Trip to Ontario

We went to Stratford and saw several shows. Wanted to visit Aunt Gertrude but she was not at home. Stayed at K&E for 2 nights. Went to church with them. Supper with Tomoko and cookie baking on Sunday. Monday visited Aunt Esther. She is in a Christian care home and seems to like it there. She was quite content.

Church Service Sunday in the Park

For all faiths or for none to worship Mother Earth the United Church way.

Beautiful Lady Taking Pictures

Saturday we spent the day hiking and reading. It was cold and windy all day. For supper we bought steak, corn, and onions for a delicious dinner on the deck. While the meal was cooking, Martha went down to our dock to take pictures of the beautiful sunset. Check her facebook in a few days to see the pictures.
It's a pleasure to be married to this beautiful young lady for 38 years.

A Week of Hell

It started Monday morning in a meeting with my former partners and ended Thursday with an all day ''document discovery" in front of the arbitration judge. Monday was full of --descriptions deleted---. Thursday revealed lies and deceit. All in all, I wasted a week with unnecessary, unneeded, and unwanted emotional trauma.
Job said what I feel: my spirit is broken... the grave waits me... my eyes have grown dim with grief... my plans are shattered and so are the desires of my heart... how I long for times gone by when God watched over me when his friendship blessed my house... Renee was with me... God used my partners to throw me into the mud... I am reduced to dust and ashes... I cry out to God but he does not answer me. My heart is mourning and my pain is never ending. I exist in waves of overwhelming and unrelenting pain.
Why did I not perish at birth or die when I came from the womb? I have no peace no quietness I have no rest... Only turmoil. Oh that I might have my request... That God would crush me... Cut me off... This unrelenting pain could go away... Where is God? If I go to the east he is not there... west, I can't find him, north I do see him, south I catch no glimpse of him..
A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty

38 Years and still Young

For our 38th Anniversary we decided to go to the Cottage and on to Kenora for dinner!

Samantha And Friends

They performed at Sam's Place tonight. It's a used book store on Henderson highway sponsored by MCC
Martha volunteers once a week. They have a nice sandwich counter with gourmet food and coffees including espresso.

The Book of Daniel

Dr Pierre Gilbert - EMC Convention - Riverton

No one has problems with cultural Christians.
Christians say Jesus is the only way. That's as annoying to some as a cloud of mosquitos on a quiet evening.
If a group of scientists discovered a cure for disease, would they be criminal if they did not share the discovery or would they be arrogant if they did?
We have the solution to the world's ill. We must share it. But not make ourselves a nuisance.
We sin by having too much wealth while we look for the simple life. Radical simplicity and radical Christianity are not the same thing.
Daniel got a full scholarship to SBC Samarian Babylonion College all expenses paid. He was a bit prima donna by refusing to eat the good food. He was catapulted to the top. Is this a simplistic approach? Be faithful and God will elevate you?
God could have done anything for the Jews. God never does on his own what he can do in partnership with us. God needed an administrator at the top to preserve the Jews to ensure that they survived as a nation.
They needed a corporate climber. The Purpose Driven Crisis created opportunity for advancement
God nudged his agenda forward by creating crisis opportunity to allow Daniel to climb the ladder of success. Daniel had to be prepared to embrace the complex life.
Lifestyle and elements of it are secondary in the discipliship equation. Mission needs to be the focus.
The Kruses were called to a simple lifestyle. Not to glorify it. But to glorify Christ.
We need bankers and businesses and farmers to glorify Christ. Look at the living God.
If Daniel had not heeded the call to the Complex life none of us would be here today. The difficult call.

Flowers on the Grave

We went to Riverton today to plant flowers on Renee's grave. One of them is "Endless Summer". The rest of them are annuals. I shed tears. No parent should EVER have to plant flowers on a child's grave. Now for enough rain to cause the flowers to grow in that hard soil.

In the evening we went to the EMC Conference for a delicious supper and to hear Dr Pierre Gilbert aka Peter Giesbrecht speak:

Man has a natural bent to pantheism and child sacrifices. Genesis tells us there is one God.
We either worship nature or we investigate nature. The Christian scientist finds ways of dealing with nature more efficiently.

What is the higher calling? Finding chemicals to fix illness or taking care of the sick? They are equal. The endless technological advances are improving our lives every day.

There is a sphere of action unique to the Christian to deal with sin. The evanglistic exercise belongs to the Christian. We must do this whether the state approves or not. Doing good is necessary but not a substitute for missionary activity.
YP- pay close attention to the skills God has given you. We need men and women in all spheres of society.
You are God's ambassadors wherever you are. Create ripples for eternity