Consider this

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).   I like this little prayer because it teaches us five important facts.                 First, it says that our God is a “God of hope”.   I love that description!   We do not serve a God that is out to get us or out to make our lives miserable.   We serve a God who is defined by hope.   Therefore, there is no reason to despair or give up, because anything can happen.   Nothing is hopeless if God is involved. Next, this passage tells us that Christians ought to be filled with all joy and peace.   If your Christian walk is making you miserable or negative, then you are doing something wrong.    Note the word “filled” as well.   Joy and peace are not qualities that we have in small measure.   Rather, these are the words that define God’s people.                 Interestingly, these new attitudes come “as you trust in him [God

            King Solomon ruled Israel from about 970-930 BC and during that time God blessed him greatly.   In fact, people were talking about him so highly that the Queen of the kingdom of Sheba decided to pay him a visit to see if what she had heard was true.   After travelling fifteen hundred miles and spending several days with Solomon she said, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard... praise be to the Lord your God” (2 Chronicles 9:5-8).                 I like the fact that the Queen is even more impressed with Solomon after spending time with him.   It is one thing to look good from afar, but it is another to maintain that image when people get to know you.   Solomon was who he appeared to be.                   I also like that that Solomon used h

                I understand why people are sceptical about churches, preachers and even the Bible.   Over the years, many terrible, dishonest and even criminal things have been done in the name of God.   If I was not born into a Christian home, I do not know that I would have given Christianity a second thought. Therefore, I do not expect anyone who happens to read this article to take what I say as truth simply because I said or because I quote some verse from the Bible.                    However, if that is where you are coming from, can I make a suggestion?   Try it anyway.                 When my kids were little, we had a rule about food that stated, “You do not have to like everything, but you have to try it”.   Often, the things that the kids thought were terrible soon became some of their favorite meals.                 That is my experience with tea.   When I was growing up, my mom drank tea all the time.   Every once in a while I would try some and I absolutely hated i

                The stated purpose of the “Community Mediation Calgary Society” is to be, “A place to learn how to settle disputes” and they have a lot of work to do.   The society receives more than 400 calls per year from neighbours who cannot get along with one another.   At the top of their website is a phrase that every group I have ever been involved with needs to hear. It says, “Being right may not be a solution!” Somehow, we have become convinced that being right is the most important thing.   However, the process of trying to prove that I am right and you are wrong only creates separate camps that suddenly feel the need to defend their position and tear down the other group.                   Sometimes, the issue is not even the real problem.   I once met a man who did conflict resolution in churches.   He stated that in his 30 years of experie