Thank You Salvation Army

$500,000.00, that was the amount of a cheque dropped into a Salvation Army kettle last week in Rosemount, Minnesota.  $500,000.00! I’m pretty sure the local Salvation Army thought the cheque was simply a joke, that it was too good to be true.  But it was true, the cheque was honoured at the bank, all $500,000.00. 

The couple who put the cheque in the kettle later told the Salvation Army that when they were first married they struggled to get by, often eating groceries discarded by a local grocery store.  And now they felt they were in a position to pay it ahead.  "You get to a point in life where it's time to take care of others, the way you were taken care of," the donors said.

They also wanted the gift to honour one of their fathers who had served in the First World War and was always grateful for the hot coffee and donuts served to the soldiers by the Salvation Army.

Neat story, this year I will be again ringing a bell alongside of a Salvation Army Kettle because it’s a little bit I can do.  And like the Minnesota couple I believe in what the Salvation Army is doing to make our communities better places.  Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.  

They are going to the chapel

Who would have thunk?  After living together for thirty years they are finally tying the knot.  And I don’t know what was more of a shock, reading about the wedding or seeing the picture of the happy couple. She doesn’t look much different than she did when I had a crush on her when I was 12 but now he looks homeless.  

Goldie Hawn, who just turned seventy, and her long-time partner Kurt Russell, have decided to get married, and I think that’s great.  After thirty years they seem to have decided that there is something different between simply living together and being legally married.

And that is the reality.  When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4 she commented that she had been married five times and the man she was presently living with wasn’t her husband, in Jesus’ mind there was a difference. 

I don’t know why they waited so long, or why after thirty years they finally decided, but I hope then have a great wedding and a happy and long marriage.

Someone asked me if I thought it was a good idea that Goldie and Kurt get married after living together for so long, you bet your sweet bippy I do. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.  

I hear singing!

So, the other day I was strolling through Walmart when I heard it.  At first I thought I had just imagined what they were singing about, but when I stopped and paid closer attention I confirmed that was what they were singing.  And nobody seemed outraged, as a matter of fact I don’t think anyone other than me even noticed, but I did. 

They were singing about angels and virgins and God sending a Saviour.  And nobody so much batted an eye or raised an eyebrow about what they were listening to.  It was almost as if I was the only one who could hear the words.

Now I would suspect if they had of been playing hymns or praise music at Walmart it wouldn’t have been long before someone complained, but people seem to give a pass to Christmas music.  And I’m not sure if it’s because after years of hearing it that people have become immune to the words or if the message is simply considered harmless.

But regardless, when I hear the birth of Jesus being sung about, between songs of snowmen and Santa, I will celebrate and whisper a prayer that a heart will be touched and an eternity will be changed.   Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.  

Something I didn't know

I stumbled across something the other day that I didn’t know.  Unlike our neighbours to the south, our leaders very rarely talk about their faith publically.  We all seem to know that Stephen Harper was an Evangelical Christian, but I never actually heard him mention it.  Maybe everyone learned a lesson from Stockwell Day.  But the other day I came across some comments made by Prime Minister Trudeau in an interview last year.

He spoke about how his father had him in church every Sunday, prayed with him every night and read the Bible with he and his brothers at least once a week.  Hmmmm, things I never knew. 

And then the Prime Minister mentioned that after his brother Michel was killed in 1998, that a friend invited him to attend a 12-week Alpha Course, which he did.  And then he closed that part of the interview by saying: “Since that moment, I still consider myself and have re-found myself of a deep faith and belief in God. But obviously very aware of the separation of church and state in my political thinking.”

Justin’s comment may confuse you or make you angry but for me it renews my commitment to continue to pray for the Prime Minister and his family.  #prayingforjustinandsophie.   Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.  

Christmas Projects

It’s November, the days are getting shorter and as much as we might try to ignore it, thoughts of Christmas start creeping up.  At Cornerstone we promote “Christmas” projects, not projects that have will have an impact on Cornerstone but on people who we will never meet.

Operation Christmas Child will put gift boxes in the hands of children who may never have received a gift before. And there are many families at Cornerstone that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without filling a box or many boxes for children in developing countries. 

Our second project, Clean Water for Christmas, has raised funds to provide clean water for over a dozen villages in Africa through the years.  This year our gifts will be matched dollar for dollar by another donor and used to cap fresh water springs in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

And no one at Cornerstone is poorer for having taken part in these projects, but lives have been changed and without hyperbole lives have been saved.

As a church family most of us have been blessed and I want to thank you for the blessings that you have and will pass on to folks who you will probably never meet, at least not on this side of eternity.    Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.  

The Price of Fall

Angela and I were marvelling at the autumn colours last week as we drove along the highway. The woods were a kaleidoscope of colours, no two the same. It wasn’t hard to imagine Jack Frost painting each leaf individually.

One of the many things we missed during our time in Australia were the fall colours. As beautiful and gorgeous and wonderful (have I used enough adjectives yet?) as the weather was in Australia, and it was beautiful and gorgeous and wonderful, their trees didn’t change in the fall. To be truthful, I don’t think I ever truly appreciated the various hues that paint our forests until they weren’t there to see. That’s a sad reality of life as well—you don’t realize the good you have until you don’t have it anymore.

As much as I enjoy the fall scenery I don’t appreciate what it takes to make the leaves change—chilly fall mornings leave me cold, so to speak. That’s human nature though isn’t it? We never seem to want to pay the price, no matter how small. The great thing about the beauty of Heaven is that the price has already been paid, and all we have to do is claim it. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.  

Your Choice

I was part of democracy in action this week. Not only did I vote but I also worked on Election Day as the Central Poll Supervisor, which isn't nearly as important as it sounds.

Pretty good gig, all in all, I was paid by Elections Canada to welcome people to Cornerstone.  During those twelve hours I was able to make several observations about people as they voted.

Some people were visibly excited to have the privilege to vote while others it seemed were simply voting out of obligation, they felt they had to. There were those who were hardly behind the screen long enough to mark their ballots while others were obviously deep in thought or asleep.

What they all had in common was they had each been offered a gift, the right to vote, and they had accepted it.

Many others were offered the same gift and turned it down, for any number of reasons. Perhaps some thought they were too busy, others left it too long and ran out of time, some were disinterested and still others viewed the entire process with disdain. Bottom line: some people chose to vote and other chose not to vote, but it was their choice. Kind of reminds me of salvation. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.