I collected stamps when I was a boy. It was a fascinating and inexpensive hobby. Many stores sold packets of used stamps for less than a dollar, either mixed or sorted by country or theme. One could also buy from mail order stamp companies. If one had the money to spend there were more expensive … Continue reading Stamp collecting
It’s all my father’s fault
It seems that I've been trying to learn French all my life, always getting a little closer but never quite arriving. I can speak French, but with a wooden tongue (that's a French expression for someone whose pronunciation is somewhat lacking). I fear that my ears may be made of the same material, for I … Continue reading It’s all my father’s fault
Is it really that bad?
This world is a horrible place. There are environmental catastrophes, threats of international terrorism, dangers in the streets. The danger of religious persecution threatens us even here in North America. There is sexual exploitation of women and children. There is abuse of power by those in positions of trust: police officers, preachers, teachers and parents. … Continue reading Is it really that bad?
Book Review: Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
At the ripe old age of 17 I believed I had outgrown any need for the Bible. It was almost ten years before I opened the book again. I was sceptical, but I thought there might be something worthwhile somewhere in this collection of writings. I guess I was looking for answers, but didn't really … Continue reading Book Review: Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
Why Couldn’t I Be The Healthy One?
It was the morning after my father's funeral and my cousin Dennis and I were sitting at a table with my mother looking at old photographs. Here was a school phot from when I was in Grade 2 in a one-room school. There were two little boys in the front row, one bright-eyed, smiling and … Continue reading Why Couldn’t I Be The Healthy One?
Book Review – Talent is Not Enough
Here is the long-promised review of Mollie Hunter's book on writing for children. First let me warn you that this is not a "Christian" book, it is not a book for those who merely want to entertain children, nor is it a how-to book. But it is an inspiring book. Mollie Hunter has a rare … Continue reading Book Review – Talent is Not Enough
Learning the craft of writing
The child that was myself was born with a little talent, and I have worked hard, hard, hard to shape it. Yet even this could not have made me a writer, for there is no book can tell anything worth saying unless life itself has first said it to the person who conceived that book. … Continue reading Learning the craft of writing
The kingdom of God
Daniel 2:44: And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a vivid … Continue reading The kingdom of God
A refuge from the storm
Abner slipped out of his bedroom and into the spare bedroom. Even there the angry voice of Papa Zedner disturbed his attempts to read. Abner knew that his father wasn’t angry with him, but he knew from experience it was best to avoid giving opportunity for it to be directed at him. Papa Zedner’s anger … Continue reading A refuge from the storm
The community of believers
The New Testament depicts the church as a building which has Christ as its foundation, and as a body of which Christ is the head. In both of these illustrations it is evident that the church is much more than the sum of its members. The reputation of the church should be based upon the … Continue reading The community of believers
Flatlander Faith 