Last year while shopping at a local thrift store, I was surprised to find a Christmas Bible study book with the odd title, Christmas from the Back Side, written by J. Ellsworth Kalas, a professor who teaches where my son … Read more
Search Results for: "1 Peter 1:"
Filled With Inexpressible Joy
Why is there so little joy in many Christians when Scripture portrays joy as a vital ingredient for life? Jesus was eager that His followers be filled with joy. Paul was too. He said: For Paul, joy was vital because … Read more
Well-Placed Hope
In the winter, the cold and snow cause the attendance at our small church to dwindle to a handful, but in the summer, when the "snowbirds" return, so does our attendance. Nevertheless, our Congregational Life Committee has been searching for … Read more
From One Day To The Next
We live a five-minute drive from Kempenfelt Bay. We go there often to enjoy the walking paths or just to sit on one of the many benches, watching the water, or the people young and old walking their dogs, or … Read more
The Invisible Lover
Have you ever fallen in love with a person you have never seen? I had this wonderful experience with a man who was in the Navy during World War II. A friend connected us when he entered the Bible School … Read more
Butterflies
It is the late spring and early summer time of the year in the Okanagan Valley. Every leaf and flower is newly in bloom; and it is a fresh time of year. The birds have all arrived from winter climes, … Read more
The Word Of God
At the end of the month of March, the television showed Japan with its cherry trees in flower. After celebrating the beauty, people sat down below the trees, and the reporter affirmed that the show lasts only one and a … Read more
Funky Rhubarb
"Something funny is growing in our rhubarb," daughter cried! Dad explained that the strange growth was normal. The rhubarb was going to seed. Just like me. Consequently, I'm feeling crummy. I just turned the magic age of 65. Ever since, … Read more
A Display of Faithfulness
What a delightful season we are entering! Robins return home and tiny crocuses poke their little heads up through the warming earth, even amidst the last bit of clinging snow. Baby ducklings follow mama duck, curiously turning to and fro, … Read more
Read Believing
Even though I have quite a substantial biblical study library, last year I treated myself to a new, rather expensive, but very extensive computer Bible program. It has so many Bible versions, all at my fingertips as I study, as … Read more
The Telephone Call
It all started with a telephone call. "Hello. Is this the home of Rosemary Hagedorn, who writes devotionals for the local newspaper?" The person on the other end of the phone line was asking me where I get my inspiration … Read more
Do You Believe Everything You Read?
The new soon-to-be-completed conference centre in our municipality has been plagued with problems since its inception. Some people are against it, more seem for it. Glitches — some big ones — have kept cropping up along the way, and of … Read more
The Final Chapter
The only night my father had any leisure time was on Saturday. As little girls, my sister and I would have been bathed and in our night-dresses, but before going to bed on Saturday nights, we would always sit on … Read more
Family Photo
I was looking at an old photo, taken in the fall some years ago, showing our family walking down a country road amid a blaze of coloured leaves. It brought back pleasant memories of days now gone by. A photo, … Read more
To Bathe Or Not To Bathe
My grandson, Tim, is nine. He often spends part of his school vacations with me, so I was delighted when he asked if he might visit during his mid-winter break. Tim's parents, however, warned me to prepare for battle, as … Read more
Cleansing From Within
Our thoughts are the forerunners of our words and actions. Submerged thoughts have a way of emerging when unguarded. For years, people have complained I had a "shell" around me. Others felt I was "cold and unfeeling". I had such … Read more
Working On The Reunions
This summer saw the fruition of two reunions, both of which I had worked on via e-mail over a period of more than a year, with friends I'd not seen for 10 or 15 years. During the planning, we didn't … Read more
Under The Circumstances
There is a true tale about a woman who lost her contact lens, prayed, and found the lens only because it landed on the back of an astonished ant. Like that ant, we have all been burdened by surprise. We … Read more
Heavenly Reflections
Recently, I celebrated a "milestone birthday". At the urging of a couple of friends, I put together a small celebration at a downtown bistro. The food was wonderful, the company delightful, and the gifts very generous. Everyone seemed to have … Read more
Learnt The Hard Way
Marathon racing takes the lead on my sporting list. Not only do I enjoy watching folks participating, but I myself enjoy participating physically. My former sporting forays were often marred by disappointments; I appeared at the bottom of the list … Read more
Surprise! I'm Born Again!
As long as I can remember, Christianity has been part of my life. I was raised in a Christian home and attended Christian schools. During the past three years, however, I have come to truly understand and appreciate just what … Read more
The Word of Our God Can Never Be Destroyed!
In 1991, I was privileged to go to Russia with a group of teachers and administrators to help the ex-Soviet teachers deal with the morality crisis, which was tearing apart their country. Miraculously, we were invited to share the gospel … Read more
We See More When It Rains
It was raining during our regular group walk this morning, and a friend who had been walking slowly behind with others, said "Did you see all the starfish?! There's so many!" We had to confess that we hadn't noticed, as … Read more
Worth More Than Gold
Have you heard of the man who connived and laboured to get gold? He mined some and robbed for more. While he was being pursued by the law, he came upon a river. There was no recourse but to attempt … Read more
The Crucible
The chemistry student was given the assignment of discovering the concentration of metal in an ore sample. This was to be done by heating the sample until there was no further loss of weight, which would indicate that the metal … Read more
What Are You Worth?
When I was young, I remember reading about a chemist who calculated what a human being was worth. In terms of the market value of the various salts and minerals involved, it was about $2.00-$3.00. With inflation it might be … Read more
What Blessings?
When I feel low because of life situations, or the coffee cup is empty, or the grandchildren are such children, and the pension cheque doesn't stretch to meet all my wants… and when my memory recalls words like, Blessed are … Read more