We were in the Netherlands for three weeks during the spring of this year. On the evening of May the fourth, there were ceremonies, which were shown on television, to remember the people who had died in conflicts in which the Dutch were … Read more
Author Archive
You Are Making A Difference!
To be honest, sometimes, I feel like the work that I do for the Christian church is too much for me to handle. Quite often, there are too many things to do and not enough time to do them. There are church services to prepare for; there … Read more
Securely Anchored
From May 6th to 12th, we were on a riverboat cruise in the Netherlands. I learned that many ships, especially freighters, which ply the rivers and canals of Europe, have devices, called in Dutch "Spit Palen", which are vertical posts … Read more
Worship The King
April 27th, 2018, marked five years since the Dutch prince, Willem Alexander, was crowned King of the Netherlands. We were in Holland at that time, and there were great celebrations in many places. In the town where we were staying, there … Read more
What Happened?
One Sunday, my wife and I were driving to a church service some distance from where we live. It was quite early that morning, and there was not much traffic on the road. We met a few cars, and then among them was big rig with a grocery … Read more
Gossip, Slander, And Lies
I have always liked classical, operetta, and opera music. When I was young, we did not have access to it, other than what we may have heard on the radio occasionally. But when we moved to Vienna, Austria, that great capital of the music … Read more
From Force Of Habit
For decades now, I have always had a pocket knife in the left-hand pocket of my trousers. In my work pants, I have a regular-sized pocket knife to work in the garden, or to do minor repairs in the house or in my little workshop. In my … Read more
Sadness And Joy
On the morning of the 27th of January, I woke up early, and I was teary-eyed. I had been dreaming about the birth of our first child, stillborn on January 29th, 1957. I think about her quite often, and certainly around that time of the … Read more
Walking With Jesus
Twice a month, I lead a spiritual talk at the local Long Term Care Centre. Studying for those sessions and talking to and with the people gives me insight into how people cope with living in a long-term care facility. Some are unhappy, … Read more
The True Gospel
After the death of Billy Graham on February 21st, many articles appeared in various newspapers and online, and one evening, we also watched a documentary on television about his crusades. At his funeral, his son, Franklin Graham, said … Read more
Touched By Jesus
Most of us older people who are used to the traditional way of reformed worship are happy with that style. We are handed a bulletin as we enter church; we read the announcements; and as soon as the service starts, we follow the order of … Read more
Listen To Him
I always have the radio on when I am in what I call my office, even though it has actually become more of a study. In our area in southern Ontario, Canada, there is a radio station which plays only classical music. In December, they played … Read more
An (Un)known Future
In the summer of this year, it will be 70 years since our parents left the Netherlands for an uncertain future in Canada. We crossed the ocean in a troop ship, and after ten days at sea, we arrived in Quebec City on July 29th, 1948. At … Read more
Do Not Be Afraid
In November of 2011, I was told that the aortic pig valve in my heart, which had been placed there in 1993, was leaking badly and had to be replaced. Even though it had lasted much longer than I had been told to expect, it still came as a … Read more
Verbal Pictures
Ever since I was a little boy, I liked to draw, colour, and paint. I was a sickly little fellow, and I remember the many days when I sat in front of the window, drawing and colouring, while other children were outside playing. In … Read more
Recognizing Danger
One morning in late August, my wife discovered a big clump of wasps or bees on a branch of the cedar tree near the flower garden behind our house. She called me to have a look at it, and I thought that it was a nest being built by wasps. … Read more
Unknown Heroes
Today, November 11th, is Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the USA. On this day each year, veterans from the various wars and conflicts, both those who died and those still living, are recognized and remembered. There are … Read more
Keeping The Faith
Today marks 500 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses (statements) to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Some years ago, we were on a Cities of the Reformation Tour, and even though I was raised in the Calvinist … Read more
Harbingers Of Good News
I miss my homing pigeons. I miss seeing them flying around the property, walking on the lawn, or sitting on the loft sunning themselves. I miss feeding them twice a day and just looking after them. After we returned from 20 years away from … Read more
Give Thanks To The Lord
On the afternoon and evening of September 29th, we had a violent storm here in southern Ontario, Canada. Early in the afternoon, the branches on the trees in front of our house started to whip around. As time progressed, the wind became … Read more
God's Comfort For All
As a long-time pastoral care volunteer at the local Long Term Care Facility, I have had occasion to comfort residents who were having a tough time coping, either mentally, physically, or spiritually, which I have always done to the best of … Read more
Disappointment, Guidance, And Comfort
For the past 25 years or so, I have been a pastoral care volunteer at the local Long Term Care facility. During that time, I have led Bible discussions and worship services when needed. Because of my involvement, I have met many people who … Read more
Seeds Of Discontent
When I study the Bible for the activities that I am involved in, my mind quite often wanders to an event which happened in my life, either recently or a long time ago. This happened when I was studying the Parable of the Weeds. While I … Read more
Unseen Blessings
A country church in our area has one of those signs which gets changed periodically. Some time ago, it displayed this saying: "Count your blessings, not your troubles." I thought that statement was a really good message. It made me think … Read more
The Struggle Is Over
Back in 1989 and 1990, our church was without a pastor, and I used to do a lot of visiting of church members and adherents. There was one couple's home in particular where I went quite often. The man especially enjoyed my visits and told … Read more
Talking To God Or To People?
I have come to the conclusion that some of us who lead in worship services or are asked to offer a public prayer at gatherings of some kind are at times caught up in the desire to be well spoken. We want to be assured that the people … Read more
From Generation To Generation
"Faith of our fathers, living still." – Frederick W. Faber For a number of years now, my wife and I have been driving to different churches where I lead in worship, and we've seen the changes of the seasons as they happen here in southern … Read more
Fire Extinguishers And Bibles
We moved into the house that we are living in now just over three years ago and we saw that there were smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in various places throughout the house. Due to the fact that our minds were totally set … Read more
Footprints
Some years ago, my wife and I went on a guided tour of Israel with a group of Christians led by a pastor. We visited mostly sites of biblical importance, like Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Jericho, and we spent considerable time in the … Read more
History And His Story
One Saturday afternoon back in 2003, I received a call from a leading member of our congregation, a good friend of mine, who asked me if he could come and see me, "Right now!" Needless to say, I wondered what the emergency was. Ten … Read more
My Mind Is Made Up
During this past Easter season, there were a number of movies on television which those who make up the schedules felt were appropriate for the season — movies such as The Robe, The King of kings and Easter Parade — just to mention … Read more