Wednesday, October 29, 2014

It Seems to Make Good Sense



It just seems to make good sense.  Last Sunday Cornerstone decided to embark on another adventure.  Over the past several months your leadership team has been investigating ways to reduce our annual $16,000.00 power bill.  And this isn’t a new thing, from the first power bill we ever received we have been trying to make it less.  That has resulted in new lighting throughout the building, going to time of day usage for our heating and several other initiatives.  But this is by far our most ambitious.  
The plan is to install a new air to water heat pump to save energy and to install a 30 kw PV Solar array, consisting of 120 solar panels on our south facing roof, to produce energy.  And there are some cool aspects to the project.  We would be the first church east of Ontario with a significant solar presence, and it would be the largest solar project in Nova Scotia.  But outside of that it just seems to make good sense.  It seems to make good sense financially and environmentally and it always makes good sense for the church to be seen as doing the right thing. 
And when all the proposals are in if it doesn’t make good sense, then we won’t do it.

Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

. . . but doesn't share well



It was bizarre.  The other day I was working at the office annex (Tims), that wasn’t the bizarre part, when I noticed an older gentleman reading his morning newspaper.  That wasn’t bizarre either, but after he finished each page he tore it in half and put it in a pile.  That was bizarre.  Most people read their newspaper in the coffee shop and if they don’t take it with them they leave it for the next person.  When he was finished his breakfast he got up and threw his decimated paper in the trash & not even in the paper recycle bin, but the trash.
I’ve actually seen the same gentleman a number of mornings and his routine is always the same: read a page, tear it in half and then throw it out.  It wouldn’t cost him an extra nickel to leave his paper for someone else, and yet he goes out of his way to make sure someone else doesn’t get to enjoy what he has paid for.
We might think that is petty but how often do we do the same thing with all that God has given us?  Regardless of what “it” is, I’m pretty sure that God expects us to leave some of “it” for the next guy.

Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving



So, how was your Thanksgiving?  We had a full house this year. Deborah and Stefan and the three girls were here along with our son Stephen.    We did the traditional feast on Monday and will eat leftovers for a good part of the week.  Thanksgiving was good, and we had a riot with the grandkids.  But it was a busy weekend, with conducting a funeral on Friday, dealing with a car accident on Saturday, three services on Sunday, including dedicating our youngest grand-daughter and the feast on Monday.
In the rush I wonder how much time I really had for giving thanks.  And I have much to be thankful for, especially as I look around at the rest of the world, and I don’t just mean material blessings.  I love my wife and I love my life and there’s a lot to be said in that statement.   Often though I take those things for granted, or worse, take them as my due.    
I’m not going to make promises about how next Thanksgiving weekend will be less rushed because it won’t be.  But I am going to try really hard through the year to say “thank you” more to my family, my friends and my God.   Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.