Christian joy is not necessarily defined as a giddy, light-hearted, frothy emotion. Joy is meatier than that, it has substance. It has endurance, it is strong enough to gird us up through even the darkest of days. “The joy of the Lord IS our strength.” Joy is not born from our past, present, or future […]
Avoid Avoidance. Life Gets Too Complicated
To say that I tend to over complicate things would be an understatement. I’ve spent countless nights strategising and worrying about situations that have not yet arisen. At such times, Google is not my friend, especially at 3:00 a.m. I am most apt to stumble into stress-induced craziness when it comes to finances. It is my […]
Sometimes, It’s All About the Process
As a child growing up in the sixties, I kept my mother company as she took care of the laundry. We’d pass the time by watching an old portable black-and-white TV my mother set up on the kitchen counter. These were the days of I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched and The Jetsons, and I marvelled […]
If It’s Not a Good Fit Make Some Adjustments
Isaiah 61:10 – “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” During the 1960s, Montana, Idaho, and Washington State were popular vacation destinations for Southern Alberta families. Gasoline was cheap, and the Canadian and American dollars were at par. Families loaded their cars and tent […]
Avoidance Is Not The Best Policy
2019 Disclaimer: Today’s blog uses an illustration from my school years. I grew up smack-dab in the middle of the Baby-Boomer generation. We received straightforward vaccines, usually not combined with multiple vaccines in the same shot. Back then, babies didn’t get as many vaccinations as they do today. Yes, babies DID get their shots, but […]
It’s Not Quite What I Expected
Here’s an encouraging word for those who have stepped into a new venture with the Lord. Bible Reference: Numbers 13-14. Israel crosses over to the promised land. The nation soon realises it’s not quite what they expected, and they fall into discouragement. Just because you face unexpected challenges, it doesn’t mean the land where God […]
Prepare But Be Prepared to Lean on the Lord
“Honey! Guess what? We’re finally pregnant!” With those triumphant words, Sally and Joe begin one of life’s most bewildering journeys. Sally suffers stomach-churning morning sickness; Joe pops antacids as he checks and rechecks their financial investments. As Sally’s belly grows, so does Joe’s Honey-Do list. He renovates the home office into a nursery and trades […]
Don’t Stop! Keep Building Momentum!
“This exercising business is fun!” As I watched the numbers click by on the bike’s speedometer, I gleefully thought to myself. “Fifteen minutes doing this?” No problem. It was easy. “This physiotherapy stuff will be a breeze!” As five minutes turned to ten, I was bored. The hospital-green wall of the children’s rehabilitation unit was […]
Washing It All Away
I vividly remember the heavy haze of blue smoke enveloping me when I was a child at most social gatherings involving adults. I was, and still am, sensitive to smoke of any kind. Both my parents were heavy smokers. However, it was not until I moved away from home that I discovered the insidious nature […]