Opinion

 

A Special Gift

Boy, is there a lot to do to get ready for a baby! From the moment we knew the baby was coming Sarah started to read about all the different things she would need to do in order to be ‘ready’ for our first child. She borrowed books on childbirth, read about what to expect in labour and how to care for a newborn, and started buying the necessities such as a car seat, some diapers, and clothes for our little one (all too early in my opinion). 

But the list of things to do somehow seemed to get longer, the more she checked them off! 

When you’re a parent, you get lots of advice, both wanted and unsolicited, and we quickly realized we were going to have to make up our own minds on what would be best for us and our child.  The decision making had begun, even before he was born! 

We had to decide a number of things, such as whether to use a doctor or a midwife, who would be allowed in the room for the delivery, and, most importantly, what would this child’s name be once he/she was born?

Every decision brought the reality of this child’s life a little closer to home for us: he was real and about to become a big part of our lives!

As the Christmas season approaches, there is a lot of hope and anticipation that builds up, just like when you’re expecting the birth of a child.  Many times, when you read the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth you try to imagine what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph.  

But as we discovered in our own experience, the reality of the situation often doesn’t match up with what you anticipated. Baby Jacob arrived and the joy was more then words could express. 

Unlike the socks I got for Christmas last year, the only thing that will never disappoint is the joy of knowing God’s gift to us – his son Jesus.

As we move quickly towards Christmas, it’s my prayer that you and your family would take a moment and celebrate the joy of the greatest gift ever given. Mary knew this gift in a way we can only imagine.  The gift of Jesus then is still the greatest Christmas gift ever today, and will not disappoint. 

Rev. James Tripp

Morrisburg Pentecostal 

Tabernacle

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Transitions

People and institutions are always changing. We are always in a state of transition it seems.

We make the transition from fall to winter – although maybe grudgingly. 

Our families change as deaths, births, marriages, divorces and illness occur. 

Our local community changes due to the social and economic pressures of our time. 

Our country changes as our governments strive to protect and provide for all of us.

Transitions are processes. They are not goals. It is not a product that we consume. It is even a bodily process and not only emotional or intellectual or even a spiritual one. 

The very cells in our bodies are changing and making transitions and renewing themselves every day. Yet we remain recognizably ourselves. 

As much as any of us living here is part of a community, faith or otherwise, at the same time we always have to be open to making transitions, and not be afraid of that six letter word- CHANGE.

We all know what happens when we have stability without change. We become stagnant. We curl up in our favourite chair. The chair is called  “this is the way we have always done it”!

Communities of faith – churches – are transitioning too.

We need to be fully aware of the effects of our culture on the church as we are part of that culture outside of the church buildings. 

Perhaps the real scariness of the changes in our lives lies in admitting that God can work in each of us however, whenever, and through whomever or whatever means that God chooses.

Our faith in God is not a one size fits all kind of faith. This has to be worked out by each individual whether you are part of a faith community or not. This is a daily and life long process. Change is about seeing ourselves and the ordinary people in our families and the people who surround us every day and seeing them in a new light. 

It is good to remember that it is not about us, and it is always about God!

Rev. Norine Gullons

Sth. Dundas Evangelical

Lutheran Parish

Morrisburg/Williamsburg

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Loyal for Life

My CFL football team, the Edmonton Eskimos, is in the cellar. My hockey team, the Oilers, is doing slightly better, but hardly, standing at three wins, seven losses, and one overtime win (at the time of writing).

Nevertheless, I’m a huge fan of both teams. Always have been. As a kid I’d bike about 20 km to watch the Eskies in their training camp outside of town and go to every game I could. Then when the Oilers came along as a WHA team, I jumped on the that bandwagon as well. I remember watching Gretsky before he was famous; well, at least, before he was in the NHL.

I guess I’ll be an Eskimos and Oilers fan for life, no matter how they do. My loyalty runs deep.

I have another loyalty however that runs far deeper, and is rather more important. It’s to God. 

As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t ever have a ‘poor season.’ When I compare his wins to his losses, he always comes out ahead. Personally I don’t think there’s anyone else in his league.

Nevertheless, having said that, it seems that he’s getting a lot of bad press lately. He gets blamed for the mess we’re making of the world. He is seen as irrelevant and unnecessary. We’re told it’s silly to believe in him, even dumb and unscientific. The Bible and its standards are seen as out-dated and too restrictive. Even people who once believed or went to church are giving up on him.

It reminds me of a story in the Bible that I preached on recently in John 6. The huge crowd that had been following Jesus slowly began to leave. Some disliked what Jesus said. Others just wanted a free lunch, and when Jesus didn’t come through, they left. When most of the crowd took off, Jesus turned to his few remaining followers and asked if they wanted to leave as well. Their answer? No way. “You have the words of eternal life.” They were loyal to the end. Why? Because in Jesus they found what they could find no place else.

I like that. I can relate. Over the years there have been things about God I don’t get. There are things I don’t even particularly like. 

Yet, I and many others, will remain loyal to the end. The reason is simple. It’s because we found something in Jesus that we can’t find anywhere else.

Like love, I mean, real love. I’m a pretty flawed human being. I’m surprised by the nasty things I say. I’m shocked by my impatience. I blush at some thoughts I entertain. Yet, the amazing thing is despite all this crud in my life, God loves me just the same, unconditionally, like no one else ever could. So how can I help but be loyal?

Besides, since coming to know him by faith in Christ, he’s changed my life. No, he didn’t wave a magic wand and make everything perfect. I wish. 

But what he did was give me a deep sense that all is well. That I belong to him. That the big questions of life are answered; that the big issues of life are resolved. That after this life is over, there’s heaven. Once again, how can I help, but be loyal?

So, in this day when loyalty to God is being challenged, when people are looking elsewhere for the answers to life, my question is: Where else would you go? Who else “has the words of eternal life?” Who else will love us perfectly? Who else has the power to heal our broken lives? Once we personally discover what God can do in our lives, we’ve got no choice but to be loyal for life..

Pastor Clarence Witten

Community Christian 

Reformed Church

Dixon’s Corners

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"Have Faith in God"Jesus the Christ

In the gospel of Mark (11:22) Jesus commands His disciples to “Have faith in God.” The God Jesus is referring to is the God who reveals Himself in nature (Romans 1:20) and the Bible, and was with them in Christ.

To have faith in God as Jesus is commanding, is to have a certain kind of relationship with God that determines your lifestyle. (2 Corinthians 5:9; Hebrews 10:38) It is this relational lifestyle that makes all the difference between the way the those who have faith in God live, and the way those who do not have faith in God live. 

The way we live is always influenced and defined by the relationships we have (or do not have), because the human creature is created to live in community. Before sin God was an appreciated and loved participant in the human community. 

The gospel calls us back to the love and appreciation of the God who is, and His defining presence in our lives; it calls us back to the joy of being in community with God.

The difference between the life of a believer and the life of an unbeliever, is determined by the actuality of having faith in God, or not. 

As such, when faith in God is possessed it affects every aspect of the life of the possessor, beginning with ones primary, or governing, reason for living; i.e. that reason for living to which all other reasons within one’s life must be subordinate. (as a meditation, read Ecclesiastes 12:13, then read the whole short book of Ecclesiastes)

We are not here only addressing God’s reason for your life, but also that reason for living that you assign to your life as a free moral agent. 

The primary reason for living that attends the actuality of having faith in God may be comprehended in the confession of 2 Corinthians 5:l4-15. Consider this text in confessional form: “For the love of Christ compels me, because I judge thus: that if One died for me, then I died; and He died for me, that I who live should live no longer for myself, but for Him who died for me and rose again.

This scripture is teaching the believer how to think about the meaning and course of his own life; and it is the reciprocated love of Christ (1 John 4:19), not human logic, that leads the rationality of this thinking. 

In response to the love Jesus has demonstrated toward us, our love for Jesus should result in the reasoning and conclusion presented in this bible verse; if we actually love Jesus this will make sense to us. 

As Christians Divinely endowed with the God kind of love (Romans 5:5), we reason from our love, not to it; as concerns both God and man. This is contained in Jesus’ two Great Commandments. (Matt 22:37-40)  

In the greatest commandment we are told to love God with the totality of our “heart,” “soul” and “mind.” (notice that the word “all” is applied severally to each faculty of loving) 

The question we are challenged with is “do I express my love for God in all my affections, all my choices, my way of thinking about things, how I feel about things, and all that I enjoy in living?”

Again, the love that we are to reason from is the God kind of love as revealed and defined in scripture. The God kind of love is communicated to the Christian by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5); it is not natural human love that disrespects holiness and justice, and is selfish and self serving. 

The kind of thinking, and lifestyle, compelled by the God kind of love, is a purpose of Christ’s vicarious death. May this purpose be fulfilled in each one of us and the Christian community as a whole, and may it be the testimony to the world that our Lord desires. (John 13:35)

Rev. George T. Frey, 

Faith Christian Center 

Morrisburg

 

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Thanksliving

I know Thanksgiving is over.  We celebrated that special day just two days ago.  Now, here we are getting on with life, and we have probably forgotten all about what we had to be thankful for then.  

However, may I suggest that we have much to be thankful for today.  In fact, may I even suggest that we change the word from “Thanksgiving” to “Thanksliving.”  Just one letter changed, but a world of difference in how we view life and yes, in how we live life.

I am reminded of an old hymn, ‘Count Your Blessings’. The words are as follows,” Count your Blessings, Name them one by one, Count your Blessings, See what God has done, Count your Blessings, Name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”  

Indeed, when we pause to reflect on life we don’t have to look very hard to see how blessed our lives are, especially here in Canada.  When I was a child, I remember an older Gentleman in our church suggesting that we change the words to that hymn.  

His rendition went like this.  “Count your blessings, Name them two by two and It will surprise you, What the Lord will do.”  

He certainly had a point.  We often get so caught up in trying to accumulate more, that we end up forgetting to be thankful for what we have.

How much different would our lives be if we started each day with Thankfulness for all that God has blessed us with.  I know some may now be thinking, what has God got to do with it.  Why thank God?  

Well, I know you believe it is your hard work and ingenuity that has made it possible for you to have what you have.  May I tell you that it is God who has given you the ability and the strength to do what you do.  Please don’t make the mistake of putting yourself in the place that only He deserves.

 So as we walk or work to get rid of the extra calories, we have consumed or the extra pounds we have gained from Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie, may I suggest an attitude adjustment.  

Instead of celebrating one day a year, what we are blessed to enjoy, let’s go from ‘Thanksgiving’ to ‘Thanksliving.’

It may surprise you how God has blessed you and continues to do so.  In fact, why not pause right now and give Him thanks for your family, for your health, for all of His goodness to you,  including, giving His Son to redeem you from sin.   

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This N' that

As I sit here at my desk in the bay window, my mind is on so many things that I can’t seem to move forward. The way I see it, that’s not a good way to start holiday time. But then perhaps that’s precisely the time to begin holidays.

When you read this Dave and I will be on holidays. We will have a chance to visit our son and his family in southwestern Ontario. We will be taking some time to get together with friends we haven’t seen for some time. 

And of course, the highlight of this time of rest and relaxation will be the annual cleaning of the chimney!

My husband, like so many others I know, has an extreme dislike of heights. He gets uncomfortable on the first step of a two-step step stool. So needless to say, I get to climb onto the roof of our house, chimney cleaning brushes in hand, and I clean the chimney.

There have been many people who look at me and shake their heads wondering why on earth I would do that. 

Well, truth be known, I love climbing onto the roof of the house. There is a sense of freedom that I get when I am high above the ground – although on the roof of the house I’m not that high above the ground since it’s a bungalow. 

I love the feeling that I get when I can stand up and look at the surrounding countryside. I see so many things that I can’t see when my feet are planted on the ground.

As a kid I loved to climb trees – the higher the better. The feeling that I got was probably not unlike the feeling the builders of the Tower of Babel got when they felt that they were approaching God. The excitement, the peace in my heart and the freedom are some of the feelings I would experience. 

In my mind being that close to God, having one of those “thin” times was always part of the climbing experience. 

Coming down to earth was not always easy – sometimes it was painful. Regardless of how painful the return was, I never lost my desire to climb, to go to places higher. 

I guess that’s why doing the outside part of the chimney cleaning is not a chore for me. Besides, it’s the easy part. Dave gets the mess and challenge of the inside part with all the soot!

Cheers, Sue+

 

Rev. Sue McCullough

Anglican Parish of Morrisburg, Iroquois & Riverside Heights

[…]

 

Fall Transition

I don’t know about anyone else but it is hard making that transition from August into September. Most of this time has to do with the weather. We should be glad for the quick change in the temperatures as it really elbows us into moving forward into the fall season. It does make some people give up their favourite summer pastime though – like swimming in the river.

I think too, it is the call back to structured days and the skill of disciplining our time. 

There is an “art” to family life. There are the necessities of getting to bed at the right time, preparing school lunches for the next day, making sure clothes and school books and signed forms are ready to go out the door all at the same time in the morning. This takes a certain amount of co-ordination. 

Teenagers have left for colleges and universities. The house feels quiet again as their energy and enthusiasm for life are left behind in small traces like a nice perfume that lingers around in the air.

We hope and pray that these students are blessed with an eagerness to learn, respect for others, love for nature, happiness when things are easy and a-keeping-at-it-attitude when things are hard, and of course their faith in God. We hope this will be a good school year for all and that the youth of this our community may discover the gifts they have inside of them to be used for good in the world that surrounds them.

Pastor Norine + 

[…]

 

On Tuesday, September 3rd , 2013, Seaway students were welcomed back to school. Some of us were excited and willing to start a new school year, and others not so much.  

First thing in the morning, we went to an assembly where Mr. Gardiner welcomed all the students to a new school year and went through all the school rules as well.  Mrs. Thompson encouraged all the students to participate in a couple of ice-breaker activities, like:  the stretching race, and rubbing the shoulders of the person you were sitting beside.  After that we watched a short movie that Mrs. Gilmour made called “Where’s The Staff”. It was a spoof on the idea of coming back to school.  Then we watched a slideshow of pictures of the teachers and their families, some of it was really funny. 

As the students exited the gym, the teachers helped distribute specially made Seaway pencils to each student. This was a welcome back gift to get us moving in the right direction.

WEB and LINK Leaders were front and center all week.  The students participating in the WEB and LINK wore their florescent t-shirts to show the Grade 7’s and Grade 9’s who was there to help them on their first day of school.  It was great to see the grade 12’s and grade 10’s have lunch with their buddies, pointing them in the right direction for classes and scheduling surprise visits just to see how they are doing. This is really a great program!

Wednesday, the first cross country tryout was held by Mrs. Henderson and Ms. Mac. There was a great turn out, with some of the regulars and many new faces as well.  The kids who showed up to the tryout ran a 3 km run to the Iroquois beach, by the boat houses, by the tennis court and back to Seaway. It was beautiful weather on Wednesday, so it was a perfect day for the cross country tryouts.  Thursday the school photos were taken in the gym.  Boys’ volleyball and girls’ basketball tryouts are soon as well. 

On the September 27th, we are having a Sports Day and Terry Fox walk.  On Sports Day the student body can sign up for a morning and afternoon session to participate in one of the variety of sports that are offered. 

Last year we had a blast doing kayaking, tennis, cycling, soccer, and many more activities. The teachers are already looking for sports that we would be interested in trying, so if you have any ideas let Mr. Thompson know. 

To honour Terry Fox our whole school will walk around the track as many times as we can in the time we are given.  We will have music playing outside and a snack stand where everyone can pick up a snack while they are walking the track.  From September 23rd to September 27th students can buy paper running shoes that they can decorate and place the name of someone who is or has suffered from cancer who has touched their lives.  These shoes will be put up around the halls, and we see if we have enough shoes to make it all around the school in the wallway!  All money made by selling these shoes will be donated to the Terry Fox Foundation for cancer research.  

Overall, the first week at Seaway was quite busy and successful.  It sounds like it’s going to be a fantastic year at Seaway District High School! 

[…]

 

Back to School

I still remember my first day of school even though it was 50 years ago. My mom took me on the city bus, and we walked from the bus stop with another mom and her daughter Irene. She was my sweetheart for years. 

In class Matthew, who sat in front of me, turned around on that first day and asked, “Do you want to be my friend?” It was a friendship that lasted through my grade school. Little did I know that would be the first day of 16 years of school.

School is a huge part of all of our lives, whether we like it or not. At least for a time, our lives and schedules revolve around it. It affects the rest of our lives: the job we do, the house we live in, maybe the car we drive, and perhaps even the person we marry. School’s a pretty big deal.

The point of all this? 

How about… kids, easy on the video games; buckle down and do your homework. 

And I guess it’s: parents, encourage your kids in their school work; better yet, work with them (without doing too much of their projects and homework as I’ve been guilty of doing).

And it’s wishing all you teachers well: wisdom and perseverance for the task. And loads of thanks for all you do. You are the heart of the school. 

And maybe (for peace in the family, my wife being one of them) I should also express my appreciation for all those bus drivers who get our kids to school safely and without harming each other.

Yes, school is important. Yet there’s yet another ‘school’ that’s as important, actually more so. It’s what we might call the ‘school of the soul.’ 

In our culture we emphasize and invest so much in learning information and skills for life. But how much do we consider learning that fills the soul. 

The Bible tells us that there is a God who’s obvious to all who have their eyes open (see Romans 1:20). And it says that we’ve been created to know this God personally (Acts 17:27). In fact we’ll never be fulfilled or at peace until we do (John 6:35).

For me, learning about God and discovering that I could enter a relationship with him through Christ (John 1:12) affected me more than all my 16 years of formal education. 

It gave me more than a job, a house, and a car. It gave me things like peace within (you can’t put a price on that) and a sense of purpose. 

Getting to know God also transforms our morals. It gives power to overcome addictions. It blesses our relationships. And of course it promises us the most amazing life after this one.

The point of all this? Whether we’re young or older, it’s wise that we consider the ‘school of the soul.

There’s really only one textbook (written by God himself with the help of a bunch of writers), the Bible. There are schools around to help. We call them churches. The best way to learn is in the company of other learners to wrestle and discuss with. And the very best teacher is God himself, what we call the Holy Spirit.

Being the beginning of September, I wish you all a great school year as students, families, bus drivers, and teachers. I also encourage us all to not forget to enroll in the ‘school of the soul.’ There’s tons of good stuff to learn. Dig in and enjoy.

Pastor Clarence Witten

Community Christian 

Reformed Church

Dixon’s Corners

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Canada is one of the world’s best countries to live and do business in. Paying taxes is not fun, but as Canadians, we understand that taxes pay for the things we rely on day-to-day; health care, education, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. 

As a Government, we really try to keep taxes as low as possible. We understand and appreciate how important it is for hardworking Canadian families to find savings wherever they can. This is especially true for students, who usually earn very little while they are focusing on education and training.

Since forming Government, we have introduced a number of important measures that have brought relief to Canadians’ wallets, including support and benefits for our students. Many people are aware that fifteen per cent of eligible tuition fees can be claimed as a tax credit. 

All Canadian students can claim fees paid to a university, college, or other education institutions in Canada for courses taken at the post-secondary level. What some may not know is that eligible tuition fees include application, admission, and academic fees, as well as, charges for the use of library or laboratory facilities; mandatory computer service fees; examination fees; athletic and health services fees; and more. 

In addition, students can claim what we call an education amount for each month – or part of a month – that they are enrolled in a qualifying educational program. That amount is $400 a month for full-time students and $120 per month for part-time students. 

Even those who receive salaries or wages while they take a course related to their job can claim the education amount if they are enrolled in a qualifying education program.

Students can also claim a textbook amount for each month that they qualify for the education amount. That’s an additional $65 a month for full-time students and $20 for part-time students.

We think that is good news for students! 

Post-secondary students enrolled in full-time programs who move at least 40 kilometers closer to their new school can deduct moving expenses paid through the year.  

These allowances are in place so that all students have the opportunity to get all the credits and benefits they are entitled to. 

Finally, when it comes time to repaying student loans, it is important to note that the interest on those loans may be claimed as a non-refundable tax credit. 

There are many more tax credits available so please visit: www.cra.gc.ca/students for more information. 

Our Government encourages students to report their income and pay their taxes – that’s their responsibility as citizens. And it’s my responsibility as MP to help make sure that students here in Stormont Dundas and South Glengarry are aware of the tax savings available to them. 

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