What's happening in the icy stronghold of socialism?
I have a story to warm your cold day while you wait in line to see a foreign trained doctor who couldn't get a work visa for the USA.
An American, a Scot and a Canuk were in a terrible car accident. They were all brought to the same emergency room, but all three of them died before they arrived. Just as they were about to put the toe tag on the American, he stirred and opened his eyes. Astonished, the doctors and nurses present asked him what happened.
"Well," said the American, "I remember the crash, and then there was a beautiful light, and then the Canadian and the Scot and I were standing at the gates of heaven. St. Peter approached us and said that we were all too young to die, and that for a donation of $100, we could return to the earth."
He continued, " So of course, I pulled out my wallet and gave him the $100, and the next thing I knew I was back here."
"That's amazing!" said one of the doctors, "But what happened to the other two?"
"Last I saw them," replied the American, "the Scot was haggling over the price and the Canadian was waiting for the government to pay for his."
__________________
". . . as I suspect was true for those teaching Scriptures, I found that my students often felt they knew the Constitution without having really read it. They were accustomed to picking out phrases that they'd heard and using them to bolster their immediate arguments, or ignoring passages that seemed to contradict their views." Barack Obama in "The Audacity of Hope"
It's always nice to hear a story from the "sub prime" nation next door. Americans like stories? Here's a story for our American neighbours.
Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Heaven, God went missing for six days.
Eventually, Michael the archangel found him, resting on the seventh day.
He inquired of God, "Where have you been?"
God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds,
"Look Michael, look what I've made."
Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?"
"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put LIFE on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance."
"Balance?" inquired Michael, still confused.
God explained, pointing to different parts of Earth, "For example, Northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth while Southern Europe is going to be poor; the Middle East over there will be a hot spot. Over there I've placed a continent of white people and over there is a continent of black people," God continued, pointing to different countries. "This one will be extremely hot and arid while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."
The Archangel, impressed by Gods work, then pointed to a large land mass the top corner and asked, "What's that one?"
"Ah," said God. "That's Canada, the most glorious place on Earth. There's beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers, streams and an exquisite coast-line. The people from Canada are going to be modest, intelligent and humorous and they're going to be found traveling the world. They'll be extremely sociable, hard-working and high achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace. I'm also going to give them super-human, undefeatable ice hockey players who will be admired and feared by all who come across them."
Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed. "What about balance, God? You said there will be BALANCE!" God replied wisely. "Wait until you see the loud-mouth neighbors I'm putting next to them."
Wisdom teaches us not to enter a war of words with a man or a nation that has a keyboard, an internet connection, and a welfare check in the mailbox.
__________________
". . . as I suspect was true for those teaching Scriptures, I found that my students often felt they knew the Constitution without having really read it. They were accustomed to picking out phrases that they'd heard and using them to bolster their immediate arguments, or ignoring passages that seemed to contradict their views." Barack Obama in "The Audacity of Hope"
Wisdom teaches us not to enter a war of words with a man or a nation that has a keyboard, an internet connection, and a welfare check in the mailbox.
Wisdom ought to teach a man or a nation that has a history of entering wars that it cannot win to avoid war altogether.
At least President Elect Obama is showing the good sense to get to Canada as soon as he can after his inauguration. Hopefully he'll stay long enough to learn how to run a banking system that doesn't need bailouts to be profitable and a health care system that doesn't leave the disadvantaged disadvantaged.
I hope that he's not too disappointed when we don't seem impressed that a member of a minority community is occupying high offfice. Our present Governor General, a woman, arrived in Canada as a refugee from Haiti, and her predecessor was from the Asian community.
Wisdom ought to teach a man or a nation that has a history of entering wars that it cannot win to avoid war altogether.
At least President Elect Obama is showing the good sense to get to Canada as soon as he can after his inauguration. Hopefully he'll stay long enough to learn how to run a banking system that doesn't need bailouts to be profitable and a health care system that doesn't leave the disadvantaged disadvantaged.
I hope that he's not too disappointed when we don't seem impressed that a member of a minority community is occupying high offfice. Our present Governor General, a woman, arrived in Canada as a refugee from Haiti, and her predecessor was from the Asian community.
There is a vast difference between a strategic withdrawal and losing a war.
The old saying, "Birds of a feather flock together," is as true of Seagulls as it is of Eagles.
Why would it surprise anybody to see a socialist head to the northern side of the icy curtain?
Maybe he'll learn how to form a government like the CFL: out of players who couldn't make the cut in a real league.
America has had minority Generals for a long time. Ever hear of Colin Powell?
Maybe we could learn to run our banking system with 50 cent dollars, and our hospitals with doctors who couldn't qualify for a green card.
__________________
". . . as I suspect was true for those teaching Scriptures, I found that my students often felt they knew the Constitution without having really read it. They were accustomed to picking out phrases that they'd heard and using them to bolster their immediate arguments, or ignoring passages that seemed to contradict their views." Barack Obama in "The Audacity of Hope"
I'm hearing about changes in Salisbury? Chopped meat anyone?
Atlantic has its very own version of the apostle Paul - new credentials on the way.
Okay. I shouldn't take the bait, but I'm like a fish that can't resist the sparkle of a bright shiny lure, so, are you saying that somebody has seen the light, repented, recanted, and been received by the AD elders?
There is a vast difference between a strategic withdrawal and losing a war.
That reminds me of the time that a brother explained the difference between a "liberal" and an "evangelistic" church to me. (What it meant was that the leadership ladies had streaked hair and wore makeup to match their blue jeans.)
I'm hearing about changes in Salisbury? Chopped meat anyone?
Atlantic has its very own version of the apostle Paul - new credentials on the way.
I think that I know what you are talking about with the "new credentials" and I have to say that I think that it will be a benefit to the district to have people with broad experience moving into leadership as the district faces changing times.