One afternoon, around three years ago, I came to our church and saw a middle-aged man sitting on the pavement outside. As this was a church for students (and I was an undergraduate), his presence was odd. Also, the fact that he was just … Read more
Search Results for: "James 5:"
The Singer
My two-and-a-half-year-old grandchild, Lindy, loves to sing, even though she doesn't yet speak, other than the odd word here and there. What better place to sing but at church? After all, everyone else is singing, so she loves to join … Read more
The Cauliflowers
Our gardens did amazingly well this year. The cauliflowers, however, were just not producing. Their leaves were truly gigantic but there was no fruit. The celery was harvested, and then, the broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, corn, and cabbage … Read more
Where A Yes Can Take You
A news service interviewed me after I returned from Africa, asking about life in ministry, to which I answered, "I've never been bored. I've found that when I say 'Yes' to things, doors open. The more I say 'Yes', the more doors open. … Read more
God Desires To Bless And Heal
In 1984, my wife Dana had headaches so bad that some days she could not walk upstairs to the bedroom. These headaches came and went for about two years until the pain was so extreme that she had tests done to see if she had brain cancer. … Read more
A Week Of Prayer
"I'll be praying for you" are words which can be a soothing balm to our troubled souls in our time of need. Alas, though genuine and heartfelt, my promise to pray for others is sometimes soon forgotten. After years of feeling regretful … Read more
One Prayer
Sometimes, it takes only one prayer to make the difference. When I gave birth to our first child, a nurse cheerily informed my husband — relegated to the waiting room — that he had a little girl. She then went off shift, and he … Read more
A Spiritual Workout
A beefy guy with a buzz cut has a half-smoked cigarette behind his ear. Sitting next to him is a kid with a nose ring and eye makeup, wearing a black hat that says, "On my way to hell!" Those of various faiths board, in turbans and … Read more
The Young Ones
There is hope for everyone, even the worst of sinners. I know this to be true, for I am part of that category. We all make ill-advised choices, especially when we are young adults, some of which can ruin our lives entirely. We follow our … Read more
Always On The Lookout For A Reason To Pray
I don't drive. So, when my husband died, I had to walk or take the bus wherever I went. As I live in the centre of a busy university town, this meant that, suddenly, I was spending time every day surrounded by the people I had ignored … Read more
Father, Son And Holy Spirit
I have always understood the concepts of God and His beloved Son Jesus. The concept of a Holy Spirit, however, has always somewhat eluded me. While I may have encountered the Holy Spirit numerous times before, I had not made the … Read more
The Gift Of Patience
This past couple of years has been a struggle for me. My rapidly deteriorating arthritic hips and knees have made it difficult for me to function as usual, and now, I have recently had a total right hip replacement. Instead of thanking God … Read more
Daily Blessings
As I go through each day and get to an advanced age, I tend to be more mindful of the blessings that God bestows on each of us. He has sent showers of blessings to us over the years, just as He has promised. One of those blessings is the … Read more
Am I My Brother's Keeper?
As I was enjoying a peaceful evening, a text arrived from my daughter. My middle brother, who was severely depressed because of his family breakup and impending divorce, instructed her to call our mom and tell her that he was going to our … Read more
Confession: Good For The Soul
Saying "I'm sorry" isn't the easiest thing in the world to do. A recent teacher evaluation reminded me of this. Our headmaster's instructions to the observers were never to score any teacher with the highest ratings in all categories. … Read more
When Suffering Comes
The brothers hugged before one entered surgery. Little did they know what lay ahead. Two brothers, Chad and Ryan Arnold: one with a healthy liver, the other with an incurable liver disease. But love won out. In Denver, Colorado, Ryan, age … Read more
A Simple Yes Will Do
While I was growing up, Little House on the Prairie was one of my favourite television shows. One touching characteristic of the series was how the town's inhabitants trusted each other. After all, it was through teamwork and trust that … Read more
The Waiting Game
Gardening has been one of my favourite pastimes for a number of years. As the warm temperatures of spring make their arrival, I'm always eager to plunge my hands into the dirt. My anxiousness often has its drawbacks. Many replanting … Read more
Suffering Patiently
She suffers patiently. I'm not sure that I could under her circumstances. Though a relatively young woman, my wife suffers from numerous health issues. Fibromyalgia makes each day painful. Several hernia surgeries prevent her from doing … Read more
Don't Complain; Trust
"It's somebody else's fault." This is one of the lies that I'm often tempted to tell myself — a psychological defence mechanism that prevents me from accepting responsibility for my actions or thoughts. I don't relish the oncoming … Read more
Healing Hands
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
Granted Favour
When the Jesus film is completed in a new language, a premiere showing is often done for the leaders of the area where the language is spoken. The film was ready in the "Yucatec Maya" language, which is spoken by a third of the … Read more
Thinning Out
The company that owns the forest behind my son's country property has been actively cutting down trees, which I thought was a shame, the bit of a tree hugger that I am. But what they are doing is thinning out the forest, so that the … Read more
Cruising From Comedy To Worship
The cruise director on a recent cruise doubled, or should I say tripled, as a comedian at night and conducted the non-denominational service on Sunday. It was a smaller cruise line; the number of staff and passengers totalled almost … Read more
Mending Broken Wings And Things
Winter was all but gone and spring was in the air. Feeling invigorated, I headed out into the sunshine for some final winter fun on the skating rink at Victoria Park. I struck a pose, and struck the ice, ending … Read more
Intervention
"Don't be judgmental!" "Only God can judge!" "You Christians are always judging others." If I had a dollar for every time that I've heard or read that somewhere, then I'd be a rich person today. People want to live their … Read more
Prayer Power
My family lives about two hours from our city, and I take the back roads through small towns when I go to visit them. The scenery is beautiful, and this route keeps me off the six-lane freeways. One night, however, … Read more