Update Tuesday - 26/7/11

On the main street of Penetanguishene Ontario, atop an old and vacant building, hangs an amazing old retro sign reading, "The Brule Inn."  I have a real thing for old retro signage, so this particular vintage piece always catches my attention as I drive through town on the way to my parents' cottage.  For almost twenty years now I have been noticing the sign and old building and it somehow never ceases to capture my attention and my imagination.  Growing up, it was a venue for live music, and I always thought that it would be a fun place to play.   For the last ten years or so, the building has been vacant and I have often joked that it would be a great place for a church...so long as they never take the sign down!  I have never really thought seriously about a church in that venue or that town, and I know that my fascination has always been with the sign and nothing much further.   More recently, my attention has been on Hamilton for obvious reasons.  I was studying a bit of the history of the city when I came across the name of the first European to ever see the land that is now Hamilton - Etienne Brule.  Yes, it is the same person for whom the Inn in Penetanguishene was named!   A seventeenth century French explorer to Canada, Brule lived among the Huron Indians and was a scout, guide and interpreter for Samuel de Champlain.  Penetanguishene is situated in the heart of what was Huron territory, and from its name, obviously a key area for the French.  Hamilton was likely seen by Brule on one of his many scouting excursions into the Great Lake regions.  I have no idea what the Brule connection means for us or our work, if anything at all.  At the very least it has helped me to remember that even on vacation I am a representative of the Kingdom.  Although I may take time away from the particular tasks and responsibilities of my work in Hamilton, I do not take a break from being a disciple.  So what has been going on this past week, and why have I been thinking about this again?  Read on.
This past week we were able to deliver a meal to the Ronald McDonald Room within McMaster Children's Hospital for those parents who are staying with their sick children.  We made a great contact with the community service coordinator and again were able to learn about some more of the needs and ways to serve.  We are looking forward to the opportunities to serve and for the ways that God may use this relationship that He began to form when we were among those being served when Liam was a patient almost three years ago.
Shortly after our visit to the hospital, we were headed north for a few days at the cottage.  It was a great time away that provided time for rest and relaxation.  I was able to get out in the canoe, do some reading (I had brought the auto-biography of George Mueller along with me), work on some songwriting with Kim, and do some painting; some of my favourite things.  I was also able to visit with my grandparents and to pray for my grandmother who has had a number of falls lately, leaving her with a broken wrist and a number of gashes on her leg.  On Sunday we were able to have a devotional time and bible study as we gathered under the trees behind the cottage.  My cousin, his wife and their three children were visiting at my aunt and uncle's cottage next door and when it came time to meet, my youngest daughter (who did  not want to miss a minute of time with her cousins) went over and asked if they would like to join us.  I think that they may have been a bit nervous about what to expect and how they might fit in seeing as they don't regularly attend church.   I think they soon realized that there was no need to be nervous!  We had some song sheets and sang some hymns.  We sang some kid friendly songs with actions, which all the kids picked up really quickly.  We also had a number of New Testaments and so used our COIN bible study tool to go through a passage in Mark together.  All in all it was a great time.  Sometime later in the day a neighbour, and close friend of my parents, came by.  She mentioned that she was sorry to have missed our service. She had been to the hospital with her husband who had received a contusion near a scar from a recent surgery.  Other than a bruise he was fine, but having heard of the scare I did not even to stop to wonder about how it was that she had heard about our service.  She later told my parents that a neighbour of hers (across the street and down the way from our cottage) had told her how much he enjoyed hearing "Jesus loves Me" and how long it had been since he had heard it last.  I was amazed to think that he could have heard it that far down the road!  Later the next day, as we passed the Brule sign once again, I could not help but think of the small "Brule" fellowship that had gathered the previous day.
This is the last update for July and I cannot figure out where the time has gone!  August promises to be a busy month as I am speaking at a Christian family camp during the first week and later traveling to Alabama where we have been invited to share at a Global Impact Celebration.  I also have a few gigs scheduled with my band so if you are in the Toronto area and want details let me know and I can pass on the info.  Don't forget to check last week's Free Art Friday as well to see a video that we put together, it was a lot of fun!
We so appreciate all the support and prayer that we receive from supporters such as yourself.  Thanks for reading, thinking about us, and most importantly for praying!