Social Justice

For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.

Exodus 23:10-11

Charity is commendable; everyone should be charitable. But justice aims to create a social order in which, if individuals choose not to be charitable, people still don’t go hungry, unschooled, or sick without care.

Bill Moyers,
television journalist and social commentator

Dan Fogelberg Performs "There's A Place In The World For A Gambler"

ONCE: Theme song, Falling Slowly

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

I miss my dad. Howard M. Ostrander (1929 -2005) was a man of peace. He was described by his co-workers and friends as someone who could "spread his warmth and humour to all those around him". His former boss called my dad, "A pillar in his community in Elmira, Ontario ... and someone with an endless number of jokes up his sleeve!" How true, that was my dad.

But at a deeper level, my dad was a man of peace. As he was spending his last week with us on planet earth, I was so impressed with how he could bless others as he was so ready to die. Not easy to say, but a great memory. A man who lived at peace with those around him, no one, not anyone from anywhere had to rush to his death bed to make amends. All who came to his hospital bed, came to have a final visit, to share a memory, a song or a verse of two from scripture.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18

Dad, thanks for the great example. I'll see if I can live my life in such a way that I honour memory and our lord.

On Fathers Day We Need to Bring Peace

See Cartoons by Cartoon by Milt Priggee - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

Refugees aren't numbers

You matter

Quoted from Seth Godin's Blog
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/06/you-matter.html

1. When you love the work you do and the people you do it with, you matter.
2. When you are so gracious and generous and aware that you think of other people before yourself, you matter.
3. When you leave the world a better place than you found it, you matter.
4. When you continue to raise the bar on what you do and how you do it, you matter.
5. When you teach and forgive and teach more before you rush to judge and demean, you matter.
6. When you touch the people in your life through your actions (and your words), you matter.
7. When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.
8. When you see the world as it is, but insist on making it more like it could be, you matter.
9. When you inspire a Nobel prize winner or a slum dweller, you matter.
10. When the room brightens when you walk in, you matter.
11. And when the legacy you leave behind lasts for hours, days or a lifetime, you matter.

Letters of John Newton

A friend sent me this article today and thought it might be of encouragement to you. . .this is written by the man who wrote "Amazing Grace."

Thank God our redemption is in His unfailing hands.

"I will put My fear in their hearts--so they will never turn away from Me." Jeremiah 32:40

Jesus, to whom I have been led to commit myself, has engaged to save me, absolutely, and from first to last. He has promised not only that He will not depart from me--but that He will put, keep, and maintain His fear in my heart--so that I shall never finally depart from Him! And if He does not do this for me--I have no security against my turning apostate! For I am so weak, inconsistent, and sinful; I am so encompassed with deadly snares from the world; and I am so liable to such assaults from the subtlety, vigilance, and power of Satan--that, unless I am "kept by the power of God," I am sure I cannot endure to the end!

I do believe that the Lord will keep me while I walk humbly and obediently before Him; but, were this all--it would be cold comfort! For I am prone to wander--and need a Shepherd whose watchful eye, compassionate heart, and boundless mercy--will pity, pardon, and restore my backslidings!

For, though by His goodness and not my own--I have hitherto been preserved in the path of holiness; yet I feel those evils within me, which would shortly break loose and bear me down to destruction, were He not ever present with me to control them.

Those who comfortably hope to see His face in glory--but depend upon their own watchfulness and endeavors to preserve themselves from falling--must be much wiser, better, and stronger than I am! Or at least they cannot have so deep and painful a sense of their own weakness and vileness, as daily experience forces upon me. I desire to be found in the use of the Lord's appointed means for the renewal of my spiritual strength--but I dare not undertake to watch a single hour, nor do I find ability to think a good thought, nor a power in myself of resisting any temptation! My strength is perfect weakness--and all I have is sin.

In short, I must sit down in despair--if I did not believe that He who has begun a good work in me, will carry it out to completion.

"Hold me up--and I shall be safe!" Psalm 119:117

Ride for Refugees to offer 'Spring RIDE Date' in 2010

May 16, 2009 - For cities in Canada, USA and Australia who prefer to host the Ride for Refugees event earlier in the year, International Teams Canada recently announced a May 15th, 2010 Spring RIDE date.

Mika Takamaki, Director of RIDE site development commented on the new offering in a recent phone discussion:

"The RIDE date in October has worked very well and many of our site locations prefer that timing. But, this May 15th date will give more cities the flexibility to chose a date that works best for them. Fall or Spring - they can choose. Cities like Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary will embrace the warmer weather I'm sure."

For 2009 the RIDE changed its date from the third to first Saturday in October. For a number of years the event had skirted some bad weather issues and organizers didn't want to wake up to the snow they faced during the 2006 RIDE or the cold wind during the 2007 event.

Takamaki talked about the decision to move the date this year:

"I was talking to Brian, our RIDE Chair and I said to him, 'The fact is, if there is bad weather on October 3rd most people will shrug it off and chalk it up to poor timing; but if the weather is bad on October 18th, they'll look at us and ask what were we thinking!' "

For more information go to www.rideforrefugees.com