Having a quiet time each day or making time for a devotional moment has so many intrinsic blessings. In one of my recent prayer times, I was reading an Old Testament passage about King David's conquests. During his time of stabilizing the … Read more
Search Results for: "Matthew 5:"
The To-Do List
Climbing up onto the stable roof and re-tarring all the rolled asphalt shingling is not my idea of fun. In fact, it's one of the last things that I ever wanted to see on my to-do list. And yet there it was: "tar barn roof". Oh me, oh my! … Read more
Attitude Adjustment
I have an interesting application on my cell phone that tracks my driving habits. It's for my insurance company, which sold me on it by saying that it could save me "up to 25 percent" on my vehicle insurance, which would be really neat! As … Read more
Plethora Of Light
The pace of activity has picked up tremendously at Arcadia Gardens. It all started with the daily hammering of wooden spikes in the courtyard. These preparations begin annually in October, as the property is transformed into formations … Read more
Let Our Light Shine
Advent begins tomorrow, November 29th, in this year of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2015. One of the features of Advent in many churches is an Advent wreath, with a candle lit on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. No thanks to … Read more
Let Your Light Shine
When I was a young lad, we lived in a house without electricity. We had a variety of oil lamps in the house. There were some rather fancy ones in the living room, some plainer ones in the kitchen and bedrooms, and a couple of lanterns to … Read more
God Incarnate
My uncle, who was also my godfather, served in the armed forces in Europe as a sergeant in World War II. I remember him telling me that there were no atheists in the foxholes while they were being fired upon and eluding bombs. Although I … Read more
Another Chance
The seventh-grade boy locked eyes with the girl sitting opposite him in my middle school counselling office. Though he was her friend, he had told her a blatant lie the day before. She had learned the truth just as the last bell sounded, … Read more
Reflections
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
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
Right Is Never Wrong
Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, "We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right." During the 1960s, what was considered right by many Americans was challenged by others who believed that this … Read more
Roars From The Arena
During the past few weeks, I have been reading some historical novels about the time of the Roman occupation of a considerable number of countries in the Middle East and Europe. One book in particular dealt with the capture of Christians … Read more
Love Your Enemies
On May 5th, the people in the Netherlands will remember that 69 years ago, the Second World War, or at least the five-year occupation, ended. There will be flags out everywhere. There will be a number of veterans from Canada present as … Read more
Considering Our Blessings
Many years ago following the death of my dad, I was having a chat with my mother, when all of a sudden, mom said to me, "You know, June, Vernon has turned out to be such a blessing for me since your dad passed away." I looked at her, but … Read more
A Salvation Story
Recently, my new friend, the wife of a Messianic rabbi, shared her late husband's testimony and the life story of his parents, Ernest and Elizabeth Cassutto, chronicled in the book, The Last Jew of Rotterdam. Set in World War II … Read more
And Because We Prayed
It all started with a prayer. In the quiet of the night, he prayed, "Lord, please use me in some way to reach out to my new friends and neighbours." Little did he know that God had already begun to answer his prayer one and a half months … Read more
Under Surveillance
While in a transition period in my career, I chose to transfer from my position in the main operating room to a new aspect of surgical nursing. I was approached by the administrator of the Same Day Surgery Unit. She was inquiring if I knew … Read more
Light Versus Darkness
The news about a five-year-old girl being raped in India has caused worldwide concern and disgust. The recent bombings at the Boston Marathon and the shootings that are so prevalent these days have also caused concern and anxiety. These … Read more
I Will Pray For You
It is nothing short of a miracle when a Christian has an open opportunity to say, "I will pray for you! Do you know Jesus loves you?" One day, I was sitting on a park bench when two young men stopped to share a weed. I got up and went … Read more
The Hawk And The Dove
Many mornings, my husband and I enjoy watching birds come to feed outside our window. Among them, we see doves, moving about gently and quietly. They never harass the smaller birds or fight with each other. They emanate an aura of peace. … Read more
Undercover Boss
The clerk was miserable, snappy to the point of being rude, and totally uncaring.
While in the store the other day, I needed help in finding certain items. When I asked for direction from a sales clerk, all I got was a pointing finger … Read more
Christmas Through A Zimbabwean Child's Eyes
Children in Zimbabwe are no different from their counterparts around the world when it comes to Christmas. They are full of anticipation and hope.
As children from the city, we spent most of our Christmas holidays in our ancestral … Read more
Let It Shine
The lamps that gave light to Solomon's temple were fashioned by Hiram, a master craftsman who worked in gold and silver. He made the lamps of purest gold. Each lamp was fed with a steady flow of the finest grade … Read more
When The Roof Blows Off
Three weeks after the devastating tornado ripped through Goderich, Ontario, I took a walk through the damaged area. One particular scene stayed riveted in my mind: the United Church. This once-magnificent historic edifice was now irreparably damaged. Demolition had begun, … Read more
Walking The Talk
I don't know if Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Prize winner, is a Christian or not. If he isn't, he's putting on a pretty convincing, hard-to-follow act, giving us a fine example. Mr. Liu first came to the notice of the … Read more
A Countenance Of Light And Joy
A loud disagreement transpiring between a mother and her young son grabbed my attention as I hustled across the parking lot. On second glance, it was clear that this child had special needs, and his mother's patience had been stretched … Read more
Spring Is In The Air
I love spring! Where we live, we are surrounded by trees, and it is amazing to watch the leaves come out. Over the last few days, the trees have changed from bare to almost-filled with green leaves again. We are … Read more
Leading By Example
When three of my grandsons were young, I walked them to school each morning. On one particular day, the path and the gate we used were blocked by a huge mound of snow. We had to climb up and slide … Read more
Strength Under Control
The Canadian Oxford Dictionary defines the word "meek" as humble and submissive or piously gentle in nature. Meekness can mean different things to different people. I like to think of meekness as strength under control, because not everyone who is … Read more
Ministers Of Light
As the candle was lit, the following was being recited by the students agog with the moment: I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession and will hold in confidence all personal … Read more