Canada Through Fresh Eyes, by Bob Jones

Canadian freedom and security is glorious, just like our national anthem says.

On Canada Day, values that Canadian-born people may take for granted are best treasured through the eyes of those celebrating their first Canada Day.

In April 2017 two Syrian refugees landed at the Edmonton International airport and were welcomed to Canada with hugs and Tim Hortons. They are now happy residents of St Albert, Alberta.

Four years ago they were forced to leave everything familiar and flee the bombings in their city of Damascus. They made their way to Jordan where they were interned in a refugee camp. The couple were eventually taken in by a group of Jordanians living north of Amman. 

For three years they repeatedly applied for refugee status in Canada. Only when a Christian organization in Canada guaranteed their sponsorship was their application considered.  North Pointe Community Church waited for fourteen months to meet the couple they had fallen in love with from a distance.

Since April, their time has been invested in learning English, enjoying BBQ’s, meeting new friends and getting ready for Canada’s most famous season by stocking up on winter supplies at a Canadian staple - garage sales. And during the playoff run they learned to cheer for the Oilers. Not everything has been easy.  There is the emotional stress of leaving behind family who are still in danger, fitting in socially, getting jobs and establishing a new life. They love their new home country.

Not only does Canada have so much to offer them, they have so much to offer Canada. Volunteering in a UN Humanitarian Aid organization in Jordan provided one of our new friends with useful administrative skills. Our second friend is a skilled goldsmith, just waiting to use his talent in a Canadian context.

People from North Pointe have been shuttling them to appointments and the afore-mentioned garage sales. Strangers have been so kind. When one owner heard about their flight from the civil war in Syria she packed up a bag of mitts, a scarf, very expensive warm knee highs, a hat and a few other items.  Our Syrian friend was thrilled and her face absolutely beamed with appreciation.

Sitting on a deck and enjoying a cup of tea at sunset one evening the couple remarked how safe they felt. Safe. Secure. Canada, eh?  Thank God for Canada.

Canada is a one of a kind nation. One hundred and fifty years ago the dominion of Canada came into being – named from the text of a Psalm. “He shall have dominion from sea to sea.” A mosaic of nationalities. Unconquered by foreign invaders. A nation bonded in battle at Vimy Ridge and burgeoning with opportunity and possibilities.

When you engage with people new to Canada let their appreciation for all we may take for granted give you a fresh perspective and gratitude.

This summer be Canadian - drink a Horton’s double double. Bar-B-Q. Be grateful. 

And sing with hope and humility, “God keep our land glorious and free.”

Bob is a recovering perfectionist, who collects Coca-Cola memorabilia and drinks Iced Tea. His office walls are adorned with his sons’ framed football jerseys, and his library shelves, with soul food. He writes to inspire people to be real, grow an authentic faith in Jesus, enjoy healthy relationships and discover their life purpose.

Follow his writing at Pointes Of View.

God Keep Our Land Glorious and Free! By Nina Faye Morey

How Can You Tell Someone’s Canadian?

(Answer Below)

a) They like to finish their sentences with, “Eh?”

b) You accidentally bump them and they say, “Sorry!”

c) You say you went to Timmy’s and they don’t ask, “Timmy who?”

d) All of the above.

Celebrating Canada’s Creation

Happy Birthday, Canada! It’s hard to believe you’re 150 years young. A milestone called a sesquicentennial (SES-kwuh-sen-TEN-nee-yul). In 1867, the British North American Act united four provinces to form the Dominion of Canada and a new baby nation (now the world’s second largest) was born! It took its name from the Iroquois word Kanata, meaning “village.”

Canada’s National Flag

Until I was twelve, our nation proudly hoisted the Canadian Red Ensign on its flag poles. Like the majority of Canadians at the time, I saw no reason to change it. In fact, I’d already become quite attached to this national symbol. But after much controversy, our leaders of the day chose to replace it with the Maple Leaf. This simple, stark flag didn’t appeal to me at first. But over the years it’s grown on me, and I now proudly display it on Canada’s birthday and on my luggage whenever I’m travelling.

Celebrating Canada 150 in Our Glorious Land

Our family plans to celebrate Canada’s 150^th birthday by taking advantage of Parks Canada’s free National Park pass to visit the Canadian Rockies. I never tire of their majestic splendor.

I’ve Been Almost Everywhere

One goal on my bucket list is to travel across our glorious land. My son and I have taken three WestWorld Tours together. Our first was to Churchill in 2014. On a Hudson Bay whale watching tour, we enjoyed a frolicking pod of belugas. We also spotted some polar bears on the shore, although it’s unusual to see them in the spring. During a tundra buggy tour, we adored a seal sunning itself on a rock out in the Bay.

In 2015, we took our second tour to Victoria. It was my third visit to this glorious destination. My son hadn’t travelled there since he was three, so it was all new to him. We loved visiting the Butchart Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Craigdarroch Castle, and several other tourist attractions.

In 2016, we travelled with WestWorld to Haida Gwaii. With its unique flora and fauna, this archipelago is a fascinating destination to visit. A couple of highlights were the Golden Spruce Trail and Balance Rock.

Counting up the Canadian communities I’ve visited was fun and enlightening. I’ve been to many places in Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario. I especially enjoyed travelling through the Canadian Shield and the Canadian Tundra by train—two fascinating vistas.

Canadian Places I Still Hope to Visit

Newfoundland and Labrador (especially Newfoundland's historic Viking village, L'Anse aux Meadows, in honour of my Viking ancestors, and Gros Morne National Park—both UNESCO World Heritage Sites); PEI; Nova Scotia; Ottawa’s Parliament Hill & Parliament Buildings; Niagara Falls, Ontario; Quebec; the Yukon and NWT (Whitehorse and Yellowknife).

Incredible Canadians to Celebrate

Sir John A. Macdonald, Alexander Graham Bell, Dr. Frederick Banting, Laura Secord, Tecumseh, Billy Bishop, Tommy Douglas, Terry Fox, Michael J. Fox, Rick Hansen, Margaret Atwood, Alice Munroe, Roberta Bondar, Julie Payette, Chris Hatfield.

Canadian Principles to Celebrate

Canada ranks high in the international community for its democracy, multiculturalism, civil liberties, economic freedom, freedom of speech and religious freedom. US News & World Report’s annual “Best Countries” survey ranked Canada the second best country in the world for the second consecutive year and first in its “Quality of Life” category.

O Canada!

Answer: (d) All of the Above

Photo Credits: © 2017, Nina Faye Morey

Saskatoons - Unique to Canada by Ruth L. Snyder

Saskatoons are a fruit unique to Canada. Mention Saskatoons to people from other countries, and you'll likely receive a blank stare. However, people who live in Canada have enjoyed the purplish-blue berries for hundreds of years.

The name "saskatoon" comes from the Cree word, "Mis-sask-quah-too-mina". The city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was named after the berry. According to Prairie Berries,

"the berries were a staple for both Aboriginal people and early settlers. The berries were enjoyed fresh, or steamed and mashed and then left to dry into a brick-like consistency for longevity. Pieces of these berry bricks were then chipped off as needed and added to soups, stews or simply boiled to reconstitute them." 

Today saskatoon bushes grow both in the "wild" and as cultured plants. The bushes usually blossom in May and produce berries in late June or July. Canadians enjoy eating saskatoons fresh, or in a variety of baked goods like pie or muffins.

This week my children and I had the opportunity to enjoy picking saskatoon berries. Since we've received ample rain this year, the berries are large and juicy. This afternoon my youngest daughter and I used some of the berries to make saskatoon pie. (I found some great recipes to try on the August's Harvest website.)

Here's the recipe we used

GRANDMA'S TOON BERRY PIE
4 cups saskatoons
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons tapioca
2 tablespoons butter
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine saskatoons, sugar and tapioca. Be careful not to damage the berries. Pour into pie crust. Cover with top crust, seal and crimp edges, then cut slits in the top for steam vents. Top with pats of butter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

What is your favourite recipe to use when you have access to fresh saskatoons?

Ruth L Snyder

Check out Ruth's blogs:

www.trusteesnyder.blogspot.com(Education information)

www.ruthlsnyder.com (Ruth's writing and family life) www.earlyyearssuccess.com (Information for caregivers of children ages 0-5)

Follow Ruth on Twitter:www.twitter.com/@wwjdr

I am a Canadian Writer - Tracy Krauss

July is a wonderful month to celebrate being Canadian. I always feel a sense of pride when I partake of Canada Day celebrations and this year was no exception.  I love my country and I love being Canadian. Our southern neighbors are often looked to for their example of how to be patriotic, but I think most Canadians feel every bit as proud. We just don't always make as much noise about it. We've always had a reputation for being friendly, and the maple leaf has long been a symbol internationally of good will.

Unfortunately, when someone or something is revered too highly, it sometimes generates negative publicity spurred on by jealousy. Perhaps this is one reason for some of the bad 'rap' we've been receiving lately from big US pop culture machines. There's an alarming trend of bashing Canadians on late night talk shows, sitcoms, movies, and the like. We're often portrayed as stupid, uneducated and gullible; hockey goons; socialist extremists; or the reason that terrorists are infiltrating the US. Come on. Now who's being gullible?

Yes, we are different from our American neighbors in many ways, but some of these differences are quite subtle. Except for our penchant to say 'eh' now and then, spell a few words differently, (check your behaviour in the centre of the theatre...) and actually appreciate the fact that we have universal health care, (I really don't get what all the fuss is about - there's no such thing as mortgaging the house to pay your medical bills here...) the differences are few and far between.

We have the rat race of big cities, the open expanse of wilderness, and a potpourri of cultural variance that is very similar to the US. Perhaps our emergence as a nation in a non-violent manner has shaped our sensibilities to some degree when compared to the birth pangs faced by our cousins in the US. We were born out of negotiation, not rebellion. There is a sense, I think, of 'let's fight for what is ours' in the US, that is generally met with a response of 'let's talk about it' here in Canada.

I have enjoyed getting to know many American writers since joining the ranks of 'author-dom'. I've even joined organizations like ACFW - American Christian Fiction Writers. Most of the time I do not notice any differences. After all, most of my writing acquaintances are also Christians, so that has provided some common ground. However, once in awhile I feel the differences. My Canadian worldview is different at times than my American counterparts and its easy to feel smothered by it.

It's why organizations like this one - Inscribe - are so vital for the health of writers living north of 49. We need a unique place to call home. I'm grateful to everyone for providing that sense of belonging. Despite all the great things I've taken part in elsewhere, there's something very comforting and familiar about his little part of the universe. 

Being Canadian - Karen Toews

My daughter, her husband, and three children recently moved back to Canada after living in the U.S. for 11 years. Work and adventure took them there, and in part, those same reasons have brought them home. They're living with us for the summer so I have a day-by-day view of their initial transition back to our land of "the strong and free". Observing their adjustments, revisiting my history of over 50 years in Alberta and four in Nova Scotia, considering present day world events, and looking ahead to Canada Day are all timely prompts for me to ponder some points on Being Canadian.

- traveling through the U.S. – Canada border, stopping at the Canadian immigration. With their documents in hand, my daughter and son-in-law answer questions regarding citizenship and the value of their household and other worldly goods. No vehicle search, no stress, no “fight or flight” stomach flutters. Pixel the cat sleeps through the whole procedure.

- driving from Alberta to Nova Scotia - we made this trek two times in one year. Provincial boundaries are marked by welcoming information centres, not security checkpoints.

- disputing labour struggles are managed by discussions, strikes and maybe government intervention – citizens don’t (usually) act out their frustration by drawing a gun.

- finding a new church family – our choice and privilege. No government dictation or registration required.

- researching online Canadian shopping - time consuming but cheaper than U.S. shipping costs.

- declaring Canadian residency and citizenship entitles you to health care.

- shopping in superstores, independent shops, outdoor markets. Abundance abounds.

- hiking, cycling, running, kayaking, boating, back-pack camping – all of these family activities can be enjoyed without fear of buried landmines and guerilla terrorists.

- having the wherewithal and desire to do so is all that’s required to live most anywhere in Canada. Deportation is not an issue. We are citizens, we belong.

- writing personal stories, or kudos and criticisms, expressing controversy, opinions about religion, politics, current affairs – we have freedom to speak without fear of late night footsteps and a knock on the door.

- working, learning, progressing, or "chilling" - we have choices, we have opportunities.

- enjoying favor from other nations is what we reap from our forefathers, our war veterans, and our "conservative" nature.

- being thankful and living responsibly - that's how I want to Be Canadian.

Mr. Clean - Brenda J Wood

When my daughter met Mr. Clean, she jokingly asked him if he had a first name.

“Indeed,” he declared, “I do have a first name. It is Veritably.”

How odd is that? The dictionary defines Veritably as absolute so Mr. Clean could be introduced as 

‘Mr. Absolutely Clean.’

When I thought about this brilliant advertising concept, it occurred to me that perhaps we should apply it to this month’s topic, ‘Being Canadian.’

Try this quiz and see how you make out. Likely you can add a few questions of your own.

When I write, am I absolutely true to who I am as a Canadian? For instance, is my spell checker geared to a Canadian dictionary or have I switched to an American one because I expect Canadian publishers to swallow the spelling, while American ones will not?

Do I set my stories in Canadian cities or do I pretend that Toronto is really Las Vegas and scribble from that perspective?

What if a huge American book contract comes my way but they insist I take out every reference to Canada? Will the dollars speak louder than my history?

Do I fudge details by using south-of-the border statistics to impress my readers?

Even worse, would I shake up my integrity just a bit and ignore Biblical principles to file a story with slightly incorrect details?

Being Canadian surely must stand for more than wearing red and white on July 1^st.

How can I stand for Canada, remain true to myself and still catch the American market?

Is it possible?

You tell me.

Brenda J Wood

heartfeltdevotionals

Crossing the Border - Ramona

“What papers do you have to show us that we should let you back into Canada?”

I was so surprised at the question, I could only stare at the Customs and Immigration officer.

For twenty years I’d been traveling back and forth from Calgary to the States to visit family, and never once had anyone asked me that question. My United States passport had always allowed me to cross borders before. Now things were changing, she explained, and I should become a Canadian citizen.

In 1985 when I moved to Calgary, dual citizenship was not allowed by the U.S. Apparently, though, this was no longer the case. Never one to take someone else’s word for it, I wrote a letter to the U.S. Consulate in Calgary. He assured me that as long as I had no intention of disloyalty, I would retain my American citizenship if I became Canadian.

The scriptures mention spiritual citizens: all who trust in the payment for our sins by the innocent son of God have a heavenly citizenship. It is a good exercise for me to think about issues of nationality from both political and spiritual perspectives:

• The personalized letter from the U.S. Consulate mentioned loyalty. Whose laws do I obey, and of what kingdom am I a servant? I can be governed by my family’s and friends’ moral philosophies or the teachings of the “experts”. But I do well to daily remind myself of the timeless, reliable principles of my spiritual country as found in the Bible, which include daily personalized communication with the king.

• More than a year before the citizenship exam I was given a study booklet, but it sat unopened until a month before the test. My Bible is a study guide for living my life, and I would be better off to learn from it consistently, rather than only reach for it during a crisis.

• Part of the application process for citizenship involves having a guarantor who has known me for many years, who will testify that what I wrote was true and my photo is actually me. I wonder, when I am standing before him, if God will ask the people I know to vouch for me, and guarantee that I am the kind of person I claimed to be, and that I lived the faith I wrote about.

• What “passport” will I present to enter my spiritual country? Teaching Sunday school, leading Bible studies and serving food to the homeless will not be enough, and I’ll be asked about my birth. I’ll explain that I was physically born in Colorado, but fifteen years later, I was spiritually born at a Campus Life meeting as I prayed a prayer of faith in Jesus, and by that I was adopted into God’s family.

In January 2008, I became a Canadian citizen (and just got my passport a week ago!). So maybe I can say that I am not just a dual-citizen, but a triple-citizen!

Posted by Ramona Heikel

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