Personal

In May we recorded three songs.  Two months later we added another three.

Not full recordings, just scratch tracks. 

For those who read this blog regularly you will remember Wayne Gibson.  Last fall we released a full CD of original songs he had written.  Now we have an EP CD that would be nice to have ready to go in a few months.

But, time is often as much an enemy as it is a healer.  We are ready to work on a new release, but our schedules are a little “helter-skelter”.  Wayne is headed to Scotland in September.  I’m working on September plans to kick off the fall.

I listened to the songs.  Two are worship songs we have used in our church services.  One on the holiness of God and another on His greatness.  Other of the songs talk of a new day and heaven.  The theme of God pervades.

Maybe that’s why I like them.  Not just for the melody, but also for the subject.  Last night the words attached themselves to me.  Accompanied by haunting melodies, I’m still being pursued by these compositions even as I write this blog entry. 

Perhaps theses songs will catch you one of these days.  I hope so . . . but first we’ve got a bit more work to do.

The fact that Saskatoon has a number of bridges means summer fun.  You can walk along the river, fish from a bridge, and even watch fireworks exploded from a bridge.

Bridges also mean repair — summer repair!  Today as we approached one bridge on the way to a funeral, the line-up was atrocious.  We decided to head to another bridge which funneled into the uptown of downtown.  A few lights turned our way, more their way. 

In the end we walked into the funeral chapel area just before the family.  Actually that was not a bad thing — we sat immediately and were right into the proceedings! 

The funeral for Herman Ruff was a good funeral.  Herman had over 70 years of faithful Christian service — attested to be all those present.  One of those was my father who had know Herman for most of his almost 90 years.  Those are good funerals!

And now, at home, I reflect on a life well lived.  And ask God that I might live well my life to bring credit to God, just as Herman did! 

It’s been a few weeks.  I’ve been away, wind has been blowing and time has been flying by.

So, the nightly walks have been abandoned.

But tonight we determined to walk.  Around a few blocks.  Up and down the streets.

It’s not that the walk is what I go for!  Yes, I know they are good for my continued recovery from knee surgery.  And, yes, they restore the lung capacity and circulate the blood.  My body knows its good.

But its good for the soul.  I talk to my wife.  We hear each other out and plan ahead, and remember what others are doing, and think about what we can do.  And God seems to walk with us.  Quietly, in the background.  In his creation just being there. 

That’s life in the fast lane  of the slow walk around the block.

Now, I suppose I’ve been waking up earlier as the sun arises to touch the earth in the early morn. But the real sign of summer is the heat. Sustained heat.

Saturday the baptisms were refreshing. As I stepped from the pool I actually missed the refreshing cool of the water. I felt as though I could easily tan in the sun’s rays.

And today, I sat outside. Not even in the direct sunlight. For an hour and a half. Reading. And feeling heat. And inheriting a heat headache!

A friend of mine worked yesterday doing eavestroughing. His body experienced the heat. As though it were a stroke. Nothing nice – just pain.

Winter does look good some days. Six months from now I’ll say the opposite. And when those middle of the season days arrive, I will not like to be neither hot nor cold!

Oh, the fickleness of the human! We so easily miss being content for the pleasure of complaining. Why, I can even complain about complaining!!