Thinking outside the zeitgeist – 1

If the Barbie doll was a symbol of the objectification of women, how can the Barbie movie be considered a symbol of the empowerment of women?

Quotations about language

“A different language is a different vision of life.”Federico Fellini “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”Ludwig Wittgenstein “He who knows no foreign languages knows nothing of his own.”Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.”Geoffrey Willans “If you talk to a man … Continue reading Quotations about language

Maintaining order in the home

This morning my wife got up early and went to town to get some groceries, especially oranges to feed the orioles. I got up later and puttered around, having my morning devotions and then had breakfast while doing a couple of cryptogram puzzles. Pookie hung around my chair, bunting his head against my leg a … Continue reading Maintaining order in the home

Basketball hoops and education

Image by David Mark from Pixabay When James Naismith invented basketball in 1891, he placed the net 3 metres above floor level. That is still the official height of a basketball hoop. But let’s imagine that the net has been lowered one centimetre every year, without telling anyone. The change would not be noticeable from year to year, … Continue reading Basketball hoops and education

Fight back against the darkness

In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy . . . It’s not hard to see that we are in the times described above. The evidence is hard to miss, it’s all around us. But is that … Continue reading Fight back against the darkness

An exuberant storyteller

Joe Wheeler was frequently found at a table in the coffee shop in Saskatoon's lone Christian bookstore. He had accumulated a wealth of Bible knowledge and a wealth of experiences over his lifetime and loved to share this wealth with others. Sometimes I was one of those others. Image by Alfred Derks from Pixabay  Joe died 16 months … Continue reading An exuberant storyteller

March

This month is named after Mars, the Roman god of war, an apt choice for a month in which we experience repeated skirmishes between winter and spring. So far this year, winter seems to be winning. We know that spring will eventually vanquish winter, but we are now in the fifth month of winter and … Continue reading March

In the Name of Jesus Christ

A story about the devil

Chicken Little had finished her breakfast, poured herself a coffee and opened her laptop to check the news. Soon her eyes lit on a frightening headline: THE SKY IS FALLING! The story cited a number of scientific research papers, explained by important scientists. Chicken Little's anxiety increased as she read. Finally she could sit no … Continue reading A story about the devil

The dark side of beauty

Image by Petra from Pixabay  There is nothing more beautiful than a sunny winter morning when every tree branch, every weed and every wire is coated with sparling, dazzling diamonds. No man-made beauty comes close to matching such a display. Last week we had mild days with fog and hardly a breeze. In the night, the fog would … Continue reading The dark side of beauty