Five great words from God to start the New Year.

Could there be a better word than the most repeated phrase in the Bible, "FEAR NOT".

As the inscription reminds us, in one form or another, it is there 365 times.

So go forth into 2013 and begin each day with a "FEAR NOT" from Jesus.

 They will last from today until December 31st.

Take "Fear Not" into your job interview; take "Fear Not" into the operating room; take "Fear Not" when you board that long haul flight; take "Fear Not" when you look at your accounts for this month; take "Fear Not" when you ask that dear young lady to marry you; take "Fear Not" when you have bad news from your physician........

Take it with you wherever you go and to whomsoever you meet and let me know next New Year's Eve that 2013 was the best year ever.

Jubilate and success in all your endeavours for the Lord.

Ian

Christmas and New Year Greetings

Wishing you all the very best of God's blessings this Christmas season and health, joy and prosperity for the coming New Year.

Jubilate!


Ian and Pauline.

Christmas: Celebrate or Celibate.

What do you want? This or





THIS




My next-door neighbour is a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
He has it on good information that Jesus was not born in December but sometime in September (exact date unknown).

Armed with this superior knowledge he and his wife do not celebrate Christmas: no lights on the eaves, no decorated tree, no wreathes or special arrangements...... and nothing in September either.

After examining their particular beliefs I can understand why they don't string the lights and fire up the organ; there is precious little to get excited about.

Which puts me in mind of the novice monk who was about to sign up for monastic orders. He was given a tour of the premises by the Abbott. While showing him the treasured parchments by the flickering candle flame, the Abbott suddenly burst into tears. Alarmed, the young monk enquired why he was crying.

The Abbott dolefully replied "All these years my son. All these years, I have mis-read. It says CELEBRATE not CELIBATE."

Amazing what a huge difference a couple of letters can make.

Make sure this year that you have a joy-filled Christmas.

Jubilate.

Ian

Christmas: Coming up for air.

After the Newton tragedy, which has enveloped the entire civilised world in a cloud of gloom, it is time to come up for air.

 Terrible events attended the FIRST Christmas.

We are told that the psychopath King Herod ordered the slaying of all baby boys in the region of Judea, thinking thereby that he could kill the baby Christ. He failed, as the devil has always failed, to thwart the work and divert the will of God. 

Though the sky was dark, a brilliant star still shone over Bethlehem.
Though there was terrible news from the regions of Judea, the Son of God was still born in a stable outside the inn.

Take heart, Christmas 2012 will be as joyful and triumphant as the day when Mary first smiled down upon the gift that God had given to her and all mankind.

In the dark aftermath of Newton a star still shines; a light of  hope and salvation that devil and his minions will never extinguish.

Hallelujah for Christmas.

Ian

Where was God last Friday

In the aftermath of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school the question frequently being asked is  "Where was God in all of this?"

Let me attempt a feeble reply.

1) He wasn't in the school text books. Creation has been replaced by scientific evolution.

2) He wasn't in the school assemblies. Prayer and hymns have given way to daily announcements.

3) He wasn't in the Christmas celebrations: No creches or nativity scenes are allowed in federally funded schools.

4) His Holy Word was not engraved on the school walls. No copies of the Ten Commandments are allowed in public buildings.

5) The gospel was not taught in the class rooms of Sandy Hook. This would violate the concept of the separation of church and state.

Where was God on Friday?

He wasn't in the Sandy Hook school.He had been mandated to leave.

If you have a better answer please let us know.

Ian

Newton "Deliver us from EVIL"

The Newton shooting is but 48 hours old yet the amount of news,analysis and comment has been  enough to engulf  media outlets world-wide.

In all the reports and commentary, I have heard but ONE  reference to EVIL and that from the Governor of Connecticut.
Let me quote

 "Evil has descended upon us. Evil invaded the school of Sandy Hook."

What the Governor said is exactly true and  deserves to be quoted.

What should also be quoted are the closing words of the Lord's prayer:

"LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL."

Herein lies the heart of America's problem. The children of the nation are forbidden from praying those words in America's schools by virtue of FEDERAL LAW.

Today prayers are being said  EVERYWHERE: in churches, homes, civic halls, street corners, everywhere but in SCHOOLS, from which all prayers are banished.

Expect "evil to descend" on those schools again and again until God is recognized as the ONLY ONE who can deliver our children from evil.

In deepest sympathy.

Ian

NEWTON and beyond.

On Monday last week, in a grim coincidence with the shooting in the small town of Newton, Connecticut, congress passed a bill to eliminate the word "LUNATIC" from the federal lexicon.

They somehow associated the word with all mentally challenged members of American society, which of course it is not.

On Friday we heard  the horrific news that Adam Lanza had murdered twenty small children in cold blood at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The hideous work of a lunatic indeed.

Congress would do well to remove assault weapons from the Nation's gun dealers rather than remove well appointed words from the Nation's dictionary.

 In deepest sympathy with the grieving parents of the Newton tragedy.

Ian

Maybe none of us will see Christmas 2012!

Nestled at the foot of the Southern Pyrenees lies the French village of Bugarach; pop 170.
For the past two weeks New Agers from around the globe have been converging on Bugarach, for it is here (and only here) that survival can be assured when Armageddon  arrives on December 21st.

Why is this date scheduled for doomsday?

Because it is the day when the Mayan Calendar, begun 5,125years ago, runs out.

On December 21st the 13th cycle of the Calendar ends and the calamity occurs. What will that be? According to cosmic experts it could be a sun-storm, a planetary collision or a complete reversal of the poles due to inter-galactic alignment. What ever the scenario it will be BIG.

The very thought of the final moment is big enough to have believers at Bugarach paying $2,000:00 a night for a bed at the Bugar hotel, $500:00 for a camping spot, $30:00 for a bottle of water, and $100:00 for a glass of vintage survival wine.

Bugar stones are being sold by enterprising villages for $2:00 a gram.

Before you head off for France I would suggest that you check with Santa's Express Service. He has worldwide deliveries planned for December 24th, three days after the end of all things.
Maybe he and Mrs Clause know something that the Mayans didn't?

Jubilate.

Ian

Have a happy, jappy Christmas.

Behold, the ultimate symbol of what Christmas is all about. This seen in a Tokyo department store.
Is this mixed up theology or do the Japanese somehow connect the prosperity of the West with the christian religion? 

What ever the reason for this commercial heresy, the Japanese greetings reveal the true spirit of a Japanese Christmas is not too far removed from any retail outlet in the West, namely:


                       SHOP TILL YOU DROP.

Jubilate

Ian

The Grinch that stole Christmas

Let's be clear, there are all sorts of people who would like to see an end to the Christian feast of Christmas. Dr Seuss simply called  them "The Grinches"

Back a few years ago in my city an edict went out from the school board that no creches, Christmas trees or carols would be allowed in our public schools. It was all done under the guise of 'fairness to others'.

At that time I was involved in some radio broadcasting and other media things and I put the call out over the air-waves for anyone wishing to take on the Grinch to assemble at the school board H.Q.

On the appointed night over 600 hundred people turned up, along with T.V. cameras and reporters.

O what a difference numbers make! How quickly the self righteous posturing of the Senior policy makers crumbled in the face of a host of irate tax payers who demanded Christmas be given back to their children.

Suddenly we heard phrases like: "It's all been a misunderstanding."   " It was never our intention.."   "This has grown out of all proportion"  and so on.

By the following Monday Jesus was back in his creche, the lights were restored to the Christmas tree, carols were being sung. Peace on earth, goodwill to all men mysteriously spread through our schools.

That was ONE Grinch taken care of. There are plenty left, and for those someone else will need to take on the little monsters. I'll be meeting round the Christmas Tree with my grandchildren.

Jubilate.

Ian

The new Boxing Day

We live in a marvellous world where,among other things, packaging has been elevated to a fine art. Self seal envelopes, styrofoam insulation, bubble wrap and vacuum packs are but a few of the modern techniques of enclosure.

 And we have tried to apply the same techniques to Christmas.

The new Boxing Day is to wrap and box the wonderful story of Christmas into a package called "Happy Holidays" and put it under
the same tree as "Happy Hanukkah", "Happy Turkey Day", "Happy Birthday" and happy everything else.

Whatever you do DON'T GET SERIOUS about the Christmas message. That would never do.

We have Christmas in a VACUUM sealed package where every thing to do with faith, Christ, Saviour of the World and Son of God has been VACUUMED out.

Among the many boxes you may have under your tree this month don't try and put the Son of God in one. The only package He ever had was the womb of the Virgin Mary. Thereafter to be revealed to the world as a sinless Saviour and shortly to return in Power as Messiah, Lord of All.

Start worshiping Him NOW for we shall surely all bow before Him THEN.

Jubilate.

Ian

Christmas from circumfernece to centre.

1945 was not a good Christmas for me.

Pat Pitchfork, a precocious seven year from across the street, informed me that there was no Santa. I stoutly responded that there must be a Santa because when he came to our house he always ate the cookie and drank the milk that we left out for him.

Pat scornfully informed me that it was my dad that was playing a trick on me. It was HE who ate the cookie and drank the milk not Santa.

Later that day my older sister, Anne, confirmed the dread story that Father Christmas was a hoax.

I guess at the tender age of five I was learning how to distinguish between the believable and the verifiable.

So, Father Christmas had his beard pulled off by Pat Pitchfork (an apt name for her), but nearly 70 years later the Christmas story of the birth of Christ only grows richer, stronger and more beautiful to my heart and that, my friends, is the story that matters.

Jubilate.

Ian

Christmas from circumference to centre.School for Santas

As we saw yesterday Santa Claus has become an industry.

It's not enough to don a red suit, cap and false beard; these days, to be a bona fide Santa, one needs a Santa Diploma.

And you can get one if you attend a Santa School.

Here are some of the 'do' and "don'ts' for Santa.

1) Don't forget the names of the reindeers.
2) Don't over do the "Ho,Ho's" It's three or "Ho, Ho Hello!"
3) Don't make firm promises to the kids. When it doesn't happen they lose their faith in Santa.
4) For really difficult questions:  "I'll ask Mrs Claus"
5) I don't go down chimney's anymore. I get my elves to open the doors or windows.
6) "How old are you?"  answer  "Really, really old. So old I've forgotten."
7) Always use breath mints.
8) No drinking liquor on the job.
9) "Do I know Rudolf?" "Of course, but this year he is in the stable with a bad cold."
10) If you can't grow a real beard use beards made of dyed Yak hair. No cotton wool. The kids know it's fake.
11) Use a good deodorant.
12) No talking about Jesus. We are not in the religion business.

That last rule reflects the absurdity of the theater.

From the first Saint Nicholas, a passionate follower of Christ, we now have his modern counter part, Santa Claus, the patron Saint of Goodies.

Jubilate.

Ian

We interrupt our series. Kate is pregnant.

The timing could not be more appropriate. As the Advent Season is upon us, so news came from the Palace that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting.

It would have been difficult to keep it a secret since Kate has been entered into hospital with a severe attack of morning sickness.
There will be rejoicing across the Commonwealth tonight  that another heir to the throne will be born and the succession is secure to the fourth generation.

This is the first time in a hundred and fifty years that there will have been a reigning monarch with three succeeding heirs in line for her throne, Charles, William and Royal Baby.

Matterless the sex of the child, the law of primogenitureship will apply. This year, by act of parliament, the first child of the King or Queen, girl or boy, will inherit the crown.

Will it be Queen Elizabeth 3rd or King William 4th?

Wait and see but, until then:

 "God Save the King."

Jubilate.

Ian

Christmas: From Circumference to Centre

We will start this season of Peace and Goodwill at it's outer fringes.

The first Santa's are already in the malls and parades; Christmas seems to come earlier these days.

From the legend of the first Saint Nicklaus in the middle ages we now have a global army of venerable look-alikes.

In fact, a few years ago these gentlemen banded together and founded a union:
"The Amalgamated order of Real Bearded Santas"  ( Contrasted with the cotton wool and designer bearded  wanna-be's)
Membership grew to well over 2,000 ably led by Chief Santa Tim Connaghan.

All was peaceful in Santa ville until a rival, Santa Nick Trolli, appeared on the scene.

The most recent Santa convention in California turned ugly with a great deal of Santa shoving, threats and un-santa like language.

Then civil war broke out among the Santas.

This has resulted in a new organization "The Fraternal order of Real Bearded Santas". Lawyers are being hired and who knows where it will all end?

Not to worry. December is here. Santa's in their thousands have retired to their malls and grottoes to pursue their calling.

War will be resumed next summer which is Santa's slack time.

Then the devil (Old Nick) will probably find work for Saint Nick's idle hands.

Jubilate.

Ian

People who Help

Here are Shannon and Beth.

Two or three times a week I go to the local civic fitness club. Not only do they have great senior's rates, they also have excellent,qualified staff.
Both these girls took a personal interest in my well being when I signed up a couple of years ago.

Back in the 1950's gyms were chilly, dimly lit places where there were a few barbells, medicine balls, punch bags, climbingbars and ceiling ropes.

Now they are warm well lit halls stacked with  every sort of cyber-machines all calibrated to to the last ounce, with read outs on calories burned, kilometers travelled, muscles worked ad infinitum.

That's where these two young ladies came to my help in the nick of time before I jammed myself in the machinery.

 Shannon and Beth are highly trained people and stellar characters. While they surmount their own personal challenges to make their monthly budgets, they also reserve a cheery smile and a special word for creaky seniors like me.

That's why they get their occasional coffee treat by way of my appreciation. They deserve it.

I was wondering whether you can think of any of your own unsung heroes this Christmas season; maybe give them a card or a small gift to tell them they are special to you.

Jubilate.

Ian

People who help

I have a feeling that I would not be enjoying the health I do today if I had not met Max and Joan Carter.

That was over forty years ago when I lived in England.

Back in those days I thought I could thrive on a hearty diet of good old English grub: fish n' chips, steak and kidney pies, jam roly-poly, bacon,eggs and black-pudding and all things salt and grease.

Then I met Max who, after discussing the scriptures, got down to his second favourite subject, food reform.

Until I left England to emigrate to Canada, Max was faithful to preach against the evils of white sugar, bleached flour, processed foods, M.S.G, fried foods, french-fries and dumplings and just about everything else that I enjoyed. At the same time he upheld the merits of fresh fruit, nuts, whole grain bread and Omega oils.

Max himself ate enough oatmeal to keep a race-horse in trim.

About the last words he said before I got on the plane were:

"Good diet, good drainage and plenty of exercise, Ian"

Well Max, the good seed that you sowed did not fall on stony ground. Today I had my oatmeal and berries for breakfast, I have just got back from the gym, and for dinner tonight it is salmon from the BBQ........ and yes, my drainage couldn't be better.

Jubilate.

Ian

People who Help

Alice has been my barber for many years. When I pastored a church in Barrie she was one of my faithful flock.

If I needed a trim I would pop in to see Alice and she would get a second sermon and I would receive my grooming which is important for a 'man of the cloth'.

Even when I was travelling I would see my lady barber, catch up on the news at home, give Alice my "tales from the trails" and always finish with prayer before I headed out to regions beyond.

Alice refuses to accept any fee for her hairdressing, but one thing she appreciates is the occasional orchid that I bring her.

She has the most amazing collection that has thrived under a her green thumb and, no doubt, their growth has been helped by the hymns and Christian music that pervade her home.

I have less hair these days and what I have left has turned grey.

But Alice and I have an understanding: she will make sure that I a real good trim before they put me in the casket!

Jubilate.

Ian

People who Help.

Want a mechanic who is as handy with an A.K 47 as he is with a set of wrenches?  Meet Alex.

He won't be around at his workshop this week: he is out hunting in the Nottawasaga Swamp. He was headed there this morning with half a sack of corn and some apples to spread around the deer-hide for Bambi's last breakfast.

Some people don't care for Alex's right-wing politics or for his predatory hobbies, but Alex is the best Import Mechanic in the city and has looked after my vehicles for years.

He also is scrupulously honest, a characteristic of his Serbian Orthodox faith.

Feeling lonely at 30 years old, Alex hopped on a plane to Belgrade and brought back Mina. They never dated. He simply went to his mother's church, saw Mina, presented her with a proposal of marriage and awaited the outcome.

The answer, after a few days of suspense, was in the affirmative and like Rebecca of old, Mina packed up and followed Alex to Canada.

I'll probably be visiting their home this Christmastide and will see their beautiful daughter Freya and share the wonders of Christ's birth with a truly Serbian flavour.

Jubilate.

Ian

People who help.

We take a welcome break from the turmoil and trouble of the Middle East to come a little closer to home; my home.

I was thinking the other day that none of us can get through life without the helping hands of others. Even Jesus had a company of loving helpers who took care of His earthly needs.
This week I will mention five people who make regular contributions to make my world an easier and happier place to be.

Here is Sandra, my personal physician. She is a special person. She is the first female doctor who has looked after me.

She is also the first of the NEW order of doctors that have graced the Canadian medical field in the last ten years.

My old doctor, who I had for twenty years, would welcome me with: "How are you young man?" He would take my blood pressure, look in my ears, stethoscope my heart, tell me I was fine and say "Look in next year."

Sandra is different.

If she hasn't heard from me I get a call from her secretary asking where I am. She has a computer in which are stored my records from day dot. I can't fool her. When I didn't take my full course of anti-biotics she gave me a lecture on why super-bugs multiply.
Three years ago she said "I won't be satisfied until your blood pressure is 129/80" For the past three months it has been. Now she is on the trail of my blood sugar and creatnine.

If I live to be ninety I have a feeling she will be meddling with the axles on my wheel chair.    But isn't it wonderful to be cared for?

Jubilate.
Ian

Peace in our times!

In 1938 Neville Chamberlain came back to England from the Munich Peace Conference. He was waving a piece of paper when he descended from the plane. It was a declaration signed by himself and Herr Hitler saying that Britain and Germany would live in harmony together. The mantra for the next twelve months was:

"Peace in our times"

Fast forward.

In the last forty years I can recall the expressions of hope from the various foreign ministers who have engaged the Nation of Ishmael and the Nation of Israel in the business of reconciliation.

Henry Kissinger called his shuttle diplomacy:

 "Working for a middle East solution"

Warren Christopher termed his efforts:

 "The Middle East Peace Process."

Condoleesa Rice drew up a treaty called:

 "A road-map to peace"

George Mitchell called his solution: "The wider peace accord"

Yesterday Hilary Clinton opted for:

"A Broader Middle East Calm"

My sister Anne, ever a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, said to me over the phone : "Ian, we must hope."

To which I must reply: "Dream on, Sis"

There will be no peace until the Prince of Peace returns, and that's what the message of Christmas is all about.

Jubilate.

Ian

I

This week in the nation of Ishmael!

The Souk Market, Aleppo. (before)

By way of some sobering perspective here are just a few of the events that took place THIS week in the Nation of Ishmael.

1) Mob violence in Cairo that injures 600.

2) Execution of 6 Palestinians in Gaza by other Palestinians on the dubious grounds of sympathizing with the enemy.

3) A rejection of the Western backed Syrian Free Army by Islamist rebels saying that nothing short of an Islamist Republic in Syria will satisfy them.

4) Thousands marching in the streets of Amman, Jordan, demanding the overthrow of gentle King Abdullah.

5) Assassination of leading Lebanese commander for supporting President Assad of Syria.

6) All out ideological war between PLO in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza

7) Huge destruction of Northern Syrian border town by Assad forces.





The Souk (after)

And all this without the help of the Nation of Israel.

Save your breath, Hilary. Go home and bake a Thanksgiving Turkey for Bill, and let the Nation of Ishmael sort itself out.

Jubilate.

Ian

Palestinian War Lords

Being a Palestinian war lord is a risky business.

2800 years ago Goliath, their champion from Gath, was taken down with a rock to his head, fired from the sling of David.
More recently the means of elimination have become more sophisticated but the results just as deadly.

Last week, on the same day that Ahmed Jabari was killed by a missile fired from an Israeli drone,  the body of the Palestinian's old war chief  Yassir Arafat was dug up in Ramallah.

There is strong evidence that he was poisoned by a lethal dose of polonium.

Polonium is a radium based substance that, once ingested, will effectively destroy a person's blood stream. There is no antidote.

Think of that! A rock to the head, a laser guided missile or a polonium pellet. Net results the same: another one bites the dust!

Which causes us to ask the question "Is Israel always right?"

Absolutely not.

But 4000 years of history have shown us that God loves this little nation and, if He does, so do I!

Jubilate.

Ian

Israel vs Hamas. 2012

Seconds out round three.

At this very moment the over-crowded Gaza Strip is due to receive  60,000 unwanted tourists in the form of the Israeli armed forces.

Another war has begun but this is one with a huge difference.

Since the victory of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Spring Elections, Egypt has declared itself firmly on the side of Hamas.

What are these new implications?

In the simplest of terms it means that in the light of military intervention or material support from Egypt to Hamas, the conditions of the Camp David Accord will be breached and control of the Sinai Peninsular will revert back to Israel.

Fasten the  seat belts of your faith. This is going to be a bumpy ride.

Jubilate.

Ian

Jolly Hockey Sticks

It would be difficult for anyone who lives outside the bounds of Canada to conceive the amount of grief and frustration that is being currently endured by our populace.

The reason?  Why it is the season of the GREAT HOCKEY LOCK-OUT.

For six months spokesmen from the National Hockey League, representing the players, and their counterparts, representing the owners of the teams, have been involved in an arm-wrestling contest.

At stake is the division of over a billion dollars of revenue from T.V rights, sales of tickets, sweaters, T-Shirts and other stuff; a regular "who-gets-what"?

The players are wanting more than is being offered them;the owners say they are not going to get it.

 A classic stalemate has ensued and Canadians are forgoing their favorite winter pastime.... hockey viewing.

Don't feel too badly for these wealthy young sportsmen.
A close friend of mine, Brent Tremblay, a past member of the Washington Capitols, said:

"Ian, in my day we were just happy to have a chance to play the game we loved. To get a weekly pay check for doing it was a huge bonus. Now this generation of 'newbies' is squabbling over who gets the next million."

Thanks for giving us your perspective Brent.

Not being content with having the golden eggs they want to kill the goose that lays them.

History repeats itself.

Jubilate.

Ian

Rothko or fiasco?

How about this painting of a Canadian lake in the fall?

Or maybe this early 19th century view of Niagara Falls.

One was sold for $75,000 and the other for $38,000.

Both will adorn some wealthy person's living room;scenes quintessentially Canadian.

But yesterday this Rothko painting sold for $75,000,000.

 It will be hanging on the walls of a wealthy lunatic's home where other lunatics can come and "ooh" and "aah".

Such is the 21 st century society in which we live.

Jubilate.

Ian

The new lexicon of the guilty.

It is  fascinating to listen to the confessions of top officials when their misdeeds and malfeance are uncovered.
In the lexicon of General Petraeus describing his sordid affair with Paula Broadwell, we hear such phrases as:

"It was a colossal mistake." "I was guilty of the worst form of judgment" or " It was a let down of my guard."

All of these carefully phrased 'Mea Culpas' could come from the lips of a quarterback in a press conference the day after losing the Super Bowl.

But in case you think that this scandal embroiling the General is all about missteps and mistakes ask the opinion of his wife, Holly.

She is both broken hearted and devasted by conduct involving her husband's lies, infidelity,adultery, denial and cover-up.

No words from a military lexicon are going to fool her.

After all, Holly was the daughter of the President of West Point Academy from which Broadwell and Petraeus graduated and where, planted firmly in the grass for all to read, is the dictum.

"WE ABHOR CHEATING, LYING AND INFIDELITY AND ALL WHO PRACTICE SUCH."

Jubilate.

Ian

Where was the general's chaplain?

King David had Nathan as his chaplain, King Saul had Samuel. Oliver Cromwell had the godly Richard Baxter to speak sober words to him.
King Philip of Macedon hired a Nubian slave to remind him daily that he was "but a man".

But where was the the chaplain of General Petraeus when the 'cutsie' Paula Broadwell arrived in his camp?

This woman, had he known it, was more dangerous than Osama Bin Laden.

She had never written a book before, yet she got into the general's tent with tight fitting pants and revealing blouses ostensibly to record the great man's success in Afghanistan.

But where was the general's chaplain?

In a situation fraught with danger, temptation and beguilment the chaplain, the general's spiritual armor bearer, failed to deliver warning and admonishment before it was too late.

When David crept into King Saul's camp and stole his spear and water pot while Saul slept, David shouted that Abner, his body guard, should die.

Maybe General's chaplain should hand in his badge and join his boss on civvy street. At the very least he ought to be disciplined for dereliction of duty.

Jubilate.

Ian

Petraeus: another statue in the scrap-yard.

Whether bronze, marble or iron the statues of the fallen super-heroes usually finish behind the fence in the re-cycling yard.

General Petraeus is the latest. News broke on Friday that this iconic figure, past general in Afghanistan and current head of the CIA, had been carrying on an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

How quickly a hero becomes a zero.

 It turns out that the competing agency, the FBI, did a special probe into the General's behaviour.
His seamy relationship with Broadwell was judged to be a National Security risk and the whistle was blown.

What adds insult to injury is the fact that he and Broadwell had just finished producing a shiny, new code of behaviour called, of all things,  "Rules for living." . Not only so, but the good general was wont in time past to speak in strongest possible terms about the base conduct of men who 'philander'.

General. Stand to attention while your medals are removed from your chest. You have brought shame on the Petraeus name, demeaned your organisation, broken the heart of your wife and destroyed the Broadwell family, even as you were preaching from your book of rules.

Step forward all men who love their wives, hold down a job, do their duty, raise good kids, fear the Lord,look after grandma, help their neighbours and are real dads.
You get the medals.

Jubilate.

Ian

Lest We Forget! Remembrance Day 2012

For his contribution to Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, Rudyard Kipling wrote the following poem: "Lest We Forget".

By many, especially those in high places, it was not well received. It was suggested that it was an "unpatriotic and unfair comment upon the glories of the British Empire"

 But all this was fourteen years before the outbreak of the First World War. By Armistice Day 1918 a humbled people willingly adopted the phrase "Lest We Forget" on it's cenotaphs and memorials across the Empire.

God of our fathers, known of old—
Lord of our far-flung battle line—
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies—
The Captains and the Kings depart—
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

Far-called our navies melt away—
On dune and headland sinks the fire—
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe—
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard—
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding calls not Thee to guard.
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord!
Amen.

In memory of my uncle Oliver who fought in the battle of the Somme in 1916.

R.I.P.

Ian

O SO CLOSE!

Tuesday, November 6th. A day that shall be remembered with relief.
At 8:30 AM my daughter,Sarah, was driving North on the Trans Canada highway.

Suddenly a piece of metal was thrown into the air by a truck in front. In a split second it hit the hood of her car gouging  two large dents and then flew over the roof to land who-knows-where.

Sarah didn't have time to duck. It was over in a flash. But isn't that true of most accidents?

Meantime, in Vancouver same time, same morning, my son Mark was being driven to a meeting. The driver cut across a stream of oncoming traffic only to see a cyclist appear in front of her. She slammed on the brakes. Mark said a fast moving vehicle stopped a hair's breadth away from his passenger door. It too was over in less than a second.

Pauline later remarked that she could have lost two of her kids on the same day!

Let's give thanks for angels on assignment!

Jubilate indeed.
Ian

Four years after election 2012

There are certain tasks which can rightly be described as "humanly impossible".
The leadership of the super power of the United States would rightly require the powers and vigor of a super-man.

We need to remind ourselves that President Obama is but human.
Four years ago his great mantra was "Yes we can.".But they were the glory days when he was hailed as the new Messiah.

Finding that the glory and the mantle of Messiah belong solely to the One to whom it is appointed, the second four years of the Obama mandate has been scaled back to "Let's stay afloat".

When they are complete the Commander in Chief will be likely be in need of some tender loving touch-up.

Jubilate.

Ian

The Day After.

Well the sky did not fall.

This morning, the day after the election,the good ship "America" sails onward holding to it's previous course.

 The chart is marked "TERRA INCOGNITO"  and in parenthesis we read ( there be monsters in these waters).

That two men, Obama and Romney, should ever want to stand at the helm of the ship of state is mystifying: a little like trying to vie for the captaincy of the Titanic.

For when the hysteria and excitement witnessed in Times Square last night dies down, two sobering realities still remain:

the peril of the rapidly approaching reef of 16 TRILLION dollars of national debt, and the looming cloud on the Eastern horizon of a nuclear Iran.

Neither can be wished away. Both must be shortly confronted.

For this reason the Bible exhorts us to pray for our leaders, for Kings and all in authority over us.
Pray hard, pray earnestly and don't forget your cruise wear




Jubilate.

Ian

Photos of the year

Up here in North America we are suffering deeply from election fatigue.
Tomorrow the issue will be decided but, by way of light relief, I'm passing on a selection of 2012

 "Photos of the year"

For those of you who yearn for a return to Summer here is a shot of 145 water skiers pulled by one boat.

I'm the one 63rd from the left!

Jubilate.

Ian

They changed their world

                                "WE MUST  HAVE OFFICERS!"


"Drunk for threepence:dead drunk for sixpence" such were the signs outside the grog shops and gin palaces in London's East End in the mid 1800's.

This was where William Booth decided to pitch his tent and begin his mission of redemption.

He had been an evangelist with the Methodist Church and was disciplined for employing unorthodox methods in his goal to gain converts. Not willing to recant he and his wife Catherine branched out and founded the Salvation Army.

Their first flag was planted in Mile End London in 1865, and the battle cry was sounded.

No preaching within the safety of the four walls of a building.
Their gospel was loud, strident, in-your-face and in the streets!
As converts came from the "worst" of society they were taught to play in the Army bands and give out copies of the "War Cry" to hand out in the public houses.

William took upon himself the title of 'General' and conferred ranks of colonel, major and captain, on his veteran troops. His motto was  "BLOOD AND FIRE"
In twenty short years the movement grew to be a social force, emptied the gin palaces, reduced the number of inmates in the jails and filled the Salvation Army citadels with transformed souls.

This Christmas when you pass the "Sally Ann" kettles ask the bell ringer if he knows who founded the movement and, if he gives the right answer, pass on a couple of bucks for a worthy cause.

The General will be pleased!

Jubilate.

Ian

They changed their world

It is hard for us to believe, in days when the adoption process is so slow and ponderous, that in Victorian England thousands of children were orphans and longing for a family of their own.

Dr Barnardo was one of the instruments that God raised up to bring help to the homeless hordes on the streets of London.
Barnardo was the son of a rich merchant in Ireland, he intended to become a medical missionary to China but his life passion became the rescue of orphaned children.

He was ably assisted by his wife, Sylvie. Together they raised four of their own kids, one of whom was a Downs Syndrome child.

The year they were married they moved into their mansion, situated on 60 acres of land and gave shelter to two children from the London streets. Forty years later they had provided refuge for over 100,000 children, girls as well as boys, and had fifty branches of their ministry in different parts of England.

Not only did Barnardo and his wife give succour and shelter to their children, but religious instruction was also mandatory in all their homes. If their little charges did not know their own parents, then Bernardo was determined that they should come to know their heavenly father before they left his care.

Be encouraged all you good people who work with children in any capacity. There is no greater reward than putting your life investment into kids. Put money into a bank account, you get 3 or 4% back at the most. Impart your resources, love and prayers into children and you will have a never ending return both here and for eternity. Jesus said:
 "In so far as you have done it unto them you have done it unto Me"

Jubilate.

Ian

They changed their world

When I was around the tender age of five or six one of my aunts, for a birthday present, gave me a copy of "The Water Babies", by Charles Kingsley,

As my elder sister Anne read it to me, impressions were laid into my tender mind and memory that remain with me to this day.

Kingsley used his considerable skills as a writer to champion the cause of the child chimney sweeps. These diminutive people were forced to crawl up the broad-breasted flues of the large houses in London and brush down the ash and soot from the brick faces. It was truly a taste of hell for them. They were bruised, scarred, gassed and burnt. Numerous were the times when these poor mites suffocated  above the hobs of the kitchens, their bodies pulled down with the ropes attached to their ankles.

It took an intellectual country preacher to turn the tide of their misfortunes. He inveighed from the pulpit, wrote scalding letters and penned books like the Water Babies to rouse the social conscience of Victorian England. And he succeeded. Before his death the last of the chimney sprites was liberated and sent to a worse fate.......  school!

Jubilate.

Ian.

Quotation from Kingsley about a fellow intellectual.

"He possessed almost every gift, except the gift of the power to use them."

They changed their world.

Where is the best place to get a room, three nutritious meals a day, dental and medical care, wonderful companionship with the other guests and all FREE of charge?

Why, an American jail of course.

It wasn't always the case.

In the 1700's the jails of England were filthy,over-crowded, rat infested and breeding grounds for vice and violence.

The Fleet prison, Newgate and the Bedlam lunatic asylum are names that live in infamy to this day.

When the holding cells were at capacity on land, the overflow of inmates were rowed out to verminous rotting ships moored in the Thames.

Stirred to her soul by the plight of these unfortunate prisoners Elizabeth Fry began her life mission of prison Reform. Coming from a wealthy banking family there were other ways that "Betsy" could have spent her time. However, she was greatly moved by the preaching of an American Quaker, and from that moment gave herself and  her resources to improve the lot of prisoners incarcerated in the London jails.

By the time she died in the 1845  she had enlisted the help of Queen Victoria, Prime-minister Robert Peel and a host of her husband's rich friends and seen prison improvement acts passed in parliament.

All this she did whilst raising eleven kids.

If you ever have the misfortune to finish behind bars, thank Betsy Fry that you won't be sharing gruel with rats and cockroaches.

Jubilate.

Ian

Want to get involved with prisoner help? Talk to my sister Anne, she has spent years walking in the footsteps of Betsy.

They changed their world

Both the presidential candidates are promising change: Obama is vowing that "further change" will be forthcoming if he is re-elected while Romney is campaigning on the slogan "BIG change."

This week I'm featuring five people who, with the help of God, really did bring huge change to their world.

William Wilberforce was born in 1759, the year of the great spiritual awakening in England. He was largely unaffected by any spiritual influence in his early years except that of a godly uncle and aunt. When he attended Cambridge university he spent much of his time in a "Hedonistic round of gambling, drinking and late-night revelry".
Although slightly built he had astounding gifts of oratory. One person gave this description of a speech he made in the House of Commons:

"I saw a shrimp mount upon a table, but as I listened the shrimp grew and grew until it became a whale."

This "Shrimp" underwent a profound conversion experience in his twenty fifth year and shortly afterward felt a great inward call to work with others for the abolition of slavery within the realms of the British Empire.

From that moment the emancipation of slaves became his life-long mission. It was a successful one. In July 1833 the British parliament gave its final assent to the abolition of slavery bill. The following day Wilberforce died, mission complete.

If Barack Obama wins another term as America's first black president, he can attribute part of his success to the efforts of William Wilberforce, the "Shrimp who became a whale" on behalf of black slaves.

Jubilate.

Ian