National Day of Mourning

My father in law was an airport firefighter. Of the men who were on his crew, only one is alive today. All the rest (including him) have died of various cancers, and it is still happening today. Please read the whole thing.

Is Today the day you die at work?

Over 1,000 Canadian workers are dying every year.

In Canada, four workers die each day.
The number of people killed at work each year in Canada has risen for the past 15 years.
This is in contrast to almost every other OECD country where the incidence of workplace fatalities is declining.
In 2007, according to the latest report from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, 1,055 people lost their lives at work. That’s four people every work day. Dead because their workplace was not safe. Dead because they got injured. Dead because they got cancer. Dead because they were attacked.

Four people every day who never come home again. Dead because their employer failed to ensure they were safe at work. In addition to these workers killed at work, there are many others where the death goes unreported if they die of a disease unrecognized as an occupational disease.

Aww

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Square Peg in a Round Hole

I know better. I am a small c conservative person, as far as my faith goes, and a left wing (gradually becoming more centrist as I get older) person as far as my politics go. I just got myself embroiled in a political discussion on an American blog. I know better, I really truly do, and I wasn’t even wearing my flame proof suit! It is very true that religion and politics don’t mix.

A Hairy Eyeball to the Diocese of Niagara Update

It seems that all are welcome doesn’t apply to people connected with ANiC. I had to pull this from a different place I blog, which is really ticking me off – so do please go and read the whole sordid tale here.

Here, as well.

Day Brightener

Go take a look.

Practicing to be a Red Hat Lady

Except that I am not old enough to be one yet. This is a good start, though:

Flashy sandals that will clash with every pair of handknit socks that I have made!

For Maggie

Psalm 121 (Today’s New International Version)

Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

1 Thess. 4:13-18

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Maggie Sanderson, April 10 2001 – April 10 2001

Sleeping in the arms of Jesus

What if?

I passed a United Church as I was going about my business today. On their sign, in large letters, are the words “What if Jesus didn’t die for our sins?”. Now, I am not very familiar with the parish – I have never attended a service, I don’t know anything about them except what I have read on their website.
I don’t know why their pastor allowed that sign to go up -maybe they aren’t calling the basic belief of Christianity into question. Just in case, though, I thought I would answer the question for them:

1 Corinthians 15 (Today’s New International Version)

1 Corinthians 15
The Resurrection of Christ
1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

I Can’t Think of a Headline…

…but you really should watch this. (HT Stand Firm).