Ron Baker

Well, I was kidded about my “rule” of not eating after 8:00 at night.  So the meeting was supposed to finish by 8:01!  We were a few minutes longer, but not much.

Good stuff!  We are headed into hiring our intern as our associate pastor when his internship is finished.  That excites me. 

We’ve been waiting for the “official” word.  With tonight’s meeting we will move ahead into the expectancy of what lies ahead.  Great voyages are begun with small steps and large faith.  That’s where we are headed.  Let’s see what is ahead!

Our youth headed over to the seniors complex next door.  Every few months we have a crokinole tournament.  Just fun and frivolity.  We pair our teens with a senior.  They play together and coffee together afterwards.  Its one way to get to know people across the generational gap.   Which really isn’t much of a gap when you watch them playing crokinole together!

Good times had by all – around 50 of us out!!

Flexibility keeps you from getting bent out of shape.  My appointment calendar changed as the day progressed.

So today, I spent time with two people who surely are the salt of the earth.  Ann farmed with her husband in small town Saskatchewan.  Recently she has moved to Kindersley.  Her accommodations are nice.  The view is nice.  The people are nice.  And she is adjusting.

The second person is a Salvation Army officer.  Mike first came on my radar in 1994.  He had been in Prince Albert for a year.  We both ended up just over a decade in Prince Albert.  The friendship continues and our coffee time was enjoyable.  We even started talking the “retirement” word.  Funny, when we first met we were just settling into our 40’s and considered young bucks! 

Now look at us!  Young at heart and older in body.

And now I settle in to prepare a devotional for tomorrow for the seniors at Caleb Village.  This is one of those very enjoyable groups that inspire me!  And they always provide tea time following!

May your day be ordered as God sees fit.  And often that means the unexpected tucked into the scheduled!

The fun in in the being together.

After our morning service we invited people to stay.  Join us for soup and sandwiches.  And put in a bit of money to support our youth to go to a youth conference at our denominational college.  Middle of March – so we have a bit of time to get finances together.

15 kids prepared the meal (and their mothers!).  They were loud and had fun.  I loved just listening.

And then around the tables they chatted.  I love to hear the decibels rise.  I walked away thankful for soup and sandwiches!

Looks like our son will be flying in the next few days.  Probably Sunday, or maybe Monday, depending on the flight schedule Royal Caribbean is able to put together.  About eight months ago he left to continue his job as theatre stage manager.  Now, a few contracts later he’ll be back to the winter weather of Canada.

The climate will be a cool one, but a change may be as good as a rest.  We’ll see!

For the last day or so I’ve been in Regina.  There were denominational meetings related to our senior pastor’s network.  8 hours of driving over the last day or so has tired me out.  So, off to bed and trust you have a good rest as well.

Snow, of course!

You have to understand the last few years here on the prairies.  Snow has fallen but seldom been higher than the stubble in the field. 

In other words, no higher than a foot at most.

We’ve had that much snow and more in the last week or so. 

So, this is the thing.  When the change in weather changes, then talk increases.  We always talk weather, as a passing comment to someone we do not know.  But now, those we know well are just as interested in the weather as the topic of deep discussions as we are in the matter of life and death. 

It’s a funny thing.  Life often revolves around the weather.  God only knows, and that’s the great part about the conversation.  There really is something spiritual about it!

From 1:30 – 5:30 today I ran from appointment to appointment.

That’s not usual.  Usually I have a moment or two, or more, in between.  Today I finished farewell sentences as I headed out the door.  Each appointment was completed.  And the next awaited.

Interestingly, as I gauged the moments after the end of these hours, I felt refreshed.

Perhaps busyness can also bring about a certain lightness in a day.  I find accomplishing something is refreshing to me.  And back to back opportunities continue the refreshment.

I came home and told my wife maybe she should be booking my life so that I could run from one thing to the next.  And then I remember the days where I was running and my children missed a moment or more of my life.

So, somewhere in between is the center of life.  Refreshed but not bypassing others!

The church parking lot was cleared.  The drifts had been high – some almost as tall as each of us there. 

When we had arrived for preparation before our Sunday morning church service, we had seen a Bobcat (a small dozer) starting to clear the lot.  Soon after graders arrived and a beehive of activity appeared. 

Snow was shoved to either end of the lot.  The piles grew high while the drifts disappeared from the center of the lot.  As we prepared for our Sunday activities, the outdoor activity continued.  By the time others began to arrive the lot was easily accessible.

Now, we had no idea who had done this.  One or two possibilities.  Today we had confirmation.  So I’ve sent out our sincerest thanks.  As it happens, Danny is our neighbor just across from the church.  He recognized we would have trouble getting into the parking lot, so called on some people to clear the lot.  This is great to have good neighbors.

Thanks!!

I loved the statement I heard today.

“This winter is going to be dodgy.”

Meaning – we have had more snow than usual.  Wind has accompanied that snow.  And more Albert Clippers are on the way.  Meaning more snow and no way to predict what is yet to come.

We could have snow banks of enormous height by March.  We could be seeing snow cleaning budgets unheard of in previous years.  We could experience whiteouts on a regular basis.

Or the sun could shine, the snow could melt and we could begin golf in a week’s time.

NOT!