Meanwhile. Back at the Tire Store

 

The Fountain Tire Store that we did a few weeks ago is really coming together. One big wall that we only primed was being reserved for a giant mural. We did not hang it but it is a beautiful photo-mural of Pit Lake. This has turned out to be not your average tire store.

Colour II

 

In my previous post, I mentioned how much we enjoy working with colour. Last week we re-decorated this 1400 sq. ft. home and, included, was re-finishing the front entry door. It was almost totally obscured by the ivy and after they trimmed the foliage way back and we scraped, sanded, filled, caulked and sanded some more, we finally started getting rid of the orange. There were lumps, bumps, cracks and orange paint on the glass.

 

After we were done it was a masterpiece, just like new, especially after we installed the new weather strips and replaced the stainless steel kick at the bottom of the door.  At first I was leery about the colour, which they chose, but after the second coat, and standing at the street to get the 'big picture' I actually quite liked it.

 

Another satisfied customer, who very generously treated us to a dinner out as a tip.

Colour

 

If you ever happen to drive by the Fountain Tire store in Maple Ridge, you might want to drop in to see the latest décor in the customer service lounge and sales area. We took on this job a few weeks ago and today the final touch-ups are being done.

We did the Fountain Tire store in Abbotsford last year and I guess the word got out in the world of tire stores. This was like new construction so we did not have to deal with too much grease and rubber smudge, a problem at the Abbotsford store.

The owner will be very pleased to move his office out of the portable in the parking lot and work out of his shiny new surroundings.

It is always fun to work with colour.

Coming Out

 

In case you had not noticed, I have had limited activity on this blog in the last few weeks. I have not lost my enthusiasm, run out of photos or ideas, or forgotten how to do it. The important ingredient that is missing is energy.

 

It seems that I have temporarily come out of retirement for a while and after a day's work I am good for a few games of internet Scrabble and them I am done. I am a Zombie after a day of work. I can barely move.

 

Why, you might ask? As to coming out of retirement, I actually never officially retired but only tried, successfully, to slow down. However, a few lucrative jobs came my way and at the time of considering them, I felt energetic enough to take them on, no doubt due to the fact that I was well rested.

 

Fatigue will dampen one's enthusiasm to get out there with a camera, load and process the photos, and them come up with something to write about. The two photos here were taken with a minimum of effort, right here in our garden.

 

As to a continuation of work, yes, I have taken on more contracts and will have a busy summer. I am slowly getting back into shape and even though very tired at the end of the day, all systems benefit from physical work. Walking every day is great but is not as beneficial as the activity I do when working.

 

If this all sounds crazy for an old semi-retired guy like me, it gets crazier. We are receiving word any moment now about a 2 week contract that requires working through the night!

"What does not kill you will make you stronger". We will see about that.  

 

 

Fatherless

 

Evening skies over Oroville Wa. USA

 

It is one year since my father passed away. It is Father's Day today and I cannot help but think of my orphan status. Many thoughts come to mind and here are a few of them.

 

I was fortunate to have a dad for 65 years. Not everyone my age can say that.

 

I do not regret spending a lot of time with him, throughout my entire life.

 

I learned many things from my dad, both what to do and what not to do. Teaching both is important.

 

Having a dad is a gift that is to be treasured and appreciated. They will love you unconditionally, even when they are ticked.  

 

My thoughts about fatherhood must now turn in other directions. My own status as a father and how I can do that better, how being a grandfather is part of the package, and how I now look to my heavenly father for all and more that I received from my earthly father.

 

The metaphor of God being our father is pure genius. When we see it in light of our own situation within our family, the parallels are uncanny. But beyond that, the relationship with God as our Father  is on a much higher plain. It is here that fatherhood reaches perfection. A perfect father loving an imperfect child and doing everything for his ultimate good and for his ultimate benefit is not achievable on a human level.

We Christians speak of a reunion with our loved ones when we reach the afterlife. Will our embrace with our earthly parents be nearly as sweet as finally being in the presence of our Heavenly Father? How wonderful that we will get to experience both.

 

Today I cannot give my dad a box of chocolates and tell him that I love him, because he is not here. But I can tell my Heavenly Father that I love him and that I will commit to that love for all my life. I might even ask for a box of chocolates, which, he will no doubt, give to me, through the children whose earthly father I am.

Saving Face

 

Few people on the face of the earth do not know what Facebook is. I joined a few years ago because I was curious and because I was told it would be a great way to keep up with friends and relatives. It is that and more. It is a constant source of advertising, cute animal videos, game playing with one's self or with friends, and the worst of all, posters.

I have been disappointed, over all, by the lack of  in depth and intelligent discourse. Maybe this is not Facebook's intent, but would lend itself marvellously to such a thing. Indeed, I have been part of interesting dialogues that have gone on for a long time and have covered some important issues.

Because I seek this type of thing, I have tried on occasion to stimulate discussion by challenging a comment or the saying on a poster. I was recently challenged by a 'Facebook friend' when they accused me of 'trolling'. Here is the definition and the intent of her accusation:  In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people,^[1] by posting inflammatory,^[2] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response^[3] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion

 

I am a bit offended by this label as it has a very negative connotation. But then again, I just may be a troll. I had a friend at one time who would question me after I made a statement. He would ask if I really meant what I just said, or could I explain exactly what I was trying to get a across. It was appreciated by me very much and would invariably lead to some good discussion. It also made me think before I opened my mouth.  I find that few people do this. We just want a sound bite so we can move on to our iPhone or our text messaging.

Next time you are on Facebook and you see one of those saccharine posters that at first glance looks clever, take another look and then ask the person who posted it if this really represents their world view or is this something that is trying to influence our thinking away from our beliefs. If they call you a troll, tell them you are just stimulating discussion. We do not want anyone to get upset, or emotional, we just want to have a good old fashioned discussion about important things.  

 

Back to Where I Was

 

When I was 16 years old, I started coming to this beach, Entrance Bay at Cultus Lake, and went often in the hot summers of my youth. It was here that I almost drowned. It was here I took a date one time, who would later become my wife. This place has many memories for me, and now I can add the best one of all.

Today my 16 year old grandson, Nathan, got baptised at Entrance Bay at Cultus Lake. Had someone told me back in the 60's that this would happen, I would have had a good chuckle.

I must say that I have very much admiration for my grandson who has made this decision early in life, and yet in a mature fashion. He is ahead of where I was at 16. It is a proud moment for his parents and grandparents who have always loved him dearly and have wanted only the best for him. He has made one of the most important decision of his life, for it will guide him for the rest of his life.

Making a public confession of faith is not easy, but is necessary to establish that one is committed. Nathan has so very many good qualities and we would love him no matter his stand, but the fact that he was baptised today is a testament to the fact that God answers our prayer for our kids and our grandkids.  

 

 

End of Day

 

Evening light in Glen Valley.

Return

 

I have read a number of books on this subject, returning from death, and there are some common threads that run through every one of them.

 

"Return From Tomorrow" is about a young army recruit, Dr. George Ritchie, who in 1943, died from a severe case of pneumonia. He was covered with a sheet and nine minutes later when the orderly returned to prepare him for the morgue, noticed that his hand had moved and called a doctor to the bed where they injected adrenaline into his heart and he came back to life. He was without pulse, breath, or blood pressure during that time.

 

In the book, he relates what happened to him during the time he was dead. The story is quite amazing and puts a different slant on some preconceived ideas about hell, heaven, space and time, and the whole spirit world.

When we read a book on this subject, we can take one of two stands. We can reject it outright and say it is fabricated, or we can believe it and take it at face value. For me, there is an indication that would make it more believable, and that is to determine if the experience had an impact on the life of the individual who had the experience. In the case of Mr. Ritchie, it certainly did. Apart from the intense yearning to return to the places he visited, and to be in the presence of Jesus, he developed a new sense of purpose for his life and a new understanding of our mandate, which is to love one another.

What are the common threads? Intense light, intense feeling of acceptance and love, time travel, seeing other beings, both angels and humans, a yearning to go again, unique colours and music, an utter lack of fear of death, and a desire to share the experience. Added to these threads, Mr. Ritchie tells of his glimpse into a unique kind of hell, travelling vast distances in what seemed seconds, glimpses of the future, and communication that was all encompassing but non-verbal.

 

 If every living person was guaranteed a trip to Paris sometime in his life, would it not be natural to want to know a bit about Paris before your trip was due? I am not saying that Paris is like heaven, or like hell, but we all have a built in curiosity as concerns our future.  Because I will die some day (yes, it is true) I am fascinated by this subject. Those who are not are probably in denial.

4 stars