"The strong Anabaptist emphasis on discipleship has led to a warm fellowship among the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite congregations and a gentleness in human relations which makes visitors feel unusually welcome among them." - page 228, An Introduction to Mennonite History, Cornelius J. Dyck, editor © 1967 by Herald Press. It was many … Continue reading Friendliness is next to godliness – part two
Stories from my life
In Flanders Fields
98 years ago Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote the poem, In Flanders Fields. McCrae was a surgeon with a Canadian artillery regiment in the First World War and a day earlier had buried a close friend on the battlefield near Ypres, Belgium. Poppy seeds lie dormant in the ground until the soil is disturbed by … Continue reading In Flanders Fields
Land of Living Skies
Our Saskatchewan license plates proclaim that this is the "Land of Living Skies," I suppose that refers to the gorgeous sunsets that we see pretty much every evening. In spring and fall it could also describe the flocks of migratory birds that pass over our heads. Especially in fall. In spring the birds are in … Continue reading Land of Living Skies
Family gatherings
[Before I begin, I want to ask a question. Have any of you found advertisements on this blog that you felt were inappropriate? WordPress offers free hosting for blogs, but sometimes they will place ads on the blogs to help cover their operating costs. I never see the ads, so I don't know what might … Continue reading Family gatherings
Three old men and a teenaged girl
We moved into the Ontario village of Fullarton when our daughter was ten years old. The village was located at the crossroads of two county roads and contained twenty-seven houses. There were a few families with children, but many of those houses were occupied by old people who lived alone, widows, widowers and bachelors. In … Continue reading Three old men and a teenaged girl
Cancer Centre
My wife had her first visit at the Cancer Centre yesterday. Now isn't that a scary way of starting a conversation? The visit really wasn't so scary. Let me start at the beginning. Four months ago Chris decided that the tiredness she felt after a day's work had to be due to something more than … Continue reading Cancer Centre
Do it yourself customer service
A resident in a nearby home for seniors, let's call him Frank, gets around fairly well in a wheelchair. However, Frank has limited strength on one side, so he also has an electric wheelchair that he sometimes uses. Recently he discovered that a small spring assembly from one of the front wheels was missing. Presumably … Continue reading Do it yourself customer service
On second thought
I posted a couple of articles this week that would have benefited from some sober second thought before sending them out into the unsuspecting world. It's not that I think I shouldn't have said what I said, but i think the articles needed to be turned inside out and upside down, with some things pruned … Continue reading On second thought
A Closer Walk
This will be my 303rd post since I began blogging 15 months ago. I believe it’s time to reflect on why I am doing this and where I’m going with it. My original intentions were threefold: 1) to be a witness of the old Anabaptist faith in an era when the Christian faith no longer … Continue reading A Closer Walk
Courtesy
Courtesy and courtship are derived from the same root word and both convey the idea of trying to please someone else. All other things being equal, the business that will thrive is the one that greets and serves its customers with genuine warmhearted courtesy. On a trip some years ago, we stopped for gas around … Continue reading Courtesy
Flatlander Faith 