"Welcome Aboard!"

Guess what my oldest found written on the back of his new HT Ice-fishing Kit that he bought this afternoon.....

If this is your first "HT" product, Welcome Aboard......now that you are part of our family, I thought you might like to know a little more about our family business.  The remarkable growth of the "HT" product line was no accident.  From it's first stages as a hobby to its ever-increasing rapid growth as a business, God has always been the Major Shareholder.  We fell He has introduced you to us and that you are a part of His goodness.  In hard times, He has never failed in giving us the answers we needed.  Each product must reflect the integrity of the business, including our Major Shareholder.  If we sometimes fail, because we are human, we find it an absolute must to go the last mile to correct our mistake.  Our Major Shareholder is also our Heavenly Father, and it is a great comfort for us to have this security in these troubled times.

If you read these words and find that you are troubled or in need, our Heavenly Father has the answer you have been searching for.  God has told us to "come unto Him, all that labor and are heavy laden, for He will give you rest".  Additionally, "God so loved you and me that he gave His only son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place and that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life".

It is God's love in our family that has made this family business what it is today.  Just remember that anything is possible with God, when you make Him your Major Shareholder.

Best wishes and Good Fishing,
Paul F. Grahl    (HT Enterprises Inc.)

Can't beat that message on the product of something bought at the local Cabela's!!  Worth another read, don't you think?   Good fishing......!

"You Should Have Asked if They Were Christian"

Just got off the phone with a Christian parent whose son is invited to Josiah's 14th birthday bash and sleep-over.  When she found out where the party was, she had second thoughts and wanted to talk about it with me.  She said she felt sorry and awkward, but Maryland St. is "probably not the safest place to hold a sleep-over....don't you think?".  Steve, Jo and about 9 other boys are planning to watch movies, play sardines and dine on many snacks till the wee hours in a building at 514 Maryland St.  Our church, our second home, not far from Furby where we live.  I said, "we live on Furby not far from the church and we've been here many years and have hardly had any problems!" So it went, her misgivings, her misinformation (she has never walked or "stopped" in the West End before, even though she works in a nearby hospital).  I was feeling my blood boil a bit when she brought up the media.  "I always hear of incidents in that area on the news!"  I said that many of us who live here are dissapointed with the bias the news gives, when city-wide there are incidents all over the place and are never reported.  I told her I have my own bias, I love living here, the life and aliveness, the diversity of University students and hard working immigrants, normal families.  She had to chew on that for a few minutes before she answered, "well, I'll talk to my husband again about it and I'll let you know."  She thanked me for being open with her.  I wondered that if we had a few hours, I'd probably convince her to move here too!  I ended up with saying that we are here to make a difference, be good neighbors and raise our kids knowing the good, bad and ugly but trusting and believing God can change the stuff that isn't so good, and keep us safe at the same time (not that he has too, mind you...).  Well, even a drop off and pick up was risky for her to think about, no matter what I tried to reassure her.

After relating this to the boys (who were curious what the big topic was about), Jo was confused and questioning.  Alot of these guys at the sleep over are from a Christian school by suburb residences that he is going to this year.  "I can't believe it!"  he said.  "We've been here a long time! and we're doing good here!
 piped in Silas.  "You should've asked them if they were real Christians" Jo said.  Yep, that just might have been my next words out of my mouth.  To risk, to love, to walk the West End streets and trust in His grace to make this a good place for me, my kids, my church family....that is being a real Christian. 

You Need to Talk About Thier Dog

     "So we had this ESL teacher called David", Indy said with a smile, reminiscing.  "He said to our group, newly come from refugee camps to Canada, to make friends here you must talk about their pets first!" .  The people around the table, giggled and thought about Canadian conversations.  "Yes, so I saw my neighbors and talked about thier dog, or cat or whatever they had and it worked!  Except when I meet my Phillipino neighbor, they spoke broken English, I spoke broken English, we couldn't go back and forth!".  Our giggles became a little more louder, as Indy himself broke into a huge smile and laughed with us.  "In Burma, we don't care about our dogs like that", he kept on, "it was so strange to hear that, Canadians care more about dogs then people."   Wow, that one took my breath away.  What a commentary on our present society...what would he say at how much we spend on pet food (just the right kind), vet bills, toys and trinkets?  How much we actually talk about them at home to family members...one of the first things the kids do when they run down the stairs in the morning is give Cyclone a hug and kiss, and "Hi Mom!" after. 

     Anyways, Indy and I had been at a meeting of our West End Christian Collective group.  He had told about his recent trip to the Thai-Burma border in refugee camps of up to 50,000 people.  Children have grown up in these camps, never leaving its boundaries and are now youth with really no past and no future.  10 churches in one camp try to meet needs, but they woefully fall short of resources and tools to help people spiritually and physically.  A hill of humanity, with no where to run to or go if the Burma militia decides it's time for a raid.  Indy is a co-pastor of City Church, an immigrant and refugee church of 250 just a half block from our little church.  Asian, African, Caucasian worship there in unity and purpose...trying to heal from the past and struggle through a difficult present in the inner-city.  Many youth at this church are still searching for hope and a purpose, and love youth group every week but are faced with inner-city realities that bond them tight against gangs and racist neighbors.

     Will I talk about my pets with neighbors when I see them next (after the blizzard threatening this evening)?  I might, for that connection, but remembering a refugee's, an immigrant, a fellow Canadian's need for relationship, hopeless hearts and minds, a neighbor is one who stops at the side of the road to heal, understand and nuture (any smackings of Jesus' parable?? Of the Samaritan who stops....), I will follow the thread to get-to-know and to-be-known.  A little more like the surprising concern of the guy in the parable.  Perhaps this is a simple "how to" of neighborhood (and world) transformation?