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Death and Dancing

Have you ever noticed how two people can look at the same thing and have vastly different perspectives? Sometimes one person can even have a major shift in perspective.

This describes my relationship with Niagara Falls. Growing up I lived twenty minutes away, and I had lots of opportunity to visit the Falls. Visiting became no big deal. In fact, I despised all the touristy glitz surrounding the natural phenomenon of the Falls.

As a young adult I moved about three hours away and rarely visited the Falls. After almost forty years, I saw the Falls up close again, and I was like a child in a candy store. What changed?

(reading time – 11 mins.)

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What a Parade!

What is the most memorable parade you have attended? Was it a large celebratory procession? Or maybe a community festival? What was being celebrated? What were you waiting to catch a glimpse of during or at the end of the procession? Was it a celebrated dignitary? Maybe your favourite sports team with their championship trophy or Santa Claus and his reindeer?

(Reading time 11 min.)

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Brokenness to Belief

Imagine having to leave a concert at the intermission, or a sporting event at the midway point while your team is losing. Imagine watching Part 1 of a movie trilogy but not seeing Parts 2 and 3. What if Tolkien would have ended Lord of the Rings after the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring. The Fellowship is dispersed. Gandalf, their leader, has fallen. Things appear hopeless. How will Frodo and Sam carry on the quest to destroy the ring without the rest of the fellowship?

Similarly at the end of the Psalms Book III, we found the exiled Israelite nation in a state of hopelessness. Where will they turn now? How will they respond to their current situation?

(Reading time 11 mins.)

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Anticipation

Do you remember the feeling of anticipation when you were waiting at the threshold of a new experience? Something brought you to the point of a new beginning. In your preparation and anticipation, you wondered what might be ahead. Maybe you were at the trailhead of an unfamiliar recreation area with numerous hiking paths to choose from, or at the entrance to a vacation resort you had never visited before. Maybe it was the entrance to an outlet mall, the doorstep of a new school, or the threshold of a university campus. The experience had multiple components that were all connected by a common theme. Maybe you had talked with someone who had already been there, maybe you had read a review. You were excited but still not entirely sure what awaited you.

(11 mins. reading time)

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Psalm 1½

What is something you would not recommend attempting before reading the accompanying instructions or directions? Assembling IKEA furniture? Learning a board game? Taking a new prescription? Operating heavy equipment? Knitting a sweater? Our cats are especially guilty of that last one.

Without following the directions, the process can be very frustrating and can lead to some interesting and unintended results.

(10 mins. reading time)

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