From Crows to Meadowlarks

     With a final grunting thrust, the pole pushed up through the bottom. The debris rained down as we jumped back, not wanting our hair and shirts to be filled with twigs, leaves, dust, and debris, but mostly, not with the ugly little bodies of the newly hatched crows. This was not easy work, but was great entertainment for a Saturday afternoon. The low bush of the Saskatchewan prairie made sure the nests of the hated birds were not so high that we could not reach them with a downed sapling. There was a bounty on crows and that was all the justification we needed.

     We sifted through the underbrush and the remains of the nest to find the young while the frantic parents were screeching at us from the tree tops. Not hatched more than a day or two before, they were ugly pink/blue creatures, with bulging eyes, not yet open, and only hair where there should have been a covering of black feathers. Grabbed by their tiny feet, we collected them and wondered how we would kill them. Killing nature was natural in those days. Killing for killing’s sake. The bounty on a set of crow’s feet was secondary. It hardened us, made us man/boys, tough, and a force to be reckoned with. They call it macho.
    
     We were near an abandoned farm house, a skeleton from days of old, the chimney having fallen in a heap near the back door. The bricks would do just fine, as we placed each hatchling on a brick and smashed another brick onto it. “Crow Sandwich” we chortled.
    
     Hayward’s pasture was perfect. The cattle had cropped the grass short enough and there was a ready source of water in the middle of it. But the best thing was the proliferation of gophers. There were holes everywhere and movement around them was abundant. Armed with pails, clubs, and .22’s, we marched onto the killing field. Where a hapless creature would dart down his hole, a full pail of water followed and the back entrance, a few feet away, would soon produce a slick, wet gopher, looking for dry safety. We would be ready, and soon, another tail was in the collection sack. I remember being relieved that although they were cute dry, they were ugly wet, like small rats, and that was justification enough. The bounty was secondary.

     There was a slough behind my friend Vern’s house. With spring run-off waters to sustain them, it was home to toads, frogs, lizards, salamanders, newts, and other horrible amphibians that were loathed by all and most likely transmitted warts. It seemed incumbent upon us, as young boys, to rid the slough of these creatures. Vern was particularly adept when it came to capturing these crawling creatures.
    
     It was a hot early summer evening when I was wandering down the alley behind Vern’s house when the flames caught my attention. The fire was built in the middle of the lane between two rows of poplars, where his dirty deeds would be hidden from the eyes of civilized folks. It was a small fire, maybe a foot across at the base. “Watch this” he called out when he saw me coming. Vern had an evil streak in him, regardless of, or maybe because of, his strict upbringing. He had cooked up a successful scheme to steal chocolate chips from my dad’s grocery store, and did it right under my eyes. I had witnessed him doing several unmentionable things in the few years I had known him, and so the “Watch this” should have been a clear warning for me to walk away. I didn’t. As I approached his back, which was turned to me and hunched over, I thought he was having a wiener roast in the lane, but it did not look like a wiener, that thing on the stick. As I got nearer, I saw with great clarity that the ‘thing’ was a live salamander writhing and twisting in agony as it was being roasted alive. The silent scream of that creature has haunted me since. I pushed Vern away from the fire and yelled at him that what he was doing was cruel and God was going “get him”.
     Moments from having uttered those words, one of those freak prairie storms roiled in from the west. The lightening flashed and thunder rolled across the slough. Without warning, the flames, sparks, and burning brands of the sacrificial fire were swirling in the air and down the lane as wind that came out of nowhere, gusted and eddied. It was too late for the dead salamander, but as for me, I ran home as fast as my legs would carry me. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw the silhouette of Vern against the dying light of the day, shoulders shaking, whether from crying or laughing I do not know.

     Lying prone in the bush, only a few feet away from an established rabbit trail, sprinkled with fresh droppings, I wait. Had I not read books about snipers and deer hunters, I would not have realised that patience was the key to success. My Cooey .22 was loaded with a single shot ‘long’, the bolt pulled back, and my finger was tickling the trigger. There it was, that slight movement in the grass, and then the rabbit was in plain view. Had I been farther away I would just shot for a ‘hit’, but I was close enough to target the heart. I did, and I was surprised at the way the animal leapt straight up in the air and fell back down, lifeless. I was at once exhilarated and sorrowful. I cut the feet off and left the carcass. It would have been nice to have my buddies there to cheer me on with a slap on the back or a called out “Good shot”. Clutching the rifle and my rabbit’s feet on the way home, I felt a change coming over me.

     It was one of those warm bright summer days, where the blue in the sky would almost hurt your eyes, had it not been for the isolated cumulous clouds, brilliant white in their upward billowing. The word was out that there was a Wood Duck’s nest near the little grove of Willow trees on the corner where the road to Gunther’s farm turns off the highway. The Mallards of the lakes and sloughs were familiar to us but a Wood Duck? Now that is worth an adventure. To what end, I did not know. We slowly approached the Willows, watching carefully to see where the duck would be flushed. It would be the key to finding the nest.

     On a weathered and split fencepost nearby, there sat a Meadowlark. His melody had always been my favourite, and I could not help but stop and listen. A low wind was pushing the grass to the earth in waves, making a hissing sound. The notes of the bird came in waves as the heat and the wind distorted a clear hearing of it. My friends were ahead of me, and I was glad for it, as a sudden flutter in the grass drew my attention and there was the mate of the singing bird, floundering in the high grass, making distressing calls, and convincing me that her wing was broken. Naturally, I began to follow, hoping I could capture one of these beautiful birds. She led me away. Away from where? It suddenly dawned on me that I was being suckered and at that point I tried to recollect where I had first seen her fluttering deceit. It was near the cluster of Brown eyed Susans, I was sure of it. I walked, carefully, in that direction, and by the hysterics of both Meadow Larks now, I knew I was on the right path. And then I found it. The ingenious structure of the nest, the way the grass was pulled over in a teepee like manner, the camouflage of it, the deception of the mother, the clutch of tiny speckled eggs, the blue sky, the soft wind, the cotton clouds, everything, hit me hard.

     Having failed in the search for the Wood Ducks, my friends wandered to my place of reverence and soon discovered what I was marvelling at. I defended that nest despite protestations. I loved Meadowlarks from that moment on and if I defended the nest, there would be more Meadow Larks, and that would be an excellent thing, an enduring goodness.

     I have since thought often of how that incident changed the mindset of a prairie boy raised in a culture of exploitation and destruction of so many beautiful things. It changed my perspective, in a lasting way. The appreciation of beauty in nature requires only a moment of sincere and maybe intense observation, and a thinking and enquiring mind.

Are You As Confused As I Am?

 

All of us have been inundated, in the last few weeks, with information regarding Islam, immigration, and terrorism. Anyone engaged in social media is well aware of the blizzard of posts, opinions, videos, and sound bytes surrounding these topics.

 

As we sort through the information and opinions, we are looking to clarify our own perspective, our own ideas, and somewhere in the mix, the truth. The truth, for me, has been elusive, to say the least. There are too many opinions, too many facts, too many charts, too many testimonials, too many 'cobbled together' videos, and too many 'experts', all of which are contradictory to some degree.

 

Being the kind of person who likes cut and dried answers and cut and dried solutions, I find it all troubling and confusing. I have been interested in reading about (I almost wrote studying) the Islam issues for many years, ever since I began to delve into the Jew/Palestinian conflict. I read a number of books written by former Muslims who came out of, and rejected that tradition and religion, because they became disillusioned. One of the authors was the foremost Islamic studies professor at the University of Cairo. What he did not know about Islam was not worth mentioning. I tend to give former or current Muslims more credibility as they have lived the faith and were indoctrinated in it since birth. They should know what they are talking about. Another reason these reformed Muslims have credibility is because their lives have been threatened, even by their own families, for being at all critical of Islam. They have nothing to gain by exposing the shortcomings of Islam, other than to inform the world of the threat.

 

With the internet today, extensive research can be done with the click of a mouse, and bit of time to read. But I keep getting mixed messages in the research, and therein lies my confusion.

 

1. The meaning of Islam. Islam means submission ... to Allah and his written word, and his prophet Mohammed. Immediately I am confused because the claim is that God is God, and we all worship the same God. However, the Islam God (Allah) has no partner, no equal, no son, and no associate. Mmm. The Christian God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The reason that is a problem is because although Muslims also believe in Jesus, they do not believe he is the Son of God and do not believe that he died and rose again as the saviour of mankind. And that is what makes us their enemies. We are blasphemers.

 

2. A Muslim, in order to be a true believer, must live by the Koran and the writing of Mohammed. I have read parts of the Koran, enough to see huge contradictions. There is love and peace and neighbourliness, but in the next verses there will be an injunction to cut off the hands and head of the unbelievers. Mohammed himself was no saint, but was a murderer and a pedophile, not exactly a prophet to hold up as a role model, and yet there are Muslims who are model citizens and do good works in their neighbourhoods and communities. Where does that inspiration come from? How do they see the unbelievers around them? Are they only tolerant until the day of Jihad. One only wonders this because it in their holy book. One of the guidelines when reading the Koran is that when one scripture contradicts another, the one written at a later date (the newer one) is the one to adhere to. As Mohammed progressed in his pursuits, he became more violent and so the more violent scriptures are the true and right ones. How many Muslims know this? How many believe this. Is this why so many remain silent in the face of terrorism?  

3. The Islamic doctrine of deception, or Taqiya, troubles me greatly because this would seem to give a Muslim permission to lie in order to  preserve their life or their faith. In terms of immigration, this is extremely concerning as the lack of data bases and other information leaves, often, only the word of the applicant when filling out the immigration papers. Vetting becomes very unreliable, especially when hurried under duress of immigration quotas and deadlines.

 

4. PEW research finds that an overwhelming majority of Muslims around the world want Sharia Law (Islamic Law as defined in the Koran) to be the law of the land where they live. Would this not fall under the definition of radical Islam? And yet we are told that only a tiny fraction of Muslims are radicalized.

 

5. If the majority of Muslims around the world are for peace and tranquility, why are they not speaking out against their terrorist brothers? Are they afraid? Do they see the radicals as the foot soldiers of Allah and are secretly rooting for them? There seems to be evidence for this when a moment of silence at a soccer match, meant to honour the dead of the Paris massacres is booed by the Muslim fans.

 

6. It is troubling that the west is supposed to rescue the distressed Syrian migrants yet other Muslim nations do nothing to help their Muslim brothers. Why is this? And why does the US under the leadership of Obama refuse to take Christian Syrian migrants, a people group who has the most to lose by staying in harms way. You would think that these are the very people who have the best chance of assimilating in the west.

 

7. Why does the world not stand with Israel in its fight against terrorism? They have many years of experience. It is the same bunch who are terrorizing Paris and threaten to terrorize the entire world of Christendom, that Israel is up against, yet most of the world demonizes Israel.   

 

8. Is Islam a religion, a geopolitical movement, or both. Again it is confusing, and depends on who you listen to and who you believe. Mohammed declared that Islam would conquer the world by the sword and the cradle. Muslims are doing both, some through terrorism and most by their prolific  birth rate. If the prophet Mohammed's teachings are paramount in your submission to Allah, would you not, as a Muslim, be sympathetic to this agenda?  

 

The confusion comes from the contradictions, and often a bit of fear and paranoia arise from misinformation. As a Christian, I have great assurance and comfort in knowing what I am supposed to do, and knowing that God is in control, and that no matter what happens, it is part of the master plan, of which I know very little. So while I trust God and cast out fear, I know also that my mandate as a Christian, is to love, help and protect the helpless. In so doing, I become a tiny piece of the solution. I do not lose sight of the fact that there is good and evil in the world, and I will be an advocate for government and law enforcement to root out that evil, wherever it is. But if Muslims comes to my neighbourhood, I will be a good neighbour to them, as I am to my South Asian neighbours. And herein lies the ultimate solution. We are all created in the image of God, he loves everyone of us, and wants us to love each other.  

 

  

 

 

A Changing Perspective

                                                                 Central Washington State

Life tends to catch up with us.

We often make decisions in our youth which give no indication that there will be long term consequences. This comes about partly because of ignorance and partly because of the eternal optimism of youth.

This can happen in all areas of life, in our relationships, our health, our finances, our occupations, or our spiritual development. We are flawed beings because of this. Few of us have the wisdom throughout our lives to determine what is ultimately best for us. And if we did, would we have the fortitude or discipline to do the right thing. Most of us just learn to deal with the fallout.

We need not look any further than our own lives to see how this plays out, although it is more obvious and less painful to discern it in others. Who has not said at one time or another, "If only I could do that over again"?

None of us wants to live life with regrets, but it is inevitable that there will be some. We cannot live our lives over, but we can make new starts, even though the consequences of past decisions will always hang over out heads.

As an 'older and wiser' person now, I would love to dispense my wisdom among the young people I meet, but I am nagged by the memory of how it was when I was young. Part of youth and integral to the maturing process is making rash and rapid decisions, often resulting in mistakes, and ultimately that is how we all learn. It is the long term consequences that I would want to save them from. Not being able to see any further into the future than a year or two, most young people would say that it will just all work out. And, to a degree it does, if lessons are actually learned and acted on.

Reflecting

 

I was going for my walk at the park a few days ago when I bumped into a couple that I have not seen for while, but I know very well. When I first started my business, they contracted me to do a lot of work in their beautiful home. I was there for a long time and got to know them well.

I had some challenges doing some things I had never done before and soon I was over budget. But because I have always protected my reputation that way, I stuck to my original quote and ended up making about $3.00 per hour, small for even those times. They wanted to pay me more, but I insisted and what resulted was a life long customer. I have worked for them many times since and we have become friends.

Back then, Sue (not her real name) was a beautiful young mom with three smart kids and a very successful husband. To that point, theirs was the most expensive house I had ever worked in. After a huge financial setback with some bad investments, they downsized to an older townhouse and have been there since.

It has been 5 years since I worked for them and when I met them they told be that they were considering giving me a call for some re-decorating. We chatted for a while and then I asked how their health was. (That is what we do at my age :)

They both turned somber at that point and then told me that they were just that day waiting for a call from the cancer clinic. Sue was diagnosed with liver and bowel cancer a few weeks ago and now she has this 'challenge' ahead of her. What a great attitude they both had, and I told them that I would be praying for her. They appreciated that very much and told me that they had a large support network.

I continued on my walk, and prayed. And I got to thinking. I looked down at my body, still relatively strong and healthy and gave great thanks, but at the same time realised that at any minute something similar could happen to me. Our bodies are dust, on their voyage to the tomb. It is inevitable. But getting cancer is like having a transmission in an old car, on a long trip, ready to fail. When it does, drastic measures need to be taken and it is costly.
And, the journey may not continue because of it. To get to the end of the trip burning a bit of oil, having a few cracks in the windshield, and having bald tires is one thing. A broken transmission is quit another thing. It is unexpected and usually means the demise of an older vehicle.

 

Cancer is horrendous! It is a bit of a lottery and forces one to make potentially lethal decisions. I hate cancer. I hate what it does to people, even when it does not kill them. I hate the industry that has sprung up around it with all its dishonesty, fear mongering, and misinformation. I hate how the cure is often so much worse than the disease. I hate all the unknowns surrounding it. It is straight from the devil himself and as such, will one day be damned to hell, where it belongs. 

And I pray for Sue.   

Remembering on Behalf of my Father

 

This may be a day late, but on Remembrance Day the memories for this post came to mind.

 

I met several of my father's peers who had served in WWII and as a young boy, I was interested to know what my father's role was as he was the right age to have served. He was willing to tell me and my sisters of his experience. Having grown up in a Mennonite home and church, it was strongly expected that he would take a non-resistance stance. He did and as a result did alternative service, first working in a meat packing plant and then later moving to Port Alberni to plant trees.

 

The young men that he grew up with and went to school with enlisted and all were part of a division of Canadian soldiers that were involved in the Dieppe Raid. This incursion into France was a practice run for the major invasion that would come later. The date was August of 1942 and my dad would have just turned 20. It was a bit of a disaster and all of my dad's friends died on the beach.

 

He told me several times later in life that he felt guilty that he had not gone into battle as his friends had done. As I think about that, I realise that I would not be here if he had gone. That leaves me feeling very thankful for those that did go, that I might have not only freedom and democracy, but life itself.

 

I never met my dad's friends, but I will honour them with my remembrance. My red poppy is for them.

The Result

This is my photo of the "Lion lying down with Lamb" as it will be in Heaven. However, there are only goats in my photo and no Lions. Close enough!

 

So, why does it matter, all this talk of hell, and whether there is one or not, and if there is, who will go, and for how long will they be there, and what will it be like? Here is why it matters.

 

There is a trend in the Christian church today, to make the message easier to swallow, less harsh, more 'seeker engaging'. That is all fine and good, but it has reached the point where the true gospel is being watered down.

 

If there is no hell, or it is temporary, or after a while a bad soul will simply be annihilated, there is no real danger or sense of urgency to rescue someone from going there. 

 

Likewise, if there is more than one way to God, if all religious paths lead to God, then we do not have to tell anyone of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. You see, it is all fine and good. Nobody needs rescuing and "the great commission" of Jesus to go out and preach the gospel to all nations, tongues and tribes, no longer applies. The millions of deaths of the Christian martyrs down through the ages was for nothing.  

 

In effect, it makes the Gospel redundant. And that makes Jesus' death redundant. It was for nothing and God made a big mistake.

 

 How dare we think like that. Those who distort the Gospel of the Bible do so at great peril. They are betting on the fact that God will turn a blind eye.

 

The really good news is that He will turn a blind eye. All those who trust in him and believe that Jesus died for their sins, will have those sins forgiven, now and forever, and God will no longer see them or remember them. And suddenly, hell is no longer an issue, for those who are believers.  

Lake of Fire

 

The movie "Hellbound?" is supposed to be an examination of the question, but is in fact a proponent of redefining the doctrine of hell that we find in the Bible, the source of ultimate truth for the Christian. It skews the viewer's objectivity with an old Hollywood trick, that of putting the Christians in a bad light so they will be easily mocked. In this case, the proponents of the Biblical view of hell are put in a bad light and are to be scoffed at because of the way they are portrayed in the documentary. The well reasoned and articulate interviewees are all for changing the orthodox or traditional concept of hell. This is not a fair examination of both sides of an issue and only weakens their argument.

 

I am by no means a theologian, but I have read and heard enough on the subject to make some observations.

 

1. If the Bible is the source for all truth and is the reliable basis for all Christian doctrine, there is no doubt that hell is real and is the way it is described by Jesus himself and his brother John. We cannot simply take a vote on whether or not there is a hell.

 

2. The language used in the Bible to describe "eternal" life are the same words used to describe "eternal" punishment.

 

3. God does not condemn anyone to hell, but because He is the author of justice, there is punishment, and those who will go there will go of their own free will because of their rejection of Jesus. God, the creator of the universe, sent his son to die as a substitution for our wrongdoings and if we snub the offer, we are belittling the offer and the act. If this was us, we would be ticked. Then how much more is God offended when we turn our nose up at his generous offer of eternal life in the Heaven he has prepared for us?

 

4. God, in his love and mercy for everyone of us, has provided a way to avoid this place. Now, that is good news.

 

5. God will not allow a single one of his 'children' to suffer in hell. But not all people are children of God as the movie "Hellbound?" suggests. Those who share in the inheritance of Jesus Christ are God's children and we do that by believing in Him and following him. Those who reject Him do so at their own peril.

 

6. Our concept of God has changed from what the Bible portrays him to be, so we have re-invented God to be our buddy, a help in times of trouble, someone who loves us all so much he would not harm us in any way. In fact, God is so much higher even than what we can conceive. Moses was not allowed to look on his face, and even the Israelites who watched Moses go into the mountain were not allowed to even touch the mountain or they would die! If one so great and holy is sinned against, would not the punishment have to follow suit? The punishment always fits the severity of the crime and takes into consideration the one sinned against.

 

Concluding remarks on Thursday.

Re-inventing Truth

 

Since reading Paul Chamberlain's book "Can We Be Good Without God", I have come to see some issues in a different light. (See my review here  http://terryography.blogspot.ca/2012/10/objective-morality.html )

 

Today's culture is prone to believe in subjective morality, that is, what is right for you, may not be right for me. The belief in the absence of absolute truth (objective morality) naturally gives rise to this type of thinking. As a result, we realise that we now have freedom to re-invent what used to be accepted as truth, and turn it into something more to our liking, more palatable. Hence, the move to more lax divorce laws, acceptance of abortion, a warming up to the idea of euthanasia, a more relaxed attitude in the judicial system, changing the language to soften the blow of such harsh things as alcoholism (it is a disease), prostitution (sex trade workers), and lying (mis-speaking the truth).

 

Lately, both inside and outside of the church, the latest 'softening' has come on the subject of Hell. Is there a Hell and if there is, what is it? How can a loving God condemn people to eternal punishment? How can we possibly attract people to a belief system that promotes such a politically incorrect doctrine as eternal fire with real people populating it? It seems to have been a stumbling block for so called 'forward thinking' people in society and in the church. Recently, a documentary movie, "Hellbound?" has been released, examining the issue. 

 

Cont'd tomorrow.

Sad/Happy Day

Our onamental plum tree in full bloom.

I got an envelope in the mail a few days ago and was reluctant to open it. It was one of those government envelopes but not the usual tax notice, medical services plan, HST remittance type of envelopes. Was it a notice for an impending audit? Dare I open it? What it was, was Big Brother keeping tabs on me. But, instead of wanting something from me, he wanted to give me something. I had been meaning to inquire about this issue for some time, but it either slipped my mind, or I was in denial.

I have now read all the documents and their attached explanations and am ready to fill out the forms and submit my application for .... (drum roll) OAP!  For my non-Canadian readers, that is Old Age Security, a pension that I am entitled to as an old geezer who has lived in Canada all my life and paid blood, sweat, and tears in income taxes and myriad other taxes since I was 18 years of age.

Not all who qualify for this benefit deserve it, but we live in a compassionate, generous, and highly socialistic country, so come one and come all, and collect your pogey.

I was at the movies a while back and was shocked and amazed and pleasantly surprised to see that I qualified for a half price movie even before OAP. One of my favourite restaurants wants to discount all my meals. They were all warming me up to the fact that in a few more months, I will be OLD so I had better get used to the idea.  

"Day by day nothing  changes, but, looking back, nothing is the same"  C. S. Lewis

Where To?

You are here.

Not all roads ......

...lead to Rome.

One takes you to the Stairway to Heaven.

Getting Squeezed Out

When you anxiously await Spring, and you are watching carefully for it, you notice that almost suddenly, new growth begins to push. It pushes out of seemingly dead branches, out of last year's dry stalks, and out of the cold, dark mud. These old dried Bulrushes are serving their last purpose before they fall into the wet swamp and become nutrition for following generations. That purpose is to spread their seed so that there is a next generation. (Can you hear me singing "The Lion King's" song, 'Circle of Life'?)

The parallels to our own lives are amazingly similar. I have had conversations with friends whose progeny are 'taking over' and although it makes us feel, at times, uncomfortable, there is also some comfort in it. We reluctantly hand over responsibilities, something that seems so un-natural at first, but when we do, it also feels right. We gradually understand what our father's experienced, and perhaps understand them better now.

The younger generation is gently pushing. A new season is coming. With it, comes a renewal that sort of looks like the last season, but different, and probably even better. We give in because we have no choice. If the old hoary bulrush did not cave in to the new growth, life as Bulrushes know it, would end.

It is all good.  

Under Construction

Under construction in Mexico

When riding from the airport in Puerto Vallarta to the hotel district, one cannot help but notice that almost every building is in a various state of  construction. There is raw concrete, re bar, post and beam, empty window openings and general disrepair everywhere. Most of these buildings are being occupied or used for some purpose, but incomplete. One might think it is the poverty, or a bad economy, but what is really happening is that the rules are being abused to financial advantage. Apparently, you do not pay taxes on your building until it is complete. By the look of huge portions of the city, there must be little tax revenue.

Our lives are much like that. We are continually under construction. It seems that the lessons that have to be learned are never ending and just when you think you have it together, or life is sailing along just fine, there is an issue that comes under construction and you need an attitude adjustment, or maybe even a makeover. Most of us can put up a nice facade, but underneath there is a construction mess with drywall dust and missing light fixtures here and there. This places continual tension into our lives. When will we ever find the perfection we are longing for? Why is nothing ever just right? If there is no trouble in our lives right now, we just know it is around the corner. Peace, perfection, and tranquility are not for this life, even though there is a longing for it in each of our lives. The 'perfect moments' in our lives are fleeting, yet we keep trying to recreate them. I believe this is a longing for Heaven, that the Creator has put into each of us. We get little tastes of it every so often, just enough to give us encouragement and to make us want more.  

On the Decline

I wrote a post the other day (March 3) regarding the state of the world's population. Since our seven billionth person came along on March 1, Time Magazine reported that two of the world's most influential countries are on the decline in a big way.

According to the current trend, Russia's population is going to decline by 40 million people and Japan's by 25 million by the year 2050! It seems that these people do not like making babies.

Of course, populations rise and fall. That's what they do. Indigenous tribes succumb to the aspirations of conquering marauders. Then, when looters becomes incumbents, when foreigners set up camp and become locals, they in turn open themselves up for conquest from abroad, or from within. These events have always happened and probably will continue to do so. Right now, the question is, who will provide us with Sushi and Honda cars in the future? And where will the matryoshka dolls be made? Probably China. They can 'knock off' anything.

Too Many?

According to the USA Census Bureau's World Population Clock, baby seven billion arrived on March 1, 2012. That is a very large number of people. Does it concern you?

Paul Ehrlich's alarmist 1969 book, "The Population Bomb" put a fear into the world that remains to this day. He predicted that in the 1970's there would unparalleled starvation and hunger and people would start to 'die off'. There simply was not enough food to go around. Since then, the world population has doubled, and where do we stand?

The theory was that food production would not keep with the demand, however, as Time Magazine reported recently, a billion people tragically go hungry in the world today, "but it is not because the world is incapable of producing enough food for them. We already grow enough grain globally to feed 10 billion people on a full vegetarian diet." And, "world wide, humans currently throw out or waste half the food we produce."

Hence, hunger is not a production problem, but a distribution and stewardship problem.

Well, you might say, we are running out of room. Not so.

As both Time and the Guardian reported, all seven billion of us could live in the state of Texas with no more population density than we currently find in New York City.
To offer an even more vivid illustration, all seven billion of us could move to Rhode Island with each of us having 6.4 square feet to wave our arms around.

OK, but it will continue to get worse, no?
According to a new report conducted cooperatively among six universities, the average woman in the developed world only produces 1.66 children in her lifetime, well short of the 2.1 children needed for human replacement.
In fact, in more than 75 countries around the world, or 42 per cent of the world's population, fertility is below the 2.1 replacement rate needed to maintain current work levels as well as support and care for aging populations.
Countries like Japan are experiencing economic stagnation due to below-replacement fertility levels that started in the 1970s. China followed suit in the early 1990s, a development that will dramatically slow their national prosperity. If the trend is sustained, all countries with below-replacement fertility can expect similar stagnation.
Over the last decade, the United States has been just at or below replacement level, while Canada has hovered lower and closer to the 1.66 below-replacement average for the developed world.

So, don't worry, keep having babies ...... and grandbabies. Somebody is going to have to take care of the seven billion 'oldies'.

Forks

Many of my favourite quotes are from Yogi Berra. You know, the guy who said, "That restaurant is so busy nobody goes there anymore", or, "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore", or, "Always go to other people's funerals or they wont go to yours". Probably his most famous quote is  "When you come to a fork in the path (road), take it."

We all come to forks in the road, throughout our lives. There are two ways to approach a decision that is a 'fork in the road'. We can look at the path before us and see which one is most navigable, most attractive, and maybe easiest or most fun. Many people do this and wonder later in life what happened.

Then there is the approach that is well illustrated in the above photo. We look beyond the fork. Sometimes what is beyond is evident, but mostly it is something that has to be reasoned out. As you can see in the paths above, there are more forks beyond, and each leads to a different destination. Some people are able to see the destination better than others. Some do not even care, but only want what is immediate, the broad and well travelled path that at the time looks to be the one that will make them happy for the moment.

If important decisions crop up at age 13, and I think they do, then I have now had 50 years in which to assess the choices I made and the paths I took. It often amazes me that what were seen at the time as insignificant choices, were indeed life altering. Some paths are re-traceable, but not many. Usually, there is only a forward arrow, not a 'Return to Go' as in the game of Monopoly.

We do not need Yogi's advice, we will take the fork, even if it means stalling at the junction for a time. What we do need guidance on is which path to follow and an ability to see beyond the junction.   

Lasting a Lifetime

On Friday night busylizzy and I, together with some friends, attended a Valentine's Dessert night at our church. The room was  packed out and we just got there at the last minute because yours truly forgot the tickets and had to go back home to get them. The tables were nicely presented with a cheese and cracker platter, fruit platter, and a dessert plate. Flavoured coffees, teas, juice, and even lattes were available.  

There was special music, some video interviews of a few of the pastors and their wives telling their 'how we met stories' and some live interviews of several couples. Of course, the topic was marriage and how to make it lasting and vibrant. The best interview was of a couple who had been married for 58 years. It was both insightful and hilarious. Anyone who can joke after being married that long must have a good marriage!  

Take a Chance?

What was your first reaction when you opened this page and saw the 649 Lotto Logo? Was there a little rush of adrenalin? Was there a tinge of disgust? Did a smidgen of guilt hit you? Or, was there just indifference? The logo is plastered everywhere these days and apparently the advertising is very effective. Do you remember when the only Lotto available in Canada was the Irish Sweepstakes? Those tickets were near impossible to get and only a very rare few ever played that foreign lottery. But, the foot was in the door and fast forward to today where gambling is an ever present fact of life. In fact, it is probably the only hope for release from financial pressures for the majority of people in North America. I voted on an online poll yesterday (more than 20,000 responses) and found that as a non player, I am in the small minority of Canadians (14%) who never buy lotto tickets.

I am only in modest opposition to gambling because I believe we all gamble on different things in our lives all the time. To single out a lottery is not fair. I am opposed to purchasing those tickets simply because of the odds. Do the math, and you too will find better use for those 'volunteer taxation' dollars.

A retailer friend of mine once asked me why I was always in his store but had never bought a lottery ticket. There were various 'scratch and wins' displayed under glass right in front of us, and so I said to him,"This is why" as I selected a ticket at random and gave it to him along with my $2. He scratched it and before he discovered what I had won, I had already turned around to walk out of his store. "It says try again!" he said, as I called out over my shoulder, "That's why."  

Friends

Albert Camus, French philosopher and author, wrote this: "Don't walk in front of me, I might not follow. Don't walk behind me, I might not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."

I was thinking about friendship this week as my customers were telling me of their enjoyment when they took holidays with friends. We have done the same thing, many times, so I could identify with what they were telling me.

I realised that I do not appreciate or value friendships as much as I should. There have been times when friendships were hard to come by for me, due to circumstances. Other times, there were so many friends we could not do justice to them and many had to fall away. There is the old saying that the older we get, the more we need friends who knew us when we were young. We are finding great wisdom in this. It also follows then, the longer we foster a friendship with someone, the more valuable it becomes. We are finding this to be true also.

So, to all my friends out there, and you know who you are, thank you for being a friend. Thank you for putting up with my quirks, my inconsistencies, my times of absence, my thoughtlessness at birthday or anniversary times, and my tendency to 'spout off'.

The photo above is my portrayal of friendlessness. A beautiful path to walk on, but nobody to walk with, a new adventure just around the corner, but nobody to share it with, and a park bench with a view, a place to sit and enjoy conversation while basking in God's creation, but nobody to sit with. And, worst of all, colourless.  I do not want my world to look like that, and thanks to my friends, I do not have to have it that way.   

Why Hockey?

This is the Stanley Cup, the Holy Grail in the sport of Ice Hockey.

Tonight it could be awarded to the best team in the National Hockey League, the most elite hockey league in the world. Why am I excited about this, and does it matter?

I grew up playing hockey so have known and loved the sport all my life. Even when I played, as a kid, I idolized the players in the NHL, in particular, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Later in life, when I moved from the prairies to the west coast, there was a new expansion team in Vancouver called the Canucks. Being even farther away from Toronto now, I changed allegiance to the Canucks. That was forty years ago.

In those forty years, 'my team', has come close but has never won the ultimate prize. If not tonight, then Wednesday, it could actually happen.

Now moving on to the other question: does it matter? I have been thinking about this for forty years so I have a few answers.

I have, for most of my life, been subjected to the learning principle of delayed gratification. It is a valuable tool as it teaches one that anticipation, in many cases, is more delectable, than actual attainment. This is so because there is so little in life that lives up to its billing, in other words, gives ultimate and lasting satisfaction. I think that the anticipation is what is exciting so many people. If and when it actually happens, Canuck fans will have bragging rites for a short while, but then summer will proceed, next hockey season will start, and it starts all over again. In sports, you are only as good as your last achievement. So, there really is no sense in making it too large a part of your life, because in the great scheme of things, it is unimportant, especially to the fan. 

For the players, it means a ring, your name on the cup, and more money. For the owners, it means more revenues and profit. What is that in light of the more pressing issues of life? 

We all have this emptiness in our lives that craves satisfaction of the lasting variety. Some try to fill it with sports, others with money, fame, adventure, or pleasures of the body. One does not have to be very old to understand that achieving any of these give only momentary satisfaction. It wears off. I guess you could say that these things are false gods, in that they do not do what they are supposed to do. They are impostors with their enticements wrapped in very glittery paper and promising happiness and joy. 

If the Canucks win, the fans eventually will say, "Now what? How can we get that excitement back in our lives now that Hockey is over for the season?" 

If the Canucks lose, the fans will be, for the most part, angry and frustrated. In '94 when we got to game seven of the final and lost, there were riots in the streets of Vancouver. But they eventually got over it. 

So, you see, win or lose, nothing is solved. The big issues of life continue to stare us in the face and we will have discovered that hockey is not the answer to life.      

Do It Now

These beautiful blossoms are now history. The splendour is fleeting. If life is busy and you do not take the time to wander among the blooming cherry trees and surround yourself with beauty, you will have to wait until next year. There is always another chance.

But not all things are like that. There are many wondrous experiences that come into our lives but once. Many go unrecognised. "Some day we will do that, or go there, or spend time time with that person, or try something new, or accomplish that goal, or fulfill that dream." Then, before we know it, age, or ill health, or a turn in our finances takes us by surprise and all we have left are our regrets about the things that never were. There is no next season. The blossoms are on the ground and are rotting, no longer beautiful, but barely a reminder of what was. Why did we not stand under the tree when we had a chance, when the petals were thick like snow, the bees were causing the air to vibrate, and we were surrounded by the promise of spring and new life?

We saw these trees from a distance, as we sped by on the way to the next appointment, and we thought, as we took a last glance in the rear view mirror, " That's nice. One day I will stop and check that out." 

Just do it now!