I have cherished memories from my earliest days, memories I return to more often the older I get. One of the greatest treats of childhood was taking the train from Summerside to Coleman on Prince Edward Island, Canada. The train was … Read more
Search Results for: "2 Corinthians 5:"
The Ministry Of Reconciliation
This is a story of two men. The first was my father. His name was Grant. Grant was born and raised on a small farm in Ontario, Canada. In 1939, while he peered into a mirror and carefully scraped shaving soap and a few sparse whiskers … Read more
Putting The Past To Rest
She ran from her past, but she couldn't hide from it. Frances and her sister lived with an abusive father. Their mother died when they were both very young. Their father molested them sexually and drank continuously. Finally, child … Read more
The Renovation
There are a number of renovation television shows which I really enjoy. I find it both fascinating and awesome to see how a good contractor can transform a poorly functioning home into something totally different so that it works for the … Read more
Clean In One Cycle
The basket of laundry in the closet was overflowing with a mixture of bath towels, kitchen rags, Mom's clothes, and mine. I just sighed. Washing clothes isn't a favourite chore of mine, but it is one that must be done on a regular basis. … Read more
If Only
In Blessings from Pain, I told about my fall which resulted in a broken patella and subsequent surgery ten days later. As the days dragged on until surgery, I developed a list of "if onlys": – … Read more
Our Identity
Identity theft is a serious crime, in which someone commits fraud using somebody else's stolen personal information: name, address, date of birth, driver's license, social insurance number, or credit card information. It is a major … Read more
The Best Thing Ever
One Christmas, my brother and I received a new game: Monopoly®. We played that game with our best friend, Michael, for many, many years thereafter. It was a game which I found uninteresting and a real bore. In fact, I still do. Back … Read more
The Wallpaper
The wallpaper was dingy and stained and did not want to come off. I talked with the paint people at the store, and they told me to paint over it and how to do so. I decided to try it. As I applied the paint over the paper, I was amazed … Read more
Daughter Of The Hatfields
Trouble was brewing in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States in the late 1800s. It all started with a dispute over the ownership of a hog. Reprisal and retribution spiralled out of control and seemed endless, and over a span … Read more
Shining A Light
Recently, I have had the chutzpah to update my desktop computer. The undertaking has also involved the updating of my own technological skills due to the advent of new gizmos and widgets. It has been at least seven years since I built the … Read more
How Does My Faith Make A Difference?
During the past number of weeks, I have been struggling through a number of losses. In my head, I think, *How do people without faith cope without the comfort of God? How do people cope without His promise, "Never will I leave you; never … Read more
The Power Of A Photograph
My four-year-old granddaughter had a peculiar bedtime habit whenever she stayed here overnight. She'd soothe her fretful whimpers by clutching a photograph of her mother, which she borrowed from my bookshelf. This item was anything but … Read more
I'm Sorry!
The primary purpose of Christian preaching is to invite reconciliation — in every aspect of life. The first step on a journey of reconciliation just may be to say, "I'm sorry." "I ask for God's forgiveness, and I want to say to you with … Read more
Watch Where You Are Going
Recently, I've become acquainted with a woman who is rapidly losing her eyesight. She once had full sight, but as the years have advanced, her vision has declined, until now all that she can perceive is brightness and shadow. Her white … Read more
Pressing On
"No turning back; no turning back!" I cheerfully sang these lyrics while tossing a pile of mementos into the wastebasket. I had extracted some old papers from my filing cabinet: a "Food Handler Certificate" granted 22 years ago from Public … Read more
A New Creation
In celebration of the birth of a brand-new day and a brand-new year 2022, snowflakes fell from the sky like bright confetti, each one a miraculous reminder of God's love and faithfulness. The footprints of yesterday's sins vanished … Read more
The Pangs Of Death
The thought of experiencing it unnerved me — even though I claimed to be prepared. While a pre-teen, the fear of dying overcame me. As a nine-year-old, I had chosen to follow Jesus. I knew that He had a place in heaven for me, but I … Read more
Running By Faith
The steps came at him faster than I could get to him. My wife and I and our two oldest grandboys once visited Star Fort in Ninety Six, South Carolina, USA, the site of an American Revolutionary War battle. As we walked onto the … Read more
Ambassadors
Wikipedia describes an ambassador as a person who represents an entity and does so in a positive manner. Almost half a century ago, I was a senior financial officer of a major corporation. On my way in to a presentation in the board … Read more
The Polish
Coming home from sorting at the Thrift Shop, I carried with me several pieces of very tarnished silver. It had been agreed that these lovely showpieces would sell so much better if someone polished them. I volunteered, and the job became … Read more
What Am I?
One thing that is obvious to me and others is that, as I age, both my body and mind (which Paul describes as my "outer self") are deteriorating. Some years ago, my son hosted a party to celebrate my 80th birthday. One of the guests, a … Read more
Life Cycles
The days of getting up and being ready in fifteen minutes are gone. Although I'm in relatively good health, my life cycle has changed. This fact dawned on me one morning when it seemed that I simply could not get ready. A recent … Read more
What Mask Are You Wearing?
Many of us are wearing masks these days, and there are a lot of different styles and patterns to choose from — ranging from disposable ones to designer looks. Sometimes, it's hard to recognize people when they're wearing their masks. Just … Read more
Why Are You Still Here?
Two years ago, in April 2018, a troubled young man drove a van erratically down Yonge Street in Toronto, Canada. He veered on and off the sidewalk, killing ten people and seriously injuring fourteen others. It was a terrible occurrence … Read more
The Unbaked Cake
Here's a riddle for those of you familiar with church tradition: How are cake recipes and church bulletins alike? You'd likely agree that both list ingredients to be assembled and enjoyed. But did you remember the fire? Yes: They both … Read more
Whiter Than Snow
God rarely opened His storehouse of snow in the place I lived at six years of age. But snow had been predicted for Christmas. I pressed my nose against the small window and watched in anticipation as the white snowflakes began to fall … Read more