I recently came across a statistic that stated that only two per cent of those who call themselves Christians have read the Bible through. If we would read any other book the way most Christians read the Bible we would soon lose interest in it. We say that we believe we are children of the … Continue reading Read the Bible for all it’s worth
How Do I “Bring People to God” Without “Shoving My Religion Down Their Throat”?
I wasn’t grown up yet
In the fall of 1959 I left home to go to university. The question of what I wanted to be when I grew up seemed to be settled - I would be an architect. During the last years of high school I began to pore over magazines with house floor plans and to draw my … Continue reading I wasn’t grown up yet
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Sixty years ago that question was often asked of me and my friends during our high school years. The suggestion was being planted in us that we needed to become something important – to be Somebody. Our parents had lived through the Great Depression of the 1930's and wanted a better life for their children. … Continue reading What do you want to be when you grow up?
The Bluenose
The picture in yesterday's post showed Canada's most famous ship, the Bluenose, a fishing schooner launched at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in 1921. The Bluenose won the International Fisherman's Race numerous times in the 1920's and 1930's, being defeated only once. It also set the record for the largest load of fish brought into Lunenburg harbour. … Continue reading The Bluenose
But that’s not what ships are made for
I once had a poster with a picture of a sailing ship at rest in a calm harbour. The caption read: A ship in a harbour is safe — but that's not what ships are made for. There have always been Christians who thought that the safest way to live a pure Christian life was to … Continue reading But that’s not what ships are made for
Bean counters – part 2
André was a big man, six feet tall and weighing over 300 pounds. He had had a painful childhood, much of it spent in an orphanage, but in the orphanage he learned how to cook. This was the one marketable skill that he carried into adult life and he discovered that there were mining camps … Continue reading Bean counters – part 2
Bean counters
People like myself (bookkeepers & accountants) are sometimes referred to as bean counters. The none-too-complimentary implication is that we spend hours at our desks sorting beans into little piles with no idea of what those beans represent. It isn't necessarily so. I used to work in the quality assurance department of a factory that made … Continue reading Bean counters
Reality, Respect, Responsibility
A modest proposal to revitalize the education system 1. Reality Education should be geared towards teaching children how to think, not what to think. This means equipping them to be literate, numerate and articulate. Those are the fundamental skills that will enable them to learn everything else they will need to learn in life. Children … Continue reading Reality, Respect, Responsibility
Let’s eradicate Black Friday in Canada
In the USA, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, the day that Christmas merchandise goes on sale for the first time. It's a big thing, usually the highest dollar volume of sales for the year. In Canada it obviously just a crass copy-cat attempt to pry a little more money out of shoppers' bank … Continue reading Let’s eradicate Black Friday in Canada
Flatlander Faith 