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Next Sunday is Father's Day. It's always one of those celebrations I find bittersweet. Let's start with the bitter. When my daughters were still young, their father left our home. Although it's been twenty years, I still feel the sting when this time of year rolls around. My girls are now grown and celebrating with their own families but the ache lingers on for all of us. Then there's the sweet. I'm convinced that my dad is the reason that Father's Day was created. He's one of the good ... Read More about When It Hurts

Just a few days ago, a long-time family friend passed away. When my parents relocated from Toronto to London in 1966, they quickly settled into Central Baptist Church and became friends with Cliff and Barb. This began a friendship that has continued for almost sixty years. Every Sunday, until three weeks ago, my mom told me how the four of them would sit together during the morning service. For years, birthday celebrations, dinners out, and Sunday lunches were the norm. This friendship has ... Read More about Why Friendship Matters

I turn 61 tomorrow. Recently, I watched a show that followed the trail of The Pilgrim's Way,  a 230 km historic pilgrimage route to Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England. Built in 560, the cathedral was later rebuilt and enlarged to accommodate the flow of pilgrims visiting the shrine of the martyred archbishop, St Thomas Becket. Walking this ancient pathway, which supposedly takes about two weeks, would be on my bucket list if I were younger. But more and more, I'm realizing that there are ... Read More about How To Live With Disappointment

All I wanted to do was take a quick peek inside the nest. Every year, it's skillfully built in the same place, the bend of the eavestrough affixed to the corner of my house. So the other day, as I quietly approached, it became quite clear that Mama bird had no intention of me checking in on her little ones. Perched in a nearby tree, she created quite a scuffle. As I quickly backed away, I reassured her I would leave well enough alone. Nests are vulnerable to predators, so mother birds use ... Read More about Living Under HIs Wings

Some names immediately stir up certain impressions in our minds. For instance, when someone is referred to as "Scrooge," there's no mistaking that this person is miserly and mean. We often assign certain names to people that characterize their qualities, especially the bad ones. A gossip. A grumbler. A pot-stirrer. A fool. A name says a lot. My daily Bible reading plan has recently taken me through the Book of Acts. I must admit that it's fast becoming one of my favourite books of the ... Read More about A Name Says A lot

In the 80s, I read Gordon MacDonald's Ordering Your Private World. It was very transformational to my life because, up to that point, it was unlike any book I'd ever read. I've revisited it over the years, but recently, I pulled it from my bookshelf and dusted it off again in preparation for a workshop I was teaching. In this book, the author emphasizes the importance of ordering our inner lives before anything else because it dictates our values, our priorities and the way we live. Gordon ... Read More about Clean the Inside of Your Cup