Consider this

                If you are job hunting in the future, do not be surprised if you are asked to submit two resumes: a traditional one that lists your accomplishments and a second one that lists your failures.   To a society that spends a lot of time bragging about itself, a resume of mistakes may seem like a silly idea, but we usually learn a lot more from failure than we do from success.   As well, the ability to deal with disappointment and to adapt to unfavourable circumstances is a valuable skill-set.   Therefore, employers are wanting to hear about a person’s full range of experience, rather than just the shiny, cleaned up versions of themselves that show up on the traditional resumes.                 That sort of thinking and honestly would go a long way to helping the church as well.    Unfortunately, a quick...

              Many children’s sports teams no longer keep score during their games because they do not want to end up with “winners” and a “losers”.   While I understand what they are trying to do, the reality is that, at some point, everyone must face the fact that life is not always fair and even. Some get more and some get less.                 The question then becomes, “If God is so good, why doesn’t he make sure everyone is treated the same?   Why is life unfair?”                   I certainly do not have all the answers, but let me give you two thoughts that may help you to at least see this unfairness in a different light.                   First, things are uneven bec...

                When I was twelve years old, a story began circulating around my hometown of Moose Jaw about a group called “The Cult”.   This group had apparently sacrificed some cats in some sort of ritual and the rumour was that they were going to something even worse.   Soon, “Cult” graffiti and symbols started appearing all over town.   It was all we talked about on the playground at school.                One night during that time, I went to movie with a bunch of guys from school.   My assumption was that after the show we would all walk home together.   However, as it turned out, everyone else had something else going on, which meant that I had to walk more than a mile home, at ten o’clock at night, by myself.                 Soon, I s...

“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, ...

            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 t...

                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 th...

                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.                   Som...