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The Challenge
A young mother weeps as she cradles her infant son. Her precious little bundle should be enjoying the loving embraces of family and friends but there is no one who can safely enter her home. An active little boy longs for play dates with his friends, but video chats must suffice and he cries from the loneliness. A grandmother sits alone in her room, missing the hugs of her loved ones. A teacher struggles to work with her students from home as they deal with forced isolation. These are just a few of the scenarios we face during this pandemic. All of us know someone who struggles with the effects…
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What Are You Looking For?
What really matters to you? What makes you happy? When do you feel totally satisfied? What things turn your life around? The world wants us to focus on questions like these. If you only do this or only have that, then you will find true satisfaction in life. You have to find your own destiny. It’s up to you to make things happen in your life and to help yourself feel good. These statements, however, are all fallacies in God’s eyes. It is not up to us to determine what is best, only God knows what that truly is. True wholeness and satisfaction are a gift from Him. Yet…
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God’s Greenhouse
I open the door and the smell of earth permeates my nostrils. Tiny green shoots emerge each day as the seeds planted begin their journey to a full-grown plant. My greenhouse abounds with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. To me these plants provide hope – of blessed things to come. I love sorting through my seeds with visions of the produce they will provide. I picture the large pumpkins and cucumbers with their trailing vines in abundance. I see rows of berries burst forth with their red and black treasures. I envision digging in the earth to retrieve luscious carrots and potatoes. None of these plants happen, though,…
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The “In” Crowd
Making connections – it is usually considered the way to success. We are told to get out there and find ways to meet people who are influential in our chosen profession, sport, or interest. Get to know them, find out what makes them tick, read what they read, attend events they attend – these are all strategies supposedly to lead to the goal we desire. Most really successful people are able to use their connections to their own advantage. This “in” opens up doors to new opportunities and avenues for growth. There are many days when I would like to have that magical “in” – that special connection…
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Fair and Faithful
Playground supervision – definitely not one of my favourite teaching tasks. While I love being outdoors with students and watching their games and playful activities, it can be draining as inevitably there are squabbles between students that require me to intervene. Frequently children accuse others of not playing fair. They are quick to point fingers at others who are not following the rules or playing in an honourable way. Trying to sort out who did what is usually a challenging task, especially if I didn’t personally observe the altercation. Kids, in general, talk lots about fairness. Just try dividing up treats between a few of them. They are quick to…
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A New Thing
A highlight in my school day are my video chats with my students. My young students always have some intriguing comments to make, no matter what the subject. I never quite know what paths our conversations will take each day. They typically are quite frank and honest in their responses, easily sharing what matters most to them in their world. As is typical on a Monday morning, I ask them what they did with their weekend. In recent months, their answers are rarely exciting. Sometimes I hear about snow forts built or places visited but usually I get lists of movies watched and board games played as my students try…
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Stress Reliever
The trees glisten with remnants of newly fallen snow. The air is crisp and clear. As I set out for my daily walk, all is still. My pristine setting is a treasure. There is beauty everywhere I turn. It is restorative to walk amidst the tall spruce and stately birch trees. As I move about I see signs of life. A squirrel has found remnants of last year’s chokecherries and is rattling the bush to gain more. A chickadee sings its happy song as another one answers. The farther I walk the more I see tracks of moose, deer, and rabbits. I stir up a prairie chicken as I…
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Baseball Hit
Mary Dobkin was an unlikely baseball hero. Born in the early 1900s, she suffered severe frostbite as a child which resulted in long term complications. She endured multiple hospital stays and surgeries and spent her adult life in poverty, living on disability benefits. While hospitalized, Mary came to love the sport of baseball. As an adult, she realized that baseball could be an encouragement to the poor children of her neighbourhood. Mary raised funds for equipment and uniforms and started a team. Even though having to use a wheelchair or crutches, she was able to coach thousands of children over the years. Volunteering her time, Mary was instrumental in…
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Taking Flight
What’s your typical reaction when you see a storm coming? Do you dance around in the midst of the hailstones or do you run for cover? Do you relish in getting soaked from the rain or do you find the nearest dry shelter? Most of us want to seek some kind of protection from stormy outbreaks. We desire a reprieve from any adverse conditions rather than search them out. Avoiding the stresses of turbulent events is typically high on our list. The bird kingdom is no different. When a storm approaches, all but one breed of bird goes to find shelter. Who is the anomaly? It is the eagle. While…
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Perfection
If you listen to the media there are always numerous new suggestions about how to make your life better: 10 steps to an organized home, 8 ways to improve your concentration, etc. We are bombarded with diet and exercise plans that supposedly will turn our bodies into the perfect specimen. Ads promote the ideal supplements or products that will solve our health or beauty woes. The list of potential products and procedures is endless and somewhat daunting. Christians are not immune to such suggestions. There are numerous Christian websites, books, and guides out there that promise us spiritual renewal, healing, or a better life if we just follow certain steps…
