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He just could not take it anymore. That is what William Lafaver told a 911 operator when he called in to confess to a murder that he said that he had committed more than 30 years ago. According to CBC news, Lefaver’s common law wife was found dead in a cabin near Prince Albert National Park in 1975. Lafaver originally told police that she fell and hit her head on a stove. With no witnesses and no other information to go on, the death was ruled “accidental” and the matter was dropped. That is until January 30, 2008 when Lafaver called and confessed to the crime. The incident had weighed heavily on him for years, he said. He had to do something because he was tired of living with the guilt. (Not a very “Christmassy” article so far, hey? Give it a minute.) All of us have things in our past that we wish we could “undo” and things that “weigh heavily” on us. Over the years, I have spoken with countless people who are being haunted by memories from long ago. This is where the ...

This past weekend, I was helping a buddy of mine who is building a house north of town. At the end of the day, we decided to clean up some of the junk and make a trip to the dump. When we got there and started unloading, we noticed a box that contained a bunch of hockey trophies. Someone had dumped their medals, a “top scorer” trophy with the player’s name engraved on it, several team photos and even a “Provincial Championship” plaque. All told, there had to be more than 30 different awards in that box. Now, I do not know the story behind how all those things got there (If you know, please email me as I would love to hear “The rest of the story”), but it was an odd sight. I imagine that, at one time, those trophies would have been treasured items. They were the reward for hours and hours of practice and hard work. Ten years ago, (1998 was date inscribed on many of them), scoring titles and provincial championships were likely the most important things in the world to that p...

“We are going to be in the Hudson.” Those were the last words that the air traffic controllers would hear from US Airways flight 1549. \ Until that point, everything had been routine. The lift off from New York’s LaGuardia airport was uneventful and the aircraft was gaining altitude. Approximately two minutes later, at 3,200 feet (980 m) the airliner flew into a flock of “Canada Geese”. Moments later, Captain Chesley Sullenburger made his first distress call stating, "Hit birds. We lost thrust in both engines. Returning back towards LaGuardia." As the Captain turned the airliner back in a southbound direction, it soon became obvious that they did not have the altitude or the air speed to make it back to the airport. Sullenburger asked if there was another option. Air traffic control responded that “Teterboro” airport in New Jersey was to his right. As the plane passed over the “George Washington bridge” (at a height of less than 1000 feet), Captain Sullenburger wa...

Founded in 1854, Centralia, Pennsylvania looked poised to have a good future. Nestled in a valley surrounded by tree-covered hills, Centralia was close to a good water source and an abundance of coal. People moved in, industry sprung up and the little town was on its way. Then in May of 1962, everything changed. One story states that the town wanted to clean up the local landfill, so they hired five fire fighters so go set the dump on fire. Unfortunately, the fire not only burned the garbage, but also a coal seam that ran under the dump. Whether the fire fighter were unable to deal with the coal fire, or whether they thought it would just burn itself out is unclear. What became clear, though, was that the fire was going to be heard form again. Seventeen years later, in 1979, the owner of the local gas station was checking the level of fuel in his underground tank. When he brought the stick back out, it seemed warm, so he lowered a thermometer into the tank. To his shock...

On Friday night, I was in “enemy territory”; namely the “Weyburn Colosseum”. The Bruins were playing the Red Wings in the first half of a “home and home” series, so two of my buddies and I decided to head up there and catch the game. For a while, we tried to be inconspicuous. None of us wore Bruins’ gear or “black and gold” clothing. In fact, I don’t think any of us even had the name “Estevan” on any of our stuff. Just by looking at us, no one would know where we were from. That was not the case for 90% of the people at the game, though. Everywhere we looked, we saw people wearing “Red Wings” hats, jerseys and coats. We even saw a few “Red Wings” face painted kids. As these folks filed in, my two buddies and I mostly just stayed to ourselves. Then something happened that changed our attitude. We began seeing people we knew. “Bruins” hats, jerseys and coats filled the lobby. In fact, after a while there were enough “Estevanit...

A few years ago, an acquaintance of mine found out that his company wanted to relocate him to Scotland, so he and his wife packed up and moved. About six months later, a mutual friend received this report from them: “Scotland is great! There is a Wal-Mart right down the street from us!” Technically, they were living in Scotland. In reality, they were just living like Canadians in a different place. Rather than immersing themselves in the culture and in a different worldview, they shopped at Wal-mart in Edinburgh. That story makes me wonder, “Is it possible to do the same thing in spiritually?” In other words, can we really say we are living in the “kingdom of God” if we are never challenged and if we never change? Am I really experiencing kingdom life if I am I still the same person I have always been (I just happen to go to church now)? As you think about that, consider this passage. “Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor wid...

Last Wednesday I was invited to “Government House” in Regina to watch Jasmine Erickson, a young lady who grew up in our congregation, receive a “Saskatchewan Youth Award”. When the organizing committee needed someone to say “grace” at the meal, they asked if Jasmine would like “her minister” to give the blessing. Graciously, she said “yes”, so I got a phone call asking if I would be available to attend the ceremony. The evening was formal, but comfortable all at the same time. I was introduced to several political leaders and had a nice chat with the Premier and the Lieutenant Governor. The meal was delicious (If you are invited to a formal dinner at Government House, go hungry…Yum!). I was inspired and encouraged as I listened to what these young people had accomplished. It was a special night. Now, I did not attend that banquet on my own merit. I did nothing to garner any special recognition that night. No one nominated me to receive an award for something that I had accom...

Willie McMillan passed away yesterday. He was 95 years old. You will not hear about his death on the news, but you probably should have. He was someone worth knowing. I first met Willie in 1987 when I did a summer internship with the “Wawota Church of Christ”. He and his wife of 72 years, Marie, lived on a small farm on the edge of Moose Mountain Provincial Park. They did not have many material things, but they were happy and hospitable. Even though he outlived most of his contemporaries, when word got out yesterday that he was gone, the tributes started pouring in. “Facebook” was filled with people’s favorite memories of Willie as young and old recalled the impact that he had on their lives. Words like; like, nice, fun, forgiving, humble, generous and friendly filled the computer screen. He was described as a “Godly man”, a “great example” and “a blessing”. Maybe the most telling thing was that most of the tributes did not refer to “Willie McMillan” but rather “Grandpa M...

“If Jesus Christ is to regenerate me [make me new or different], what is the problem He is up against? I am not holy, nor likely to be; and if all Jesus Christ can do is to tell me I must be holy, His teaching plants despair. But if Jesus Christ is a Regenerator, One Who can put into me His … holiness, then I begin to see what He is driving at when He says that I have to be holy. Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the… disposition that was in Himself…. The moral transaction on my part is agreement with God's verdict on sin in the Cross of Jesus Christ” (Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost for his Highest”). That quote is deeper than many of the things that you will normally find in this article, but it is worth some thought. What is our faith about and what is it based on? Is it about trying harder? Is it based on me being perfect and holy? If it is, then I am in big trouble! As Chambers says, “I am not holy, nor likely to be”. Faith cannot be about me remakin...

When I was a kid, I liked jumping my bike off ramps. One day I thought, “If I set up a ramp in the side yard, then I can race down the hill beside the house, swing into the yard and hit the ramp with some real speed.” Everything was great until the bike left the ramp. That was when I noticed that I was heading straight toward the front step. The bike landed on the front tire. With the back tire in the air, I could not stop and with all the weight on the front tire, I could not steer. Hitting the step, I jammed the end of the handlebar into my stomach so hard that I could not breathe for what seemed like several minutes. I learned something about foresight, planning and taking care of little things that day. The time to plan your landing is before you take off. The time to think, “Is this a good idea” or “Is this safe” is long before you are racing down the hill. After that, it is too late. Jesus often spoke about the importance of looking after the “little things”. ...

Ever since his sister backed her car into it, the driver’s side door on Bill’s truck would not close properly. Too busy to get it fixed just then, he just put it out of his mind. Late one night as he drove highway 18 towards Torquay, Bill did not see a slippery section on the road ahead. When the truck hit the ice, it began to slide sideways, slamming Bill against the driver’s door. The door opened and (in the days before seatbelts) the next thing he remembers is sliding down the highway at 60 mph. The truck made a few revolutions on the highway, came straight towards him and then veered off into the ditch at the last second. When Bill finally stopped sliding, he got up and surveyed the damage. He had a small cut on his head, his jeans were torn and the wallet in his back pocket was worn half way through. Otherwise, he was ok. In fact, he got back in his truck, closed the door a little more securely this time and drove home. Bill unintentionally proved that it is poss...

A couple of years ago, my daughter Megan wanted only one thing for Christmas: “Aqua Dots”. Aqua dots are liquid-filled beads that can be arranged into designs and sprayed with water to hold them together. The finished product could then be made into a bracelet or hung on the wall as art. Every time she saw the commercial on TV, she said, “That is what I want” and so, one day in October, Sara bought the best Aqua Dots set up that she could find. We eventually wrapped it and put it under the tree knowing that Megan was going to be a very happy girl. Christmas morning came and you would have thought that we had given Megan a million dollars! She was so happy with her present that everything else was left on the living room floor and we spent the next hour setting it up and getting it ready to use. In the meantime, one of our friends called and in the course of the conversation, she found out what we had bought for Megan. “Didn’t you hear that those have been recalled”, she aske...

John 21 opens with Peter and several other disciples going fishing. This was not unusual; after all, they were fishermen when Jesus first met them. It is not unusual, but it is a problem. Remember that they had spent the previous three years in the presence of Jesus. Of all the people on the face of the earth, they knew more about the Son of God than anyone did. However, instead of teaching and sharing what they knew, they had gone back to their old lives. Instead of influencing others, they were fishing. At this point, Jesus appears and has an important conversation with Peter. He begins by asking, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” (Verse 15). Notice that Jesus calls him “Simon”. Simon was his old name, his fishing name. It was Jesus who named him “Peter” (which means, “rock”). However, he was not acting like Peter. He was not acting like the man Jesus had trained, so he calls him by his old name, “Simon”. You can be sure that Peter notic...

Have you seen Jupiter in the night sky? If you have looked at the stars in the last month or so, the answer is “yes”. Jupiter is the very bright “star” that is visible in the southeastern portion of the sky right after sunset. How do I know this? Well, I have an interest in astronomy. In fact, I have several books about it and I have tons of “star charts” that are supposed to help me. Unfortunately, for all my books and charts I still have a hard time figuring things out. I mean, the stars are not always where they are supposed to be according to the chart. Then, of course, there is more than one bright star up there that could be Jupiter, so how am I supposed to be sure that I am looking at the right one? So, how did I figure out which one Jupiter was then? Well, when we were camping at Kenosee this past week, a group of people from the “Regina Astronomical Society” set up their telescopes on the lookout point and gave us a tour of the ni...

Every year our church spends a weekend camping at our Bible camp at Kenosee Lake. We stay up too late, eat too much food, hear some good lessons and generally just have fun together. This year, the weekend ended with a “Water gun fight”. Several of boys were running around the camp spraying people, so one of the dads called a few of the younger girls over and said, “In the back of my truck I have a couple of really big water guns. Go fill them up, but don’t tell the boys. When they come running by, jump out and let them have it.” The girls thought this was a great idea, so they grabbed the guns and ran off. Soon, the boys went into one of the buildings to refill. The girls hid by the door, water guns loaded and ready. When they boys came out, the girls jumped out of their hiding spot and, as you can imagine, the fight was on. There were kids running everywhere. In the middle of all this, though, a girl named Tayler stopped and asked one of the smaller boys, “Do you m...

The annual “Estevan Rodeo Parade” goes down 13th avenue, right past our church building and this makes it a popular place to gather. People come and sit on the lawn, or in the shade of the building. It is really nice. What makes the day even nicer is that, every year, one of our church members, a man named Richard, always gives my girls some money and sends them to Dairy Queen for ice cream. This year our girls said, “You know what? We think that it is our turn to buy ice cream for Richard”. That made me happy. I mean, here are my kids thinking about other people, remembering the kindness of someone else and wanting to pay it back (even if it was with my money). They wanted to be generous, so Sara gave them some money and they ran off to Dairy Queen to buy dilly bars for Richard. When they came back, we told the girls to go down the line of people and hand out the ice cream. Now, what I meant was, “Hand it out to our friends”. However, my youngest daughter did not g...

This past Saturday, a buddy of mine and I went on a motorcycle ride to New Town, North Dakota, over to Williston and back home again. In all, we put over 500 kilometers on our bikes. Since running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere would not be any fun and because we were not quite sure how far it was between gas stations, we filled up every chance we got. As well, because my motorcycle is older and has a fairly small tank, I not only filled up, but I literally filled it to the top every single time. When I was done, you could not have squeezed in one more drop. I wanted all the fuel I could get because it was important to have enough. Sunday morning after we got back, I was teaching from Ephesians chapter three. In that passage, Paul prays that his readers may be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (verse 19). In light of my previous day’s experience, that verse meant a lot. I wonder how many times we try to live our lives on “half a tank”. Instead of bein...

I only agreed to do it because I was asked, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. Estevan’s version of the Canadian Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life” was a hoot! Seriously, it was a ton of fun! Good visits, lots of food, staying up all night, good weather, entertainment (the “Mr. Relay” portion was a little disturbing to watch – but terribly funny at 2:30 in the morning) and lots of people made it a great event. It was more than just fun, though. It was inspiring! In a time when people say, “No one cares about anyone but themselves anymore” here were several hundred people giving their time to help others. In a time when people say, “Teenagers are lazy and don’t know how to work anymore” a pile of kids proved them wrong. When I arrived, there were teenagers everywhere! They were hanging signs, giving people rides, putting out chairs and generally doing what needed to be done. In a time when people think, “We have lost our sense of community...

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). A very rich woman died and went to Heaven. Outside the Pearly Gates, she met St. Peter. “Welcome!” Peter said, “Come in and I will show you your new home”. The woman followed Peter and soon came to a beautiful mansion. “This must be my new home”, she said. “It looks very much like my home on earth”. Peter, however, said, “No! That is not your home”. They continued to walk and came to another very impressive mansion. The woman thought, “Well, this must be my new home”, but Peter walked past this house as well. Soon, they left that neighbourhood and moved into one filled with more modest dwellings. “I guess I could be happy here”, she thought, but Pe...

Susan Boyle’s appearance on the TV show “Britain’s got Talent” has made her an overnight success. In fact, her performance is one of the most watched videos on “YouTube”. (If you have not seen it, please look it up). When Boyle walks on the stage and introduces herself, Simon Cowell (of “American Idol” fame) gives her a look that indicates that he does not expect much from her. She is not dressed for the part. She makes silly jokes and acts as if she is very nervous. The crowd laughs at her. One girl rolls her eyes. Then Susan starts to sing. The best part of the video is the look on Simon’s face after he hears the first three notes. He literally lights up with surprise and joy. As Susan continues to sing, the crowd begins to cheer and gives her a standing ovation. One of the hosts of the show turns to the camera and shouts, “You didn’t expect that, did you? Did you? No!” At the end of her performance, the crowd erupts. It is absolutely amazing! After seeing that vi...

So, I turned 40 this past weekend! When I moved to Estevan 19 years ago, I remember looking at the guys who had a career, two or three kids and a minivan and thinking, “Wow, those guys are old!” Thinking about it now, they must have been in their early thirties at the time! They were just young pups really. Generally speaking, Sara and I do not make a big deal about birthdays. It seems a little odd to celebrate the fact that you were born on a certain day, doesn’t it? I mean, it is not like you had a choice in the matter. Nor is it really very special or unique (Everyone on the planet was born, so what is to celebrate?). We have parties for our kids, but she and I generally just get cards and a few small gifts. I figure that birthdays are not a big deal after the age of twenty or so. However, I did think a little more about this one and the big thought that went through my mind was, “If I live to be eighty, then I am already half dead!” I know that is not the happiest tho...

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world…” (Ephesians 2:1-2a). Wow! That is strong language and it is a tough lesson to teach these days. In fact, it is almost impossible to talk about “right” and “wrong” in a world that hardly even believes those things exist anymore. We have been raised in a time that says, “You can do anything you want, as long as it does not hurt someone else”. “Sin” is even harder to talk about. As one writer states, “The only place most people see the word sin anymore is on a desert menu” (think “Sinful chocolate cake”). It is difficult to convince us that we are “sinners” in need of anything from God. Yet, what if that is true? What if our actions have separated us from God to the point that we are “Spiritually dead” (both now and in eternity)? What if we wanted to change that situation? How would we do that? Here, from this same passage, is the answer: “But beca...

“Alberta gambling revenue expected to outstrip oilsands royalties”. That was the headline on a CBC news story last week. The Minster in charge of Gambling explained that, “Alberta has a relatively young population and we have the highest wages in the country so there is more disposable income”. Think about that for a moment. They have the highest wages in the country and yet record numbers of people are gambling in an effort to try to get more. It is no secret that blessings can become problems when we misuse them or pay an inordinate amount of attention to them. Drugs, for example, can be medicinal and have helped to prolong our lifespan, but they can also be abused. Similarly, sex was created by God to be a beautiful thing between a husband and wife, yet our culture’s obsession with all things sexual has turned it into a problem for some and something that is considered “dirty” in general. In the same way, money can be used well or it can be badly misused. No one would arg...

Two weeks ago, our congregation started a Bible reading program. Each day, people are given a scripture to read and then they are asked to answer the question, “What jumped out at you from this reading?” Too many times, we approach the Bible as something to be dissected, outlined and figured out. The goal of this activity, however, is simply to get us to listen to the word of God. With that background, here are some of the things that I have “heard” in my readings over the past two weeks. Maybe you too will find some big ideas and phrases think about as you read them. “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you… teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name” (Psalm 86:5 and 11). After his resurrection, “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (Joh...

"This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” (Matthew 6:9-13) This passage, which we call “The Lord’s Prayer”, is maybe one of the most well known passages of scripture in the whole Bible. Throughout this year, at various times, we are going to spend some time looking at each part of this prayer. Today I want to concentrate on just the first two words; “Our Father”. If we only had those first two words, we would have a lot. The word that is translated “Father” comes from a Greek word whose meaning is closer to “Daddy” than it is to “Sir”. In other words, when Jesus teaches us to pray, he teaches us to address God with a closeness and a recognition of love and relationship. God is not “...

“It will take him three seconds.” That was the most common guess on Sunday morning when I asked, “How long do you think it will take James to run from here to the back of the auditorium?” I had asked one of the kids from the congregation to join me at the front during my sermon. James is an athletic little boy and the hall down which he was to run is not that long. “Maybe it will take him five seconds, at the most”, someone else said. How long did it actually take? Would you believe that more than 30 seconds later he still had not reached the end of the aisle? How can that be? Why would it take more than 10 times as long as anyone guessed it would? The answer is simple: I kept calling him back! When I said, “Go!” James took off like a shot. When he got about half way down the aisle, I yelled, “Whoa! Stop! Come back!” A little confused, James started running back towards me. Then I told him to stop, turn around and run back the other way again. Then I told him to st...

“Eighty percent of success in life is just showing up” – Woody Allen. This past weekend was Homecoming at my Bible college and it was also my twenty year class reunion (Yes, I am that old!). At first I thought, “I don’t want to go. I do not keep in touch with any of those people. Why would I give up a whole weekend to travel up there to see people that I have nothing to do with anymore. Oh sure, I may have received a few nasty emails from people who were expecting me to be there, but so what? I am an adult and I can decide what I want to do, or, in this case, not do, right?” Then I began to wonder, “What if it is important for me to go? What if I would really enjoy catching up with all those people again? Maybe it would be fun after all! Maybe I would find that it was worth the effort to show up.” Guess what happened: I went and I had a good time! In 2004, country singer Keith Urban released an album called “Be Here”. The chorus of the first song on the CD, “Days go b...

When I was a kid, Evel Knievel fascinated me. I had an Evel Knievel action figure, a stunt bike and a car that “blew up” when you ran it into a wall. I even faintly remember watching him try to jump the Snake River Canyon with his Jet Bike (and that was in 1974 when I was only 5 years old). Of course, things did not always go well for Knievel. Most of us have seen the footage of his December 31, 1967 jump over the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He landed short, was thrown over the handle bars of the motorcycle and ended up crushing his pelvis and femur, fracturing his hip, wrist and both ankles and sustaining a concussion that kept him in a coma for 29 days. Daredevils get attention because they do what the rest of us will not. They gather crowds by standing on the edge of their own mortality and pushing the limits. While most of us will never be tempted make a living as a daredevil, I do think that there is a huge temptation to live as a “Spiritual daredevils”. ...

We live in amazing time. Thanks to airplanes, we can be in a Saskatchewan blizzard in the morning and be sitting on a beach in the Caribbean later that afternoon. Microwaves can take a piece of meat that is frozen as solid as a bowling ball and thaw it in a few minutes. We can email people all over the world and expect an answer in minutes. "Facebook" allows us to keep track of every last little thing our friends are doing or thinking (Ok – maybe I could do without that one). Compared to the world that my ninety-year-old Grandma grew up in, life has sped up a lot. We can do more, see more and have more. In most ways, that is a good thing. However, busyness can have a price too. As we do more and more, important stuff can be squeezed out. Luke 10:38-42 tells the story of two sisters, Mary and Martha. One day Jesus came to their home and, right away, Martha got up and got to work. Mary, on the other hand, decided to sit and listen to Jesus. As Martha continued t...

When asked to summarize the teaching of the Old Testament, an expert in the law replied, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’” (Luke 10:27). That is when the trouble started. This man figured that “Love the Lord” was not that hard, but he was concerned about the “Love your neighbour” part. That did not sound like quite as much fun, so “looking for a loophole” (as a modern Bible translation puts it) the man asked, “And who is my neighbour?” (Verse 29). Jesus responds by telling him the story that we call “The Good Samaritan” (verses 30-37). In the story, a man was attacked, beaten and left for dead at the side of a road. Soon a religious man, a priest, came along, but instead of helping the injured man, the priest passed by on the other side of the road. Then another religious man, a Levite, came. He too saw the man, but passed by on the other side. Th...

It was cold at 6 am, but we got up, went to the school and loaded the bus. My daughter’s school was going skiing and she wanted me to come along, so I re-arranged my week and headed to “Mission Ridge” with them. Within an hour of getting to the hill, most of the kids could “snowplow” and turn well enough to take the chair lift, go to the top and ski the day away. Interestingly, about 27 years ago, I learned to ski at “Mission Ridge”. I took lessons on the same Bunny Hill. I spent most of my first day on the same “green” (meaning “easiest”) run that Katelyn and her friend were skiing. It was really special to pass on something that I really enjoy, so that my daughter could experience it too. To me, evangelism, or the sharing of our faith, should look a lot like me teaching my daughter to ski. It starts with a relationship. If I did not have a good relationship with Katelyn, she would not have asked me to go on the trip with her. One of the problems with many of our “evan...

“Rrrrr-Rrrrr-Rrrrrr”. Nothing! That is the sound of me trying to start my motorcycle one day last summer. It simply would not go. I took mechanics in high school and I am not afraid to tear things apart, so I started checking everything that I could think of on that bike. Still nothing worked. Finally, I remembered that when I parked it a few days previously, the “low fuel light” had just come on. Sure enough, it was out of gas. After all my goofing around, testing and changing things, there really was nothing wrong with my motorcycle. It was just out of gas. If my life had a “low fuel light”, it would be on today. I am tired. Sundays, of course, are big days for me with lots of people, lots of activity and lots of adrenaline spent. Mondays (today) are often sort of “hard to start”. As I sit in front of my computer trying to come up with something interesting to write about, I have got nothing. I feel pretty empty. I gave out all my inspiring insights yesterday. I use...

Have you ever had “one of those weeks”? (The very fact that you know what I mean when I write “one of those weeks” means, of course, that we all have them). Last week started well. I was feeling good and happy, and then things went downhill quickly. A couple of situations came up, I had a conversation or two that were not much fun and suddenly my good week was gone. I was pouty, depressed and grouchy. I did not want to see, talk to, or deal with anyone. In reality, nothing was drastically wrong. From the outside looking, you likely would not see any obvious reason to be upset. Things looked about how they always look. I am aware that my perception of my life is influenced by many things including how much sleep I am getting, how much I am exercising and the fact that winter this year seems never-ending. However, I came across something in my morning devotional that I had not considered. I found it helpful and maybe you will too. In “My Utmost for his Highest”, Oswald Chambers w...

“You cannot do God’s work without God’s power”. That is the lesson that the apostles learned in Luke 9. They had tried to heal a sick boy and, in spite of their best efforts, they could not do it. When they asked Jesus why they failed, he talked to them about their need for stronger faith (Matthew 17:19-21), a more consistent prayer life (Mark 9:29) and a real belief in him (Luke 9:41). Apparently, they had forgotten where their strength came from. Why would anyone try to do God’s work by his or her own strength? Well, to be honest, it is easier. If we do not have to consider God, then we can make plans, set goals and decide on our own what we are going to do. Faith becomes a straight line from “point A” to “point B”. Rally the troops, get people excited, work hard and get it done. By contrast, working with God’s power can seem quite inefficient. Things like praying, waiting on God, trusting in him, making yourself available to be used and serving your neighbour take tremend...

Talk show host and car enthusiast, Jay Leno, heard about an older man in his neighbourhood who was rumored to have an old car in his backyard garage. After finding the man and visiting with him for a while, Leno asked if he could see the car. The man said, “No”. For over 20 years, Leno kept visiting the man and every time he asked to see what was in the garage the man said, “Oh, no, not today. Not today”. Eventually, the man moved to a nursing home. Jay writes, “So I went to see his daughter. She was now in her 60s but she grew up in the house. I asked her when she was last in the garage. She said, ‘I guess when I was about 4 years old.’ That would have been around 1950. I asked her what was in there and she said, ‘Some old car’.” He then offered to buy whatever was in the garage, sight unseen. She talked to her dad and he agreed, so they went to the garage, lifted the tarp and found a 1927 Model X Duesenberg Sedan. What is so special about that? Well, there were only thirteen...

“Then he [Jesus] said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:23-26) Yikes! On first reading that does not sound like the Jesus that we often hear preached these days, does it? What is going on here? As with most Bible passages, the context is important. Jesus has just asked his disciples who they think he is and Peter has replied, “You are the Christ of God” (verse 20). Jesus then tells them that he is going to be killed and raised again on the third day. He then says the things found in the first paragraph of this article. So why does Jesus sound so strict and ...

Her husband was dead, she was out of money and a creditor was coming to take her and her two boys away as slaves. That is when she sought help from the prophet Elisha. “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” Elisha asked. “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a little oil”. Elisha then told her to go to all her neighbours and borrow as many empty jars as she could. She was then told to go home and start pouring the oil into the jars. As she began to fill the jars, the oil miraculously continued flow until she had filled every jar that she had in the house. God provided for her in her time of need and she was able to sell the extra oil to pay her debts. Here is the interesting part of this story for us: The scripture says, “When all the jars were full she said to her son, ‘Bring me another one.’ But he replied, ‘There is not a jar left.’ Then the oil stopped flowing” (2 Kings 4:6). Did you get that? The oil stopped flowing after a...

In twelve years, she had seen every doctor that she could think of and, though she had “spent all that she had” (Mark 5:26), she still had no relief. Her condition was not just inconvenient, it was incapacitating. Under the Jewish law, a woman who was “subject to bleeding” was considered “unclean”, or an outcast. She could not go to worship. She could not go to social events. Essentially, she was cut off from everyone. That is why she snuck in to see Jesus. She thought, "If I can just get close to him, touch him, maybe I will be healed” and she was right. One touch and twelve years of misery and loneliness were gone. Her health and her life were restored to her in an instant. At the same time, Jesus was on his way to help someone else. A man named Jairus had a twelve year old daughter who was very sick. He hoped that Jesus could help his little girl and so he came and made the request. Not long after arriving, word comes that Jesus’ help is no longer needed. “Your daug...

The phrase “What would Jesus do?” (Often abbreviated “WWJD”) became popular in the 1890s (as the subtitle of a book by Charles Sheldon) and again in the 1990s. It is a reminder that in any situation we can choose to act the way Jesus would. As 2009 opens, may I suggest a slightly different phrase to consider, “WCJD - What could Jesus do?” You see, if I ask, “What would Jesus do?” then the focus is on me. I have to decide how to react and do something. However, if my question is, “What could Jesus do?” then Jesus and his power become the focus. Instead of me trying to fix things, maybe I pray and trust God to do something. Instead of worrying, maybe I end up trusting and believing that God is working. If I am bringing everyone and everything to Jesus, then who knows what could happen? Luke chapters 8 and 9 make up one interesting section of this gospel. It begins with Jesus calming a storm on the Sea of Galilee (8:22-25). He then heals a demon possessed man (8:26-39), a sick wo...