Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. There is an obvious way of understanding these words. We encounter sorrow and loss during our lives that are cause for mourning, and we can find comfort in Jesus that is not available anywhere else. But these seemingly simple words also contain a far deeper … Continue reading Spiritual mourning
compassion
A man looks at the Proverbs 31 woman
Perhaps it is foolhardy to attempt a fresh look at this ground that has been turned over many times by better men than I, yet I confess that I am not altogether convinced that they have found the true treasure hidden in this field. Parts of it have been unearthed and displayed for our edification … Continue reading A man looks at the Proverbs 31 woman
The weakness of God
As I reflected on the latest atrocities, in Jakarta and Ouagadougou, perpetrated by those who claim to be followers of Allah, my mind went to a well known quotation: "A fanatic is a man who does what he believes God would do, if God really understood the facts of the situation." I don't know the … Continue reading The weakness of God
Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor
Jesus told the rich young ruler: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me" (Matthew 19:21). He didn't really mean that, did He? There must be some hidden meaning . Many preachers and teachers have … Continue reading Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor
The sedate, the frolicsome and the frantic
We have three cats and the words above describe their personalities. Panda is the oldest, we consider her to be the same age as our oldest grandson, which means that six weeks from now she will be 13. She was part of a litter discovered in an abandoned car in a back alley in Saskatoon … Continue reading The sedate, the frolicsome and the frantic
What is wrong with the world?
Yesterday at the Walmart checkout there was a lady with three children ahead of me. The oldest child, a boy of about eight, was sitting in the shopping cart. The mother kept asking him what happened to a small toy that he had picked up, and he denied knowing anything about it. Finally she wrestled … Continue reading What is wrong with the world?
They’ll know we are Christians by our ______
I was walking through the upper shopping level of Midtown Plaza on Wednesday and noticed an elderly Sikh couple standing at the top of an escalator. The man made a few false starts, then grasped the moving handrail and stepped firmly on to the joint between two treads. He almost lost his balance as the … Continue reading They’ll know we are Christians by our ______
To drink, or not to drink, is that the only question?
During my growing up days practically all my relatives were total abstainers. There was an uncle out in B.C. who was probably an alcoholic, according to my Dad's tales. The only memory I have of this uncle is of a time when I was very young and he was trying to unload a gun at … Continue reading To drink, or not to drink, is that the only question?
A home with two people and three cats
We share our home with animals. I know that there are people who find this horrifying. I guess we just don't know any better, having always lived this way. There is another cat who earnestly desires to join the three under our roof, but I think we have reached our limit. The others came into … Continue reading A home with two people and three cats
To see as God sees
By virtue of my birth into this world, I am of the earth, earthy. This means that I have a natural affinity for all that is earthy. I gauge success the way the world gauges success; I gauge failure the way the world gauges failure. I expect governments to care for the elderly, the mentally … Continue reading To see as God sees
Flatlander Faith 