See what happens when you're not dressed for it?

My family and I are on a week-long vacation to Ottawa, visiting my brother and his family.  He works as a policy advisor to the Prime Minister's office, and I had asked him if we could see his office.  So, our families headed downtown to meet up with Phil at his office.

We met his colleagues and of course Clara (Phil's daughter) and Benjamin charmed the whole lot of them.  Then one of Phil's colleagues suggested Phil get in touch with "the boss" and see about maybe some pictures.

Turns out that when someone in his office says, "the boss," they mean the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.

Bear in mind, I'd asked Phil at Christmas if we could meet him, but Phil said it wouldn't be possible
 to promise anything, and (understandably) Phil doesn't like imposing on work people for personal stuff.  So, the possibility of meeting the PM was super exciting for me.

We headed to the PM's office and just hung out a bit while he finished up an interview.  Then we headed into the office and met the man himself.  Seriously.  Met the freaking leader of my country.

Okay, first thing to remember: I didn't expect to meet anyone, and I dressed like it.  Yes, I met the Prime Minister wearing jeans and a T-shirt.  I'm sure he's worn at least one T-shirt in his life, but still...

Here's a picture to prove I shook his hand:

He's way taller than I thought he would be.  Good handshake (anyone who has watched King of the Hill knows that's important).  He's a softie when it comes to kids.  He's has great rapport with his staff, and they with him.  There's a neat picture in his office of his family crossing the street like the Beatles on the Abbey Road album.  That he would take the time to meet us, I think, says a lot about him; it made my day, honestly, and I'll be hanging on to these pictures.

And yes: I'm dressed like a dork.

 

See?  I also have a fantastically awkward pose going on here... Yes, no one is as unphotogenic as yours truly.  My wife and child always look good... I'm the weakest link, appearance-wise

By contrast, take a gander at my brother and his family.  See how natural Phil looks?  He's not standing there like he's not sure what to do with his limbs...

Right.  See?  Anyway, he loves kids, and actually made me feel like he was interested in making my accquaintance.  I have no illusions that he'll remember me tomorrow, but it was really cool.

Prime Minister?  Check!

A Tribute to Our Grandma

On Friday was the memorial service for my grandma, Catherine Margaret Friesen.  My brother and I were asked to write a tribute for her.  I thought I might post it here, in case you weren't there and wondered what we said... or, if you'd just like to read about one of the most influential women in my life.

The first section I read, and the second (after the *****) was read by my brother.  I've even included some pictures, so you can experience what the audience saw.

Writing this tribute has been difficult; how do we summarise how deeply Grandma influenced our lives?  Every attempt seemed insufficient because nothing really felt like it was really complete.

Grandma’s influence in our lives shaped us into the men we are today.  Most importantly, she prayed for us daily, and then prayed for our wives, and then our children.  She set an example of personal devotion to Christ that has inspired and encouraged.  She was a constant fixture in Bible studies and discussions; she faithfully attended church, even when doing so meant facing public transit in the middle of winter; she took every opportunity to share the Gospel with people she met, and; she served a number of ministries gladly and humbly.

It wasn’t just us she shaped with her service.  Our friends knew her as “Grandma,” and were often welcomed into her house in Calgary with only a phone call from us to ask.  She ministered to strangers with an open heart, friends without a second’s hesitation, and her family with sacrificial love.

Grandma loved her grandchildren deeply.  It was apparent to everyone who knew her just how much she loved all four of us.  I think that there are more pictures of her grandkids than of anything else in her apartment, and she was always proud of us.  No matter what we were doing, she was interested in hearing about it.  She was quick with encouragement, always first to give a hug, and she was always genuinely happy to spend time with us.

We used to spend summers at her house in Calgary.  It was there that we learned early on that with Grandma you had to try to keep up.  She was going to walk wherever she was going, and that could be a tough task for our formerly little legs.  We’d climb Nose Hill, walk to the grocery store, hike through Drumheller, and all the while Grandma was setting the pace.  She never left us behind, though.  She once did a fundraising walk of some length, and didn’t need to train for it; she still left far younger people in her dust.

Grandma was a baker.  Her shortbread cookies - “fork cookies” as they came to be known - were an annual treat in our house, and her “Grandma pies” were gone as soon as they were baked.  For a woman who couldn’t eat any of those treats, she couldn’t be stopped from making them.
I loved my Grandmother’s sense of humour.  She was one of those people who was unintentionally funny.  And she was usually game for anything her grandchildren suggested.  Whether it was riding a scooter or playing floor hockey when she was 80, going to see a Bombers game when she was 85 (and sitting on the hard metal benches!), or taking a picture like this one while on a family trip to Florida, Grandma had a tough time saying no when her grandkids were asking.

Grandma also welcomed into her life two granddaughters-in-law, and loved them deeply.  She was so proud of the women who married us, and was never hesitant to hug and love these women, and prayed for them daily.   She was overjoyed to meet two of her great-grandchildren, and covered their lives with prayer as well.

*****

Chris already mentioned how difficult it is to give a brief tribute to someone like our Grandma, who lived a long and rich life.  As I was thinking about it, I realized that it is sometimes the little memories that give colour and shape to our memories of people we love.

You already heard about fork cookies and pies.  To carry on the food theme, there were a few special things that we only ever got when we visited Grandma and Grandpa’s.  Chris got boxes of Frosted Flakes, which I don’t recall ever seeing at our house.  I got poached eggs and toast.  And we both got fresh raspberries off of Grandma’s raspberry bushes in her backyard.  (Grandma also learned the hard way that our dog loved raspberries off her bushes as well, but only once she had picked them and put them in a bowl, unfortunately at ground level)

Anyone who knew my Grandma well also knew that she loved sports, and that included pretty much every sport.  Sitting with Grandma and watching sports at her house in Calgary is another one of those little memories that stays with me.  I will never understand her love for baseball, but I do know that she had a better grasp on how any sport should be played than most of the professionals.

And I can’t touch on little memories of Grandma without talking about her knitting.  When I was young, I remember the sweaters.  I don’t think I appreciated them at the time, but later in life I learned the value of well-knit wool mittens.  I think Grandma could fire off pairs of mittens at record speed…

But it is the big things that really define for me who my Grandma is.  As Chris mentioned, she was always glad to visit with us and hear about what was happening in our lives.  Whether it was filling her in on what I was learning in school, or how my job was going, or having a discussion on politics and culture, I never had any doubt about whether Grandma was interested.  I have never bought in to the stereotyping of “older people” as closed-minded or out-of-date because of those conversations with Grandma.

And she never missed a birthday, an anniversary or any other event in our lives.  Without fail, I knew I would receive a card from Grandma and that it was sent with love.  As you know, she passed away on December 31, which was my birthday.   She had written me a birthday card and it was a fitting thing to open while she was in the hospital.  It will be the last one I ever receive from her… but only because God himself intervened.

Which brings me to the last, and most important, big thing.  It is where Chris started, and it is the only appropriate place to end.  Put simply: My Grandma loved Jesus and it showed in her life.  As I grew older and more mature, I began to realize the depth of her faith and knowledge of scripture.  Grandma faced challenges in her life, including health problems, but I never once picked up a hint of resentment or bitterness because of those.

And, as Chris said, we always knew that Grandma was praying.  For us, for people around the world.  Her praying wasn’t as visible as a card, or a word of encouragement or a hug, but it undoubtedly had the biggest impact.

Grandma lived for 90 years and touched people’s lives for all of them.  But her impact will continue because of the godly legacy she is leaving.  Chris and I are part of that legacy, and we are witness to it.  Our children are part of her legacy and we are blessed that they both had the chance to meet their great-Grandma.

We will miss her very much.  But we know she loved Jesus and, because of that, we will see her again.

Kay

My Grandma died this morning, at 4:00.  She'd suffered a massive stroke on the evening of the 23rd, and the damage was too severe.  She was responsive at first, and I am thankful to God that I had that opportunity to see her, and have her squeeze my hand and smile a half-paralysed smile at me.  I believe she knew me.

As the days went by, she responded less, until the last time I saw her and she simply breathed.  She didn't respond to sounds or sights; she simply inhaled and exhaled.

I'm reminded of this verse from the Phil Keaggy song, "Quite Suddenly:"

Quite suddenly, it may be as I lie in dreamless sleep,

God's gift to many a sorrowing heart,

with no more tears to weep,

That a call shall break my slumber

and a voice sound in my ear:

"Rise up, my love, and come away,

For behold the Bridegroom's here."

I'm sure I'll have more to write about this amazing woman and her even more amazing God... But I wanted to at least mark the occasion here.

Promises, Promises

I don't like making promises.  Sometimes my wife will ask me to promise something (usually that I'll do something I've been putting off for too long), but I won't promise it.  There's something about the idea of a promise that is far weightier than our society has allowed it to become.  See: gone are the days when someone's word is his bond.  Instead, promises are made and broken so often that they've lost all meaning; we expect that a promise will be broken.  I don't like making promises because I can't bear the idea that I won't be able to keep it.

I made a vow to my wife, to God, and to my friends/family that I will love, honour, and cherish Laurel above all else, until death parts us.  I made that promise because I can keep it.  I have control over myself to the point where I will choose to love her, choose to honour her, and choose to cherish her until I am shuffled off this mortal coil.  No one can prevent me, not even her.

That's the thing about the promises we make: so many times we promise something that we cannot guarantee.  Forget the times when we lie or make a promise in bad faith - can you guarantee that you'll be alive tomorrow to repay that loan?  What if you get hit by a car, or suffer an aneurism? - your promise will go unfulfilled.  Jesus warns about making oaths in Matthew 5:33-37, and I love what He says about our power to fulfill them: "And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black."  Just give a simple yes or a no, and let that be all you offer.


Christmas makes me think about promises.  Specifically, I think about the promises God made to Mary, Joseph, Abraham, David, and all of us: The Messiah would be born to the world, be rejected by His people, and be the sacrifice for the sins of all humanity so that we could finally be forgiven and be acceptable to God.  There are more, of course, but that about sums it up, I think.  Think about this for a second: God made promises to a group of people who span all of history that must have seemed like madness (eg: a virgin would conceive and give birth, he would be born in Bethlehem, his garments would be divided by casting lot, he would be despised and rejected by men, by his wounds we would be healed)... I don't know if I could have taken them seriously.


But this is the difference between me and God: He can and does always keep His promises.  Every single one.  There is no other being who can make the claim that everything He says, He will do.  Go ahead and check it out:
Abraham's descendants will number like the stars (Genesis 15:5)? - Kept
Virgin has a son (Isaiah 7:14) - Kept (Luke 1:26-38)
This son will be despised by men and suffer (Isaiah 53:3-4) - Kept (Matthew 27)
People will jeer, "He trusted in God, let God save him" (Psalm 22:8) - Kept (Matthew 27:43)
This suffering is for us, and will bring us peace with God (Isaiah 53:5) - Kept (Romans 5:6-11)

Of course, there are more promises made and kept, but see how perfectly these things came about?  Who else can keep a promise that involves so many other people?

All of this brings me to two vitally important promises:
1)  The manger without the Cross is an empty promise, and without the empty tomb, a broken promise.  Everything in history builds toward Christ's death on the cross.  Every prophecy, every promise, every birth and death drags us to the foot of the cross and the mouth of the empty tomb.  Without the cross, there is no forgiveness of sins because the perfect sacrifice was never made.  Without the empty tomb, death has not been defeated and we still grieve like those who have no hope.  The cross and empty tomb is the focus point of all history.  Everything builds toward it, and since that moment, nothing has remained the same.

2)  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).  See: Without Christ's forgiveness, we are doomed, damned, and hopeless.  Our lives provide fleeting pleasure, only to be swallowed up in the despair of an eternal Hell.  We will run ourselves ragged trying to do enough good things to assuage our guilt, and fail miserably.  We will live as self-absorbed hedonists who do whatever seems good in our own eyes.  But God's grace is extended in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  He chose to make us His children while we have been His enemies.  All it takes is our acceptance of His terms - unconditional surrender.

But that's the beauty of the promise.  Our surrender means life.  It is the only thing that means life for us.  Everything else - all other faiths, religions, practices, values - all lead to death.

Believe in Christ and you will be saved.  That a promise.

Open Letter to Pat Martin

Dear Mr. Martin,

You are my Member of Parliament, elected by the people in my neighbourhood to represent us in the House of Commons.  You've been doing this awhile (I am under the belief that the NDP could run a bowl of oatmeal and win in my riding, but that's another topic), and have earned yourself a reputation for being disrespectful, rude, crass, and provocative.

This May, however, you said you were turning over a new leaf.  You said you were going to choose civility, and even had badges made up in an effort to get people to join the civility movement (http://bit.ly/l1h3sI).  You've managed to go a whole 6 months without forgetting this resolution.

Mr. Martin, you behaved terribly on twitter last night.  Upset about the budget, you resorted to obscene language and name-calling.  What's more, in a response to someone who challenged you, you chose to use obscene language at him/her directly.  Sir, do you realise that you report to the public?  Do you know that, in effect, we are your boss?  If you were a private entity (which you are not), you would lose your job with cause.  You know that, right?

And you know that your life is not your own, don't you?  You know that, because you represent me, you are my voice and my face in the House of Commons, and in the world?  You realise that the world is connected electronically, and this deplorable outburst has sullied my good name as a Canadian, and a constituent of Winnipeg South?

I do not appreciate this black mark, Mr. Martin.  I also do not appreciate that you do not even have the conscience or sense of shame to apologise (http://bit.ly/v6q47v), instead choosing to say like a teenager, "They made me mad."  You are a Member of Parliament, Mr. Martin.  You are supposed to set the example.  You are supposed to be a role model, demonstrating that a parliament handles issues with logic, reason, and the public will; not the name-calling and obscenities of an elementary schoolyard.

So, as a man who is literally represented by you, I ask you to sincerely apologise.  I ask you to pause for a minute before you expose yourself online and ask this simple question, "Will what I say be good for my constituents?"  If you cannot answer conclusively that it will be, the wiser course of action is to say nothing at all.

I hope you will reform your actions before the next election.  I will remember this, and will ensure the rest of my neighbourhood does, too.  We would not accept this behaviour from our children, we should not be expected to accept it from our MP.

Sincerely,

Chris Harwood

Demands of Occupy Vancouver

"Occupy Vancouver" (OV) has released their demands.  The link to the PDF is here.  I've read this a few times over, and noticed the following:

#3 - They want banks and white-collar criminals punished more rigorously, but also want non-violent criminals released from prison (#40). 
#15 - Canada withdraws from NATO and remain sovereign (#18) but also that the majority of defense budget be spent on housing, education, and health (#27).  How do they suppose Canada will remain sovereign with no military? - warm wishes and rainbows?
#23 - No gag orders on public servants.  What if that public servant disagrees with them in relation to #22?
#22 - Removal of an elected official.
#21 - What if the science points to the position held by the current Science Minister (#22)?
#9 seems to do away with the Canadian Wheat Board, but #7 certainly does.
#26 - So... by adding a second lawyer to your case, they hope to increase the number of lawyers available?  What math allows for this impossibility?  Can I spend money and have more at the same time?
#31 presumes there's a doctor out there who would be ethically able to prescribe these drugs, knowing they're so addictive.
#41 - I'm glad someone is standing up for the "collages" that are so ruthlessly oppressed... Next we liberate the papier machee!
#43 (banning GMOs) means no #52, #35, #32 and #51.  Marijuana might be the most genetically modified plant on earth.
#41 - they want to "free" universities from corporate sponsorship, but also want free tuition.
#13 seeks to dictate what I can and cannot give my own money to.  Typical liberal dictatorship, I guess.
#24 - Grammar nightmare aside, are they really opening this debate up 10 years later?  They don't think that in all that time even better "false flag" evidence could have been cooked up?
#16 - CBC is already dominated by "powerful groups;" they're called the liberal media elites. By allowing them to have whatever money they want, we'd be basically shovelling money into a black hole.  All their demands of accountability for funding seem to stop when it's the CBC.
#15 doesn't take into consideration the vacuum of power that immediately withdrawing from Afghanistan would cause.  There are still evil people with guns who aren't happy about being ousted, who would make things far worse if they could.  Without leaving a stable, democratic government to maintain freedoms, they'd be back in the qu'ranic dark ages before week's end.
#32 - all botanical drugs must be distributed like coffee beans??  What does that even mean?  I'd like hot wings distributed like mail!
#33 seems to describe a situation for which I have no context.  Is there a group of people being criminalised in Canada?  Seems like only criminals get criminalised.....  What are they trying to protect us from?
#14 - They want Swiss-style direct democracy, and Nunavut-style consensus building....  Okay... so there are about 7 million people in Switzerland and 29,000 people in Nunavut.  What sort of legislation do they think people will be spending their lives voting for, then?  Does this make even a little sense?  Oh!  And what if NO ONE wants any of their demands?  Then what?  What if everyone else disagrees with these demands and votes them all down?
#50 wants and end to the Tar Sands development.  I presume they're okay with us buying oil from countries in which women are ruthlessly denied simple and basic human rights....
#42 answers the question of how we'll have power if we can't use nuclear or fossil fuels.  But how will they overcome the difference between amounts of energy these new types can produce and our current (and presumably only growing) demand?

I'm going to cut if off there.  I really could spend all day on this.

My biggest question is this: What if they don't have these demands met?  Will they just continue to live outside like hobos?  If I am going to make a demand of someone, don't I need some sort of leverage/threat to help motivate that person to acquiesce?  


This group is terrible.  They're a collection of idiots who believe that anyone actually cares what they have to say.  The end.

Everything You Need to Know

I love this video.  It's exactly what I wanted to do sometime for a sermon.  Nothing except Scripture, pieced together, and beautifully done in this video.