Toronto Homicides in 2007

CBC News In Depth: Toronto Homicides in 2007

The CBC has a sad map here that shows where every reported murder in Toronto occurred in 2007.

I am glad to see that Rexdale (the long-standing homicide capitol of Canada... and my home...) did not have as many red dots as I thought it might.

Each of these marks on the map was a person.

Oops! UK Judge Rules Gore Made 9 Scientific Errors in Film

Clearly, an Inconvenient Assessment!

The nine errors alleged by the judge included:

Mr Gore's assertion that a sea-level rise of up to 20 feet would be caused by melting of ice in either West Antarctica or Greenland "in the near future". The judge said this was "distinctly alarmist" and it was common ground that if Greenland's ice melted it would release this amount of water - "but only after, and over, millennia".

Mr Gore's assertion that the disappearance of snow on Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa was expressly attributable to global warming - the court heard the scientific consensus was that it cannot be established the snow recession is mainly attributable to human-induced climate change.

Mr Gore's reference to a new scientific study showing that, for the first time, polar bears had actually drowned "swimming long distances - up to 60 miles - to find the ice". The judge said: "The only scientific study that either side before me can find is one which indicates that four polar bears have recently been found drowned because of a storm."

TV and You

“It’s never too late. That’s an important message for parents as well as pediatricians, encouraging parents to turn off the TV and think about alternative activities for kids.”

– Lead author Kamila Mistry, on her recent study showing that behavioural problems linked to TV viewing in young children can be minimized by limiting TV watching

[Source: Plugged In Online, 10/8/07; U.S. News & World Report, 10/1/07]

The Gospel Advances in Cambridge

One of the joys of staying in one church and one fellowship is that you get to see the Lord’s work over time. This past Sunday I was preaching at Grace Bible Church in Cambridge which has been ably pastored by my friend David Robinson for, I think, over ten years now.

David came to the church when they were still Blair Community Church – a small, yet enduring work in the little villa of Blair (now a part of Cambridge). After several years of faithful ministry, working a part-time job to make ends meet and the goodness of God, the Lord added to the work and this little church was out of room. They sold their somewhat antiquated building, rented for several years and finally built in the nearby community of Preston.

I think they will need to build again soon!

My time at the church over this holiday weekend was a great encouragement as their now near-full new building was singing, praying and hearing the Word with eagerness. They showed much patience to this poor preacher and best of all, a genuine love for the Saviour.

David was on a flight back from a two-week teaching stint in Mongolia... and even though these saints were more than ready to have their pastor back, they were full of grace to my family. (You can read David’s riveting reports of his trip on his blog.)

And the end of the day, we traveled back to Toronto with thanks to God for the progress of the Gospel in Cambridge and a greater zeal to pray for the extension of His mighty Kingdom there.