Late October in North Central Alberta reminds me that winter is quickly approaching. We experienced our first hard frost over two weeks ago, followed by a week of sub-freezing temperatures and isolated snow showers. Although our long-range forecast shows an upswing, it will be short-lived. I am heading out this coming week to purchase some […]
Discipline
Heart Transplant Recipient After-Care
Psalms 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Several years ago, a friend received the gift of a new heart after decades of failing health. Every year she celebrates her new life and all of those who love her celebrate along with her. We are […]
Malnourished in the Land of Plenty
I gazed out the window of my office, watching a hundred giggling, shrieking, happy children play in the packed dirt compound of our preschool. Playground games are universal; Tag, I Spy, King of the Mountain, and Spin Me until I’m Dizzy. Girls whispered secrets to each other, and the boys pretended not to care that […]
Sometimes, Process is Needed More Than a Quick Resolution
As a child growing up in the sixties. I kept my mother company as she took care of the laundry. We’d pass the time by watching an old portable black-and-white TV my mother set up on the kitchen counter. These were the days of “I Dream of Jeanie”, “Bewitched” or “The Jetsons”, and I marvelled […]
Ready For The Suddenlies?
The horrific loss of life and property caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 caused the entire world to grieve. As I watched the news coverage, I heard multiple survivors describe the events as happening ‘suddenly.’ The tsunami caught hundreds of thousands off guard. There was no warning. As they went about their day […]
You Don’t Win a Gold Medal on Your Own
Proverbs 11:24 – “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Athletes who compete against the clock fascinate me. Long distant runners, bikers, decathletes, swimmers, speed skaters, and skiers. At first glance, it appears they deserve all the glory for their incredible successes, or so it […]