CELEBRATE FREEDOM FOR CANADA DAY

Many of us will celebrate Canada Day this weekend.  There will be fireworks, BBQs, picnics, special events, family gatherings...lots of way to commemorate the country we live in.  The approaching holiday has caused me to consider how much I take Canada for granted...how little I appreciate the life that I live.

I've been a car auctioneer for 23 years now.  When I first started in that business, most of the car dealers that I encountered were white men.  In 2019, they are still mostly men - but they are every colour of skin you can imagine.  The range of ethnic groups represented at the auction reflects the diversity of our national population. I don't get much time to talk to the dealers, but on occasion, there's a few minutes to get to know them better.

There's a younger man who is originally from Somalia.  He goes by the name Sam, but most people call him "Smiley", because - well, he smiles all the time.  Judging by what I have learned from him about his life, he must be older than he looks.  Sam lived with his parents and siblings in a rural area of Somalia; his father and mother were subsistence farmers growing crops and keeping a herd of goats.  When he was about six years old, conflict erupted in Somalia.  At about the same time, drought hit the region; after struggling for several years in the midst of increasing violence and diminishing productivity on the farm, the family moved to a displaced persons camp outside a major city.  Once the family was settled in the camp, Sam's father left to find work.  Sam never saw his father again.

Sam lived in the camp for the next eight years, dependent on international aid agencies for food, shelter and rudimentary healthcare.  The primary source of nourishment was millet flour.  Sam says they ate it three meals a day, mostly in a porridge form.  It was supplemented with palm oil.  About once a month, they received small portion of meat which was shredded to make it go further and put in the millet porridge.  Sam told me that he was sick of millet and what he craved most during that time was fresh vegetables and fruit; he received an orange every year at Christmas time but never fresh veggies.

At the age of 15, Sam and his family immigrated to Turkey via a temporary farm labour program.  The family worked on an industrial farm that grew tomatoes and cucumbers year round.  They weren't paid very much, but they were allowed to eat all the tomatoes and cucumbers they wanted.  Sam thought he was in paradise for the first few months - but he got weary of them too.  What at first seemed to be a blessing soon became a burden.  The very things he dreamed of when he was in the displaced persons camp were soured by the lack of choice .

The family immigrated to Canada when Sam was 20 years old.  He told me the memory that stays with him most was going to a supermarket for the first time and pushing a cart up and down aisle after aisle of things to eat; he said the family was overwhelmed with the choice.

Freedom comes in many forms.  Freedom to choose is one of them, more precious than most of us can understand and something about which we seldom give a second thought.

Celebrate and rejoice!  Blessings and peace to all.

Pat

Take This Thought Away With You

"For those without choice, hopelessness is no obstacle to hope."

~ from the Web ~

A Week's Worth of Gratitude

Saturday ~ bald eagle coasting the shoreline

Sunday ~ Joy Wagler

Monday ~ Johnson Harbour/Queen's Bush Road

Tuesday ~ Wil McKay

Wednesday ~ Thom in the church garden

Thursday ~ Josh Fritz, civic leader

Friday ~ our ministers

IN GOOD COMPANY

Last Tuesday, I did something that was a bit foolhardy, but it turned out to be instructive.  It reinforced my understanding that in order to experience the wonder of life, you actually have to live it...good or bad.  The only way to be on the Way is to get out there and do it.

Having returned from the car auction in Milton, I decided I would walk home from Rockford to my home at Kingston Beach.  Using the abandoned rail trail for most of the journey, that's about 17.5 kms.  I set out at 3 pm and was home, footsore and muscle weary at 6:25 pm.  I had a blister on my right heel, another on the ball of my left foot and I think I'm going to lose a toenail on my right foot.  The weather was fine and the walk was great!

I met only two other people along the trail; a woman on a bike and another hiker who turned out to be Fred Wallace (our sports commentator on local radio).  Like me, Fred walks for many reasons; for health and fitness, for recreation, for fresh air, for the joy of it.  I stopped and chatted briefly with him (he was headed south and I was going north) and we both marvelled a bit about crossing paths out in the middle of nowhere. 

The unlikely circumstance of it was a bit of a wonder to me, a thought that occupied me and took my mind off my sore feet for a few kilometers.  The encounter reminded me, to use someone else's words, that life is not a spectator sport.  Living fully is not me strolling down an aisle at the grocery store of life, filling my shopping cart with only the stuff I like.  To get as much as I can from life, I have to jump in and stay in. 

It's a lot like being on the Way and being a member of a faith community; some parts of the experience aren't easy or pleasant, but we persist and continue the journey knowing we are in good company.

Stay the course!  Blessings and peace to all.

Pat

Take This Thought Away With You

"Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it,

casts the shadow of our burdens behind us."

~ Samuel Smiles ~

A Week's Worth of Gratitude

Saturday ~ being socked in

Sunday ~ Joy, Yvonne, Marlene, Marsha

Monday ~ garden work

Tuesday ~ long, long walks

Wednesday ~ Ryan Brown, civic leader

Thursday ~ rain drop rhythm on a tin pot

Friday ~ summer solstice

LISTEN UP!

When I was in army basic training 43 years ago, the sergeant who was responsible for instructing us used call out "listen up!" in a very loud voice.  It was his way of getting our attention before passing on some important piece of information.

Even now, I am conscious of times when it is important to listen to the voices that are around me and within me.  Those times are when something tells me to be alert, to pay attention to what is going on.  Something important is happening - I need to listen up!

The voices I hear generally fall into two categories: the voices of fear and hate; and, the voices of hope and love.  I have found that no matter what the issue at hand is, both voices are lurking in the background, waiting for the opportunity to speak up and dominate the discussion.  And, I've discovered that it's up to me to decide which voice I'm going to listen to.  "Pat", I'll ask myself, "which voice are you going hear?  The voice of fear or the voice of hope?"  To be honest, sometimes it's easier and in a crooked way, more satisfying to hear the voice of fear.  There's a weird feeling of comfort in giving way to fear and retreating from important moments.

Inevitably though, the voice that needs my attention is the voice of hope.  That's the voice that will call me to dig deep and find a Way to work things out; it's the voice of love that calls me to give second thought to how I want to live in the world, how I want to be with other people.  The voice of hope is the one I need to cultivate and exercise, to make it stronger and constant.

You might think that I'm exaggerating this idea of the voices we listen to...but, I don't think so.  I think it's these voices which govern the perspective we take on life.  If it's fear I listen to, then I see and experience a life that's tinged with anger and frustration.  When hope and love fill my head, life's ingredients are joy, generosity, kindness and laughter.

Listen up!  Listen for hope and love.  Blessings and peace to all.

Pat

Take This Thought Away With You

"Only one life, that soon is past.

Only what's done with love will last."

~ poet, C.T. Studd ~

A Week's Worth of Gratitude

Saturday ~ smell of lilacs along the side road

Sunday ~ Agnes

Monday ~ Colleen Seaman

Tuesday ~ Nancy Petanowitch

Wednesday ~ recovery

Thursday ~ lunch and a friend

Friday ~ Choir

INNOVATION AND ADAPTATION

I wonder where that goldfish found the courage to leap from the smaller bowl to the larger?  The risk of failure was pretty high...it's not like the goldfish had practiced jumping before.  This was likely a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a big change, change that would alter everything...new life for the goldfish.

I was waiting in a parking lot for a friend to join me for lunch at a local restaurant.  Something caught my eye about the row of cars stationed opposite me.  There was a small bird, a sparrow I think, that was jumping and fluttering up to the bumper and grill of each of the cars.  At first I thought the bird was hurt; but I soon detected what was going on.  The sparrow was gleaning dead bugs to eat from the front of the cars.  Those vehicles, and the insects gathered on the highway, were a virtual smorgasbord for that bird.  I thought to myself, isn't that amazing!  The adaptation and innovation that sparrow used to find a new way to feed itself and its fledglings; how would a bird change its natural habits to see dead bugs on a bumper as a source of food?

We're in a period of transition at First United.  How we do church is going to change...whether we like it or not.

Our challenges are complex and some of the decisions we make will be difficult.  Our trust, commitment and faith will be tested.

We can learn a lot from the example of the goldfish and the sparrow.  

Old ways won't open new doors...

Pat

WHY?

It's been a good week, all in all.  I've learned a few things new and been reminded of a couple of things I'd forgotten.  I count it a good week when I've regained some insight and perhaps, some wisdom.

This week, I've attended several meetings with different groups and organizations.  The common theme of those meetings and the current focus of those organizations is managing changing circumstances.  The world is changing; we are part of the world...so, we are changing too.  But, when it comes to change, our tendency is to try to protect WHAT we currently have.  WHAT we have now is WHAT we are comfortable with.  I'm learning that our first priority should not be to protect the status quo.

On Wednesday, I watched a TEDx video* that suggests our first priority ought to be about WHY, not WHAT. (I'll stop capitalizing "why" and "what" now - that's tiresome).  In that video, and in the discussions that have followed it this week, I've been reminded and convinced that why we do things must be the foundation to what we do. 

First United Church engages in significant outreach and social justice efforts throughout the year.  This spring, we have supported mental health with our donation of personal hygiene bags; and, In May, we launched our Canadian Foodgrains bank campaign.  Just last week, we completed our annual book and bake sale and raised over $2,040.00.  Some of that money will be donated to a Books for Kids program through the spiritual care and grief counselling team at the hospital where Rev. Kathy Underwood serves.  All of those things are "what" we do...they are our mission.

What about our "why"?  As followers of Jesus, the Way is very clear:  "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  The second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."  That is our "why". 

In times of change, it's important to hold tight to WHY.  As Kristal reflected with us last Sunday, it's simple but it's not easy. 

Blessings and peace to all.

Pat

* 2009 TEDx talk, Simon Sinek, link to it: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en

Take This Thought Away With You

People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it."

~ Simon Sinek ~

A Week's Worth of Gratitude

Saturday ~ generous donors and shoppers

Sunday ~ Kristal

Monday ~ Laurel, Diana, Nancy & Stephen

Tuesday ~ First Editions book club

Wednesday ~ dinner companions

Thursday ~ John Wilson

Friday ~ Viola Knight

WHAT WE NEED

Last weekend, I attended the first annual general meeting of Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council of the United Church of Canada.  First United Church is a part of that new organization.  The meeting took place at the UNIFOR Centre in Port Elgin.  I wish all of you could have been there.

I was expecting a fair amount of tedious business to dominate the agenda.  I was partly wrong.  The dominating component of the agenda was two presentations by keynote speaker Rev. Cameron Trimble.  Cameron is a minister in the United Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia - and she's the CEO of the Centre for Progressive Renewal (CPR).  That organization helps congregations and churches discover ways to be faithful and relevant in today's times.  She's an expert on church renewal.

I took several pages of notes during her presentations, but I confess that at times I forgot all about recording her remarks - I was fascinated by Cameron's vision of what a renewed community of faith might be.  I was conscious that here at First United, we will soon receive the facilitator's report on our own visioning process.  When we get that report and have had time to absorb its recommendations, it will be time for us to make decisions and plans.

I was listening to Cameron with that in mind.  I thought I would share some of her remarks with you:

*  leadership is an essential ingredient in defining who we are.  Not all of us are leaders, but all of us can be supportive of those who are.

*  we need to choose which voice we are going to listen to.  Will it be the fearful one or the hopeful one?

*  let's differentiate between problems and conditions.  Problems can be fixed; conditions need to be treated.

*  we should strive for the rebuilding and fostering of connections and relationships within our congregation and outwards into our larger community.  Everything else will follow from that.

*  some failure is inevitable as we find our way...it's part of the process.  So, get ready to fail better.

*  we need to work together to build mutual trust to support our vision.  Trust is an antidote to fear and apathy.

I came away from the weekend excited for what the future holds for us, for the things we will do together as a community of faith.  

Blessings and peace to all.

Pat

Take This Thought Away With You

"You have a contribution to make to the world

that only YOU can make.

The rest of us are waiting, with hope,

to see what that will be."

~ Rev. Cameron Trimble ~ 

PERFECT DAY

Several years ago, I made a resolution to eliminate the word perfect from my vocabulary.  My rationale for that was my belief that the hunt for perfection is a fruitless effort - our world does not admit the perfect.  To strive for perfection in any thing (or any person) is a wasted and self-defeating endeavour.

I was wrong.

Last Tuesday, the 21st of May, was a perfect day.  P - E - R - F - E - C - T.  All 24 hours of it.

It started out with a notice from my boss at the auto auction that I did not have to work Tuesday in Milton.  Yahoo!  The long weekend just got a day longer. 

Then, brother Thom and I decided to plant the church garden that day.  The weather turned out to be perfect (cool, sunny, slight breeze).  First we weeded; then we tilled; then we added fresh topsoil (thanks to a donation from Laurel Dinsmore); then we tilled again.  Then we planted: four rows of potatoes, two rows of carrots, two rows of beets, two rows of swiss chard, several rows of onions, two rows of bush beans and 6 mounds of zucchini.  A job well done.

At noon, Joy came out to the garden and invited us to lunch.  We shared a meal with Marilyn, Ruth, Linda (and Joy) of the Eat, Pray, Knit group.  There was potato-bacon soup, fresh bread, cheese, pickles, fruit, cookies, squares.  We were well fed.

There's nothing that happened last Tuesday that was extraordinary in any way.  It was the combination of things that made it perfect...good weather, good work, good friends, great generosity.

Turns out that perfection isn't so rare or hard to find after all.  Perhaps it just depends where you look for it.

Blessings and peace to all.

Pat

Take This Thought Away With You

In life, what really matters is not

what we bought but what we built;

not what we got but what we shared;

not our competence but our character;

and not our success but our significance.

Live a life that matters.

Live a life of love.

~ from the Internet ~