Perspectives by Rev. Norine Gullons

It’s budget time in South Dundas and the process – at a government level rather than a personal level – is quite eye-opening. Until Monday, when South Dundas started budget deliberations, I’d never been to a municipal budget meeting. 

For those of us who try to live by a budget in our personal lives, it is very similar, yet also very different. In very basic terms, it comes down to calculating expected revenue minus expected (necessary) expenses and determining what should or could be done with the leftover… if there is any. 

In case you haven’t guessed already, I’m not a financial genius and numbers aren’t really my thing. (I prefer words.) I do, however, understand the basic concepts of financial planning and budgeting. From what I could see on Monday, our township council, with the daunting task of planning our financial future, is committed to doing what they think is fair and what they think is best for South Dundas.

In personal finances and budgeting, most people only have to consider themselves and their own family when making choices. Municipally, the township council must take into consideration department requests, public requests, residential tax increases and the financial future of the township itself.

I have one car to budget for… the township has to consider vehicles for the roads department, the fire department, the recreation department, and so on. Nothing is simple. How much will a new vehicle cost? Is it necessary? Is one department more needy than another? 

These are just some of the questions council is faced with when making spending decisions at budget time. If they say ‘yes’ too much in one area, how much will they have to cut in another area in order to keep residential tax increases at an ‘acceptable’ percentage?

In an effort to push the township forward, how much can council comfortably spend if it means going in debt?  Will it be worth it?

Budget time, more than any other time, I think, shows just how much courage it takes to be a political representative. One bad choice and council will be ‘taking heat’ for months, possibly years to come. (For council members who may be reading this… no pressure!) 

All that’s really left for me to say on the subject is this: I’m really glad it’s not me! (In the ‘hot seat.’) -S.C.

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Handiwork

A few years ago, I decided to take up knitting. I had tried it a couple of times before and had disliked it. But I also hated being mastered by anything, and decided to try again.

It gave me a great feeling of accomplishment as I handed the finished project of a beautiful sweater to my eldest daughter. Then, feeling much more confident, I knit the same pattern over for my next daughter in another colour. 

Two sweaters under my belt! I was no longer a novice. Into the wool shop I went and bought a much more difficult pattern. The first time I chose a pattern, I had asked for help. This time I did it on my own.

Hours later, I knew that I was in way over my head. I asked advice from a neighbor, an expert knitter. I kept on. Stuck again, I sought more advice. I ripped out and re-knit enough times to knit a few other sweaters. At last the masterpiece was finished. When my youngest daughter put it on, I almost strutted.

She told everyone that her Mom had made her sweater. It was difficult to get it off her to wash. The second time I went to wash it, I was horrified.  Right on the front of this beautiful, pastel sweater was a large, horrible, red spot. It would not come off. My youngest told me that it was red paint from a pottery painting set. 

My work was destroyed. For weeks, the sweater just sat in the laundry room. I did not have the heart to throw it out.

The Bible tells us that we are made in the image of God. How sad God must be when He sees His handiwork marred by sin. God expects to see His own reflection but so often, He sees big globs of ugliness. 

Thank God the story does not end there. The Bible says, “The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (I John 1:17).

We need to apply the blood of Jesus to our lives. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).

One day my daughter was visiting in a friend’s home. While there, she heard them speak of a cure-all substance for paint stains. She asked if she could take some home to her mother to try on her ruined sweater.

The request was granted and I was under pressure to try this substance out on the sweater. 

I could have chosen to leave the paint remover where it was saying that such a thing was impossible. Perhaps I could have put things off until another day. But, at the insistence of my daughter, we quickly tried it out. It worked. The sweater was as good as new.

We sometimes treat the Lord like that paint remover. We are skeptical. Or, we put Him on a shelf, planning to try Him out in the future. But, those who take the time, find that He does remove the sin and frees us to be God’s handiwork again. 

The song writer, John Peterson, put it so aptly:

In the image of God, we were made long ago

With the purpose divine, here His glory to show;

But we failed Him one day and like sheep went astray

Thinking not of the cost, we, His likeness, had lost.

But from eternity, God had in mind

The work of Calvary – the lost to find.

From His heaven so broad, Christ came down earth to trod

So that men might live again in the image of God.

Rev. Lorna Casselman

Interim Pastor

Morrisburg Pentecostal 

Tabernacle

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The countdown is on and we are just days away from the return to the classroom…what is that Staples commercial…it's the most wonderful time of the year….They Are Going Back. A reminder to all drivers…the kids will be back on the village streets and the buses will be running.

Speaking of going back, those wonderfully talented crooners who are members of the Seaway Valley Singers will be kicking off their new season, next Wednesday, September 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Christian Reformed Church in Williamsburg. Anyone interested in joining the Singers is invited to call Robin at 613-543-3412 for more information.

Well we kind of lucked out on Sunday. Although we did get some rain from Hurricane Irene, it was mainly just a nice steady rain with little wind…and all of our plants, yards and wells benefitted. The Phlox have gone into a second flowering, and we are harvesting every day, from our back-deck, single potted cherry tomato plant. Our Black-eyed Susans (rudbeckia) are putting on quite a show, even if the nearby neighbouring Hostas are looking a little worse for wear thanks to the nightly-visiting slugs.

As we head into the long weekend, we caution everyone to drive carefully. In addition to those last summer get aways this is generally a well-travelled weekend as our youth head off to colleges and universities. It is a time of discovery as parents, who for the first time are sending their kiddies off into the wild blue yonder, discover that yes, you can fit everything, even the kitchen sink, into the SUV. It is the time when the kids discover how much mom and dad did for them as they embark on a solid diet of Mr. Noodles and never again wear jeans that have been ironed to remove the knee bumps…Oh well, such is life.

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