There is eye candy and there is visual art. Eye candy is pretty and shallow. Visual art is deep and full of meaning.
Similarly, there is milk for the spirit, and there is solid food. My dad loves solid food that grabs his thoughts and goes deep beyond a surface scratch. I observed this yesterday as he was describing to me his strong interest in reading and understanding the spiritual truths that are at stake behind the Creation / Evolution debate.
Dad has a deep desire to express the truth of God as told in the Bible. He has come to love God's word and the powerful life-giving message of the Gospel contained therein. I believe he has experienced its transforming power in his own life, in his relationships and in his outlook. He is baffled by the willingness of people to believe in a fuzzy, powerless God, without any apparent curiosity to seek out deeper truth. He also is aware that his views are not shared by many people in his congregation, nor even by the minister. He reads for his own understanding, and also that in some humble way he might have opportunity to share something of what he's learned with someone. But, like me, he gets easily tongue-tied if not intimidated by quick talking skeptics.
When mom found out that Dad bought another book, she was not surprized a bit. She's come to expect it. "Dad has a full hour of reading every morning before I get out of bed," she said.
Dad has a collection of Creationist literature that would fill a book table. There's no place to put it without clearing out the collection of National Geographics that are archived in the living room bookcase.
It is so good to see that my dad's mind has met its match in the scriptures and in the fact of God. "How precious are your thoughts towards me; how vast is the sum of them." Ps 139. What God knows and thinks about us is far more profound than we can conjure up about him. It puts us in our proper place as beautiful, puny creatures, greatly loved by our Creator.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Job History of R. J. Brown
Dad started to work for Imperial Oil around 1965, when the company was starting up Car Clinics. The idea of the Car Clinic was to make a vehicle check and then report the status of the vehicle to the customer. "It was a diagnostic service that was about 20 years ahead of its time," he said.
When Dad began with Imperial Oil, he moved to Vancouver to work as the supervisor of the Car Clinics in that region. The whole bunch of us came along for the ride too! I started my schooling in Coquitlam at Brookmere Elementary School and stayed there until grade 2. I have many fond memories from my earliest childhood of the house at 551 Cochrane Avenue, with the stream running through the side yard.
Dad's duties in Vancouver included arranging for purchasing, installing and training on the various equipment and processes that made the clinics run. Much of his work involved selling the idea of the product to the employees and service station owners, and coaching them in marketing the idea to their customers.
In 1968, Dad was transferred to Toronto head office. This was a promotion for him. He ended up supervising the man who replaced him out west. The job in Toronto included a fair bit of travel around the province and the country. He continued to play a key role in sustaining and streamlining the Car Clinic program. Later the company added Car Wash facilities at many of their service locations, and Dad became a technical assistant in this area. Again, his duties included overseeing the procurement and installation of the correct equipment, and also consulting work in the design of the car wash buildings.
When self-serve gas stations took over in the early 70s, cross-selling of the "free car wash with fill" became difficult, and car wash services then had to be sold separately. The car washes could not sustain themselves for very long and many closed. It eventually became apparent that his role as an automotive service specialist with Imperial Oil would soon disappear. He would have been able to choose some other positions, but not in the automotive field which was his "lifeblood."
During his travels over the years, Dad made many friends and acquaintances in the automotive service industry. He had occasion to speak with a service supervisor from Canadian Tire who mentioned the great need for training for mechanics. The car manufacturers would not easily allow just any tradesman into their training programs, so there was a considerable need for training. "If I was to offer that training to you, would you be interested?" Dad asked. "Absolutely!" was the response.
In retrospect it was a combination of things that brought about the change of employment for Dad.
When Dad began with Imperial Oil, he moved to Vancouver to work as the supervisor of the Car Clinics in that region. The whole bunch of us came along for the ride too! I started my schooling in Coquitlam at Brookmere Elementary School and stayed there until grade 2. I have many fond memories from my earliest childhood of the house at 551 Cochrane Avenue, with the stream running through the side yard.
Dad's duties in Vancouver included arranging for purchasing, installing and training on the various equipment and processes that made the clinics run. Much of his work involved selling the idea of the product to the employees and service station owners, and coaching them in marketing the idea to their customers.
In 1968, Dad was transferred to Toronto head office. This was a promotion for him. He ended up supervising the man who replaced him out west. The job in Toronto included a fair bit of travel around the province and the country. He continued to play a key role in sustaining and streamlining the Car Clinic program. Later the company added Car Wash facilities at many of their service locations, and Dad became a technical assistant in this area. Again, his duties included overseeing the procurement and installation of the correct equipment, and also consulting work in the design of the car wash buildings.
When self-serve gas stations took over in the early 70s, cross-selling of the "free car wash with fill" became difficult, and car wash services then had to be sold separately. The car washes could not sustain themselves for very long and many closed. It eventually became apparent that his role as an automotive service specialist with Imperial Oil would soon disappear. He would have been able to choose some other positions, but not in the automotive field which was his "lifeblood."
During his travels over the years, Dad made many friends and acquaintances in the automotive service industry. He had occasion to speak with a service supervisor from Canadian Tire who mentioned the great need for training for mechanics. The car manufacturers would not easily allow just any tradesman into their training programs, so there was a considerable need for training. "If I was to offer that training to you, would you be interested?" Dad asked. "Absolutely!" was the response.
In retrospect it was a combination of things that brought about the change of employment for Dad.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Alien Encounters
We finally found the church where our meeting was to be held: Temple Baptist in Cambridge. Speaker's name: Gary Bates, author of Alien Encounters. Lots of blowing snow on the road; one car had crunched into a tree, later another had gone off the 401 into the ditch facing backwards. So, we drove carefully.
My Dad, RJ Brown
My dad is coming over today. He invited me to a meeting on Creation and Evolution. I feel glad that he wants to see me and spend time with me. Not everyone has this luxury. I'm gonna ask him some questions that will hopefully fuel a few blogs over the next several days.
I've got lots to write down here, starting with my dad and branching out into the past, the future and who knows where else.
G.
I've got lots to write down here, starting with my dad and branching out into the past, the future and who knows where else.
G.
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