Monday, February 16, 2009

 

A Death in the Family

She was a member of our family for 19 years. But alas she is no longer with us. I remember the first time I saw her. It was just a week or so after I'd had my famous accident on the river hill. We went over to Wetaskiwin and my Dad showed us the newest addition to the Turner family. She was just a newborn but she was a cute as could be.

She had the luxury of spending most of her life indoors, except when she was out travelling and seeing the country. After 1994, when Mom moved into town, this family member enjoyed a quiet life for about eight years. Then in 2002, when my Mother decided she no longer needed her services, we took her in and made her a part of our family. We welcomed and treated her as our own. But her life got a lot busier. We took her to northern B.C. to see Ron. She made many trips with us to and from the Peace country in recent years. And she even made trips with us to Montana and to Penticton, B.C. For four years Colleen took her to work in Grande Prairie with her almost every day. And here in Camrose she began to enjoy a much quieter life with us.

Although she enjoyed almost perfect health all her life, she did suffer from heat stroke every now and then. But that was not what would end her life. Three weeks ago she sustained life threatening injuries in a vehicle accident about a block from our home. Her internal organs were fine, but she had some heavy skeletal damage on her left side. The doctors said it was too much of a risk to try and repair the damage. So last week the decision was made to take her off life support. Our loss is somewhat comforted by the fact that many of her body parts will be able to be used to lengthen the lives of other individuals. She also had a good life insurance policy. The funeral will be next week when the undertaker will come to take her on her final journey.




And now some photos of her final hours.







Sunday, February 08, 2009

 

I've Been Reading...

In the last five months I've done more reading than I've ever done since -- since seminary anyway. What have I read? Lets see...

So You Don't Want to go to Church Anymore.
It's a short fiction story about a guy who gets burned by the organized church and gets back to what church is supposed to be about: relationships.

The Shack
Of course! Just about every time I thought William P Young had taken his fantasy about the character of God too far, he'd bring it into proper perspective with a simple statement. In my opinion, he has a deep understanding of who God is and who we are in relationship with Him. I totally recommend this book.

What in the World is Going On?
Dr. David Jeremiah gives a down to earth presentation of Bible prophecy, relating it to the recent developments of our world.

The Case for the Real Jesus
Lee Strobel's latest book delves into issues like the reliability of the New Testament and the supposed influence of pagan religion and the hidden gospels on Christianity. He does an excellent job on these and several other related topics.

The Case for Faith
I finally read this older book by Strobel. He tackles tough questions like the problems associated with pain and suffering, and eternal punishment. I recommend both (well, all) of Lee Strobel's books, especially if you have any concerns or interest in the area of apologetics.

The Christians
This is actually a multi-volume set published right here in Alberta. They have lots of pictures. In a nutshell it is the history of Christianity written simply and in a style that makes it come alive in the mind of the common reader. So far I have read volumes two and three, which covers the growth of Christianity in the Roman Empire from the end of the New Testament era to the time of Emperor Constantine. The accounts of how many Christians endured severe persecutions joyfully are amazing. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series of books.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

 

One Word Answers

I'm playing along with "Portrait of an Artist" here:
Where is your cell phone? pocket
your hair? thinning
Your father? Heaven!
Your favorite thing? Recliner
Your dream last night? goofy
Your favorite drink? Butter Carmel Hot Smoothy
Your dream/goal? Eternal rewards
The room you are in? recreation
Your fear? heights
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Retired!
Muffins? Lots
One of your wish list items? Employment
Where you grew up? Farm
The last thing you did? TV
What are you wearing? black
Your TV? 32"
Your pets? none!
Your computer? toy
Your life? on hold
Your mood? calm
Missing someone? Boys
Your car? broken
Favorite store? Home Depot
Your summer? Vacation???
Favorite color? red
When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
Last time you cried? Funeral
Three people who email me? Missionaries
Three of my favorite foods? Steak, Uncle Burger, Subway
Three places I would rather be right now? Recliner, Bed, Heaven
Three people I think will respond? Dan, Sherry, Dianne








































































































































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