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….
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…
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,…
Image by Oberholster Venita from Pixabay A Simple Guide for Behaviour My choice for daily Bible reading, is Eugene Peterson’s, “The Message.” Today’s reading is Matthew 7:1-12, a familiar portion of what we call “The Sermon on the Mount. In my Bible the words are underlined and starred telling me this passage has spoken to me…
“You Better Be Right!” Sometimes in my role as clergy, I find myself living and especially, being, the faith that others need. When grief and fear overwhelm us, we want to believe, though it’s hard. God seems far away. I remember declaring my belief in future life with God at the end of a Celebration…
“We need someone to chair this committee, please.” All eyes turn to the floor. Silence echoes around the room. The silent self-talk, “Not me. Not me.” A number of years ago, I wrote a children’s book titled “Elizabeth Gets Her Wings.” Elizabeth, a young angel, wanted her wings immediately, before God’s appointed time. She decided…