THE INVITATION

We have been  invited to a family picnic at Cultus Lake but , although we would love to go, dad is having more pain with his feet , so we will not be going. I feel sad because we cannot do some of the things we would like to do.  It is a party to celebrate Kim's birthday I believe.

"As a child (writes Bear Heart) I was taught the way to obtain beauty in life is through harmony.  Be in harmony with all things (by being hopeful and thankful) but most important be in harmony with yourself first.

It is sad that there has been another shooting of three RCMP officers by a young boy in the peaceful town of Moncton.  The availability of weapons and an apparent hate of police seemed to have caused yet another tragedy.  We are always left with the question why. 

On Thursday as I picked up Jim's  milkshake at Newton there were police walking around patrolling the area which had a very bad reputation which has now gotten even worse.  A woman was murdered there recently. There is the swimming pool, the skating rink, the library, which should make it a good place for families.  The sad thing is that it has become a place where the criminal element have invited themselves.  Trouble invites more trouble.  It is a poorer community where there is a bus depot with buses coming and going from all over the place. 

I read this morning "anger is the only toxin that destroys what it is carried in."   It is easy especially for young people to be angry at the mess we have made of their world with  the corruption and greed and violence and unrest  and lie and cheating that is a way of life.

As I leave Newton I drive three blocks to the Seniors Home where a group of them are walking along the sidewalk with an activity worker.  She has a bag and a stick to pick up garbage as they walk.  There they are with their wheelchairs and walkers and canes still able to look happy and enjoying their little outing.

When they return they along with others attend a hymn sing  and then with just as much enthusiasm they all go to Bingo.  Everything they do they do with a happy heart and they amaze me; of course this is only a small group of the residents there.  There are the unhappy ones too.


Dad and I invited ourselves over to Sandra and Randy's yesterday morning and we talk about happy things and future family plans.  We admired her garden, she is an inspirational gardener, who claims she dug up what she thought was a plant from my house and now she thinks it is a weed.  It cannot be I do not allow those nasty weeds in my garden.  Yah, right. 

God creates us as individuals with our own gifts. 
Inviting people to work together and use their gifts is a part of the ministry of Jesus!