A common question people ask when they learn that I’m a writer is, “What do you write?” Their faces often show surprise when I answer, “Novels, short stories, children’s books, worship resources, blogs, and a newspaper column.” I usually smile and add, “My pen likes variety.” When I look out at God’s spectacular world,…
ipictures by pixabay.com Halloween: A Time to Play Halloween is a night to be different. In a world where it often feels safer to just blend in, Halloween traditions offer freedom — the freedom to dress up and be someone else, at least for a little while. Since becoming an “adult,” candy has lost much…
Scarred and Beautiful – A Lesson in Courage A Lesson in Living I look out my study window. What do I see? Bird feeders that need filling every two or three days. Why? Mourning doves, pigeons, and blue jays gulp down the seeds much faster than the tiny songbirds. I see both responsibility and greed….
Thanksgiving weekend is here. What thoughts do I have to offer? Richard Wagamese, in “Embers,” his book of devotions, tells us that all we truly have are “moments,” precious moments given as gifts by the Creator God. Let’s think about that this Thanksgiving. What we do with our precious moments is up to us….
Thrifting! Last weekend, from my chair in my friend’s basement, I could see nine extra-large reusable bags, heavy with freshly washed and ironed, gently used children’s clothes, lovingly and carefully chosen from thrift shops around the city. My friend, Nancy, always detested shopping. Over the last few years, though, she has found delight shopping for…
Let’s Wear An Orange Shirt. As Canadians, we see ourselves as friendly, nice. It’s painful to accept that in the past our ancestors supported governments that chose evil. From 1831, before Confederation, until 1996, our government established and funded “Indian Residential Schools.” The goal of these schools was to “wipe the Indian out of the…
Since I found them, my birth family has given me much joy. Not every adopted child who searches out birth family finds the fairy tale ending of the journey. I am truly blessed with mine. In August, I spent ten days with my half-sisters. While we were together, we watched the first edition of…
It’s Our Choice I’ve written so many times about making choices because our choices are the bottom line. They make a difference for ourselves and for the world. Even Jesus made choices: “When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said,…