One hundred years ago, when the Social Gospel was well on the way to infiltrating and taking control of many of the major Christian denominations of North America, my father was already 24 years old. It has lately dawned on me that because I was born when he was 50 I have a window on … Continue reading Cultural amnesia
The sad state of publishing
Doesn't everybody have a dream about writing a fantastic book that will be bought by a major publisher, where an editor will be assigned to fine tine the manuscript, a publicist will be assigned to promote the book, and everyone will live happily ever after? Forget about it. It's not going to happen. The publishing … Continue reading The sad state of publishing
Memories of the Inscribe Conference
You know you're in a group of writers when a workshop leader asks each participant to name five of their favourite books from childhood and one includes the dictionary in her list. She says she used to read two pages a day. And nobody thought that was weird. That happened in Colleen McCubbin's class on … Continue reading Memories of the Inscribe Conference
Our cats missed us
When we came home Sunday night Panda and Pookie, two of our three cats, were in the house. Angus, the third, streaked through the yard a few minutes later as we were cleaning the last of our stuff out of the car. He stopped, saw that it was us and dashed in the door. Michelle … Continue reading Our cats missed us
Driving home beneath the lunar eclipse
We left out friends in Alberta just after 4:00 PM to return home to Saskatchewan. We stopped for supper at Provost and when we got back out on the highway this great white moon was straight in front of us and just above the horizon. There was a little bite out of the left size … Continue reading Driving home beneath the lunar eclipse
Making a faux pas
Today I stepped out of the place where I was working and started out for the nearest convenience store to find myself something to eat. Halfway there I made a misstep (a faux pas) and felt myself going face first towards the ground. My first thought was that I am going to be at a … Continue reading Making a faux pas
Activating the gospel leaven
[I am posting this again for the benefit of the email subscribers who received only half of the original post because I accidentally hit a button before I was finished.] Matthew 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures … Continue reading Activating the gospel leaven
The education of a pioneer bride
The first settlers on the Saskatchewan plains were faced with a quandary – there were no large trees that could be cut to build log houses, and lumber yards were usually far away. So they set to work to build their first homes out of the material under their feet – the sod. This was … Continue reading The education of a pioneer bride
Sing Out!
Alf Soper was janitor of the school I attended as a boy. Once he had been a travelling repairman for a farm implement company, then the boss of some large construction projects. New he was old and content to tend the coal fired boiler that heated the two storey brick school, sweep the floors, carry … Continue reading Sing Out!
Being childlike without being childish
"When I became a man I put away childish things" (1 Corinthians 13:11). That would be things like: -wanting to be the centre of attention -wanting to be entertained -wanting what somebody else has -wanting other people to do what I want -feeling sorry for myself when things don't go the way I want -trying … Continue reading Being childlike without being childish
Flatlander Faith 