Luke 9:23

"If any man will follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, then follow me."
The words of Jesus were often controversial to those who heard them for the first time. We are blessed that so much has been written about what was said 2,000 years ago. We are able to assimilate better what Jesus said. Learned men and those who have walked the walk have explained the 'true' meaning of what jesus said. But, unless you take it personal, the words remain philosophical. The personal element is about following Jesus. It is an open invitation. What is interesting is that Jesus does not hide the conditions of following him. There is a cost to following him. The cost is self denial and taking up your cross daily. Simply put, it is about putting aside your old self and seeking help from Jesus every day about your failures. I can live with this stuff and so can you!

THE PAUPER AND THE PRINCESS

There lived a woman and her son in one village. The son’s name was Fue. The woman lost her husband in a fierce war which people claimed brought hardships in the land. Fue never knew his father because he was born at the time that his father went to fight in the war. The war brought a lot of bitterness because no one knew why the men were conscripted to fight.

As Fue grew older, he desperately wanted to know his father’s background and whether he had brothers or not. There was none. Since he could not find any role model on his father’s side, he became very close to his mother. He copied everything his mother did including plating his hair and applying make up on his face. The boys of his age thought Fue was very strange, especially that he never played with the other boys other than his mother. Fue’s mother was quite happy to see how close she was with her son. She told Fue that she would buy him a special present one day. Fue was quite excited and looked forward to the day that he would get his present. Being a good mannered boy, he never bothered asking his mother when his present would come. He knew in his heart that his mother would honour her word one day and that was enough to keep Fue happy.

One day, Fue’s mother became extremely ill. She knew in her heart that she would die. Fue was very troubled that he would have no where to go if his mother died. After all, he had no living relative. He decided to ask his mother what would become of him if she died. She smiled at him and told him that she was really looking forward to dying since she would be joining her husband who died in the war. She told Fue that there was nothing to be scared about since God looks after everyone. Still, Fue thought she needed an adult to run the house, cook food and look after the maize gardens and the animals. He didn’t think he could do all that by himself. His mother just smiled and told Fue that if ever anything happened to her, Fue should open the old trunk and get whatever was inside. That same evening, Fue’s mother died and Fue was devastated. He could not eat for weeks and he did not even think about the old box that his mother had mentioned. The pain was too much and he had no one to turn to. He was indeed a pauper.

Fue lived on by doing odd jobs for other people in the village in exchange for food. His clothes became worn out and people started shunning him. He could not understand why his mother passed on. Couldn’t she have taken him along? Was there any fairness in this world? One day Fue remembered his mother’s last words about his present. He quickly dashed into the old house and pulled out the trunk which was almost rusting. He thought he would find money and with it, he would buy some decent clothes and probably move away from the village. He badly wanted to start a new life. Disappointment greeted him. There was nothing of value in the trunk except a small clay flowery plate. He nearly threw it to the ground but changed his mind that he would keep it since his mother had looked after it so carefully for a long time. He didn’t know what to do with a plate.

Convinced that there was nothing left for him in the village, Fue decided to go on a journey to some distant country to look for opportunities and probably find a wife to marry. He gathered his few belongings including the clay plate and set off towards the east. He travelled for hours under the tropical scorching heat and around mid day, he decided to take a rest. He took out his clay plate and scooped some water from the stream with it. As he scooped the water from the stream, he saw an image of a very beautiful woman in the plate who looked just like his late mother. Was it some joke? He thought he was getting mad. He stood still and the picture was still there. Since he was so thirsty he decided to drink the water from the plate anyway but the image disappeared. He wasn’t sure whether to be angry or sad. He chose to be happy and so he began to sing a song:

Iyi nsani ehe
Iyi nsani yamaluba
Tekumona apo yikele kwati ni mayo wa mfyele yamaluba
Oh yamaluba, Oh yamaluba

(This plate sure
This flowery plate sure
It looks just like my mother
Beautiful and Flowerly
Beautiful and Flowery)

As Fue finished singing the song, something strange happened. A beautiful princess came out of the plate wearing the most glamorous gown ever imaginable. She also brought wonderful clothes for Fue as well as the choicest food. She told Fue that she wanted him to marry her. They shared the food and the princess told Fue that she wanted him to go with him to her palace. She asked him to jump into the tiny plate with her. They did so and found themselves in a beautiful castle. They lived happily thereafter.

Note: Most probably, this story’s moral is that misfortune can also be a source of happiness. The story comes from northern Zambia.

QUEEN CITY MARATHON TOOK PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 10

As I approached the check in counter at Regina Airport on my way to Montreal, two ladies from Calgary were spotting their QCM (Queen City Marathon) medals around their necks. I was doing the same. They were so proud to see me wearing my 42km medal. We shook hands and chatted a bit on the nice running weather. Over 3,000 participants took part in the QCM. For my part, I was just thrilled to finish the QCM in my PF (Personal First of 4 hr and 16 minutes). I trained for 4hr but a strange headache threw my runnin intentions out of whack.It was great to visit with running friends from Winnipeg, Saskatoon and elsewhere.
A running race always has some memorable highlights. My headache is one. Then the finish line! It was great to see friends from work, my wife and collegues giving that last 100m encouragement to cross the line with a big smile. The pictures are their to prove it! A 75 year old man finished the marathon to a round of deafening applause. That was really great!! When I get his name, I will send him a note of encouragement. The 2.5km Friensship Run from the Running Room to the Leg and back, a day befre the QCM was equally memorable. needless to say that for the first time, I won something. I span the wheel and myspin landed on a free stringed bag.

The bottom line is that people run to achieve a goal and hey, life in general is about setting goals and realizing them. The QCM was one great experience towards achieving my life long goals. I talked about 'retiring' from running but we will see..

AIDS CONFERENCE IN TORONTO

The AIDS conference is just wrapping up in Toronto. The Canadian Broadcasting Cooperation (CBC) has carried out some excellent programming on the conference (video streaming can be seen at www.cbc.ca). CBC carried out extensive coverages of:
1)How grand mothers in Africa are shouldering the burden of caring for the oprhans. Interviews with grandmothers from South Africa and east Africa were quite revealing.Canadian grand mother are equally rendering support through fundraising etc.
2)There have been some encouraging suport from the world's richest and the famous including comments or financialsupport from Bill Gates and his wife, Bill Clinton and Mr Lewis (the UN Envoy for AIDS).
3)The fight of AIDS through drama in Gambia by a nongovernmental organization showed that a lot can be achieved withought spending millions of dollars. The Nova Scotia Gambia Association has been carrying out AIDS campaign warnings through drama in Gambia resulting in reduced AIDS prevalence among the vulnerable groups.
4) There have been some stattling statistics on AIDS prevalence in Canada and North America in general.

Unfortunately, it looks as though the political leadership in Canada has had some second thoughts on whether to support the conference or not. The Prime Minister, for example kept away from all deliberations. Major announcemnts on AIDS by the Canadian government have had to be postponed.

THE DASH

A young boy accompanied his grandpa to the cemetery. They walked about looking at tombstones and the flowers that loved ones had left. What caught the boy’s attention most as they looked at the tombstones was the dash between two numbers. Each tombstone had different numbers but there was always a dash between two numbers. The boys asked grand pa why the dash was on every tombstone. Grand pa seized the moment and explained the meaning of life as symbolized in the dash. He explained that the dash stood for the length of one’s life on earth. The first number stood for when the person was born while the second number stood for when the person died. The dash then was an expression of how long someone lived. ’God will demand an accounting of how the dash was lived,’ he went on. “A dash lived for self is worthless. As well, a dash that did not recognize God as the giver of life and Lord will face judgement. It did not matter how long one lived.” The young man got very scared and wondered how he could avoid the judgement. Grandpa asked the boy to open his heart to Jesus. The boy was born again in the graveyard.
This story is an adaptation of Pastor Grabke's sermon on August13, 2006 at Faith Baptist Church in Regina.

BRIAN

My Pastor shared the following story a few Sundays ago on our responsibility to love others.
A lady was driving home on a cold and grey evening. The sun had already gone down and darkness was setting in. As bad luck would have it, the car got a flat tire. Considering the time of day and the weather conditions, the lady became frantic and waved every car that passed by. Unfortunately, all the cars zoomed past her without stopping. The lady became quite scared and feared for her life. Along came a truck driven by a shabby looking man. The man spotted the lady from a distance and sensed that she could be in trouble. The lady fearing for her life jumped into her car and rolled up the windows. The man stopped and inquired if he could be of any help. The lady was not sure whether she should speak to the stranger.The lady speaking through her rolled down car window said that she had a flat tire and would appreciate some help at any cost. The man got to work immediately and quickly replaced the flat tire. The lady asked the man who he was to which he replied that his name was Brian. The lady asked Brian to name any price for changing the flat tire. Brian refused to take any money but said that he was just happy to see that she was out of danger. He only asked the lady to extend a helping hand to others as means of paying for the generosity he extended to her. The lady thanked Brian and left. Some 5km down the road, the lay spotted a coffee shop and went over to have a cup. As she sat down to order her coffee, an overworked pregnant waitress came to serve her. It was obvious by her expression that she was barely trying to make ends meet. When the lady struck some conversation with the waitress, she learnt that the baby was due any time but money was short. Upon leaving the restaurant, the lady left four $100 dollar bills on top of the change from the $1,000 bill that she had placed on the tray with a note saying, ”Please take the money and use it for the baby.” The lady was overjoyed and before she could thank the lady, she was already driving off. The waitress went home and eagerly wanted to share her experience that evening with her husband. The husband was already fast asleep when she got home but she lightly kissed him on his forehead and said , “I love you Brian.”

The Rolling Stones coming to Regina

Regina is a very small city (by western standards), yet it seems to compete very favourably with big cities. Who would think that the Rolling Stones would stage two shows in this Prairie city? Well, they are coming in October. Confirmed date is 13th October which is the same week of the Queen City Marathon in Regina- billed for October 10. According to local radio talk shows, a second RS show will take place during the same week. I don't know the hipe with the Stones (perhaps a baby boomer effect), tickets on Ebay have skyrocketed to over $3,000! I don't plan on going to see the RS but I am just happy that they are coming to Regina and will certainly complement the Queen City Marathon very well.

ZINADENE ZIDANE

My only qualification to write about this 'idol' is that I have awlays enjoyed the charm and skills of this once retired player. It is difficult to tell what was going on in his head but facts that are emerging indicate that he was insulted. One can say that he lost the nerve to contain the insult. I recently 'attended' a soccer mental training camp that my son's provincial Team arranged. I must say that it was one of the best. I learnt that soccer games are not only won by skill. Intimidation via insults, gestures and the like are part of the package that players with blessings of their coaches unleash on their opponents. Claiming innocence from match officials even when the offence is blatant is another tactic that is used without shame. These tactics are encouraged because of the big money involved in soccer and any sport for that matter. Materrazi, the Italian defence man who is alleged to have insulted ZZ was probably implementing what the coaches had put in his tool kit. It should be noted that this player (Materrazi) is quite a character too. He spat on a player during the European Champinoships and was sent off.

ZZ has issued an apology and by all means, soccer loving people should accept his apology. It was uncalled for, with only 10 minutes to go and millioms of people watching. The racial and terrorist overtones that have been linked to the incident suggests that even a man of steel can break. The zero tolerance to racism that was promoted at the start of the tournament is now moribund and the true colours of how racist soccer is in Europe are emerging. Remarks by an Italian politician/senator that France sacrificed the world cup by featuring an all black team is surely a case in point on how intorlerant Europe is to black players.

WORLD CUP IMPRESSIONS

I love soccer. It is indeed the world sport. I am looking forward to watching the final game on July 9. There have been dissapointments and moments of joy.

A lot can be written on the positive side. There are no more underdogs in world soccer. There was quality soccer no matter where the team came from (in the past, third world countries other than those from Latin America) generally fared poorly. Angola, Togo and Ghana for example put up excellent performances that shocked the traditional power houses. I hope that these teams will keep up the momentum (this is perhaps wishful thinking for teams from Africa where inconsistency is the norm). The quality of officiating has improved with most of the actors being tossed out or caustioned whenever offences fitting such punishment were committed.I was also impressed with the performance of unsung heroes on the pitch. Credit uusually goes to goal scorers in a soccer math but this world cup showed that the match can be won by defenders. Teams with soolid defences included Italy, Germany and France. Defendes like Cannavaro of Italy and Thuran of France were second to none. These defenders turned adventurous goal seekers into spectators. It was great to see that no one player as far as I could tell stood out as the star of the tournament. There is a lot of team work at play these days.

Dissapointments included the early exit of soccer power houses such as the south American countries including Brazil. I was equally dissapointed that the flair of these teams that has always been their signature appears to have evaporated. One soccer analyst suggested that this has to do with the fact that most of the south Ameican stars now play in Europe where the style is about being physical and racing with the ball. Deciding the winner by penalty shoot out has always been controversial. Good teams often exit the competition, robbing spectators a chance to see what they have to offer. Tough luck England! The golden goal rule, though not perfect encouraged players to work hard towards scoring that golden goal. It is no longer the case.Itwould appear that some teams chose not to play attacking football so that they could take the game into penalty shhot outs.

QUEEN CITY MARATHON REGISTRATION OPENS

The QCM (Queen City Marathon)registration has opened. The event takes place on September 10, rain or shine. As an early bird entrant, you only pay $50 if you register online. Some improvements to the QCM will be implemented this year. Although details have not been fully communicated at this time, it looks likely that there will be changes to the route. This is a welcome development because runners have always complained about the narrow paths and running the course twice in some places just to make up the distance.

Assuming no early freeze up, September has just about the perfect weather ingredients for the marathon. It is not too hot nor too cold. A shower or two feels like a massage to the runner. The leaves are just about changing colours too and it is a great incentive to look at the variety of colours in the woods. The Regina community is another great reason to come.There is always that grandma/grandpa clapping the entire time for you. If you have never participated, I encourage you to make it your first. You will not be disappointed!

WINNIPEG MARATHON WAS ON FATHER'S DAY (MAY 18)

This was the first time that I took part in this prestigious Marathon. I was not ready for the whole thing and so I chose to run the half. The atmopshere as would be expected for an event of this magnitude was terrific. Th start line was near the University of Manitoba and the finish line was in the Uuniversity's footbal stadium. Whether you are sore or not, just hearing the drums from 5 km away pumps you up to go to that finish line. Thumbs up too to the following:
1)there was no crowding along the way-running on wide streets for this kind of eevents is an excellent idea
2)the community cheer leaders are second to none, at one station one guy was giving free Molson larger! I wouldn't recommend this for anyone who is serious about running though. It is however his jovial attitude that has earned this guy an entry in my journal.
3) the music along the route was like caffeine that pumped you up
4)i didn't see a frown on any runner, you basically chatted with whoever
5)the volunteers were so cheerful!
6)the last mile - is named after IRV, a volunteer who passed on before the race. the distance by my estimation is longer than a mile and colleagues I talked to wondered about this too! Recognizing the silent majority who make things happen was great feat for me.
What about the downs? Here are some:
1)the unwinding area after the race was too small- too much crowding
2)too few conveniences at scheduled points- one toilet per station (some stations had 2 or more) created unnecessary waiting and lost time
This was over all a life time experience to remember. For full results of this event, check:http://www.manitobamarathon.mb.ca/
The over all winner was Michael Booth, a Winnipeger who clocked 2:31:54. Congratulations to him.

ROADSIDE MARKET

Roadside markets are an interesting feature of Zambia's life. How much money exchanges hands at this markets is not known but it is acknowledged that a lot of people draw their sustainance from them. Markets are part of the informal sector of the Zambia's economy. More people are employed in the informal sector than in the formal sector, according to official estimates. Other than at city markets where city officials levy a fee for trading, informal markets at road sides or peddling are not levied any tax. In the picture above, the road side market is strategically located at Mufulira turn off from Kitwe. The road from Kitwe continues on to the copper mining towns of Chingola, Chililabombwe and the newly opened copper mine of Kanshanshi in Northwestern province. Merchandice at these markets range from cooked food to live animals. In between are vegetables, eggs, curios etc. Weights and measures are not used and a good buyer is one who can bargain. The bargaining is what makes these markets most interesting. What starts like an arguements ends up in two people sharing jokes and their family experiences.In the end it is a win win situation.

COPPERBELT MEMORIES

Driving on the dual carriage way between Ndola and Kitwe was hair raising but a beautiful experience too. The trip looked shorter than when I used to ride mini buses, many years ago. As seen in the photograph, the island separating the road in the opposite direction was overgrown by grass and bushes ( to more than 2 meteres in many places). I recognized this as a danger. At almost every crossroad, the horn had to be used as people sprang up from nowhere onto the road. The grass denied me the chance to admire the beautiful crafts that are usually dispalayed along this highway. In one or two locations, I spotted toy cars, paintings and crafts which add to the beuaty of this highway if grass is cut. A copperbelt energy company usually cuts the grass but only where the power lines are located. The only hope that the grass will get 'cut' is when th bush fires arrive in June.

I took a ride along Chingola road to check out a farm of a relative. Passing by Ganerton, I was told that the suburb is now a shell of itself having lost a lot of people due to insecurity. The situation was better than a few years ago but the huge acreages with horses and well micured lawns was a thing of he past.

My favourite past time in Zambia has always been a roadside market. It is here that one can eat a freshly roasted cob of maize and just chat with whoever. At Mufulira turn off, we decided to stop by and pick up some chickens, tomatoes and rape vegetables. We were mobbed by the merchants. Everyone wanted to sell us something. The choice was so vast that we pretended we were just there to meet someone. We chatted a bit and took a photograph (see insert). We finally picked on one seller and got 3 chickens at a very good price. I was tempted to buy a roast cob of maize but i turned out that the cob was too hard for my teeth!

VISITING ZAMBIA

I touched down at Ndola Airport at about 12 noon. It was indeed a very warm welcome in all manner of detail. The theromometer was near 30 degree C. The low cumulus clouds reminded me that the cold season was just around the corner (see airpot picture in this posting). The staff of this small international airport were excellent and all smiles. This was my second time in 10 years that I had landed at Ndola. I was in a hurry to get to Kitwe, my final destination and flying from Johannesburg to Ndola made a lot of sense. My ride to Kiwe arrived 30 minutes late and during the wait, I made frienship with two guys. We talked about soccer, a very safe subject. My two friends were utterly dissapointed that the once upon a time soccer power house (Zambia) was a shadow of itself in the 21st century. The worst player to them was this guy in the UK! To make matters worse, the stadium that once hosted continental games (Dag stadium) was still lying in rubbles (the stadium was pulled down with the intentions of buiding an ultra modern facility for hosting the Africa Cup of Nations competition). It never took place because of soaring costs.

On my way to Kitwe, I couldn't help shading a tear for the Dag stadium, lying in ruins and probably in peace forever and ever. I hope that one day, someone will resurrect this once upon a time loveley stadaium where Zambia never lost a game ( according to a Zambian legend). The Central Hopspital caught my attention too. It was once a gem but it looked an eyesore. Industies are virtually non existtent in this city of nearly 2 million people. The drive on the dual carriage way to Kitwe was comfortable (this is the only divided highway in Zambia). The road appeared to be well maintained. The highway was however overgrown with grass and the island was basically a jungle! From time to time along the way, people sprang up from nowhere onto the oad. My ride's hand was constantly on the horn to avoid hitting anyone. The trip to Kitwe took about 45 minutes.

It was great to visit the markets, a few shops and eat the nshima and kapenta. The road side markets have always been my favourite. It is here that one can eat roast maize and perhaps get a few bargains from sellers. One experience is shared in the next posting along Chingola road.

VISITING BEAUTIFUL AFRICA

I arrived at 7:20 am at Johannesbury International, this moring of May 8. The airpot is going through a massive facelift. There is construction all over. I wondered why! I later learnt that the country is getting ready for the 2010 World Soccer Tournament. I also learnt later on that a new railway line is being constructed from Johannesburg to Pretoria for the same reason.

The drive from Johannesburg International to Pretoria took less than an hour. My first shock was how chilly the outside was. I soon reminded myself it is getting into the cool season now, Soth Africa being in the southern Hemisphere. What did I see on the way? The famous elephant grasses were as tall as you could imagine, the size of the elephant. My old geography knowledge returned. If the elephant grasses are as tall as can be expected, it is a sign that the wetaher has been good. And true to my observation, my chatty driver (from Friends of Africa Touring Company) confirmed that the year had been good in terms of rains. Food was ample and the tall grass was a testament of the good times. This warmed my heart. To crown it all, the hills on the way to Pretoria just reminded me of what I have been missing all these years of living on the more less flat landscape of the Canadian prairies. I saw the famous acacia trees, miombo woodlands and an occasional baobab tree.

I didn't realize how tired I was until I sat on the bed of the Farm Inn. Before sleeping, I decided to stroll around this gem. African birds greeted me. A bunch of warthogs were idling around. The Inn itself is built in an African style with a thatched roof. It is way out of Pretoria on what looks like a nature reserve. I am looking forward to eating supper. I am sure it is going to be mouth watering.

Family friends that I met 15 years ago in Scotland have invited me to visit with them tomorrow. I can't wait to see them.

HALF MARATHON CONQUERED IN FRIGID WEATHER

The siren went off at 8:30 am to signal the start of the Regina Police Half Marathon on that Sunday morning of April 23. Conditions were not the best for running, at least by my running. We had sub zero temperatures and a southerly wind of about 30 km per hour. My two colleagues from Saskatoon were on hand to enjoy the run with me. But wait, I forgot to say that we had to put on gloves and jackets to battle the elements. This extra armour helped initially but became a burden half way through the race. In spite of the elemets and heavy gear, it was a joy to run along and just chat with whoever was chasing the wind. Something you rarely see when people are walking by. I got the idea that maybe, people should be running more! They are more chatty!

My running buddies and I clocked 2 hours and 1 minute and thanks to them for encouraging me to 'keep up the pace.' I sure almost gave up when the wind nearly blew me off the road. When official results came in, I was surprised at how good we had done! In fact we had beaten the Mayor of the city (our dear Mayor of the city of Regina was once a boxer and a very affable man, he was also a boxing ref at the last Olympics in Greece) came in at 2 hours and 10 minutes. This was certainly not my best time. In practice and other competitions, I am way under 2 hours. The beauty of the 'windy city' marathons is that you become ready for anything. I am not sure the conditions we had compare to the hills that our dear sister is conquering in Capte Town! Now, this is putting my neck on the chopping board! You can check entire results of the RPHM at:http://www.winningtime.ca/
"Those who enjoy life keep on running"

IT NEVER RAINS HERE

The Horn of Africa and parts of east Africa are in the news again. No rain. Like most places in sub-Sahara Africa, this region depends on rain to grow a crop (grain). Irrigiation thouh it was used a long time ago as part of the early civilization (in Ehtiopia especially) does not exist or it may be limited to a select few. To make matters worse, the region has experienced insecurity for years. Some news agencies claim that banditry and lawlessness are the only things growing instead of crops. To understand the perenial food shortages of this region, a thorough analysis of the history and natural events is needed. History is not my turf. One natural event that overshadows lack of rain in the region is what goes on in the tropical Pacific ocean. This year, the ocean has been in a cold phase or the so called La Nina. The temperatue of the ocean water has been below average. The situation is slowly reverting to normal conditions (i.e. average ocean temperature). This situation has translated in ample rainfall in some southern African countries (with bumper harvests of grain expected this year) while other parts of Africa are seeing drought. This phenomenon is well studied and where support structures to anticipate it exist (see efforts from SADC countries and Australia http://www.sadc.int/english/fanr/food_security/food_update_january_2006.php), there is less pain on the vulenrable groups. Unfortunately, this is wishful thinking in war torn regions.

HAMMERING NAILS IN A PIECE OF LUMBER (PLANK)

I go to an adult Sunday school class at my local church. Our teacher (Pastor Darold Sauer) told us an interesting story two Sundays ago. It is worth repeating here. I am pretty sure he wouldn't mind that I am telling it.

'A teacher had a bunch of boisterous kids in his sunday school class. He decided to bring a piece of lumber (plank), some nails and hammers to class so that he could keep his class occupied in some activity. He asked each student to pick a nail and hammer it into the wood. The class had a lot of fun with the hammer and nails. The strong ones made sure that the nails went in as deep as the energy from the swing of the hammer could allow. When evryone had their nail in, the teacher asked the class to take the nails out since it was too dangerous to live them that way. Those whose nails went in the deepest had some struggles but they eventually got their nails out. Some nails had gone in at an angle. These lnails eft some very ugly marks when they were pulled out. Eventually, the piece of lumber was free of nails but it had lots of ugly marks and gaping holes.'

The story illustrates the reality of sin. God forgives us unconditionally. The reality though is that we remain with those dark memories or scars of our past, some of them extremely painful to even talk about. It is for this reason that one should flee from sin. One man who did this very courageously was Joseph (formerly sold into slavery by his brothers), to the point of living his jacket in the hands of Mrs Potipher who wanted to lie with him. A dear friend of mine used to say, "Don't smile at sin. Flee like Joseph."

What will people be doing in heaven?

My son (now 13) asked me from the blue after we had been to church, "What will people be doing in heaven dad?" He was 5 years old at the time. I answered the best I could but I somewhat felt that he was not convinced with my answer. I talked about being happy, no tears, no darkness etc but I believe he was looking for duties in heaven. I told him that I will do some more research and give him an answer another time. My research took me to the book of revelation. I found some 'duties' for the saved ones. One that stands out is worshipping the lamb (Christ). I wans't sure that that this duty was sufficient to keep people preoccupied for eternity. Then I read a book which talks about the duties that God gave to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. The author says Adam and Eve worshipped God by looking after the garden, naming all the plants and animals and having God around to talk to as a friend! Unfortunately, their work was cut out after they sinned. They no longer had the privilege of being the botanists, zoologists or anything else. Their preoccupation became survival instead of doing the honourable jobs that God had for them. The author says that God will restore these duties to his saved children in heaven. The worship that revelation talks about now makes sense and I now have a better answer for my son!

FAVOURITE QUOTES

Some quotes are forever new. The folowing are among my favourites:

1. If it is not broken, do not fix it (Unknown). "Our doctor would never really operate unless it was necessary. He was just that way. If he din't need the money, he wouldn't lay a hand on you." Herb Shriner.
2. Decay starts when growth stops (Our Daily Bread)
3. It is not about what your country can give you. It is about what you can give your country (JFK)
4. To be different is not to be defficient(Unknown)
5. To teach is to learn twice (Unknown)
6. The used key is always bright (Benjamin Franklin)
7. Now go, write it before them in a table, and not in a book (Isaih 30: 8)
8. By indirections find directions out (William Shakespear)
9. Have no friends not equal to yourself (Confucius)
10. I never forget a face, but in your case I will make an exception (Julius Henry)
11. To err is human, to forgive divine (Alexandar Pope)
12. There is always room at the top (Daniel Webster)
13. A good symbol is the best arguement, and is a missionary to persuade thousands (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
14. I could never make out what those damned dots meant (Winston Churchill)
15. The historian is a prophet in reverse (Frederick Shlegel)
16."The 'expectation' in a gamble is the value of the prize multiplied by the probability of winning the prize. According to Pascal, the value of eternal happiness is infinite. He reasoned that even if the probability of winning eternal happiness by leading a religious life is very small indeed, nevertheless, since the expectation is infinite (any finite fraction of infiniy is itself infinite)) it will pay anyone leading such a life (E.T. Bell, Men of Mathematics)