SENIOR SOLDIER ENROLMENT - A PRAYER FULFILLED

Today Elizabeth was enrolled as a soldier in The Salvation Army. This was a moving moment for both Gayle and I as we continue to see God's hand moving in her life. From the moment of her birth as I first held her in my hands I breathed a prayer up to God giving Him complete control over her life. I prayed that God will become the passion of her life, that He will use her as the means by which others are brought to Christ.








Over this past year we have witnessed the growth of her vibrant faith - she has been the means by which a number of her "non-Christian" friends were connected into Berkshire - either through youth group, "HUB", youth small group or Sunday worship. Several of her friends accepted Christ - one of which took time off of work yesterday morning to witness her enrolment.

As I enrolled Elizabeth along with five other people from Berkshire, I was moved and inspired by her determination. She chose to wear full Salvation Army uniform not to please her mom and I but to give her more opportunities to witness to those around her concerning her faith.




It was also thrilling to hear Emily sing a song of dedication called "Sanctuary." This was the first time in almost a year that she sang on her own. Emily has one of the purest natural voices I have ever heard yet lacked the confidence to sing in public. She put her timidness behind her and sang the song. When Emily first began to sing I thought they had the accompaniment disk on the wrong track - that it was on the artist's track - but no! It was Emily! I was blown away! I wish it was recorded so you could have heard her sing.

WHERE ARE THE PROTESTS? WHERE ARE THE REASONABLE THINKERS?

I've been reading David's perspectives on the on-going US debate when it comes to the absolute deplorable state of health care in the US. It's deplorable for the 45 million Americans with no health care coverage and those whose health insurance is far from adequate when it comes to the level of health care they could expect.
My question to David and to all other reasonable Americans is why are there not massive protests in the streets? Why have this hijacked system of for profit health care continued for so long? It's deplorable that big business continues to line the pockets of share holders at the blatant expense of those who cannot afford the expenses of health care premiums. I have said in the past it is a moral issue of immense proportions!
My American friends and family, examine the immensity of the injustice and the fundamental immoral nature of this system. Where is your rage? Where are the protests that in a great democracy can be the catalyst of change for the good of all?

A Harvard Medical School study dated from May of 2006 that looked at the health care of more than 3000 Canadians and 5000 Americans was the first-ever health survey carried out jointly by Canada and the US official statistics agencies.
Here are a few paragraphs about the study which was printed in the American Journal of Health in July 2006:
“Canadians had better access to most types of medical care (with the single exception of pap smears). Canadians were 7% more likely to have a regular doctor and 19% less likely to have an unmet health need. U.S. respondents were almost twice as likely to go without a needed medicine due to cost (9.9% of U.S. respondents couldn’t afford medicine vs. 5.1% in Canada). After taking into account income, age, sex, race and immigrant status, Canadians were 33% more likely to have a regular doctor and 27% less likely to have an unmet health need. For each of these measures, the average Canadian did about as well as insured U.S. residents. Race and income disparities, although present in both countries, were larger in the U.S. Nonwhites were more likely than whites to have an unmet health need in the U.S. (18.6% vs. 11.1%); while in Canada they were not (10.8% vs. 10.2%). Notably, both white and non-white Canadians had fewer unmet health needs than white U.S. residents. After taking into account income, age, sex, race and immigrant status, poor U.S. residents (making less than $20,000 per year) were 2.6 times less likely to have a regular doctor than the affluent ( those making $70,000 or more). In Canada, the poor were only 1.7 times less likely.”
But this next paragraph is even more important, because it deals with that great bugaboo that those opposed to single payer like to bring up about the Canadian system – waiting times:
“Lead author Dr. Karen Lasser, primary care doctor at Cambridge Health Alliance and Instructor of Medicine at Harvard commented, ‘Most of what we hear about the Canadian health care system is negative; in particular, the long waiting times for medical procedures. But we found that waiting times affect few patients, only 3.5% of Canadians vs. 0.7% of people in the U.S. No one ever talks about the fact that low-income and minority patients fare better in Canada. Based on our findings, if I had to choose between the two systems for my patients, I would choose the Canadian system hands down.’ ”
Here the study’s other author, another American doctor:
“These findings raise serious questions about what we’re getting forthe $2.1 trillion we’re spending on health care this year,” said Dr.David Himmelstein, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard andco-author of the study. “We pay almost twice what Canada does for care,more than $6,000 for every American, yet Canadians are healthier, and live two to three years longer.”
there are three important myth-busters this report contains: 1) Under the Canadian system, people were more likely to have a regular doctor than Americans, and to have fair fewer unmet health care needs 2) About 2. 8 percent of Canadians have to wait longer than Americans to receive certain kinds of health care. That means of every 1000 people, 28 more Canadians have to wait longer. Not exactly the huge lines portrayed by certain American lobbyists, is it? 3) The author of the study, an American doctor, when asked which system she would choose for her patients, took the Canadian system “hands down.”
There is also the fact that the Canadian system costs a lot less for all this great care.
And that’s just one study. I found several others that stated the same observations. They can be easily found via Google.
What I have learned from David is that facts don’t matter in Washington, nor with the mainstream media inside the pockets of big business. It’s all about spin.

This evening I read a brief article and pasted it into this post below. It starts off as a tongue in cheek poke at the New Democratic Party leader who paid a visit to the US in support of universal health care and to clarify many of the misrepresentations and the overt distortions concerning how the Canadian health care system is being presented to the US public. This article however supports some of the earlier statements presented by David in his posts on this subject. It also clarifies the fact that you will not find Canadians filing for bankruptcy, selling their homes and farms and dying from treatable diseases because they cannot afford medical treatment. We may have some waiting lists for some procedures and there may even be those who do fall between the cracks but all Canadians still have access to the most fundamental aspects of life saving medical health care. Yes there may be doctor shortages resulting in 4 million Canadians not having their own family doctor (due in part to the huge numbers of Canadian trained doctors being lured to the US by huge incomes and those that may be tired by the bureaucratic nature of government run health care), yet health care is not denied as walk-in-clinics take up the slack in most cases. Yes, we Canadians pay slightly higher taxes than our American neighbours, and we do so generally speaking happily so knowing that we are indeed our "brother's keeper."

U.S. health care battle turns into a debate on 'socialism'
Updated Thu. Jun. 11 2009 5:00 PM ET
Paul Workman, CTV News Washington Bureau Chief

There was a bit of snickering around the office when we heard that Jack Layton was making a trip to Washington and would meet with "top administration officials." That was the week Obama was in the Middle East and all the "top officials" were away!
Oh the cynicism.
In fact Layton's visit to Washington was far more legitimate than others who have come here in this spring of economic discontent. His mission was to meddle directly in American domestic affairs, and defend Canada's medicare system. And as head of the party that gave Canadians their first taste of universal health care six decades ago, he had more than a passing interest in doing so.
The Americans are once again going through the agonizing process of trying to reform their obviously broken health care system, and the Canadian experience may well play a role.
When Bill Clinton tried to do the same thing 15 years ago, he failed spectacularly, beaten back by the insurance industry and its allies in the Republican Party. Now Barack Obama has taken up the challenge. In fact he's made it a keystone of his presidency, and that's a risky thing to do.
Every president going back to at least Lyndon B. Johnson has tried to reform health care, and the system has become more fragmented, more wasteful; more expensive. Medical services consume nearly one-fifth of the American economy, and threaten the government's long-term solvency. A recent story on the front page of the Washington Post began with a dire conclusion: "Nowhere else in the world is so much money spent with such poor results." It's that bad.
Enter "Canada's Socialist," as one of the more popular American websites called Layton. Then again, he probably knows more about the American system than most politicians south of the border.
Anyway, in came Layton wagging his finger and offering a history lesson on the struggle to win medicare in Canada.
"Americans should know that when the battle begins here in earnest once again, it'll get dirty. It'll get nasty."
He's right, because it's already getting dirty. All you have to do is turn on your television in this country, and there's Canadian health care being smeared by an American group that equates socialized medicine with something close to communism. The group is called "Conservatives for Patients Rights," and one of their commercials features a former head of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Brian Day, warning ominously that "patients are dying, as they wait for care in Canada."
The TV commercials are aimed at Americans, but quite naturally Canadians like Jack Layton are incensed and defensive. "The forces of the vested interests are gathering against change," he says, "and they're sowing the seeds of fear with myths and lies about Canadian health care."
High costs for insured and uninsured
It's a huge and vital issue in America, where 46 million people have no health insurance at all. None. Nothing. Forty-six million! But there's another statistic I find even more frightening. Of all personal bankruptcies in the United States, at least 60 per cent are related to the payment of medical bills. In other words, a lot of middle class families are going broke paying for their sick mother, or husband or child.
Okay, you say, that could never happen to people with health insurance. Not true. A lot of families lose their coverage in the course of an illness and end up facing bills averaging about $25,000, according to a recent study. What Canadian family has that kind of money to pay for hospital costs? Not mine.
I know a woman who's been diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer. She recently started taking a powerful but very expensive drug. The treatment costs $7,700 a month--that's right--and at some point her insurance may run out. She's desperately selling her jewelry and other possessions, to ease the burden on her family and to gain a last chance of survival. As I recently wrote to a friend, the health care system is hounding her to death.
I have a more personal example. I got to Washington a few months ago and needed to get a prescription filled for a blood pressure medication. I could buy a six-month supply of the same pills in Delhi (Ontario) for about $25. A two-month supply in America cost $196.41. Exactly the same pills, exactly the same dose.
There are problems with the Canadian system and maybe Layton is too much of a cheerleader to see the flaws. What about the long wait for elective surgery? The long wait time for an MRI? Or the 4.5 million Canadians who can't find a family doctor? All right, it's not perfect, admits Layton, but there is universal coverage, and not a single person in Canada will lose his house or her farm paying off medical bills.

THE PARALLEL PLAN
So what's Obama going to do?
He's certainly not going to take the Canadian model and apply it to his own country. That would be political suicide. It would provoke a civil war with the private medical and insurance industries, and leave him as defeated as Clinton was back in the 90s.
What he may do is set up a parallel government insurance scheme that would ensure universal coverage to all Americans, and create a level of competition that has never been seen in American health care. Republicans are already screaming that it would result in a "federal government takeover of our health care system." Socialists at the gate.
Today, on his way to town hall meeting in Wisconsin, Obama was met by demonstrators who held up signs saying "NObama" and "No to Socialism."
Obama told his audience that this is not a socialist plan. The government won't force change upon people who are pleased with the plan they already have with their employer.
"When you hear people saying socialized medicine, understand, I don't know anybody in Washington who is proposing that," he said.
Layton, the socialist, defends Canadian Medicare with a health story of his own: Double knee surgery last Easter, that was done quickly, efficiently, and says Layton, "my credit card stayed in my wallet." By the way, Macleans.ca headlined his visit to Washington as "Jack Saves America."
Humble he wasn't, as he compared the United States of today, with Canada of 60 years ago, when public health care first emerged as an election issue in Saskatchewan, and gradually became a right, not a privilege across the entire country. More than a right, it has become a sacred part of Canadian life. Imagine the political party that ever wanted to privatize health care in Canada. Loser.com.
"Sixty years ago Canadian families were on their own to pay doctor and hospital bills," says Layton. "Some sold their farms, or re-mortgaged their homes, and still others went without care...and even died because they didn't have the money.
Sound familiar?"
It does sound very familiar to Americans who look fondly at our health care system and think it's free. I get asked about that all the time.
Of course it's not free (we pay it through our taxes), but it seems to work better than a system that leaves tens of millions of deprived Americans with no coverage at all, and countless numbers of families struggling to pay their medical bills.
I heard a story last week of (an American) colleague who died of colon cancer, who had no insurance and couldn't pay for the check up which might have detected the disease earlier, and perhaps saved his life.
He couldn't afford it, said his wife.
Sad.

Really, is this what church should be???

I'm am really struggling with this one - I thought that the Southeast Church that seated 9200 was perhaps a stretch for me - but then there is this - a 16000 seat church which belongs to Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church. His theology is a "feel good approach". I watched this man on youtube being interviewed on Larry King - basically he said that there is no truth. I'm sure he is a good man - yet something about this does not sit right with me. I'm sure somehow there must be room in the universal church for something like this. I just have a hard time seeing Jesus in this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65nW8Chr0K4

MOM ON CBC NEWS - HER SIX WORDS

Mom made it on the news with the tragic deaths of three babies in a neighbouring house.

www.cbc.ca/clips/mov/roussy-london090609.mov

A Random Run Down of The Past Month

The past number of weeks have been very busy for our family and in our ministry at Berkshire. I'll randomly mention what I can recall that has happened in our lives over the past month.
As most of you know, Elizabeth and Emily are in an amazing children and youth choir. For the past four years they have been making weekly, and sometime several trips to the south part of the city for practices. Gayle is a parent volunteer and actively helps in fund raising efforts. During these days, the practices have been ramped up along with a number of fund raising activities thrown in. As a family we helped with bottle drives, selling meat pies and assisted in running an Octoberfest evening. There have also been a couple of major concerts thrown in as the girls along with Gayle prepare for a two week choir tour of Germany in a months time. Kathryn is also in this choir, although in a beginning level group. They are too young for a tour although the concerts and fund raising remain the same.
In these weeks there have been school parent teacher interviews, after music practices (Jazz vocal, jazz band, concert band - Elizabeth) (concert band for Emily and Nathan), concerts involving Elizabeth, Emily and Nathan. Nightly homework is also par for the course.
There are the regular activities of church - Sunday morning worship, worship team practices (Elizabeth), Berkshire Brass practices (Elizabeth, Emily, Nathan) teaching Sunday school (Elizabeth), Sunday school classes (Emily, Nathan, Kathryn) weekly mid-week youth outreach ministry (Elizabeth, Emily, Nathan), weekly youth group - Friday nights (Elizabeth, Nathan, Emily), Beavers (Kathryn), Scouts (Nathan), weekly teen small groups (Elizabeth, Emily, Nathan), woman's small group (Gayle), Men's small group (Stephen). Without going into detail there were a number of significant ministry/pastoral issues we had to deal with. During this time my main computer crashed - I lost most of my files including my e-mail addresses - thus I have been unable to send out my weekly Berkshire E-Chat (some of you may have wondering why I have'nt sent anything for severall weeks - now you know why). Fortuntely most of photos were backed up on disks along with all my sermons and study notes and important files for my ministry. In all of this we are dealing with some significant issues within the Salvation Army when it comes to the current economic situation - that has led all SA ministry units to rework their budgets for re-approval within a tight window of time.
There have also been a huge garage sale conducted by the corps (church) in support of our Partner's in Mission, board meetings, a highly successful silent auction and dinner to support 28 of our youth and their leaders to attend YC up in Edmonton and then there is the YC weekend itself (Gayle was one of the chaperons, Elizabeth, Emily attended).
In all of this both Emily and Elizabeth squeeze in part time jobs on Saturdays.
We also had a family we met up in the North West Territories come down and stay with us for ten days. It was such a great time to share with them. We took the kids out of school one day and headed into the mountains for a picnic - an absolutely spectacular day!
Gayle and I also help a mother with four boys three times a week. We watch her autistic son for 2.5 hours three times a week during the immediate after school time period. This allows her some respite.
Needless to say we are a busy family.
By the way, it is snowing today after experiencing wonderful summer temps for the past couple of weeks!!! My flowers and tomato plants will not be very happy. As everyone who has lived here for most of their lives say, "That's Alberta weather for you."

SHOULD CHURCH BECOME LIKE THIS?

Look at this video and let me know what you think whether church should become like this? We will be looking at this video with our church leadership team next week as a point of discussion. I do understand that this church has a significant impact within their city and within the world. I certainly do not want to take away from that. However, some questions can still be raised.
When I see a church building that seats 9,200 people, and the vast capital that must have taken to build such a facility and the ongoing site developments, I have to wonder how much more of an impact such a church could have within their city and ultimately the world if they divided the church community into worshipping bodies of no more than 300 people - and let their congregations grow from that point. I wonder if renting facilities that are flexible to changing needs would be better than sinking tens of millions of dollars into buildings. I wonder if freeing up such capital and releasing it into ministry outreach, resources and equipping would have a larger impact on the world. Would there be more entry points into the community, one's province, country or even the world for that matter for ministry and outreach? Can you still be one church - with many campuses of worship and places of fellowship and equipping?
I wonder if it would be earier to attend a church of 9000 people rather than a church of under 300 people.
I wonder if it is more difficult to be part of a smaller church because people tend to know you at a deeper level (outside of one's care group or small group). I wonder if one feels more obligated or perhaps challenged to a greater degree to be more active in ministry or service in a smaller church than you would be at a church of the size seen in this video? Certainly there are thousands who attend this church that are involved in active ministry - however I wonder if the over all proportion of those actively serving in significant ways is more or less than found in a smaller gathering of believers.
I wonder, if Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, the passion of our lives, who inspires to live lives of holiness, who Himself when on earth was homeless, lived a beggar life, was a pennyless carpenter, whose best friends were the unclean, prostitutes, the tax collectors, intended for this 9,200 seat building and it's ministry structure to be a church model.
I wonder...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSQ53gfI4ac

Every Preacher's Worst Nightmare

This is always our worst nightmare as a preacher - the mispronounciation of a word or phrase. Youth Pastor Blake Bergstrom was trying to say, "Pitch his tents". Because of his American accent, it's easy to not pick it up." His reaction is priceless! Watch his facial expression when it first comes out wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IymxMidkyI4

What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church? A Parable.

I've been having a hard time of late in posting YOUTUBE videos. Hopefully embedding this within the post will allow you to view it. I'll be showing this video to our Ministry Board in a couple of weeks. There is a strong message here.

I am tired of trying to be like the church down the street. I'm tired of being compared to the many mega dominant churches within Calgary. Church has become gimmicky, always a point of trying to market yourself - to try and draw people into your church building.

As a ministry board at our church (corps - that's our internal lingo for church) we have come to the point of saying we need to take our hands of the church. It's God's church - it's not ours to manipulate and mold into something that it should never be. Church (that's the people that make up the body of Christ here on earth) are called to be faithful on a daily basis in their walk with Christ. If we are faithfully walking in Him both individually and corporately with God the Spirit living in us unhindered, then we are the church we should be and God will do the rest. We will be living out His purpose on earth. He will guide us into what we need to do and what we should be. He will grow His church because His love is being lived out.

This is what we have been preaching and teaching this past year - and wow! God is faithful! We have seen His hand upon us - growing the church - not with new families from other churches because of our marketing abilities or our most recent gimmicks, but through the lives of the people of Berkshire who are reaching out, touching lives - and we are seeing new families, non-churched, spiritually disconnected and hurting people come into Berkshire. We have seen lives transformed - a newness of life in Christ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_dZTrjw9I

JASON - THANK YOU FOR PUTTING YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE

Jason with Nathan

I've been thinking a lot about my nephew Jason over the past number of weeks as word has been received that he will be deployed to Afghanistan sometime in early 2010. Jason is a great kid (he will always be that rough and tumble kid who loves to play in the mud and hunt for fish and frogs). He has grown into this gentle man, big, strong, always displaying a sense of humour and determined to make a difference in the world in which he lives. His wife Allison understands that Jason can only be himself supporting his desire to enlist in the Canadian Armed Forces - not to be some great warrior or hero, but to make this world a better place. Life is a gift to be embraced, lived out in all of its fullness.

I remember when he was born - a brute of a baby. He demonstrated early on great lung capacity - announcing loud and clear that he's not hear just for a good time, but to leave his mark. Gayle and I loved spending time with him when he was a young child. I loved playing with Jason and his brother and sister. I always felt a connection with him. One of my fondest memories with Jason was cuddling him in my arms as a baby and toddler and having him fall asleep. He was so beautiful!

Growing up in The Salvation Army church, Jason understood what it meant to live a life of selfless giving. He saw that in the life of his mother whose passion to live out her faith in Christ was demonstrated in her service to others. His natural music abilities played a huge role in his life and played a part of his growth. My children absolutely love Jason - his ability to reach through the years to his younger cousins. The age difference did not prevent him from connecting with them - his "earthy" humour always a point of discussion in our family.

And now, he is training as a soldier - ready and willing to be deployed into a very troubled country - to help it's people to chart a new course in their history - one that points to the Afghanistan that upholds and cherishes all of its peoples. A future where hope refuses to let a warped and sickened ideology hold not only their country in the clutches of repression, but to impose such a failed ideology on neighbouring nations and to support those who are like minded within terrorist networks.

I have been reading a lot about Afghanistan and the history of that very ancient and historic country. It's a country of rich history, tribalism and at one time, a place of progressive thought. Yet it has become hijacked by a group of extremists whose main ambition is political. They have hijacked and distorted the Islamic faith, the customs and traditions of the country and dehumanized women. One relief person who has given her life over to helping the greatly oppressed women of the country said,

"Keeping hands off culture and religion is wrong. We are so politically correct that we excuse criminal assault in the name of cultural relativity. Afghans never used to be so religiously strict. Their culture was a rich tapestry that was thousands of years old. What the fundamentalists are passing off as culture and religion in Afghanistan is foreign to the Afghans themselves."

I found a number of photos of the troops in Afghanistan. As I look at these photos that are scattered throughout this post, I see Jason all over them!

Thank you Jason for putting your life on the line! We love you! Thanks for giving to and sharing your life with the people of Afghanistan and to our own country of Canada! I am so proud of you and Allison! We are praying for you.

BTW - the photos below are the result of a group of attackers who squirted acid from water bottles on a group of female students and teachers as they walked to school in Kandahar City back in November of 2008. They were attacked by the Taliban because these young teens and their parents went against their edict of not allowing girls to be educated and for allowing women to work outside the home.
Several of the girls suffered burns to the face and were hospitalized. One teenager couldn't open her eyes for days after the attack.

DO YOU KNOW ANY GOOD LAWYERS?

When I arrived home this evening from the Ministry Board Meeting at the Corps (that's Salvation Army lingo for church), I found an email in the in-box containing photos of an extreme dog grooming contest. All the dogs below are poodles. Do you know of any good dog lawyers?
I have never seen anything like this before! Someone has too much time on their hands.






Camel













Buffalo (Bison)


















Peacock













Clydesdale

Fallen Soldier

Vineyard

Ninja Turtle

Fishing

Cock-a-doodle-doo

St. Patrick's Day

YOUTH EXPLOSION @ THE SALVATION ARMY BERKSHIRE COMMUNITY CHURCH

This past year has seen a significant development in the youth ministry at Berkshire, The Salvation Army church Gayle and I pastor. Since September, we have partnered with a student outreach ministry called PAIS. Through this partnership has blossomed an amazing youth ministry reaching out to the youth of the city of Calgary with Berkshire at its centre. It has been a phenomenal experience - revitalizing, encouraging the youth of our church to live out Christ in every aspect of their lives. Working with ourselves, the youth pastor and leaders, two youth apprentices from Germany ministering as missionaries to the youth of the city through Berkshire, have now connected with and are currently working in three high schools and one junior high school in the NW part of Calgary (that's the region of the city in which we are in). They work as mentors, tutors, teacher assistants and as resource opportunities to teach the youth about interpersonal relationships. The goal is to build relationships with the youth and living out Jesus in their environment. Through their vision, a wildly successful mid-week teen ministry that focuses on challenging teens to live their lives for Christ through service and a life of worship has borne incredible fruit.
They have also co-ordinated a monthly youth outreach event called, "HUB Conference" that encourages the teens of Berkshire and the two other churches that are part of PAIS Calgary to invite their friends - especially those who are not Christians. Through games, music, worship and an animated presentation from the Word, the young people are challenged to look at their lives in the light of Christ and to invite him to be part of their lives - to have a relationship with him. On Friday, there were over 140 teens gathered at Berkshire for this month's HUB Conference! The atmosphere was electric. Nathan brought three friends from school - two of them accepted Jesus into their lives! Elizabeth had 5 friends from school - one became a Christian! In total, approximately 12 teens accepted Christ. The follow up is now on.
Needless to say, our Sunday morning worship attendance is becoming ever more youthful.

I have attached the web site of PAIS Canada.
http://www.paisproject.com/index.cfm?i=2998&mid=4&ministryid=13328

ROBERT WRIGHT - TORONTO POLICE MOUNTED UNIT - A LEGACY TO EMBRACE

The other day, Gayle's father, Robert Wright, was honoured by the Toronto Police Force. On March 27, 1990, Gayle's father, an officer on the Toronto Police Force in the Mounted United, died after a sudden and massive heart attack at 50 years of age while riding his horse Billy in the exercise ring. It was shock, one that continues to reverberate throughout the subsequent years. For Gayle and I, we are sadden that he did not have the opportunity to enjoy his 7 grandchildren. He certainly would have been "A Great Grandfather."

"Dad" was a real gentleman. He had an acute sense of principles he refused to compromise. He was a man of immence patience. He was a husband who doted on his wife Joan, cherished his two children, Gayle and Paul. He enjoyed a special relationship with his sister Sally who continues to live in retirement in the UK. Dad was an uncle and brother-in-law grreatly loved and respected. He enjoyed the simple things of life - although he embraced the adventures that life put on his path. He was an avid reader. We discussed for many hours political issues of the day, his life in the French Foreign Legion and his early days as an immigrant to Canada from the UK. He a love of the outdoors and enjoyed hearing about our (Gayle and I) camping trips.

Dad was respected by his peers and admired by the younger members of the Mounted Unit. They looked up to him as a role model to follow. They knew he was a man and an officer who stood for honour and integrity.

Nineteen years later, Gayle's dad's memory was honoured at a special ceremony during the graduation cermony of the newest recruits on the Toronto Police Mounted Unit. A horse was dedicated at the granduation ceremony in his memory. The name of the horse is "Bobby". The graduation and the dedication of the horse was televised on both CTV and CITY TV. Gayle had the opportunity to fly back to Toronto for a few days to be part of this special occassion.


He left a legacy to embrace by his children and grandchildren. We thank God for his influence and honour his memory.












Paul being interviewed by CITY TV

Gayle with "Bobby" and the constable who will be riding him.







Plaque on the wall in the Stables.

AN IGNORANT PERSPECTIVE ON WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WORLD ECONOMIC MALAISE

For a number of months, I have been wanting to comment on what is happening in the world market place as I've been watching from the side lines, like most of us, what is happening within the economic structure of the world's economy. Gone are the days when one part of the world can operate economically in isolation of another part of the world.

I have done a lot of reading, listening, and watching on what has caused the world to teeter on the brink of something far greater than what is happening now.

For a number of years I have been feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the philosophies of the world economy - driven primarily by the American model of deregulated, hands off approach by government. I have been uncomfortable with the thought that the Wall Street bosses are really out there to look out for the best interests of my family. For years I have been uncomfortable with the prevelent mentality out there that said, "The American way is the best way." For years I have been uncomfortable with how I invested my money - it always smelled bad - the growth on paper of my so called wealth. For years I have been uncomfortable - yet what do I know, the experts are on Wall Street. I have to trust the experts as they suggested on the best way to take my limited financial resources and invest them. I said to someone a couple of years ago, it almost seems like a government sanctioned pyramid scheme.

What gave me some reassurance however, was the Canadian government's reluctance to fall under the pressure from the US government to deregulate the most sensitive areas of our economy - our banks - unlike most of Western Europe and Asia. Consequently we are one of the few countries in the world today that hasn't had to nationalize or partially nationalize their banks. This should allow our country to quickly climb out of resession and position us to grow vigorously - with government regulations in key segments of our economy firmly in place!

Anyway, below is a response to my brother David's (he lives in the US) blog about the economy and the causes of the global resession we are now experiencing.

The American malaise that has been inflicted on the world cannot be blamed on a couple companies such as Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. It stems from a deeply flawed philosophy - US economic policy - of allowing the "market" to regulate themselves.The philosophy has been that the market is the best determiner of what needs to happen within the economy. Deregulate everything! Keep out of the banks! Keep out of the economy! Slash taxes! Free up the hands of the corporate elite - for they always know what is best for you and me! Therefore, Keep the government regulations away from the market place! As a consequence, greed at the highest level in the corporate structure spiraled out of control. Banks collapsed all over the world - governments had to bail out the banking system - Credit availability was brought to a grinding halt - throwing tens of millions of people out of work around the world!It's about government sanctioned economic greed - of allowing the corporate to dictate how government runs. US government's self-righteous deregulated banking and economic model demonstrates how deeply flawed it really is.Government regulations are needed in certain sections of the economy - especially economically sensitive areas such as banking - to prevent corporate greed from dictating policy. It threatens American fiscal long term viability! It's mind boggling! By the way, Canada's government regulated banking system is now held up as the model for the rest of the world. We are one of the few countries in the world where no banks failed, no government money was required to prop up the banking system - banks remain independent - none of them had to be nationalized or partially nationalized - unlike the States and most of Europe.

OUR NORTHERN ADVENTURE - YELLOWKNIFE

The day we woke up to leave for Yellowknife, it had snowed approximately 15cms at the Kingleys and the Warners piece of paradise on the Hay River. The sky was grey and the snow kept falling. We had a 6 hour drive ahead of us on a good weather day. Who knows how long it would take on this day. We were taking an extra passenger with us - Matt Kingsley who was going to be staying with us as we visit with the Salvation Army Officers of the Yellowknife Church - Derek and Marren Plunchinski. Matt is good friends with their oldest son.
As we pulled out of their lane and onto the "highway" the road was snow covered and icey in sections. We were able to get up to regular speed but when a truck passed us in the opposite lane, we were litterally in white out conditions for at least 10 seconds. It was frightening. We slowed right up - expecting to have a ten hour drive a head of us.

Once we arrived at the Mackenzie River ice road, the weather was clearing up.

During the summer, a small ferry shuttles vehicles across the river. During the winter months, an ice road is pushed over the river. It's a really neat experience to drive across such an historic river. The speed limit was 20km per hour.

During winter freeze up and and during spring break up Yellowknife and the tiny communities on the opposite side of the river are cut off from the rest of the country for a number of weeks at a time. When we were in Yellowknife there was a made rush of trucks driving up to Yellowknife crossing the ice road to stock up the city before the closure of the road in a couple weeks time.

Once we crossed the river and began to make our trip over the top of Great Slave Lake, there was a noticeable change in the vegetation. The trees began to become thinner and scrawnyer. In saying that, there were still large stretches of thick forests with large expanses of thin scrawny trees. I was told that these were areas where the perma-frost was just below the ground - affecting the growth of the trees.

A majestic northern bison plowing through the snow at the side of the road. It's amazing to see these beasts roaming completely free!

We picked up time on the roads. It's amazing to travel through such vast expanses of wilderness - going hours between communities. There are a number of "Territorial Parks" - the equivilent of provincial parks. I would love to explore some of those parks - but camping in the summer makes me nervous when I think of the bugs.

As we approached Yellowknife there were scattered cabins and homes along the road. Once we were within the corporate limits of this city of 20,000 people, it was remarkable to see how comfortable of a community it was. It has most of the major stores we would have in here in Calgary. The services in health and education, bus system, correctional facilities and parks and recreation are second to none. After all, it is the capital of the NWT and by far it largest community. The next largest community would be Hay River - approximately 3,600 people.


The Plunchinski's home.

Derek and Marron are a warm couple with three children. They freely welcomed us into their home - turning their house upside down in order to accomodate our family of six people. We immediately felt at home. We enjoyed our time with them - conversations, sharing about our ministries, our families, our joys and frustrations. They are a remarkable family who have embraced the north and the opportunities it has that has so enriched their lives.

All over the city you see parking lots where cars that had not been moved during the winter are now completely buried in snow.

A snow mobile is an essential form of transportation. You are able to drive a snowmobile anywhere on the streets except in the downtown core. The kids went snowmobiling on a number occassions - this had a fantastic time.

Derek and Marron took Gayle and I for a drive and said let's go to Bullock's Bistro and make reservations for dinner. When we drove up to the building I thought we must be parked beside an old shed. Yet this was the restaurant. It is a log building which was built in the thirties as a store on the lakefront. I went up to the door - it was locked. I went to a side door and knocked. A tough looking woman came to the door and yelled, "Look, our new dish washer finally showed up!" She was grinning the whole time.

Early that evening we drove back to Bullock's and we made our way into a tiny room crowded with four or five tables along with a tiny bar. It was busy - but we were able to secure a corner at a table where the four of us crowded around the one end. The waitress (I'm sure she was raised at a trappers lodge) said, "If you want a drink, help yourself from the cooler over there. Today we've got fresh whitefish, pike, trout, pickerel and arctic char, and all the meat on the menu." The meat on the menu is muskox, caribou, and buffalo. Fish can be battered, pan fried or grilled. All meals come with salad and freshly made fries. There are two choices of home made salad dressing: garlic or feta cheese.

I am now absolutely enchanted by the north!

Earlier in the day we drove on another ice road that crossed over the lake to an aboriginal village. Usually it takes thirty minutes to get to this village - but over the ice, it's an easy 10 minutes.

One of the ladies that work at Bullocks said to a woman at a table beside us as she poured coffee, "Honey, be careful, this coffee will make your bra pop off."

There are a number of houses moored in Great Slave Lake. They are self sufficient - pay no property taxes to Yellowknife.

Boyde Warner's Office for his hunting camps up in the far north. His office is filled a number of the animals he has hunted over the years.

The bear is having it's revenge with Emily and Nathan.

Yellowknife International Airport

A Polar perspective

We met up with Jim Merritt, a former Salvation Army officer who went into the ministry from Yellowknife and had his final appointment in Yellowknife. Jim was a bush pilot flying into the remotest parts of the Arctic.

Jim developed a tent ministry as a bush pilot using the money we was paid to help support and expand the ministry and work of The Salvation Army.

Jim and his wife have now settled into a new life and he has picked up with his flying with First Air, a northern airline service. He flies large cargo Hercules Airplane up to isolated mines and

communities throughout the far north.

He invited us to the airport for a tour of the plane he flies. It's an amazing aircraft and an adventurous life to be sure!

One day we drove out of Yellowknife and continued on the road past the city until it came to an end. From there we turned onto the "Ice Road Highway" that twists and turns hundreds of kms over lakes and slivers of land. There are several roads like this that take up you up to the great northern diamond mines that are now the driving force of the NWT. These roads of ice are maintained, plowed and repaired on a daily basis. Massive trucks carrying equally massive loads of equipment and supplies travel these roads. It's a marvel of engineering. As a matter of fact there is a reality show that is popular especially in the states called "Ice Road Truckers." Check it out on You Tube.

A wolf on the side of the road on the way back to Yellowknife from the Ice Road.

Snow Castle on Great Slave Lake

The dinning area.

The concert / dance hall

Derek and I talking with the "Snow King"

The North West Territories Legislative Assembly. Democracy NWT style is absolutely foreign to the provinces to the south. There are no political parties - people run as individuals, are elected and then those who are elected, come to a concensus and appoint one of their members as the Territorial Premier. Political posturing is unknown - all the elected members are friends and make decisions based upon concensus.

Kimberlite - the rock in which diamonds are found.

The now closed "Giant Gold Mine" in Yellowknife. It has a very sad and violent ending when a strike by the workers went so wrong causing the death of a number miners.

The Yellowknife Church attached to an addictions programme and homeless shelter run by The Salvation Army.

The Yellowknife Corps is a wonderful community of people - a younger congregation and surprisingly a very culturally diverse church - including a good representation of people from the Dene nation and Inuit from the high Arctic.

It was my privillege to preach on the Sunday morning.

The Chapel

Gayle, Marron, Derek, Stephen

Towards the end of our visit with Derek and Marron, we had gone to bed when Marron came down and told us that Northern Lights were shining bright.

Gayle and I woke up the children, we bundled ourselves up and headed out in the -25C temperature. We piled into the van and drove a few kms out of Yellowknife - literally to the middle of now where where there was no lights to interfere with the display of the Northern Lights. We were hoping to see them - and there they were - far more billiant than we had ever imagined them to be! They danced, swirled and curled and snaked across the sky. In the silence of the crisp night air, we just stared into the sky to watch this amazing display of celestial glory. I said to Gayle it seems you can hear them sing! I was sure I heard something - but It was just my imagination.

We couldn't get our camera to focus (still learning to use the proper settings). I found this picture on Google Images of the Northern Lights up in Yellowknife - and in the same place where we stopped! It was exactly like this picture! As billiant! As captivating. As stunning.

In all, this trip went much beyond our expectations! It was a definite life memory that we will always cherish as a family.