Jim
Posts by Jim :
Auld Lang Syne
Back in 2011 we visited Ayrshire, a county in Scotland where a line of my family came from many years ago. Ayrshire is the birthplace of the “Bard of Ayrshire”, the famous poet Robert Burns.
Burns is the author of a song that many people will be singing or listening to tonight – Auld Lang Syne. It’s sing not only New Year’s Eve, but at funerals and graduations. It’s sung in Inuktitut in Canada’s north, in Chinese, in Thai, and yes, there are versions in Spanish!
One of the people who popularized the song as a New Year’s Song on this side of the pond was Canadian band leader Guy Lombardo. Here’s Lombardo’s band with one rendition.
Burns wrote the song in 1788, when my great great great great grandfather and great great great great grandmother (Andrew and Janet Armour) were living in Ayrshire with their growing family.
While in Ayrshire we visited the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. We have a picture of a painting based on his poem, A Cotter’s Saturday Night (a Cotter or Cottrill is someone who lives in or rents a small cottage) (see the painting here).
The Scots title Auld Lang Syne literally means old long since, and so for auld lang syne has been paraphrased for the sake of old times. The song pictures a couple of friends enjoying time together after a long time apart.
Here’s the first verse and chorus in his own handwriting from the museum:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o’ lang syne?
Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my jo, [my dear]
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
It’s a wonderful time to spend with friends and family. A wonderful time to value the old as we look ahead to the new.
The Bible talks a lot about remembering and forgetting. Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you. (Deuteronomy 32:7)
We remember that God freed us from our sin – something that humbles us and gives us hope and joy. We know that God won’t remember our sin if we belong to Christ – For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. (Hebrews 8:12)
As the old year ends and the new one begins, let’s remember to value our friends and family. Let’s take the time to be with them. And let’s remember the great things that God has done – in the past and in our past.
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
Yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work,
And meditate on your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known your might among the peoples.
(Psalm 77:11-14)
Ayr, South Ayrshire KA7, UK
Popular Posts 2012
It’s the end of another year. I admit, this year was nothing like we expected – not that that’s particularly unusual!
But God has been gracious and good in the midst of many challenges, losses, and triumphs.
Here are some of the most popular posts with you, our guests here at Finding direction. I’ll put them in chronological order.
- Coffee Shop – Grand Opening! The coffee shop is a part of the community centre in Jesús MarÃa. Here’s how it all began!
- Chronic Illness and the Missionary Life What’s it like being a missionary with chronic illness? Here’s a glimpse into what sometimes goes on in my head. Am I thinking too much? 😉
- Just how Stressed are Missionaries (and what can we do about it)? This was 2012’s most popular post. I hope it will help us not only better understand our missionaries, but also give us some practical ideas about how to help them.
- MI Team: A Look Back (and Forward) (video included) Actually, many posts about the MI Team (a short term team from Canada) were popular this year. So here’s a summary of all of them, and a video of some of the highlights of their visit.
- A Brief Visit to Canada This was one of the top three in 2012. Yes, the visit to Canada was a surprise to us too! And thanks to various unexpected circumstances, the surprises continue.
- CAM International / Camino Global – Important Update This was a dated post, but I’m posting it here because it’s basically still relevant. In the USA there’s Camino Global, in Canada CAM International of Canada. Don’t get confused.
- Steve Saint: Reflections from the Hospital (video) Another of the top three from 2012.
- Congratulations, Hannah! Yeah! Hannah makes it into the highlights of 2012! 😉
- 10 Year Blogoversary – The Next 10 Years (podcast) This is an appropriate post for the list. Since our blog has been around for 10 years, I did a series of posts looking back and forward. This one looks forward at what may happen in the next 10 years. If you’re interested in the ministry here, this is worth listening to.
- Top 7 Christian “Grey Areas” in Mexico I did a Bible study on dealing with “grey areas” in the Christian life. What might people be thinking about here in Mexico? Check it out!
For highlights of the past 10 years here at Finding direction, you can always check out this page.
Thanks so much for reading, and thanks especially to those who have prayed for us, encouraged us, supported this ministry, and come down to help. May God give you hope and peace and joy in 2013!
Photo courtesy of Tina Barham
Last 90 Days Most Popular Posts – (29 December 2012)
I’m posting our regular monthly links today because on Monday I’ll post the popular posts from all of 2012. So here they are, from the last 90 days only. Thanks for reading!
As usual, these are in alphabetical order. The three most popular posts are in bold.
- 10 Year Blogoversary – The Next 10 Years (podcast)
- Nathanael’s Castle
- Pollution in Mexico City: We’ve Come a Long Way
- Top 7 Christian “Grey Areas” in Mexico
- The Millionaire Missionary and “Nothing for Mama?”: William Borden (part 2)
- Prayer to a Sovereign King?
- The End of a Journey
- Visa adventures (and other adventures) continue!
- Which Virgin Mary? More on the 12th of December in Mexico.
Recent Tweets… 29 December 2012
Testing a new way to post tweets…
- cleansocks: Christmas Archives: Promises of a Messiah – Isaiah 40-52 http://t.co/puDXKmXs
cleansocks: Christmas Archives: Promises of a Messiah – Isaiah 40-52 http://t.co/puDXKmXs
- cleansocks: Christmas Archives: Promises of a Messiah: Micah 5:2 http://t.co/dBF1LaxN
cleansocks: Christmas Archives: Promises of a Messiah: Micah 5:2 http://t.co/dBF1LaxN
- cleansocks: Remembering Aunt Dianne: Just before Christmas, I was in Toronto with some members of the family… http://t.co/LTCgFrIv
cleansocks: Remembering Aunt Dianne: Just before Christmas, I was in Toronto with some members of the family… http://t.co/LTCgFrIv
- cleansocks: Christmas Archives: Promises of a Messiah: Psalm 22 http://t.co/0Cx3fIUO
cleansocks: Christmas Archives: Promises of a Messiah: Psalm 22 http://t.co/0Cx3fIUO
- cleansocks: PS Did you know that the first "Urbana" was held in Toronto, Canada? 😉 http://t.co/wZ8eMj1v
cleansocks: PS Did you know that the first “Urbana” was held in Toronto, Canada? 😉 http://t.co/wZ8eMj1v
- cleansocks: Going to Urbana? Be sure to see our friends from Camino Global – especially Tina and Tiffany! http://t.co/a2FcH0y3
cleansocks: Going to Urbana? Be sure to see our friends from Camino Global – especially Tina and Tiffany! http://t.co/a2FcH0y3
- cleansocks: Christmas Archives: Promises of a Messiah: Zechariah 9 http://t.co/nfdi4fxO
cleansocks: Christmas Archives: Promises of a Messiah: Zechariah 9 http://t.co/nfdi4fxO
- cleansocks: Christmas Archives: Promises of a Messiah: Daniel 9 http://t.co/UgqDQNGr
cleansocks: Christmas Archives: Promises of a Messiah: Daniel 9 http://t.co/UgqDQNGr
- cleansocks: I have my suitcase! ¡Ya tengo mi maleta!
cleansocks: I have my suitcase! ¡Ya tengo mi maleta!
Remembering Aunt Dianne
Just before Christmas, I was in Toronto with some members of the family to remember my Aunt Dianne. My mother was able to fly to Toronto as well. Several people said a few words as we gathered at the funeral home near the house where my Aunt had lived for about 50 years. I was asked to say something to close. I won’t reproduce what I said here word for word, but what follows is the basic idea.
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Aunt Dianne was actually the only sibling between both my parents. Yes, small family. My Uncle Dave died about 28 years ago.
We loved Aunt Dianne and there are a lot of great things I could say about her. But one thing that always struck me about her was her concern for her community.
This came out in things that other people said when we gathered to remember her. In fact, the gathering itself – with more people than expected – was a testimony to her love of community.
Of course she cared about her neighbours and her immediate community. But she also cared about her city, and the country and world beyond. She was always interested politics, and in customs and culture in other provinces and in other countries, like Mexico. We sometimes tried to send her things that would give her a glimpse into the community in which we lived.
![]() Sisters – Dianne and Beth |
She also cared for her family. Again, not just her immediate family – such as her children Jim and Trish – and Trish’s husband Rob and their son Aaron. But also her more extended family – like her nephew (me), and my wife and children.
So even though my family has lived far away over the past few years, we will miss Aunt Dianne very much.
It’s worth saying that Aunt Dianne’s concern for family and community has inspired me in my own life. And here I am, serving in a new community in Mexico, where we help in a community centre. Yes, her influence goes far beyond one street in Toronto.
The family suggested that I close the time with the Lord’s prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples to pray. Really, it’s an “every-day” prayer – a template for our regular prayers to God. It deals with such common things as asking for forgiveness, and asking that God would provide for our everyday needs.
But as I thought about Aunt Dianne, one thing from the prayer stood out. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Anyone who has been watching the news will know that there’s a lot wrong with the world. Just before we gathered in Toronto, the world was rocked with the news of the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, USA.
What would the world be like if more people took the time to care about their communities – instead of caring only about themselves, or maybe not caring about anyone at all?
I think if Aunt Dianne could say anything to us today, it would be “Take the time to care about your community”. That, and “Don’t miss Heaven”.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.*
(Matthew 6:9-13)
You can read Dianne’s obituary here. There’s an online “Book of Memories” courtesy of the funeral home here.

Some of Dianne’s family: Aaron (grandson), Jim (nephew), Trish (daughter), Beth (sister), Jim (son), Rob (son-in-law)
* This last part of the prayer is often left out of modern translations. The textual evidence suggests that it may have been added by later scribes to make the prayer useful for public worship. Either way, the last part reflects truths clearly found elsewhere in the Bible.