Archive for January, 2012

Funerals and Visits

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

This past weekend was a lot of bittersweet memories for us this weekend.  On Saturday we went back to our old church to celebrate the life of a dear lady who was one of the founding members of our congregation.  We’ve watched her over the last many years struggle with the recovery from a stroke and then with the onset of Alzheimer’s.  She struggled for many years and her husband and family were always so wonderful with her.  She passed away last week, and Saturday was her memorial service.

It was odd to go back to our old church after being away since the fall.  We got a chance to see lots of old friends — ones who’d left our church years ago for various reasons, and ones that we’d left behind when we left.  It was a realization for us that despite the fact we go to other churches now, we are all one in Christ.  Catching up on news and seeing how kids had grown brought back so many memories and in some made us “wish for what was”.  But things move on.  New friends come into our lives, old ones move on.

Sunday we decided that since our whole family was free that we packed up early Sunday morning and headed to London to visit with Nancy’s Mom and Dad.  Nancy’s Dad is doing very well given the circumstances.  He was his usual bright cheery self while were there (although we know he has his understandably low moments through the week).  His appetite was great!  We took in Swiss Chalet chicken and ribs and I think he ate more that I did!!

But it’s hard to see him deteriorating as well.  He’s been a huge influence on me over these past years – especially since my Dad passed away in 1994.  It was his teaching of a Bible Study on the Holy Spirit in 1979 or so that really helped me to open up to my Christian faith (although I’d always gone to church).  He’s STILL got so much to offer – always concerned for how work is going; how our church search is going; making suggestions of ones to visit; reaching out to other people, even when they call to see how HE is doing! “But things move on.  New friends come into our lives, old ones move on.”

The great thing is that in both situations – seeing Nancy’s Dad getting ready to move on, and seeing the friends from our old church who have moved on – those who are dearest to us in our Christian walk will never really be gone.  They’ll live on in our memories and of course we’ll see them all again eventually.

TTFN

Posted in Church, General, Personal | No Comments »

A High-Tech Path to Leadership

Saturday, January 14th, 2012

In episode 17 of Missions in Action we meet former Leadership Development Program student, Blesslin. At 23-years-old, Blesslin has gone from living in a home made of cow dung, to starting her own company and plans to give back to her community as her business grows.  None of this would be possible without Compassion and Compassion Canada.

[tube]eoDKz0IZdJ4[/tube]

TTFN

Posted in Compassion, General | No Comments »

Haiti 2 Years Later

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Well, I can’t believe it’s been 100 posts on this blog.  Not sure I’ve said much, but it’s been fun anyway.  Today’s topic… Haiti.

It’s hard to believe that two years ago today the county of Haiti was rocked by a major earthquake and the Port Au Prince area was devastated and reduced to rubble.

According to an MSNBC report, only 1/2 of the rubble has actually been removed and there are thousands still living in tents. CNN reports that the internationally pledged funding has been slow at being disbursed.

But there’s a lot of good going on as well.  Here’s an article this morning on the Compassion International blog.

We can report that Compassion has completed its short-term and transitional strategies to bring immediate relief to the impacted children and their families. We provided food, safe water, shelter and medical assistance.   We worked with our church partners to get our programs back up and running, provide post-trauma counseling to the kids and the church staff, and provide shelter, desks and chairs for classes to resume. We are back to the business of caring for and developing the children of Haiti.

Now we are working on the long-term solutions. We have always been about long-term solutions. To help children in poverty develop physically, spiritually, economically and socially from their mothers’ womb until they become the adults God meant them to be is a long-term solution for Haiti.

Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/rebuilding-haiti-when-will-haiti-be-back-to-normal-what-is-normal/#ixzz1jGK4Lw3j

We need to keep remembering Haiti, and pray especially that it won’t be forgotten.

Haiti — a little more than an hour from Miami, but where half the children under age 5 are malnourished and the life expectancy is only 59 years. Haiti, where half the population can’t read or write. And where more than half the population lives on less than $1.25 a day.   And that was before the earthquake.

TTFN

Posted in Church, Compassion, General | No Comments »

It Was One Year Ago…

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

January 11, 2011.  Not my favourite day, by any means.

At roughly 7:00pm we get a phone call from my wife’s brother to tell us that their older sister, Brenda, hasn’t been seen or heard from since early that morning.  Phoned in sick to work.  Cell phone off.  Nothing.

(We also get a phone call roughly 1/2 hour later from a good friend who is our kids’ youth pastor that he, the children’s pastor, and the lead pastor of our church have all be let go.  This just compounds the feelings of confusion and sadness over the next year.)

Then we wait….. and wait….. and wait.

The next week is spent in panic.  Searching.  Praying.  Hoping for Brenda’s safe return.  Trying to discern what it all means.

And then a week later, we find out that Brenda’s body had been found — a suicide brought on by a chemical imbalance that lead to anxiety and depression.

Questioning.  Searching.  More praying.  Second-guessing.  Reading.  Talking.  Praying again.

A year later we have gone through a whole series of firsts that we never in a million years would have expected, or wanted — Easter; Summer at the cottage; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Birthdays; Weddings — all without Brenda.

It’s been a tough year.  But today marks the end of that year.  God has seen us through these dark days.  There are more to come, I’m sure.  More remembering.  More grieving.  More wishing.  More praying.

We’ve not forgotten.  We won’t forget.  And we will rejoice in the hope that we have in Christ, knowing that Brenda has gone ahead.

TTFN

 

Tags:
Posted in Church, General, Personal | 5 Comments »

Nagpur’s Red Light Children

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Here’s another video from Missions in Action.  This one dealing with the kids of sex trade workers in Nagpur, India.

Alex visits a fortress-like community center in Nagpur, India’s red light district, where every single kid is a child of a commercial sex worker.

[tube]F5m-wdj0e_U[/tube]

Be sure to check out the other videos from Missions in Action which highlight other Compassion, World Vision, Child Fund and other organizations across the world working with children.

TTFN

Posted in Compassion, General | No Comments »

I Think Januarys Suck!

Monday, January 9th, 2012

I was really hoping that this January wouldn’t end up being like last – bad news upon bad news – but so far we’re not looking too much better.

I never really liked Januarys before last year – cold weather; not much sunlight; snow; the after-Christmas-blues; back to work; back to school; no holidays in sight – but last year kind of took the cake for us what with my wife’s sister passing away after being missing for a week, and subsequent funeral, and at the same time our church of 27 years going through a major staffing shakeup.  Other than “the annivesaries” of those two events I was really hoping that this January would be better.

However, late in December we received news that Nancy’s Dad, who has been battling cancer for the last couple years, and seemingly winning (his blood count had been the best it’s been in a LONG time, and still is) was experiencing discomfort under his left arm, and would be needing surgery to remove the lymph nodes in order to prevent the cancer from spreading further.  The surgery was scheduled for tomorrow (Jan 10th).

Last week, he was scheduled for a CT Scan to assist the doctors in pinpointing the extent of the cancer and to assist in the tactics for the surgery.  Nancy had planned to go to London this afternoon to be with her Mom and Dad during the surgery and during the early part of the recuperation period.

This morning, however, she received word that the surgery for tomorrow had been cancelled or postponed and that there was an appointment with the surgeon for 1pm today.  Nancy quickly packed up and headed to London to attend the appointment and reported back to me late this afternoon that the reason the surgery was cancelled was that the cancer had spread beyond the lymph nodes under the left arm, and in fact had spread to the nodes under the right, as well as the right lung and spleen.  The doctors figured at 90 years old, the invasive surgery would not be successful at getting all the cancer and that there was a good chance it would do more overall harm than good.

So…. Nancy’s Dad will now undergo some further radiation treatment to try to keep the cancer in check and will try to made as comfortable as possible through his last days.  The doctors figured that normally they would be looking at “weeks to month”, but since generally he is very healthy, “months” is probably a better guesstimate.

It’s hard to be upbeat about such news.  We know that he’s had a great, productive life as a pastor, and will leave a lasting legacy through so many people including his family, friends and parishioners, and we know that at 90 years old he’s had a *long* life as well, but even so, it’s one more reason, not to particularily enjoy January.

But life goes on.  The kids are back at school.  I’m back at work.  The circle continues.  Even if this part sucks!

TTFN

Posted in General, Personal | No Comments »

10 Reaons to Write Your Sponsored Child

Monday, January 9th, 2012

Compassion International just posted a blog entry on their site entitled “10 Motivating Reasons to Write Your Child“. It’s a great reminder of how that small effort of writing your sponsored child on a regular basis can have such a HUGE impact in the lives of the kids and the families.

If you have a sponsored child…. read it 🙂

If you don’t yet sponsor a child, why not make that your New Years resolution.  If you’re in Canada check out the Compassion Canada page, and if your elsewhere in the world, see Compassion International.

TTFN

Posted in Compassion, General | No Comments »

Life Returns to “Normal”

Sunday, January 8th, 2012

Well, even though my holidays officially were over last weekend, this week things return back to “normal”.  We’ve wished Jordan and Rachel a fond farewell as they head back to Thunder Bay and we just dropped our niece off at the train station for her trek back to Woodstock.  School starts tomorrow for all our kids as well as all the “normal”, busy activities of our life (whatever “normal” is).

However, this will be a hard week as well.  Tomorrow, Nancy is heading down to be with her Mom and Dad as her Dad goes in for more surgery.  It appears that the cancer has spread into the lymph nodes under his left arm (and possibly the right as well) and so on Tuesday they are going to do day surgery to remove what they can, and I assume that will be followed by more radiation and/or chemo.

Nancy will stay over a few day as her Dad recuperates, but it will also be a great time for them to be together as Wednesday marks the 1 year anniversary of Nancy’s sister, Brenda’s passing away.  What an odd year this has been, and it some ways seems like an eternity, but in others, seems like just a few short weeks.  Barely a day goes by when we don’t think about Brenda in some way and how things would have been different if she’d still been around.

It will be a tough week, I’m sure, but God is there.  The sermon this morning was a great reminder to us of that.  The pastor’s four points were:

  1. You must let go of your worries.
  2. You must let go of your wounds.
  3. You must let go of your wrongs.
  4. You must let go of your regrets.

Seemed like it was tailored just for us this morning. 🙂

Thanks for your prayers this week.

TTFN

Tags:
Posted in Church, General, Personal | No Comments »

Christmas Never Ends

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

Well, what a Christmas this has been for our family.  I *think* today was actually the final day of Christmas for us (even though it’s only the “10th Day of Christmas”.

We started our celebration of Christmas on Christmas Eve with a 4:30pm Christmas Eve service and then with our Annual Christmas Eve party (this might just have been the last one of these with such a large crowd, but we’ll see next year).

The next day was the “official” Christmas, which we celebrated at home with our family (minus the Thunder Bay couple who were celebrating quietly up North, as Jordan couldn’t get the time off at that point).  Sleeping in and eating seemed to be the highlight of the day (yes, our kids are older now 🙂 )  Surf and Turf was the menu.

Boxing Day was renamed to Christmas #2 and we celebrated as an extended family in Woodstock.  This was probably the one that we “feared” the most, not because of who would be there, but because of who wouldn’t.  Of course this was the first Christmas without Brenda, but it was also a Christmas without Nancy’s Mom and Dad, as Dad is going in for more surgery on Jan 10th and didn’t want to risk any outside germs.  It was a tough day, but there was still the joy of getting together.  And Brenda’s daughter’s did a fantastic job of preparing turkey and all the fixin’s!!

The next day was a more quiet day in London with Nancy’s parents and a visit from some cousins, and then out for dinner with my brother and his daughter (Christmas #3)

The next celebration was New Years Eve, when we had figured we’d be on our own, but ended up ringing in the New Year with Tim and his girlfriend and another friend.  Then it was quickly off to bed.

January 1st at 7:00am we were at the Toronto airport to pickup Jordan and Rachel who’d stayed up ALL NIGHT in order to catch a very bumpy flight at 5:00am out of Thunder Bay.  Once they got back to our place, the rested (briefly), we headed off to church, and then they headed off to Brantford to be with extended family for their Christmas #2.

The next day (Jan 2nd) was our family Christmas (again), but this time with Rachel and Jordan, and MORE eating!!! (Christmas #4 for us and #3 for them).

Today was Jordan and Rachel’s family Christmas with Rachel’s family so that makes #4 for them!!

It’s been hard to get back into work mode today that’s for sure, but I’m sure that will catch on soon enough 🙂

I hope your Christmas was more of a quiet, restful time than ours seemed and that you had fun with family and friends.  I also hope that you (and we) didn’t miss the true meaning of Christmas this season.  You see, while Christmas technically is only 1 day a year (or 12 if you like the song), the gift that was given to us that first Christmas day just keeps on giving 🙂

God Bless!!

TTFN

Posted in Church, General, Personal | 3 Comments »