There are four main religious groups in Lebanon: Maronite Christians, descended from the old Syriac church and united with the Roman Catholic Church, yet maintaining some of the old ways, including a married priesthood; Shiite Muslims; Sunni Muslims and Greek Orthodox. A power sharing agreement was worked out after the Second World War that worked … Continue reading Peace in time of war
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The only hope
A few days ago Montreal daily La Presse published a cartoon by Serge Chapleau, with two frames, entitled Teenage Crisis 2000 and Teenage Crisis 2014. Both frames picture a young man with a surly, vacant expression, wearing cargo pants that appear in imminent danger of descending to his ankles. In the first frame he is … Continue reading The only hope
Things I am thankful for
I know that it is still three weeks until Thanksgiving Day, but there are many things to be thankful for every day and I want to tell you about the things that I am thankful for right now. My wife arrived home Thursday from a nine day stay in Edmonton where she was helping an … Continue reading Things I am thankful for
Why a child should not be king of the home
There are widely divergent views on child training in North America – ranging all the way from a laissez faire attitude (let the child alone and she will figure things out on her own), to the harsh disciplinarian (if you want a child to learn how to behave you need to spank him once a … Continue reading Why a child should not be king of the home
Marriage – is it still a good idea?
Time was when almost all young people saw marriage in their future, and expected that marriage to be a lifelong arrangement. Times have changed — most young people today are wary of committing to a long term arrangement. Some may long for a more stable relationship than the one they are now in, but doubt … Continue reading Marriage – is it still a good idea?
Not as easy as it looked
There is a little Christian bookstore in Sherbrooke, Québec that we used to visit when we lived in that province. I would buy a book or two and we would visit with Priscille, the lady who managed the store. I'm not sure if she worked there full time, occasionally there would be someone else there. … Continue reading Not as easy as it looked
Love, motherhood, joy
Anne Cloutier has a doctorate in socialogy, but chose to be a stay at home mom to her three children. She has recently published a book about her choice, entitled Aimer, Materner, Jubiler. The title of this post is a rough translation of the book title. Anne Cloutier is not an all-out anti-feminist, but in … Continue reading Love, motherhood, joy
More about cat #3
Cat number three is Pookie, an almost two year old flame point Siamese. He is our most antsy and most vocal cat, but usually settles down mid morning for a good sleep. Yesterday he was much more antsy than usual. I really believe that he knew my wife was out in that storm and was … Continue reading More about cat #3
My day so far
9:00 check weather - forecast of 10 -15 cm snow, winds 40 gusting to 60 km/h 9:30 wife leaves for city just as snow begins to fall 9:35 start work - day’s plan is to catch up on filing 9:45 cat #3 wants out - open door, watch as he assesses the situation and turns … Continue reading My day so far
A home with two people and three cats
We share our home with animals. I know that there are people who find this horrifying. I guess we just don't know any better, having always lived this way. There is another cat who earnestly desires to join the three under our roof, but I think we have reached our limit. The others came into … Continue reading A home with two people and three cats
Flatlander Faith 