Image by eroyka from Pixabay Here are some reflections after reading books that were interesting and others that could have been interesting if the writer had known how to tell the story. Read books of the kind that you would like to write. You can’t be a writer if you are not a reader.Research thoroughly. What was the … Continue reading Thoughts on the craft of writing
Best wishes for 2022
Image by MegLearner from Pixabay It was -35° yesterday evening. The brightness of the lights began to fluctuate around 11 PM and at 11:30 the electricity went out altogether. I started a fire in our wood stove (which doesn't look quite as nice as the one in the picture) and we entered 2022 to its warm glow. The … Continue reading Best wishes for 2022
Rest
An inspiring memorial from the daughter of Bill Sweeney that I want to share with all who face the loss of a loved one, or our own uncertain future. May we all know the rest that is spoken of here. "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the … Continue reading Rest
Weather complaints
Image by Nobis from Pixabay Have you noticed how apocalyptic weather reports have become? "Unprecedented Siberian cold blankets the prairies!" "High risk of frostbite and hypothermia." Those of us who are native to the prairies love to complain about our weather extremes. I used to tell people that when I was a boy we had days every winter … Continue reading Weather complaints
White winter morning
This morning our world looks somewhat like this. Oh well, at least the days are getting longer. Not so you'd notice it yet, though. Image by Pixaline from Pixabay It is -32° C outside, there is a fresh layer of pure white snow on the ground, 15cm of it. I have cleared the steps and walkways, plugged the … Continue reading White winter morning
Misunderstanding the Gospel
In 1655 the plague spread through London, killing a quarter of the population. The city was rife with reports of strange visions, prophecies and rumors. Daniel Defoe wrote about the happenings during the plague, writing in the first person although he was only four years old at the time. Nevertheless, the book is not fiction … Continue reading Misunderstanding the Gospel
The quietly disruptive Jesus
Christmas is supposed to be white, isn't it? Here in Canada we expect to have snow on the ground at Christmas time and many of the Christmas cards we receive feature snowy scenes. Yesterday I began to wonder what scenes people in the southern hemisphere put on Christmas cards. So I asked my wife, "What … Continue reading The quietly disruptive Jesus
There is a famine
Image by nancygebhardt from Pixabay Rural and small town churches across Canada are rapidly disappearing. Fifty years ago, the town where I grew up had five churches. Only two remain, and they are the churches where one is least likely to ever hear Bible-based preaching. Smaller towns nearby have no churches at all. This is more than a … Continue reading There is a famine
Living waters or bitter waters?
First posted September 11, 2012 Way back in 1948, when I was but a young lad of six, one of the most popular songs on radio was Cool Water written by Bob Nolan and sung by The Sons of the Pioneers. It was the story of a man and his mule named Dan who were … Continue reading Living waters or bitter waters?
An anti-vaxxer from 180 years ago
Efforts were being made in Ontario 180 years ago to immunize people against smallpox. Today's issue of MooseJawToday.com carried the following snippet from the October 13, 1841 issue of the Christian Guardian, a publication of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Canada: "A lady belonging to the Church of England lately refused to have her child … Continue reading An anti-vaxxer from 180 years ago
