Consider this

           Over the last few weeks, the world got its first close-up look at Pluto.   The pictures were incredible, but what really amazed me was the planning that went into making this happen.             Planning for the “New Horizons” project began in August of 1989.   After several failed attempts to obtain funding, construction started in 2003.   In order for the spacecraft to make the 7.5 billion Km journey to Pluto, it had to be launched within a twenty-three day window in January 2006.   That timing was critical because it was the only time that Jupiter would be in the right place to allow its gravity to help slingshot the craft to the outer parts of the solar system.               When you are talking about space travel, nothing “just happens”.   Everything is the result of looking sever...

            When you look out at the world, what do you see?             Some see nothing but trouble and pain.   They point to things like poverty, crime, problems with drugs and alcohol and marriage break-ups and say that the world is full of sadness and sorrow.   Watch the news for even a half hour and you will get the idea that the world is a dark place.             Others see nothing but good.   They appreciate generous people in their community.   They think about their friends and neighbours and smile.   They marvel at the beauty of sunrises and stars at night.   To them, the world is a bright and wonderful place.             You may be surprised that the Bible supports both of these world views.   On one hand it says thing...

            If we are ever going to understand our relationship with God, we need to understand the word “covenant”.             A covenant is not a contract.   A contract is a fair exchange of goods and services.   Your cellphone contract, for example, states that you will pay a certain amount for a defined amount of access to the cell phone network.   If you stop paying, the contract is broken and you lose your access.               A covenant, on the other hand, is focused on individual commitment.   Wedding vows are an example of a covenant.     When people say, “I will love you for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health until death do us part”, they are committing to holding up their end of the bargain regardless of what happens to the other person...

           Every song has a “tone” or a “pitch” around which everything is organized.   Notes that do not relate to that particular pitch are said to be “off-key”.   There is nothing wrong with those other notes; it is just that they do not fit in that particular song.   Notes that do not fit properly create “noise” instead of “music”.             Spiritually speaking, if our teaching is to have the beauty and harmony that God intended then it also has to have a centre-point around which everything is organized.   Fortunately, we do not have to guess what Jesus’ message ought to sound like because he set the tone for his ministry.             “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of s...

            An ancient philosopher named Heraclitus observed that, “The only thing that is constant is change”.   A quick glance in a mirror would likely confirm the truth of his statement.   Everything changes all the time.             Therefore, it makes sense that one of the keys to a happy life is the ability to adapt to change.   Those who are able to “roll with the punches” are much better off than those who rigidly try to hang on to a set of circumstances that no longer exist.               In the Old Testament, one of the most common accusations that God makes against his people is that they were a “stiff-necked people” (Nehemiah 9:16-17).   In other words, they refused to turn their thoughts or vision to anything new.   This “stiff-necked” nature caused them to miss many blessings ...

            I am a fairly competitive person.   In fact, I am so competitive that I have been known to incite family fights while playing board games at Christmastime. To me, if you are not playing to win there is no point in playing at all.   A competitive attitude can be a good thing because it causes you to challenge yourself and it pushes you to do your best.             On the other hand, it is hard to be happy when you are ultra-competitive.   If you lose at something, you are mad because you feel that you should always win.   If you win, you are not happy because you only did what you expected yourself to do.   In a sense, having to win all the time is a “no win situation”.             One other problem that competitive people have is that it is hard for them to be happy when other peo...

          In 1980, when Saskatchewan celebrated its 75 anniversary, people were encouraged to take on some sort of commemorative project.   For some unknown reason, one of our neighbours decided to build a castle in his front yard.   In fact, this castle was not “in” his front yard, it “was” his front yard.   Built out of little pieces of lumber, the castle had turrets, battlements, a bridge and it stood over eight feet tall.   Joe worked at his project for months and when he was done he proudly slapped a “Celebrate Saskatchewan” sticker on it for all to see.               The castle remained standing as long as Joe was in the house.   Eventually, however, age forced him to move and the new owners came in and demolished everything.   Last Friday, I walked past the property and, had you not seen the castle, you would never know that it had existed. ...