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This was the view from the skating area at the Old Port today. I went downtown with a friend who is here from Australia and it was a joy to see her delight in typical Canadian winter scenes and pastimes. It helped me see the familiar sights through fresh eyes again.

Mark Twain said, "Familiarity breeds contempt. How accurate that is. The reason we hold truth in such respect is because we have so little opportunity to get familiar with it."

Having grown up in a very religious community and having read and been taught the Bible my whole life, I find that sometimes the biblical words and stories and concepts have been heard so often before that I fail to wonder and marvel and embrace and search out anew the truths found therein. Just because you have seen it before doesn't mean you noticed everything there was to see. Just because you have heard it before doesn't mean you know what it really means. Just because you have talked to someone over and over again does not mean that you know everything about them.

Do not let repetition or familiarity breed boredom, disdain or contempt. You can choose to keep relationships and helpful disciplines fresh and alive by cultivating the attitude of a student - there is always something to learn. Love and the truth are always exciting, no matter how often they are encountered.

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