Recently, someone told me they had been scolded for keeping the Passover because it is only intended for the Jews. Is that true? The Passover is listed as the first of God’s seven annual festivals in Leviticus 23 (see verse 5). Back then, all the Israelites (not only the Jews) were instructed to observe all the festivals including the Passover (see verse 44).

The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the true Passover Lamb (compare Exodus:12:21Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. and 1 Corinthians:5:7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:). When Jesus observed His last Passover on earth with His disciples, He explained that the bread and wine represented His body and His blood, which He offered for the remission of our sins.

Many of us listened with horror earlier this week to reports about another person on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas. It brought back memories of the shock of the 2009 shooting there when 13 were killed and 30 wounded.

The identity of this most recent gunman was not released at first until next of kin were located. Then, we discovered he was Ivan Lopez a 34 year-old husband and father of a three children. As more information came in, we learned that he killed four people and wounded 16 – three of them seriously – before taking his own life.

Did you miss it? Did you know that March 20 was International Day of Happiness? If you were like me, the day passed by without our even realizing it existed!

Happiness is something most everyone strives to achieve. Some play the lottery hoping to hit the jackpot and find happiness in being able to retire or purchase their dream home. Others drink, party, or go on exotic vacations in search of happiness.

Some have devoted their careers to researching what makes people happy and how happiness affects people’s lives. Others have written books on this topic. Gretchen Rubin was riding a bus one rainy afternoon when she reflected that time is too short to not be focusing on things that really matter. She decided to change her approach and spent a year focusing on things that made her happy. As a result she wrote a book entitled The Happiness Project.

After a week of work, most look forward to the respite of the weekend. We are tired of the grind, of getting up early, of fighting traffic, of the constant demands of our respective jobs. By the end of the week we need a break.  This give rise to the TGIF slogan.

Rest can be defined as a tranquil state free from anxiety – something for which most people yearn. Unfortunately, many try to find this through habitual drinking and partying. Instead of deriving needed rejuvenation, they lose sleep and likely suffer from a hangover the following day.

Toronto Mayoral Race

Like it or not, the eyes of the world will be on Toronto as the October 27, 2014 mayoral election approaches. Over the course of the past few months, the mayor has had many critics and others who have appreciated what he has accomplished.

Thus far, there are multiple candidates who have paid their $200 to have their name placed on the ballot. The registered candidates are quite diverse and include a white supremacist, a high-school student and, of course, some well-known names including the current mayor.

During the next few months, we can expect to hear (and see) many ads advocating the various points of view and candidates. We will be exposed to “slur tactics,” and to “damage control.” No doubt some of the infamous videos of the current mayor will be repeatedly shown.

The Toronto Star has recently been running a series of articles about ideas that would make a positive difference for the city of Toronto. Ideas submitted ranged from making all streets in the downtown core one-way to closing downtown traffic during the day. While some solutions have been discussed for years, others were new. One such suggestion was for Toronto to separate from Ontario!

Our life in Southern Ontario is pretty good overall. But, what if each person made even one small change to make their community better? What if each person did something whether it be discontinuing littering or doing a better job of cleaning their sidewalk of snow? The collective benefit from thousands of people making even a small change would be enormously positive.

Like so many others, I spent some time last Sunday watching the closing ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics. The music, dancing and special effects were truly as impressive as the opening ceremonies.

Olympic Dreams

Along with many Canadians, I have been watching our Canadian athletes and cheering them on as they competed. We were pleased to see some of them winning medals. We felt “proud” of our country each time our national anthem was played during the awards ceremony.

But, for every athlete who was honoured with a medal, there were dozens who knew defeat. Some of them will never know what it is like to take part in the awards ceremony and to hear the national anthem being played for them. They have perhaps worked just as hard, practiced just as long and sacrificed just much as those who win. For some, it was a matter of a slip or a fall, sustaining an injury before the games or perhaps just having a bad day. The disappointment must be as extreme as the excitement of being selected to go to the Games.

Aren’t you glad that salvation doesn’t come down to one day when you either receive it or not depending upon the circumstances of that one day?

This week the eyes of the world have been focused on Sochi, Russia, and the Winter Olympics being held there. Watching the athletes, you see the exhilarating excitement of victory and the agonizing pain of defeat. So much depends upon a split-second during an event even after years of intense practice and training. Canadians, both those who have travelled to Russia for the events and those here at home watching on television, have been enthusiastically cheering on their team.

The dedication of athletes to their sport is remarkable and a good example for us all whether they have won a medal or not. There have been two events that, in significant ways, eclipse the efforts of all athletes – even those who won medals.

I remember as a child in the second grade receiving a Valentine card that said: “Do not turnip up your nose at me. Lettuce be Valentines.” The card was cute but I had no idea what it meant to be ‘Valentines’ and the teacher did not explain it to the class.

This time of year we see many ads for special romantic get-away weekends. The chocolate factories have been busily preparing Valentine’s Day chocolates to sell. It is a time that has become all about giving cards, flowers or chocolates to a loved one. It sounds like a good thing, but is it?