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Showing posts from April, 2025

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....

Just a Glimpse....

When it comes to faith, a little is a lot....  https://youtu.be/oab6WVPOrP4  

Consider This: The Cost of Coasting

In the fall of 1989, when our Bible college and high school moved from North Weyburn, Saskatchewan to Dauphin, Manitoba, a bunch of us decided to mark the occasion by doing a torch relay.  We built a bonfire at the old campus, lit a torch, put the torch on a mountain bike and headed to Dauphin.   For the first few hours, everyone was excited about riding the bike.  Then the excitement wore off.  Instead of getting on the bike and pedalling against the wind, some decided to stay in the nice warm van that was following along.     Eventually, we came to the Fort Qu’appelle hill.  I was on the bike, and seeing this hill made me smile.  It was long and steep, and the highway was in good condition.  It was perfect for coasting!  If I remember correctly, the driver of the van said that I was going more than 30 mph when I hit the bottom of the hill.  It felt even faster.  Coasting downhill was great!   However, there was a problem...

One Life-Changing Question (John 4)

 This question has changed much of my thinking (for the better) over the last 5 years. I think it will help you too.  

Consider This: God's Provision and Protection

“The Lord God is a sun and a shield” (Psalm 84:11). The sun provides light, heat, and energy, and it promotes growth. A shield provides safety and protection. Describing God as a sun and a shield is appropriate because he provides and protects. However, someone reading this is thinking, “God is not much of a provider because I still do not have what I need!” Others are wondering, “If God is such a great protector, why am I going through all this trouble?” Is scripture wrong? No, but we need to understand how God provides and protects. First, God provides daily, not all at once. Think about the Israelites during the Exodus. God provided food in the form of manna, but that manna had to be collected every day (Exodus 16:4-5). It was not able to be stored. The blessing came one day at a time. Similarly, it is unlikely that God will unload the spiritual blessing dump truck on you. Like so many before us such as Noah, Abraham, Joseph and even the apostles, we must wait on God’s t...

Consider This: Everyone Sings Better in a Duet

Country music legend Kenny Rogers stated that he always sang better when he sang with someone else.  When pressed to explain, he said (paraphrasing), “Say you were to go out and run the 100-meter dash.  You would run as fast as you could.  However, if they put someone on the track with you, someone who was a little bit faster, you would probably run harder to try and beat them.  That is what always happened when I sang with someone else.  For example, I would go in and put down my vocal track and think it was good.  Then, Dolly Parton would go in and do her part, and it would be so much better than mine that I would go back and re-record my vocals.  She would listen to mine and decide that she wanted to re-do hers, and she would get better.  Of course, in a live performance, we would play off each other.  I can sing alone, but everyone sings better in a duet!”   It is tempting to live independently.  It is common to think, “I do not...

Pondering God's Provision and Protection

  Do you ever find yourself disappointed with God?  Do you ever wonder what he is doing and why? God keeps his promises.  The problem is that he does not keep them in the way we expect. These few verses will help us avoid disappointment and walk closer to the real God - not one that we made up.  https://youtu.be/8j4IDaJxjio