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

Life is a Highway - A Reliable GPS

Pastor Del - eastview.org

Using the internet, FLN broadcasts around the world live from the Winnipeg studios.
We live in a global Village where we connect electronically not face to face.

How do we build Community?
We need to learn to use God's Positioning System (GPS) - the Bible
Psalm 1 helps us make the right choices. It is The Beginning of the highway of life. Home base.
GPS set-up.
A. Informing - Blessed is the one who does not walk /stand /sit in the council of the wicked.
B. Uploading - day and night. Homebase uploading is to read the Psalms daily for the next 30 days
C. Destination to be less critical more loving, kind, considerate, unselfish, etc
D. Recalculating - the Lord watches over those who are perishing. To Un-slump yourself is not easily done. Dr Seus

Today I choose to follow you
Ps 139:1-6 Oh Lord you have searched me....

Mom's concern of the day

I visited mom and dad this morning. Brenda was providing respite for the day. Rose and Gloria had gone to Prince Albert for the weekend. Doris came to stay with them for the rest of the time.

This clip is the line mom kept repeating over and over all morning. There was no way to distract her from it for hours. If we wanted to change the subject she felt we did not want to listen to her.

She felt she had failed to tell everyone that Jesus had died to save us and we should tell everyone. When I suggested that I video tape her and post the video on the net, so she could tell everyone the story, she was happy. But that did not stop her from ongoing repetitions.
Last night mom & dad didn't get much sleep. Mom had kept repeating a negative theme way into the night, repeating herself over and over. This is really hard on dad.

Thanks for the Shirt, Renee!

It's Father's Day again and I miss you. Thanks for the shirt you and Kara picked for me. I will wear it every Father's Day to remember your love!

First Things First

It is hard to be a father
Prov 4:23 Guard your heart Is the One thing God asks us to do.
Everything you do or are stems from your heart
What happens if your heart is not well.
Unguarded heart. General George Custer
The little big horn - Custer's last stand. They all died.
He made 3 Mistakes.
1. Self Serving agenda -he wanted to go to the White House
2. A Complacent heart. Caught off guard.
3. An-attended - "all about me" attitude.
Who gives the "more" and fills your tank?
John 10:10 Jesus promised that by faith in him we would have an Abundant life.
Heart checkup
1. Look under the hood
Is the ignition system working? Tuned? Find out what's wrong. Shut of the computer. Cell & e-mail. Can I sustain the pace?
When we are not dire to God we mistreat the ones we love.
2. Look in the mirror, look up. Who will sharpen you?
3. Look up Ps 139:3-4 Not just around. Do you need heart surgery?
Heart killer diagnosis
1. An unclear purpose
2. An unemployed talent
3. An unbalanced schedule
4. Unconfessed sin
5. Unresolved conflict
6. life style
9. Unsupported spirit take time w God
God gives beauty for ashes
Are you ready to receive that? Is Jesus the leader of your Camp?

A Beautiful Evening

A walk in the neighbourhood

Dave & Elfrieda Loewen

50 years of marriage. 30 years at Camp Arnes. 2 years as directors of the Winnipeg nativity parade. 20 years in Russia with Kingdom Ventures.
Dave & Elfrieda have influenced so many people.
Words to describe the family:
Encouragement. Follow your interests. You Can. Grounded. Every day Principles. Trust. Focus on ministry. Eternal living - life with perspectives.
Rook is in the family.
Lifetime commitment to God, each other and the family. Celebrating Uniqueness. Dave the dreamer. Elfrieda the wings that make the dreams fly.
Celebrations of Joy!
Life is a precious gift and an awesome responsibility.
2001 Clinton had a serious accident in 2002 Elfrieda had cancer.
God has granted healing. And 50 wonderful years.
Hope for the future and a prayer of blessing. A life well lived.

Jessica's Gift

Here is a reading Renee did from New York for her grandma just before Christmas 2007 as her Christmas gift to grandma. Do you think Renee tried to say something to her parents and friends when she selected this particular story? Click here to listen to it.

Make sure you have your Kleenex handy. I wept a ton of tears when I listened to it the first time.

Pain

Why does the pain keep rolling in? When will it ever stop?

How are you? Still gets answered with "surviving" but sometimes I'm not sure that it is actually true.
Martha is reading a book written by a pastor that lost his 3 year old son, Jonathan. It took him through a lot of depression over several years while maintaining his role as pastor.
I might do a synopsis of that book when I get around to reading it. If I ever have enough energy for that.

I booked a flight to Vancouver for a YWAM meeting on the 18th because the 9th didn't work on account of the Arbitration with my former partners. Now they screwed up the arbitration schedule by refusing to submit the documents the judge ordered them to provide. And I really should be in Regina from the 16th to 20th for the farm show.

Why? Why? Why? is everything so messed up?

And I sold the motorhome for $7000 when it is easily worth close to $15,000 and we could use it from time to time for business and at the cottage. Why do I do those kinds of silly things?

Seizing the Grander Moment

Del Enns Eastview
Starbucks $4m investment became a $250m public company in 5 years.

Esther 4:13-14 Esther seized her moment and become willing to die. All of us must do the same. Esther was calm and collected. She calculated the cost. She put her life on the line. She understood the grandor moment.
This morning we have 8 Christ followers willing to cross the line. Be baptized or transfer membership to Eastview.
Jordon attended Christian School. Loves worship music. Grew up in Kamloops. MBCl since grade 8. Bible Classes had a huge impact. Working at Rousseau River had a further impact. Mark 8:36 Jesus is my refuge
Amy grew up in Eastview. MB Pioneer Camp. Have learned a lot about God there.
Even when you feel like giving up you need to keep going.
Baptism has been on my mind for a long time.
Josh became a Christian at age 3. Parents divorced. Mom got remarried to an abusive man. Found a friend at church. Went to Mexico with the church group. Worked at Pioneer Camp where he met Amy.
Josh MBCI gr 8-12 Eph 2:8 Gift of God.
My life has a foundation on Jesus. Follow Jesus in baptism

Amazing Grace. He has called me here below- he'll be forever mine.

Good old hockey game

Moose 3 Bears 1

That was a Game

A moose game!!! Kara Kristin and I ENJOYED it!

Andre Kristin Davis

You would be 35 today. I still miss you with tears too numerous to count.