More Sciency Stuff

"Has science ever kissed a woman, or won the SuperBowl, or put a man on the moon?" -Homer Simpson- Sorry, more science stuff (some of these blog entries I do just for me). Here's three facts coming out of January's National Geographic magazine that floored me: Less than 2 million of the estimated 11 million …

Random Sciency Christmas Stuff

"Ah, there's nothing more exciting than science.  You get all the fun of sitting still, being quiet, writing down numbers, paying attention.  Science has it all." -Principal Skinner, 'Bart's Comet' - I need more science geek friends.  I have Bible nerd friends, and church friends, and missional geek friends, and hockey fan friends, but I …

With Wisdom Comes Sorrow

Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1: 17-18 There is a giddy goofiness about being twenty that seems to pass …

Appearances are Deceiving

A week ago, in the wee hours after Rick's death.  We all left the General Hospital at the same time and drove back to Beamsville.  I was following Carole's and my dad's cars onto the Red Hill expressway and I thought. "We can't just be driving home!  Not after that!" It seemed absurd that we …

A Funeral Sermon

Some words shared on December 16th during Rick McBay's funeral. 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit …

Lessons Learned

It's early but a couple of lessons have come into sharp relief after this week's events: 1. Take more pictures I casually snapped this picture with my phone during last Wednesday's praise team practice. The tip of Rick's shoe is in the far left. I considered for a second taking a second one to complete …

A Whispered Psalm of Hope

Psalm 16 is called a "Mikhtam" of David and no one is sure what that means. “Mikhtam,” is also used before Psalms 56 - 60 and all six of these Psalms are cries for help that are written when the writer is in danger. You can't cry out loud so your protest is "Mikhtam" (covered); …

Teachers Live Forever

I shared in a school assembly yesterday where the Great Lakes Community gathered to remember Rick McBay, who passed away suddenly last Saturday. The first person to speak stood at the mike, it began to feedback and everyone sat there, waiting. It was a solid six seconds before Don Rose got up to adjust the …

Why You Need Tragedy In Your Life

You learn things through suffering that you won't learn; you can't learn any other way. Consider the story of Joseph in Genesis (Gen 37-50). Why was it necessary for there to be so much suffering in Joseph's life? His father Jacob poisoned his own family by preferring his sons Joseph and Benjamin over his other …

God At Work

The Psalmist nailed it, "My soul is weary with sorrow..." Pslm 119:28 . I am sick of grieving.  God has been gracious enough to give me a month between these two dark nights of the soul (first Jeremy's funeral last month and now this); but it's not enough. I don't want to do another funeral, …