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Faithfully yours - Quiet times allow us to look four ways

Details: Published on Sunday, August 27, 2017

Contrary to what my mother told me, an idle mind isn’t always the devil’s workshop. As I get older, I am learning to value the quiet times; the times when I can be alone and free from outside interruptions. Those are the times when I reflect on life, remember those who are in need and offer prayers to God for them, for my family and for myself.

For me, those times come most frequently when I’m alone in a vehicle on a long road trip. The radio is turned off—there’s not much on radio that interests me any more. So, the only noise I hear is made by the tires on the pavement and the wind whistling past my window. I am free to take in the beauty of the world around me; to appreciate the wide variety of crops grown in this part of the country; to note the work being done to improve the conditions of our highways and to see how many new buildings are under construction. There is always something new to see, to appreciate and for which to give thanks to God; and I do just that.

Quiet times allow us to look four ways—back at the past, ahead to the future, around us to see the need of others and up to God.

When we look back, we see how God used different people and experiences to bring us to where we are today. We remember the times he helped us turn failure into success and how he brought people into our lives who would love, accept and forgive us and show us how to do the same for others. We recall how he met our needs—one day at a time, from birth to today; and we are reminded that God has been faithful to us even though we have not always been faithful to him.

When we look ahead, we can do so with confidence and optimism. We may not know what the future holds, but we can be sure of this the God who walked with us in the past and who walks with us today has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us. He will remain with us from now until the day we die—doing for us tomorrow what he did yesterday and what he is doing today. Of that, we can be absolutely certain.

When we look around us, we see hurting and needy people. If we look around long enough, we will see far more hurts than we can heal and far more needs than we can meet. But we will feel drawn to a few of the people we see. These are the ones that God is asking us to help and we need to be ready to do what we can to heal their hurts and meet their needs. As for the rest, we pray for them and believe that God will bring others into their lives to help them.

Finally, when we look up, we are reminded that God is never far away. As people of faith, we believe and confess that “we are never alone…in life, in death and in life beyond death, God is with us.” When looking back causes too much pain (at times, it will), when looking around leaves us dazed and confused, when looking ahead fills us with fear, we can always look up; and when we do, we will see God—in full control, ready to help all who seek his assistance.

Homebodies - Deadheading...

Details: Published on Saturday, August 26, 2017

I was taking a turn serving as a volunteer at our local museum. It was a beautiful morning, not hot, not cold, not windy, no insects buzzing around. A quick glance showed me that the flower beds could do with a bit of deadheading – removing the spent blossoms to encourage the plant to produce more flowers- for any non-gardeners.

For the first half hour, I worked bending over. The second half hour I spent on my knees. The rest of the time I alternated between sitting, stretching, bending and sitting. I have a whole new appreciation for the staff at the cemetery whose entire day can consist of working in the petunias.

The entire task took about an hour and a half, working at a “please, somebody interrupt me” speed. Steady as she goes. Time enough to wax reflective. It was easy to spot the large drooping blossom and pick it off, then the older ones became more visible. And then, when the major flaws were removed, the smaller ones became more obvious. And so it went, for all three containers and both plots.

I compared this process of refining and improving the flower patch to refining and improving my personal life. It doesn’t take a sharp eye to spot my strongest weak points. The type of undesirable characteristic that anyone one can see at a glance. My procrastination for example, or my love for sweets. Take them out of the mix, and some of my quirks become more evident. I still fight with my desire to use sarcasm. Back in my youth, I was the mistress of the biting quip and realised it was a poor man’s tool, I could handle frustration and annoyance better than that. And as I peeled away another layer of the onion – I am mixing metaphors, for I am deadheading petunias! As another set of dried and decaying blossoms are removed, what is now the blight are the little dried sticks protruding where once a flower waved.

These old scars are still an eyesore and are best removed from the bed to make the current flowers shine.

Those little things, words said in haste, a disservice in thought or deed, can still echo in the thought chamber. I am not alone when I cringe over the memory of things said or done way back in school. I have a long memory. Done and gone, these need to be plucked and discarded, once for all time. I picked and tossed a few of them that morning.

Strange how what was to be a time filler turned on me. Not in a bad way, but in an unexpected way. That time spent outdoors, working with creation to become its best, helped me. And if deadheading can do that for me! Well, a few days later, driving down Highway 10, I spotted the silhouette of stately pines, towering above the forest, visible for miles. A lesson for self, for a later time.

Out of Helen's Kitchen - wives

Details: Published on Saturday, August 26, 2017

During the 1950s the housewife was urged to keep her house clean, feed her family properly and have meals on time, ask her husband about his day, but never complain about hers, change into a pretty dress, brush her hair and refresh her makeup before her husband cams home, clean the children up as well and have them play quietly, always be cheerful and ready for anything he may suggest. The goal was to make your home a place of peace and quiet so hubby can relax when he comes home!

2017: the return of the driver’s Civic!

Details: Published on Friday, August 25, 2017

photo by Dan Cowell
The 2017 Honda Civic Si has an excellent quality interior and a number of unique, model specific features.

2017 Honda Civic at a glance

Powertrain: 1.5 litre four cylinder turbo with 180 horsepower, 177/(162) pound feet of torque, 6-speed manual/(CVT auto), Civic hatch; 1.5 litre four cylinder turbo with 205 horsepower, 192 pound feet of torque, 6-speed manual (Civic Si sedan); 2.0 litre four cylinder turbo with 306 horsepower, 295 pound feet of torque, 6-speed manual (Civic Type R hatch).
Trim levels: Sport, Sport Touring, Si, Type R
Starting price: $25,290 (Sport Hatch manual), $28,495 (Civic Si sedan manual), $40,890 (Civic Type R Hatch manual)
Price as tested: $28,495 (Si Sedan manual)
Highway fuel economy: 6.2 L/100 km (Sport/Sport Touring/Si); 8.3 L/100 km (Type R)
Test fuel economy: 7.1 L/100 km combined (Civic Si Sedan manual))
Warranty: 3 years/60,000 kilometres bumper-to-bumper; 5 years/100,000 kilometres powertrain
Service interval: Variable as per oil life monitor

By Ben Castle
The Neepawa Banner

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