Jasmine picture

Here is a picture of Jasmine receiving her award from the premier. More pics to follow (maybe).

Supper with the Premier

Given my extended family's run-ins with the law... a date with a government official is usually not a good thing - but last night it was for me. I was invited to have supper with the Premier (and others) at Government House in Regina.


Jasmine Erickson, a young lady who grew up in our church, was one of five recipients of the "Saskatchewan Youth Award" this year and so she was invited to a presentation ceremony and supper. What does that have to do with me?


Well, when the selection committee was talking about the supper, they were wondering who they should have come and say "grace" before the meal - then they noticed that Jasmine had been really involved in her local church, so they called her and asked if she would like her minister to be part of the evening. Graciously, she said, "sure" so the Premier's Protocol Office called and asked if I would be interested in participating in the evening.


It was very cool - for many reasons. First of all, I have known Jasmine since she was a year old (she has graduated from a performing arts college now - so that is a while). She is very special to us.


Secondly, it was nice to meet the Premier, Brad Wall. He was very humble and warm and engaging. When he first came up to us, I was prepared to address him as "Mr. Premier" (as one should) and then he stuck out his hand and said, "Hi, I am Brad!" When he heard my name he said, "Oh, you are the one saying grace tonight. Do you know the Pastor of the Church of God in Estevan? He was my counselor at camp when I was a kid"...... he was very impressive in that he did not think he was impressive (I even emailed him today to tell him how nice the evening was and he wrote back to me two hours later - remembered our conversation, remembered that I was with Jasmine's group - very impressive)


Anyway, the Honourable Dr. Gordon L. Barnhart, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan was there - he was very nice too. It was interesting to watch all the "pomp" surrounding him - he did not carry the book with his speech in it (an attendant did), we stood until he was seated, he left the room before the rest of us, we could not sing during the playing of "O Canada/God save the Queen" when he entered - but we were encouraged to sing later - all very interesting.


Other MLAs were there - the leader of the Opposition (Dwain Lingenfelter) - the Chief Justice of Saskatchewan (he and his wife were at our table) - the speaker of the house, etc, etc.


The banquet hall at Government house only seats about 80 people - so it was a rather small crowd - everyone included (dignitaries and guests) - so we really got a chance to visit.


And the food..... Yyyyyyuuuummmmmm!!!!! Butter nut squash soup, Beef Bourguignon, Roasted potatoes, asparagus.... gingerbread and raspberries for desert!! If you ever get invited - go hungry! :)


Anyway - I said my prayer and I got to meet and talk to some very interesting people. Most of all, though, I was proud to be there with Brent, Angel, Norma and Jasmine. What a great memory and what a blessing to be included in the lives of people that we love. It was wonderful!


I did not take a camera with me, but several in our group did, so I will post some pictures later.

Grandpa McMillan

Willie McMillan passed away today. He was 95 years old.


Thinking about him today, I am glad that I knew him. He was kind and gentle. Always friendly. Always ready to beat you at a game of horseshoes (and he did that a lot). He always went out of his way to say "hi" to me and to encourage me. He was always there doing his part - often in the background - but you could count on him.


Someone today called him a great "Christian warrior". Many have mentioned how much his example meant to them and how he encouraged others just by the way he lived.


I never heard "Grandpa" give a sermon (not that I remember anyway) - but just knowing him and even thinking about him today has taught me some valuable lessons.


A man named Eugene Peterson once wrote a book called "A long Obedience in the same Direction". That would be a good title for Willie McMillan's biography. Not flashy - not loud - just quietly going the right way - for a long, long time.


I am glad that I got to walk alongside of him for a while.

Is this a bad thing?

I decided to go to noon hockey today - for the first time in about a year. On the way over to the rink I see a hockey buddy named "Larry" and he tells me that we are playing at the "Civic" today - so I turn around and follow him over there.

Larry was saying that lots of guys had been showing up - so I was ready to go - but when we got to rink there was no one there. Undeterred, we went out and just skated around while we waited for the other guys to show up..... and we waited.... and waited..... and waited. Finally I got bored and left.

Turns out that we were at the wrong rink! After I left a rink rat dude asked Larry what he was doing out on the ice - we were supposed to be at the other rink (where - by the way - six other guys were waiting for us to show up)

Nice security there hey? Two guys walk in - open a change room - skate around the ice shooting pucks for most of an hour and finally someone decides to come out and see what on earth is going on. "City employees care!" - I think that should be their motto. :)

Possible bad thing #1 from this mix-up..... in spite of the fact that I was skating alone (basically) and just shooting pucks around - I was tired and sweating after only 15 minutes. So either it was really hot in there - or taking almost a year off is not the best thing for your hockey career.

Possible bad thing #2..... Sari has outlawed my hockey equipment! It is sitting in a room in the basement of the house drying out and she claims that she can smell it upstairs! In fact, I have been told that I have to take it out to the garage - now is that fair? Do I make her take her scrap-booking stuff to the garage? Do I? NO! (Granted - it may not smell quite as bad as the hockey equipment but the point remains).

Just because I literally have not washed any of it (not even the shirt I wear underneath it) in about 10 years is no reason to get all picky! Think of it as being "Environmentally friendly" - think of all the water I am saving by not washing it!!!

Women - they just don't understand. :)

From the "Better late than Never" file

So - I got it wrong! The Pro-life ladies weren't being rude..... they were just delaying their "Thank you".


They came by with a card, some dish soap, some paper towels (to replace what they used - even though I told them that they did not need to do that) and took out an ad in the paper thanking us for the use of the building. Seems they were just "focused" on that Wednesday. :)


It was nice of them though. I guess I should have waited before slandering them on this blog (good thing not too many people read it). :)


Stay tuned for another story where I learned something I needed to - the hard way -coming tomorrow (Or maybe in a day or two. The plague is sweeping through our household - I am the only one left standing so far - so we will see).

A life lesson learned

So I learned something yesterday......


Do not leave fifteen 65 year old Pro-life women standing outside your church building in the rain. In fact, if you have done that, it may be best not to stop to let them in - just keep driving right by the building and pretend that you do not see them. Trust me, it is for your own good!


We agreed to host the "Pro-life Soup and Sandwich Fund-raising lunch" yesterday, so I told the ladies that I would be here at 8:30 to let them in the building. Well, I got caught behind a train, so I did not show up until 8:40....... you should have seen it!!! Here are all these old ladies running all over the place - trying every door on the building - looking up and down the street - shaking their heads...... I thought they were going to start smashing the windows and lighting bonfires or something.... they were worked up!!!! :)


Anyway - I opened the door and it was like opening the flood gates on a dam.... they went rushing in like I had just pulled the plug in a sink! They ran all over the place - charged into my office and took it over with their coats, purses, boxes.... it was completely bizarre!


Then they started making sandwiches and they were scrapping and arguing with one another ("No that is too much mayonnaise!"... "That coffee is too strong", etc, etc).


After the lunch - they just bailed out. No "Thank you" no "It was very nice of you to allow us to use your building" - nothing! They just left..... it was sort of like a big snowstorm that just rolled in and then rolled out and was gone.


I survived the storm though. Good thing they are "Pro-life" - I may have been in real trouble otherwise! :)