Archive for October, 2019

End Of Life Testimonies

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Some years ago, we went on a "Cities of the Reformation" tour. One of the places that we visited was Eisleben, Germany, where Martin Luther was born on November 10th, 1483, and died on February 18th, 1546. Luther boldly protested against … Read more

Refined By Sorrow

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Never had I witnessed sorrow bring such a transformation. When times of deep sorrow strike, many choose the road of bitterness toward God. "If God's as good as you claim, why did … ," they ask. And I've wondered the same thing when … Read more

Too Much Worrying, Not Enough Believing

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Lately, my life has become one big worry. Off work on medical leave, I worry about how I will feed my family and pay the rent and bills. Not knowing what the future will hold is very difficult. I am very much aware that we Christians are … Read more

The Windscreen

Monday, October 28, 2019

Towing a caravan in the remote parts of the Welsh countryside, combined with fans blowing onto the windscreen, resulted in a distinct film of the outside dust attached to the inside of the windscreen — not that it is that noticeable in … Read more

When I Was Lost

Sunday, October 27, 2019

I've always been geographically dyslexic. My family used my inability as a reverse GPS. They'd ask me which way to go, and the opposite direction was always right. But I never thought that I could become spiritually dyslexic. It started … Read more

Ignoring Warning Signs

Saturday, October 26, 2019

One Saturday afternoon, my car suddenly shut down; all the yellow warning lights flashed at me. Conditioned by a similar problem last year with another car, I focused on the battery lights, as I knew that I had just put gas in the … Read more

Language

Friday, October 25, 2019

How wonderful that our God, who knows everything, understands every language. Workers and families from the mid-west and south brought to our 1950s lumber mill camps every accent, dialect, and regionalism spoken. While we struggled to … Read more

A Call For Action

Thursday, October 24, 2019

A major USA bank has recently been running television advertisements with the theme, "I Can." It has caused me to think about how frequently we are tempted to add the three letters "n-o-t" after the word "can". In fact, it is so common … Read more

A Lifetime Of Firsts

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Have you ever thought about how many "firsts" that we all experience in a lifetime? Some of those firsts we don't remember at all: our first breath, first step, first birthday, first tooth … . But the years tumble along, and we begin to … Read more

The Fear Of What Might Be

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

A member of our church called me one day in September to ask if I could help her. She was born in the Netherlands and followed her Canadian soldier fiancé to Canada shortly after the war. They married and had five children. Her husband … Read more

God Forgives Me

Monday, October 21, 2019

I love the whole of Isaiah 53. It reminds me of why I became a Christian in the first place. At that time, I needed God to forgive me for many things and a whole host of mistakes. I felt ashamed of who I was, what I had done, and where I … Read more

Overwhelmed!

Sunday, October 20, 2019

There are a lot of old sayings in my memory bank that pop up at appropriate moments in my life. It's a legacy from my grandparents, with whom I lived for twelve years. Recently, one came vividly to mind: "Eat what you can and can what … Read more

The Surprise Party

Saturday, October 19, 2019

This summer, I received an unexpected and surprising email. It was from the husband of one of the writers of the PresbyCan Daily devotionals. In Walmart, he had met my cousins, with whom he had been friends for many years, and he had … Read more

My Soul Will Be Still, For The Lord Is In Control

Friday, October 18, 2019

One of my favourite experiences in church is praise and worship at the beginning of each service. Our church worship team plays contemporary songs with concert flair, complete with visual effects and loud beats, which enhances my worship … Read more

Balm In Gilead

Thursday, October 17, 2019

It was one of those lazy, hazy August Sundays when more folks decide on the beach than sit on the bench at church. The smattering of folk warmly welcomed the summer guest preacher, who offered a sermon and gave us food for thought. There … Read more

The Ear Of Gossip

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

When I think of the word "gossip", I think of Rachel Lynde from Anne of Green Gables. She constantly snooped, made judgments, and then scattered her version of the "news" to other people around the town of Avonlea by flapping her … Read more

Wondering Why

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Wondering why often leaves us wondering. I sat in the car with my daughter's two children while my wife underwent a physical test. The three-year-old sat in the front seat with me, biding his time and asking questions. "Pop, what is … Read more

Thanksgiving: The Mark Of A Christian

Monday, October 14, 2019

One day, as the tale goes, an atheist hiker encountered a formidable grizzly bear slinking towards him. Terrified, the hiker broke into a run and tripped. As the bear descended upon him, he cried, "O God!" Instantly a voice spoke: "You … Read more

Drip, Drip, Drip

Sunday, October 13, 2019

When God suggested that we move, I wanted a house that was new. After all, I had suggested to God, "This is what You should want for us, right?" God heard, but had different, better plans. It is an older bungalow with an attic which has … Read more

Bitter Water And Living Water

Saturday, October 12, 2019

One Sunday in August, we went to a rural church. In the bathroom, there was a sign that said, "Do not drink the tap water". There are various reasons why water is not fit for human consumption. For example, although the water may taste … Read more

Stumbling Block

Friday, October 11, 2019

Even though I regularly ask God not to allow me to be led into temptation, it never occurred to me that I might lead someone else there. In my senior year in Bible school, I was ignoring the 9 p.m. curfew imposed on dorm dwellers. … Read more

Weeds: No Vacancy!

Thursday, October 10, 2019

While on a road trip many years ago, before AAA travel guidance, smartphones, and auto-court directories, my parents had not planned ahead of time to reserve rooms. As darkness set in, neon signs glared, "No Vacancy", so dad drove on … Read more

Knowing His Voice

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Those words may cause us to wonder how we recognize the voice of God. How do we know when He speaks? God speaks to us clearly through the words of the Bible. He also can speak to us through the action of His Spirit contacting our spirit … Read more

The Pulley

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

It seems that from a young age until death, life is not very peaceful. We are continually being either pushed or pulled, sometimes by others and sometimes by our own desires. I was reminded of this recently when I listened to a number of … Read more

The Last Word

Monday, October 7, 2019

I love the last verse of the book of Acts. It is full of encouragement and energy, showing us that Paul continued to preach and teach the gospel for the rest of his days. His faith absolutely captivated him, and we should be thankful for … Read more

Partnership

Sunday, October 6, 2019

I am now on the other side of the communion table. What I see and hear are different from presiding at the table. Instead of an assemblage of heads, I see a cup and a loaf of bread. Instead of the memorized ritual of holy communion, I … Read more

If They Could Talk, What Would They Say?

Saturday, October 5, 2019

"If these blueberries could talk, what would they say?" asked my 13-year-old granddaughter as we busily picked. With insightful imagination, she answered her own question: "They'd say, 'Pick me!' wouldn't they?" Her answer provided an … Read more

The Geese

Friday, October 4, 2019

I heard the geese fly over the other morning as they were en route to their southern home. My heart was saddened to hear them go, for it is the forewarning that summer is ending and fall has commenced. With the commencement of autumn, … Read more

Treasures Of Darkness

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Have you ever been lost in the dark? You may have been afraid and unsure, and had to trust your memory of where things were and should be, so as to steer around them. It is an uncomfortable situation to be in! The Bible speaks of God … Read more

Take A Breath, And Allow God To Make A Change

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

This past month, I have known little peace. It feels like one thing after another is changing in the lives of me and my husband. Each day brings something new to deal with, and I feel like my head is spinning uncontrollably in an effort … Read more

Gooder

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

None of us can deny that friendships have a huge impact on us. How many of us can think of a time when a good friend helped us through something tough? When we think about our friendships, it's easy to think about what we get out of … Read more

 



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