Salvogesis

2 Timothy 4:2: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.   We went to Ontario couple of days before the Celebration of Life. We spent our first two nights in a community called Woodstock because it was within driving distance of Stratford. You know what Stratford is famous for? It’s Shakespeare Festival! That is quite interesting. Do you know the history of the festival? Stratford Ontario, as we know, is named after Stratford, UK. And Stratford UK has a strong connection with William Shakespeare. So the Tom Patterson a few years after returning from World War II started the festival to help revive his home town. It is really worked and the town and the festival are still going and bigger than ever.   Now, we were one week early to actually catch the festival itself but we did get to see one play: Romeo and Juliet . This was especially good because Sarah-Grace was with us and she is, of

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: 16 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!   There were many great things about our trip, including just being together but -believe it or not – it was not perfect! The children and everyone else didn’t always get along perfectly – especially when we are travelling in a car for hours together and then sleeping three or so people in a twin bed – when our children aren’t little anymore. And then after having no sleep for a few nights driving and flying through the whole night, one can be tired and cranky. There is a little rainfall in everyone’s life. But here is the thing, the Lord is with us in everything we experience. He will never leave us nor forsake us. A friend of ours, Major David Ivany, whom we have quoted regularly, regularly says, ‘in the end it will all be all right; so, if it is not all

Hebrews 13:14 (LB): For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven.   2 Corinthians 5:1-2 (CEV): Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. 2 While we are here on earth, we sigh because we want to live in that heavenly home.   It was interesting visiting Toronto, if only for a very little while. We saw the ROM. That was good. We weren’t there long. We didn’t get to see any friends – well Sarah-Grace did; she was prepared but the rest of us didn’t. It did remind me, like it has reminded me when we have visited other places we used to live – Winnipeg, Nipawin, Swift Current, Victoria, Vancouver – that things continue to change when we aren’t there and very quickly the people and places we used to know are not there. Toronto was where w

James 4:13-15: 13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”   Luke 12:20 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’   We were in Ottawa for a memorial service. This reminds us that indeed we never know when our time will end here, when we will be called home or – as we used to live in Ontario and our job is what it is - even when we will move to a new appointment, a new community. We never know when will be the last time we will see someone we love. I have friends I used to see everyday in different towns we used to live whom I haven’t now seen for years and I may neve

Exodus 12:24-27: 24 “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.   1 Corinthians 11:23-25: 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”   We saw a lot of neat things on our trip recent trip to Ontario. We saw a lot o