Ho, Ho, Hold on: Reconnecting and renewing friendships midway through the year

     

     Glancing at the calendar as I write, I see that Christmas is exactly six months away. What a thought! 
     Our lovely June is fast disappearing with summer already upon us. 

     My weekend was a busy one.
      

    "I heard about some people 

who were singing for the Lord, 

so I packed up my car and I got on board. 

I headed down the road to old Enderby, 

and to the Southern Gospel Jamboree.” 

     Actually, six of us girls made our way to Enderby in a mini-van to enjoy this year’s concert, Singing’ Good News. 

     

     What a great way to get — Refreshed, Renewed, Revived!

      Each year, a variety of musical guests present the Good News of the Gospel in word and song. A short stop at the Log Barn, Armstrong location, saw us enjoying our bag lunch in the picnic area. Having attended these concerts for several years already, they have become a favourite of mine. 

     Another weekend delight was a barbecue gathering at Terri and Jim’s home on the lakeshore, overlooking our lovely Okanagan Lake. 

     Our Alpha group that met at church in January, decided to have a get-together to see what has transpired in each of our lives since then. Terri and Jim, who were our leaders, offered to be our gracious hosts. We all seemed to enjoy reconnecting, as we renewed friendships, feeling continued love and concern for each other. 

     My pastor’s Sunday morning sermon reminded me that God knew me at the beginning of all time and already had a role for me to play in His eternal purpose. 

     He chose me, giving me the Great Exchange — my unrighteousness for His righteousness. How wonderful that I am now called “His child!”  

    The following is a true story from the Far East Broadcasting Association which, reaches people with the good news of the gospel through radio in many far-away corners of the earth.  

     “Seven Hindu boys in India, were sitting in a tree — whiling away time, as children often do. 
     One of the boys brought a radio with him and it happened to be tuned in to an FEBC International program. 
'If you’re ever afraid or lonely,' the boys heard the broadcaster say, 'call on the Name of Jesus, and He will help you.' 
     Just then, a neighbourhood woman, known to be demon-possessed, burst out of her house and ran down the street screaming. 
     The boys watched as this scary woman knocked over chairs, garbage cans …anything in her way. 
     As she ran closer to the boys, they panicked. 'Hey, do what they said on the radio,' one of them yelled. 'Call out the Name of Jesus.' 
     Skeptically, the other boys in the tree looked at their friend …but as the crazed woman bore down on them, they turned and shouted in unison: 'Jesus!' Immediately, the woman fell to the ground. 
     The boys stared in amazement and questioned amongst themselves: was the demon-possessed woman, who was now quiet, suddenly changed because of Jesus? 
     Still shaken, the boys contacted the radio station …and the ministry’s team talked to them about Jesus, visited them, brought them Bibles, and kept in touch. 
     Eventually, the seven Hindu boys — who first heard about Jesus through a radio broadcast — committed their hearts to the Lord! 
     

     Each of them was baptized and later attended seminary, with plans to pastor others and lead them to Jesus, in the same way that the radio ministry staff had led them to do so, many years before.”

     How wonderful that the message of Jesus’ love is still being carried to the many corners of the earth. 

    
     When all have had the privilege to “hear,” then Jesus will come back. 

     Praise God!

— beulah

Celebrating family days: June birthday blessings

     

     

     “And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days. . .”

— James Russell Lowell   

     I have always welcomed the month of June. Is it because it is filled with graduations, birthdays (at least in my family), Father’s Day, the entrance of summer with longer days and hopefully sunny ones, and also the beginning of holidays for many? 

     Perhaps my career as a teacher had much to do with my anticipation for its arrival. It was a signal that I was granted two months of holiday time. I seemed to be always ready for it! 

     Now, my thoughts are often with teachers as June arrives. They deserve an extended break. I recently returned from another weekend visit to Vancouver. Learning that my great-granddaughter, Melissa, had included this Gigi on her birthday guest list, how could I ignore such a request? 

     And what a delightful celebration it was!

Grandma Eagles.

Grandpa and Evelyn.

Grandma and Melissa.

Four-year-old Melissa.

     Family togetherness is all-important to Melissa’s family, so this birthday gathering consisted of 11 adults, the two girls making it all of 13 seated around  a lovely birthday table. 

     Four-year-old Melissa is getting to know and love her two sets of grandparents, aunties and uncles, while learning early the importance of the family bond. 

     Sister Evelyn, (seven years old in Oct.) graciously let her little sister be the “star of the day,” carefully assisting as she read each card’s message to her. 

     

Evelyn (right) reads messages in the cards to Melissa.

     I observed our four-year-old Melissa showing poise and sensitivity when hearing that a "Happy Birthday" phone message had arrived from her great Uncle Roger — her somewhat adult response, saying: “Well, that was nice of him!” 

     

     To have the privilege of celebrating birthdays with my great-grands is none other than an extended blessing from my Lord! 

     

Fran 

I think of my best friend, Fran, who in my early adult years, left us early to be with our Lord. 

     She did not get to experience the joy of grandchildren, but I’m sure the “exchange” made up for it. 

     June birthday blessings continue for me. I am looking forward to a birthday dinner at one of our favourite restaurants with granddaughter, Sarah, whose birthday was last weekend also. 

     
     
     Today, became a sombre day for many. Word came, that Canada’s highest court decided (7-2) against the christian university Trinity Western and their request that law societies across Canada accredit graduates of their proposed law school. 
     Losing such a case, the further participation of religious-grounded ideals in Canadian society will bring challenges. The Supreme Court of Canada has struck a blow to religious freedom in Canada by the decision that says, students who graduate from the law program at Trinity Western University would act in a discriminate manner toward LGBTQ rights. 

    Sadly, we are seeing increasingly that religious views are not respected in all areas of Canadian society. What has happened to the commitment of Canada’s founders who made Psalm 72:8 the motto of our land: “He shall have dominion from sea to sea,” and had it carved in stone at the entrance to our Houses of Parliament? 

     It seems our leaders from an earlier generation had respect, somewhat, and honour for God. 

     The following story is told of Rt. Hon. Alexander MacKenzie (1822-1892), Canada’s second prime minister from 1873 to 1878. 
  
     It is an excerpt from a blog post by the late David Mainse.

     “Prime Minister MacKenzie arrived at his office at 7 a.m. each morning. The prophet Daniel, MacKenzie’s political hero, prayed with his window open each day (Daniel 6: 10-13).   
     MacKenzie, with the door open and on his knees, would pray out loud for God’s blessings on Canada for a new day. This was repeated at noon and again before he left for home at 7:00 in the evening. 
     His staff, who were expected to arrive before him in the morning and leave after him at night, would gather around the door to listen to the Prime Minister pray. All Canadians need to know that this may be one of the main reasons why Canada has been so greatly blessed.” 

     However, though often ignored by our national leaders, there is a just God who reigns over the destiny of nations. 

     Jesus said,"In this world you will have have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

— John 16:33

     Recently, I have been reading Max Lucado's book, Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World, which I highly recommend. 

     The following is one of his meditation poems.   

     
Today, I will live today. 
Yesterday has passed. 
Tomorrow is not yet. 
I’m left with today. 
So, today, I will live today. 
Relive yesterday? 
No. I will learn from it. 
I will seek mercy for it. 
But I won’t live in it. 
The sun has set on yesterday. 
The sun has yet to rise on tomorrow. 
Worry about the future? 
To what gain? 
It deserves a glance, nothing more. 
I can’t change tomorrow until tomorrow. 
Today, I will live today. 
I will face today’s challenges with today’s strength. 
I will dance today’s waltz with today’s music. 
I will celebrate today’s opportunities with today’s hope. Today.

— beulah

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire — burn baby burn

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”  

— William Butler Yeats

     Having just returned from my three-day visit to Vancouver, I’m again reminded of one of the reasons Nels and I chose to retire to Okanagan country. 

     I was absolutely amazed at the onslaught of traffic that people battle every day, to and from their workplace. 

     Our city of Kelowna has its share of traffic, especially at vacation time, but of course, nothing compared to the big city, that in our earlier years seemed so peacefully different. 

           

Ashton Brooke Eagles

     

     What a wonderful privilege I had to be a part of the happy celebration of seeing my youngest granddaughter, Ashton Brooke, graduate from the University of British Columbia. 

     Honour Standing with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology, the result of much dedication and hard work! 

     

     Each time as I visit University of British Columbia, I am reminded of those earlier years when Nels also attended there, during the fifties. UBC’s beginning was in 1916, their first grad class, with 379 registered students and 34 faculty members. Continuing to grow, by the 1950s UBC had become a top choice for students in British Columbia and beyond. 

     At the first graduation ceremony in 1916, I learned that the first president, Frank Wesbrook, in his speech, encouraged the students to make our world a better place. A century later, the same remarks were echoed to the class of 2018, perhaps carrying even a greater challenge. 

     I like Anne Frank’s encouraging words, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” The University’s motto, I find most interesting: Tuum Est, meaning "it is yours," which to me seems to say, “You can be whatever you want to be. It’s up to you!” 

     

Lisa, her mother Anne and Beulah.

Beulah, Ashton and Roger.

Brayden and sister Ashton.

Lisa, Ashton and Anne.

Beulah, Ashton and Anne.

Ashton dressed for evening celebrations.

Ashton celebrating with cake at her Vancouver home.

     As there are so many choices available in this decade in which we live, Ashton and her fellow graduates’ unforeseen future could be extraordinary! 

     Many believe that it is choice rather than fate which determines where the human journey leads. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it concisely, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” 

     How important then, are the choices we make! Choices that, without a doubt, will shape our destiny. It can be a big scary world out there but, “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life,” Mohammed Ali once said.  

     We topped the day off, with a delicious dinner around the table at a Greek restaurant called Minerva’s, with family and a few of Ashton’s favourite friends. 

     Later, our dessert was a delicious cake, served back at Ashton’s apartment, on campus. 

     

Ashton and boyfriend Matteo.

     A highlight was finally getting to meet Matteo, Ashton’s boyfriend. He was a delight, and this Grandma was quite impressed. 

     Another added bonus was meeting up with granddaughter, Krista and great grands, Evelyn and Melissa at a local White Spot for breakfast. 

     Evelyn was granted time off from school, just so she could meet with us, certainly making Grandma Karen’s day!   

     I dedicate the following prayer to all graduates of 2018 and indeed to all of us:

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon, where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. 
O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.”  

— Prayer of Saint Francis  

— beulah