These words were in a television advertisement: "Many are picked, but few are chosen." The ad showed huge piles of coffee beans and a man rejecting batch after batch of the beans and saying, "If they are not ripe enough … Read more
Search Results for: "John 1:"
Second Chances
As a child, I got myself into all kinds of mischief, and each time my parents disciplined me, they also gave me a second chance to learn from my mistakes. I do not think that they kept a record of … Read more
Jesus Christ In Isaiah
In a world with so many different spiritual writings, why should anyone pay special attention to the Bible as a revelation from God? For me, convincing evidence comes from the fact that Isaiah, living 700 years prior to Jesus' time … Read more
The Yellow Stain
In my refrigerator on the lower shelf, there was a large, yellow stain which I could not remove. The refrigerator was like this when we moved into our condo, and the warranty on it was outdated. The stain displeased me. … Read more
Why Are We Celebrating Christmas?
We've approached a time of bustle — shopping, baking, holiday greetings, and home for Christmas. Why? Why are we celebrating Christmas? How would the average person answer that question? Tradition? Family? Love for hearth and home? Let's go back to … Read more
Shining In The Darkness
Every winter, by late afternoon, darkness claims victory over our daylight hours, motivating us to string multi-coloured Christmas lights that twinkle brightly from decorated houses. Some of us use LED lights that cast luminous patches of reflected colour across the … Read more
The Light Of Truth
A Latvian friend told me this story that took place more than a half century ago when she was a little girl about 6 or 7. That year, her Christmas gift turned out to be two writing/drawing pads. As a … Read more
Scenes Of Wonder
This will be the sixth year that our church has presented "Scenes of Wonder" — a display of over two hundred crèches/nativity scenes from all over the world. The crèches are brought in by members of our … Read more
Put The Garbage Out
Perhaps H. was thinking that there was lots more room in the bin, so it can wait. At times, anger would lift its ugly head in the conversation. How many of us have had a similar conversation before the garbage … Read more
Fledglings
We had chickadees nesting at the side of our home, making use of a nesting box in a small stand of evergreens, protected from attack and the elements. It was delightful to hear and watch their comings and goings during … Read more
Light And Darkness
I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder — SAD. I am a different person on a sunny day than I am on a dull dreary day. I never cease to be amazed at how I can change so quickly on a … Read more
Antibacterial Soap
There are so many antibacterial soap scents. These are some of my favourites: – warm vanilla sugar – black raspberry vanilla – winter candy apple – cucumber melon Antibacterial soaps claim to leave hands lightly scented and gently cleansed while … Read more
Moving From A To B
Our sons are getting older now and seem to require more space. Their latest takeover was a move from the office that they were using upstairs to a total occupation of the basement. During this move downstairs, I was amazed … Read more
The Darkest Hour
The Gospel of Mark describes the darkest hour the world had ever known: When I reviewed a lesson plan for Sunday school, the discussion questions included the statement that all the criticisms we make are another form of autobiography. Contemplating … Read more
Grace Is Amazing
For a while, Grace was a popular name for girls in Scotland, especially among those who are now baby boomers. I used to wonder if the name Grace was chosen for spiritual reasons, because Billy Graham's revivalist meetings were taking … Read more
All In One
An old joke tells of a married couple searching for bathing suits. The woman laughingly asks hubby if she should get a bikini or an all-in-one suit. "Better get a bikini," he replies. "You'll never get it all in one!" … Read more
Restoration
One summer, I decided that I would read through the book of Romans. I'm a detailed, orderly, organized person, so I thought that if I could read two chapters a day, that would take eight days to complete. That would … Read more
A Life Of Service
It's been a year since the earthquake in Haiti, taking with it all the sub-standard concrete buildings that litter Port-au-Prince, and taking with it over 316,000 Haitian lives. A month after the earthquake, a small number from our church arrived … Read more
Belief, Faith, And Trust
I have always felt that the terms "belief" and "faith" were vague. I remember as a child kneeling by my bedside confessing some sin that I had committed, perhaps a lie, and asking God to forgive me. Somehow, I had … Read more
Jesus, Our Christmas Gift
My hometown has become a medical centre for the southwestern part of the state in which I live. In fact, the medical profession is the largest business in our area, creating jobs and bringing outsiders in. People from other areas … Read more
Marked For Life
I was quietly dreading the day, even though it was such a small thing and would be over in a minute or two. Having my blood taken was definitely not my favourite way to start the day. As I was … Read more
Spread The Word
As Advent begins, it truthfully scares me that amid all the hustle and bustle we can so easily lose the true meaning of Christmas. People who celebrate Christmas as a holiday filled with gifts, Christmas trees, and decorations sometimes get … Read more
This Little Light Of Mine
Some time ago, my wife and I visited her sister, who lives alone in another province. When we visit, we like to do odd jobs to help her out. This time, I replaced the "Razor Only" outlets in her bathrooms … Read more
Christ's Name: The Word
I praise the Lord that soon after my covenant renewal with Him, I was taught in church by God-loving teachers about our triune God, and at home by the Holy Spirit by reading the Bible, by studying and reading Christian … Read more
Where Is The Lamb?
I will never forget my first experience teaching the primary-level Sunday school class at my church. I loved using the old flannelgraph board to illustrate Bible stories to my students. While most of the lessons were easy to teach, I … Read more
The Artist's Scalpel
Several years ago, my husband and I were strolling along the shores of nearby Harrison Lake, admiring the wares of the vendors who had set up temporary shop on the sand. One artist and his work caught my attention, and … Read more
The Easy Sins
I hate it when my clothes or furniture fabrics start to pill from the everyday wear and tear of life. Some materials are really bad for this, and once it begins to occur, the look of the outfit or piece … Read more