canada is ranked 71st in this category with 43 countries having lower murder rates than us, among them are Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Greece, and Norway.

Lonely Planet recently named Canada one of the Top 10 Countries to visit in 2009.
Ranked by Country Brand Index, Canada has jumped from the world’s 12th most respected country brand to No. 2. Australia is first.

Canada is the friendliest country in the world; this is the finding of a survey conducted by the HSBC Bank. With 48 countries surveyed, Canadians were the most friendly towards newcomers, followed by Germans and Australians.

The 2009 Climate Change Performance Index places Canada next to last out of 57 industrialized nations and emerging economies in its efforts to reduce emissions in keeping with its Protocol targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In a survey of 130 countries by The Global Gender Gap Report 2008 Canadian women rank 31st in terms of equality.

At 214 doctors per 100,000 people Canada ranks 54th in the world in physician availability says the The Truth About Canada.

According to The Economist Intelligence Unit, Canada is the fourth best country in the world to do business in for the next five years.

The Global Peace Index (2008) is an attempt to rank countries by their peacefulness and Canada ranked eighth in the world in 2007.

Timex Sinclair ZX81: My First Computer

A NEW LEARNING

It was in the early 1980’s and computers were exorbitantly high priced for what you purchased specially by today’s standards. I was 39 years of age when I was introduced to a computer for the first time. I may have paid something like $60.00 for a Timex Sinclair ZX81 because this tiny appliance was priced for affordability and targeted to families. It was so small it could serve as a door stop.

The Timex Sinclair 1000 computer had 2K of program memory. The keyboard was printed on a large flat membrane, much like one might see on a microwave oven. It displayed B&W text and crude character based graphics on a TV set and it had no sound. It could be hooked to a cassette recorder or printer. A 16K expansion was available and I saved up enough money to buy one of these for $39 or so.

One could do some limited word processing, play chess and other elementary games. It was ridiculously slow but I had nothing with which to compare it so I waited while it did its thing. It wasn’t much but it was a mystery buster for me. From my experiments with this machine I soon moved to a more productive and utilitarian computer gifted to me by computer store owners for my use in the church office. I had joined the computer revolution.

One can still find these collector’s items. http://www.zebrasystems.com/zebrasystems/zx81/

HOW MANY WORDS HAVE I WRITTEN?

A NEW LEARNING
How many words have passed from my fingers and through my mouth? I pondered that today.

When I began as a full time pastor in 1969 it was in the town of Smiths Falls, Ontario. Calvary Bible Church was the name of the congregation to which I was called. Perhaps 75 people attended church services on Sunday. It was customary for churches of some reasonable size and particularly churches with an evangelical and or fundamentalist theology to hold both morning and evening Sunday church services. The paid pastor was expected to preach at both of these public services. Wednesday evening was customarily viewed as Prayer Meeting Night. A loyal core of 8-12 people attended this gathering at which the pastor was once again expected to deliver a prepared study before the group prayed. During the five years that I pastored in Smiths Falls I also wrote a column in a weekly local newspaper called 'the Record News' which reached well beyond our town. Personal computers had not yet appeared to become the office necessities they are now. I wrote every sermon and article in long hand or typed them using a typewriter. Each sermon might be six pages typewritten single-spaced resulting in a word total 5000 words. In one year I processed 480,000 words in 96 sermons, 100,000 words in 48 devotional studies and another 52,000 words in 52 newspaper articles. I followed this same preparatory practice in my second church in Peterborough, Ontario where beginning in 1974 I served for seven years. During those seven years I began a Master’s degree program in Toronto, seventy-five miles away and this program took me five years to complete, and approximately 45 term papers and 475,000 words. I began writing monthly magazine articles at this time so throw in another 24,000 words annually. On to Toronto in 1982, specifically Scarborough and a church at which I pastored for ten years with the same commitment to two Sunday sermons and a mid-week message. Here the advent of a personal computer, primitive as they were, modified some of the tedium of handwritten material. Then the big move to the West and ten years serving a church in Cloverdale, British Columbia. During this time, our leadership team made a decision to operate with only a morning service. My spoken output was not minimized since we were a large enough congregation to require two morning services and that meant preaching twice. This was also a season during which I enrolled and completed a six year part-time doctoral program which may have required 210,000 words plus a 400 page thesis of 140,000 words. I also wrote the manuscripts for three books, one of them a children’s novel which may yet be published and these may be estimated at 100,000 words. Following the pastoral career I served for six years as a church denominational president during which time I was responsible for many articles, reports, booklets and research documents which I have to ballpark at 8 million words.

Perhaps thirty million words have flowed from my fingers but I have probably underestimated because I have not included all of my journal writing through the years, or the 500 words per blog entry here. 30,000,000 words written and seventy percent of them preached. That is the equivalent of 60,000 pages or 150 John Grisham size novels. That’s a substantial output.

Canada Pension Plan – Huge Increase Announced

A NEW LEARNING
Canada Pension Plan – Huge Increase Announced

My worries are over.
The Federal Government yesterday, announced a whopping increase to Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Payment Rates. Prime Minister Harper made the announcement to a shocked House of Commons, citing it as one of the integral steps to the stimulus package. He stated that he believes that seniors with this fresh incentive money will boost the economy significantly. He described how with limited incomes, seniors have been compelled to locate inexpensive beverages and food at Tim Horton’s and MacDonald’s franchises for years. He wants to encourage seniors to enjoy the occasional Starbucks latte and Keg steak dinner.

Harper’s announcement estimates that twenty-eight million dollars has been designated to finance the substantial boost in CPP benefits. Here is the way it breaks down. At age 65 the maximum monthly benefit to Canadians has been $908.75. This has been raised to $1500 per month effective May 1 2009. Survivors benefit (under age 65) was $506.38 and is now $1000 per month. The entire CPP payment Plan can be found at http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/pub/factsheets/rates.shtml

The Prime Minister has also announced the unusual option that seniors may choose to have their CPP as one annual lump sum rather than monthly payments. If a senior signs to accept this option within the next ten days, there is a signing bonus of $5000.00. Mr. Harper indicated that his desire is that seniors with these substantial amounts of money will be encouraged to spend. This will assist the recovery of our sagging economy. He also indicated that if anyone over 65 years of age purchases a new car between April 1 and June 1 2009 the Federal Government will provide an interest free loan of up to $20,000. Needless to say, with the ageing population, and the imminent possibility of another election, Mr. Harper is counting upon a huge support from the senior sector of the nation and pundits and journalists believe he will get the majority government for which he has been looking.

An April 7th Addendum: Readers who happen to look back to this entry after the April 1st date may not associate it with the April 1st joke it was intended to be. That's what it is. Here is a link to a government page with an actual January 1st 2009 increase in the CPP rate and opportunity to ask a commissioner any private question concerning your entitlement. http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?nid=426809

More than Gold

A NEW LEARNING
When athletes and countries come to British Columbia next spring 2010 it will be to compete for the purpose of securing ‘gold’ in a variety of winter sports. The Winter Olympics are coming here. A gold medal will gratify a recipient for a lifetime.

What could be of greater value than gold? Is there something that can reward the recipient well beyond the end of life? ‘More Than Gold’ has been employed to express Christian Witness at other major sporting venues. In fact, the history of the phrase dates back to the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games and since then it has been used at Commonwealth, Pan Am and Olympic Games. Global Events Group is a non profit organization that was mandated to coordinate the cooperative efforts of Christian communities at major sporting events around the world. MTG (More than Gold) communicates that the Christian community is present.

Within our wide community there is a strong and vibrant motivation among people and in churches to move from isolation to working together in ways that will surely result in a sharing of faith and good news with visitors from other lands that will change lives forever.

You can check out More Than Gold here.

Not only will there be hundreds of events and programs scheduled during the games but long-term strategies are being planned to follow this unified effort which may help to transform our own cities and others too.

Critics will always be critical but this Kingdom effort makes more sense than sitting on one’s duff.

That's Cindy Klassen with five golds and she will be letting people know about her relationship with Jesus Christ.

Because we didn't go to Alaska

A NEW LEARNING
Yesterday I wondered how different our lives would have been had I accepted the job in Glenallen, Alaska. I mentioned that my children were ten and eleven years of age when in 1980, while I was pastoring a church in Peterborough, Ontario, a missions representative came to our area and stayed a couple of nights in our home.

For thirty years Phil Armstrong had been a founder and the General Director of Far Eastern Gospel Crusade (later called Send) and when we met him he was Minister of Missions of FEGC. He was seeking to interest Christine and me to accept a position in Glenallen, Alaska. I was being offered a three faceted role as a pastor, part-time Bible instructor at a Bible College and a part-time radio talk show host. Christine would have been involved in music at church, school and radio. My ten year old son thought he would have a rifle and a snowmobile. My daughter didn’t find the thought of such a move appealing. We considered this for a while and then declined. (photo of Phil in army uniform WWII)

During the following year, in September 1981, I received the news that our friend Phil Armstrong was aboard a plane with five people that went down off the coast of Alaska. His death was a shock to us and to the entire international Missions community in which he was known and respected. He was 62 years of age at the time of his death. In the short time we knew him he had impressed us as a warm, gracious and godly person with whom one enjoyed spending time.

It’s difficult and perhaps futile to surmise where I and the members of my family would be today and what it is we all would have become had we gone to Alaska. One of the factors Christine and I considered was our children’s’ futures as they were nearing their teen years. Ultimately our decision not to relocate to Alaska led to an opportunity to go to Toronto in 1982 where I pastored a vibrant congregation and our children grew within a multiethnic environment. When they completed high school we watched each of them thrive. Cari graduated at Mennonite Brethren Bible College and the University of Winnipeg where she received Bachelor degrees in Christian Education and in Music. She later accomplished a Master’s degree in Piano Performance from Western Washington University. She is now married and a mom of three children. Jeff went to Trinity Western University in Langley, BC and graduated to pursue a teaching certificate from Simon Fraser University and then embarked upon a teaching career. He is married and a father of two. Christine served with me in our church, directing music and worship, and giving leadership to a Canada wide Worship Leaders’ Fellowship. After ten years in Toronto, In 1991 Christine and I moved to British Columbia and a pastoral position in Cloverdale. I had opportunity to pastor four congregations over a 34 year span, picking up a doctoral degree along the way, and concluded a career in a leadership role as President of a denomination of autonomous churches for six years.

I am satisfied with the choices we have made.

Faith Missions: Do they have a future? By Phil Armstrong Phil served in the US Army during WWII, was a pastor and a Bible School instructor before working with the mission.

Quinn Dunbar - 13th Birthday - Nothing Short of Amazing

A NEW LEARNING
On January 8 2009 I wrote about Quinn Dunbar, a twelve year old who was originally diagnosed with a Medullablastoma Brain Tumor and who passed away on New Year's Day following five years of illness. Following his death, the family planned a memorial gathering and selected a roomy public auditorium for the venue to which eight hundred people came to rejoice in this small young man with the compelling smile and the pleasant, happy, uncomplaining demeanor. Of course it was a farewell but from all accounts it was a love fest with several hundred people. In the midst of such a long term struggle to cope and recover and live and move forward there is a community that develops, a network of friendships that understand and support and genuinely love one another.

Quinn's father Dave recently wrote a note to express how predictably and yet for them personally, they miss Quinn. As you will appreciate it doesn’t take more than a glance at a photo containing Quinn or the sound of a shared familiar tune to cause them to miss their sweetheart deeply all over again. It will be a continual reality. Here is a family that moved with Quinn through all the stages of his lingering illness and did not miss one aspect of caregiving and therefore surely can have no regrets from that standpoint. The regret is always for the missing cure.

Dave wrote that Quinn longed to be a teenager and a few days ago on March 19th 2009, the date of his birthday Quinn would have been thirteen. In a private ceremony at the Surrey Centre Cemetery, a headstone/gravemarker was unveiled and positioned.The family and a few friends celebrated his birthday this way, even enjoyed a birthday cake at home later. In his note Dave invited people to visit the site later to view the marker. Perhaps that is something you will care to do. Quinn loved playing Scrabble, so creatively, the family chose to design a gravestone with Quinn's full name spelled in Scrabble shaped letters. As is so often true of families that pass through this extended grief and understand the needs and all that is involved in caring for a sick person, Dave and Suzanne remain committed to the care of others who hurt as they have and are board members of the British Columbia Childhood Cancer Parents’ Association, which assists the families of children with cancer.

Visit British Columbia Childhood Cancer Parents’ Association site
You can make a contribution. Perhaps you can consider this? What a profound way to honour Quinn's memory.

Quinn's story and his journey are carefully recounted at a website dedicated to him.