Archive for January, 2015

To Forgive Is Divine

Saturday, January 31, 2015

A news item one night was about parents who lost a child through another teen's weakness and grave error in judgment. The parents, being interviewed a couple of days after their daughter's death, made a public statement that they not only … Read more

Needing Grace

Friday, January 30, 2015

Sometimes when I sin, I get both angry and disappointed with myself. I become angry because I've let temptation or pride overcome me again; I feel disappointed because I've let God down once more. There are also times when I think that if … Read more

Are We Ready?

Thursday, January 29, 2015

As Tuesday closed in New York City, there was a strange silence. The streets were almost vacant of the usual flow of cars and trucks. They had disappeared, trying to avoid the coming blizzard. The weather forecasters had predicted a … Read more

Froggy Grief

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

"So then, how are you doing now?" they ask. I muster up my best going-forward face and say "Oh, good, thanks," then change the subject as fast as I can. Some days, what I say is true, but some days, it is not. Grief is like a frog … Read more

Bought With A Price

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Recently, my husband and I purchased a new living room set. The following day, we noticed that my cat Nikkie had a piece of paper stuck underneath his body. So I carefully removed it, along with some of his fur. The label read, "Under … Read more

Lost And Found

Monday, January 26, 2015

Last November, a group of us went to see a live stage show called "Wingfield Lost and Found", written by Dan Needles and starring Rod Beattie. The story is about a stockbroker turned hobby farmer, Walt Wingfield. There are eight or ten … Read more

Five Smooth Stones

Sunday, January 25, 2015

In Christian vernacular, we use the word giant as a substitute for a major problem in our lives. This idea or imagery developed from the biblical narrative of David and Goliath. More than three years ago, I had a setback after being … Read more

The Question

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Not long ago Mocha, our 17-year-old dog, died, and one of the questions people often have for us when something like this happens is, "Does having so many others help you to miss less the one that has died?" The answer to the question … Read more

A Squeaky Disruption

Friday, January 23, 2015

Have you noticed that disruptions stick in your mind more easily than everyday, ordinary things? I have. Maybe that's why God often uses them as growth points in our lives, to change us. I began thinking about this recently while … Read more

About — Blank

Thursday, January 22, 2015

As I stand guard at my school crossing, thoughts for devotionals flit through my brain like those message bars scrolling across the bottom of your television set. From these ideas, I started a number of different themes. They were all … Read more

Night Light

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

When our sons were much younger, they would enjoy the trips that we took that led us past the Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. One runway in particular runs parallel with the highway, and if we were … Read more

Healing Hands

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Little did Andy know, when he travelled to a nearby town to arrest a noted publisher for failing to pay a ticket fine, that he would be accused of malfeasance of office. The accusations were based on an interview the publisher's reporter … Read more

Why Worry?

Monday, January 19, 2015

Our city of Brockville, Ontario, has lost a lot of well-paying jobs as industrial plants close or move elsewhere. It is a time of worry for many affected, but one of the workers said this to me: "Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives us … Read more

Dependence On Future Time

Sunday, January 18, 2015

We ought to behave ourselves every day as though we had not dependence on any other day. — Jonathan Edwards You may be surprised to know that I have always been an individual who puts off, postpones, or delays doing something. This is … Read more

Never Boring

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Just when you think your life is made up of sheer survival, and it's boring and mundane, you find yourself designing and sewing a Perry the Platypus costume for a seven-year-old! I hadn't even heard of Perry. I certainly didn't know what … Read more

Lectio Divina – The Good Shepherd

Friday, January 16, 2015

A few weeks ago, the leader of our Bible study group took us through an experience of Lectio Divina (Latin for "divine reading") using the Scripture passage where Jesus speaks of Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10:3-15. *Lectio … Read more

Woolly Bears

Thursday, January 15, 2015

When I went for my four-kilometre daily walks this past autumn, I would go through an area with apple orchards on both sides of the road. It was a beautiful sight, with apples ripe on the trees. There were always several things which would … Read more

Reflections

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The sky looked like the inside of a brilliant, blue bowl turned upside down. There wasn't a single wisp of a cloud to mar its perfection. As I walked along The Trail that morning, I happened to look down, and I was thrilled to see … Read more

Case Dismissed

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

With curiosity, I watched an interesting video showing the work of a street evangelist. Most people walked right by him, paying no attention at all. He was asking the question, "Are we good people?" There were a few who stopped to listen. … Read more

The Lip Balm

Monday, January 12, 2015

My daughter keeps a small vial of lip balm on the bathroom counter. She leaves it there so that she will remember to use it frequently. Otherwise, especially during the winter months, her lips become dry, sore, and cracked, creating a … Read more

A Vision Of Jesus

Sunday, January 11, 2015

There was a time when I turned my back on God. I denied His existence. He took my best friend — my father — even though I prayed that He'd heal and keep him on this earth. I was only nine then, but for many years, I wanted nothing to do … Read more

God's Reset Button

Saturday, January 10, 2015

A reset button is a useful feature whenever things go berserk — like when our television screen goes jiggly or our computer freezes up. A simple push of the reset button or a click on the restart icon sets things back in order. It's … Read more

Still Looking For Rainbows

Friday, January 9, 2015

In 2001 and 2010, I wrote about how God has shown me rainbows: Rainbows , Still Watching , and A Sense Of Wonder . I understand these to say, "I AM is with you. It's okay, son. I hear your heart." Thankfully, we see only a … Read more

Expectations

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Over the years of my driving career, I have owned a number of vehicles, and like many other drivers, I named my cars. For whatever reason, their names have all started with "B". The other thing common to all my cars is that I posted a … Read more

Finding The Right Path

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

My wife, my younger brother, and I were off for a three-night, four-day camping trip in North Carolina's Great Smokey Mountains. So we conjured up Siri on our cell phone and asked for driving directions to our destination. We arrived late … Read more

Another Good God Day

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Another year has come and gone, and it seems that the older I get, the faster the time seems to fly by. A week is like a day, and a year is like a month. When I arose this morning, I looked forward to leisurely taking down all my … Read more

Partakers All

Monday, January 5, 2015

Have you switched yet? Studies suggest that whole grain breads are healthier than the white, doughy stuff our mothers used for our lunches. It includes the whole grain, not just bits left over from the milling process. You may have … Read more

Be Prepared

Sunday, January 4, 2015

One rather ordinary morning recently, I had a list of errands that I wanted to attend to. As I was crossing a downtown street, at the crosswalk and with the pedestrian light, I was suddenly and unexpectedly aware of a large black vehicle. … Read more

The Correct Book

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Recently, our family, including our eight-year-old granddaughter Elise, came to visit us from Florida. We had a great time raking leaves, picking apples, and visiting with neighbours and friends. The next morning, as I was sitting in my … Read more

The Pendulum

Friday, January 2, 2015

I love old clocks. Their soothing, clockwork heartbeats are a comforting reminder of the passage of time, as opposed to the cold and impersonal digital timekeepers of today. A decade ago, I decided to collect old clocks. There followed a … Read more

Witness For His Love

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Last New Year's Day, I received by email a New Year's poem written by Frances Ridley Havergal 140 years ago. With research, I found that it may be sung to the tune used for the hymn, "The Church's one foundation". Another year is dawning, … Read more

 



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