Consider this

                 As I was visiting with a buddy who owns a tree care business, a man came up and asked about having some trees removed from his yard and others trimmed up.   When my friend asked why he wanted this work done, the man replied that the trees were too big, and he wanted to get them under control.   I thought my buddy’s response was interesting.   He said that you cannot control a tree.   Trees are genetically predisposed to be a certain shape and size.   You can cut the top or the sides off, but the tree will regrow to the height and shape that it was before.   I know that this is true because, a few years ago, a neighbour cut the tops off his evergreen trees.   Guess what happened.   The trees regrew to the height they we...

 What if I told you that the church's message has nothing to do with a thought pattern that says, "Be better! Try harder!"? What if I told you that the self-help sort of lessons that we often hear are off base? What if God has something for us that is much deeper and much better? Maybe more people would be interested if they knew what God was really offering.  

 No one likes waiting. It seems like a waste of time. Seen correctly, though, waiting can be helpful and even productive. In the end, it is not that we wait, but how we wait that makes the difference. Here are some thoughts that may help us wait well.  

                   Nothing in Estevan, Saskatchewan makes people angrier than trains.   Our town is divided by the CP Rail tracks and it seems that trains roll through at the most inopportune times.   Last week, a train blocked the tracks on Kensington Avenue and by the time it finally moved vehicles were lined up, two lanes wide, all the way back to Walmart.   Lately, the railway seems to be better at avoiding the peak traffic hours, but people still hate waiting on trains.                It seemed strange, then, that a couple of Mondays ago people happily lined up and waited for hours for a train to come through town.   This was no ordinary train though.   It was a steam locomotive built in December 193...

 As we celebrate Mother's Day, consider this.... what would it be like if the church treated people in the same way that a good mother treats her children? What would happen if we were known as being different than everyone else, but in the best way possible? Here is a hint..... we would look like Jesus!  

 "Busy" and "tired" are two words that carry a lot of weight with most of us. "Busy" and "tired" makes us sound important, needed, and like we have something going on. We don't necessarily like the feeling of being being busy and tired, but we like the impression it gives.  When Jesus comes on the scene, he offers something else: Rest! Relief! Shelter! Hope! I am still learning this lesson, but I know this, it is a good and necessary one.  (PS. One of the kids kicked the tripod right in the middle of the lesson. Sorry! However, I must say that I am happy that we have kids around the building to kick the thing.... so that is good!) :)