Christmas is not found in the in a post card Winter Wonderland world we imagine. Rather, it is discovered in the messy life of our unfinished tasks and unfulfilled longings. God’s comfort, however, comes when we welcome Him into the fragmented parts of our lives, not just the parts we have all together. Mary welcomed… Continue reading An Inconvenient Christmas
The Interrupted Life
It has been said, “Life is in the interruptions.” Christmas also reminds us that God is in the interruptions. We spend so much of our lives on hold, it seems. Now we are waiting for Christmas holidays to start and then we’ll wait for the next paycheck to pay for them. We stand in… Continue reading The Interrupted Life
2012 Mistique
2012 will be remembered as the winter solstice with its ‘end of the world’ forecasts and ‘dawn of a new age’ predictions. Which will it be? The mystique around 12/21/12 is centred around a combination of the Mayan calendar ending its 5125 year cycle, and the sun being aligned with the center of the Milky… Continue reading 2012 Mistique
Going Somewhere
I love the scene from Forrest Gump where he decides to start running one day as therapy to deal with the disappointment of Jenny moving out. Soon, however, he has this following of people running nowhere with him. Then there’s the scene where after three years, he just stops and says, “I’m going home.” All those would… Continue reading Going Somewhere
More Than a Rule Maker
The older I get the more I hate rules. They are made out of a necessity to control. For instance, it’s the overeater like me who needs dietary restrictions. It’s also the unruly child or unruly class who needs rules to govern them. Then when rules are made, they have to be enforced, and consequences… Continue reading More Than a Rule Maker
Work: Chasing after the wind.
Does work ever get you down? You are not alone. The author of Ecclesiastes lamented his work too: “What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow and his work is a vexation. Even in the night… Continue reading Work: Chasing after the wind.
My Pep Talk
There are times of sowing and times of reaping in life and in ministry. Sometimes the sowing takes years, but reaping will come. It’s the law of nature. In those times of sowing, I have often had to give myself a pep talk. It would go something like this: Satan would like to discourage you,… Continue reading My Pep Talk
The Safest Place On Earth
What is your happy place? For me, it’s a lakeside cabin in Temagami, Ontario where I spent my summers growing up like Davy Crockett. (I’ve even saved my trusty hunting/whittling knife from those days.) Others may find their happy place in a more urban setting, like a local cafe or in the magic of Disney… Continue reading The Safest Place On Earth
Love to Love
Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Prov 4:23 Living with an open heart is a risky choice that takes courage and wisdom. The act of living generously can expose us to those who might take advantage. The disposition of trusting can leave a person vulnerable to the… Continue reading Love to Love
The Alphabet Prayer
One Sunday morning, a young shepherd boy was caring for his sheep when he heard the bells of the church ringing. Watching the people walk by on their way to church, he thought, “I would like to talk to God, but what can I say to him?” He had never been taught a prayer. So,… Continue reading The Alphabet Prayer