Author: Ron Baker

My next in line brother was a world traveller!  His life was too early snatched away by cancer in 2005.

At his funeral we were reminded of two ladies he had met in New Zealand a few years back.  They had become known to the family as they visited Canada and as my parents visited them in New Zealand.  And then the yearly Christmas greetings continued.

Now years later, at my mother’s death, they have sent a note of condolence.  A touching reminiscence of the years of contact, of the impact the family had on them, and of pure graciousness in our time of sorrow.

This is certainly one way to gauge friendship!

Worst blizzard ever!

I’ve been through a blizzard where I was stuck, got out to push and started to walk back to the driver’s seat – and instantly was hit by a car that I did not see!  Or the blizzard that shrouded in my parent’s farm.  I was in the hospital (at a very young age – so most of this story is first hand reports from my parents) and about to be discharged.  The hired man had to take me back home (he was on the other side of the drift at the farmstead), walk me over the drift and into the house.  How about the blizzard where I just stayed home – I couldn’t see across the street!

But this blizzard?  The hype was amazing.  People were setting off on their journeys hours early.  I even left work a few hours early to get home.  Blizzard warnings were posted on weather websites.  The forecast was decidedly scary.

And I woke up this morning.  Shovelling my driveway was a piece of cake, the other walkways were like small fluffs of cotton.  The wind was low and the sky was bright. 

YES, the worst blizzard ever!!

Just the day before the other day a student asked me to help them find a book, online if possible.  Written by Peter T. O’Brien.  This was a commentary on Hebrews.  Such requests are always fun, especially when this is one of those students who is probably as smart, or smarter than me!

A quick search of Amazon found that I could buy a paper copy for upwards of $700.  That immediately intrigued me.  I looked for a full text of the book online.  Not much available on reputable sites. 

Then Google search kicked in.

A slight mention was made of a statement by the publisher – just a short blurb!  So I went to the publisher’s site and found out that less than a decade after publishing the book (and a hefty volume it was!), the company ceased publication.  The statement revealed that the author had plagiarized parts of the book – a hint of his apology is given.  And the book is no longer available (and no other reprint publisher is looking to venture into that territory).  Used book dealers are loving it!  The lowest price was in the $200 dollar range.  Higher ranges almost hit the $1,000 range.

Which makes obvious to us something that has been a whisper for years.  If you really want publicity or to become famous – either die or do something scandalous. 

We were discussing prayer the other night in our small group.  The operative phrase that I kept hearing was “When our prayers are amiss” – with the idea that we don’t get answers from God when we don’t pray aright!

Of course my mind went off on a tangent.

Here’s my new phrase:  “I would rather not have my prayers a-miss.  I’m all for having them a-hit!”

Now to figure out how to secure that thought and action!