suffering

Happy Thanksgiving!

For my American readers you are probably thinking, this is a little early. It’s kind of like seeing that first Christmas ad just after Halloween. Let me assure you, I am not trying to be the first to get your attention about Thanksgiving. In Canada we celebrate turkey day earlier than our friends south of the border. The reason is actually quite simple, we have a shorter growing season, so harvest is earlier leading to us being thankful before our American neighbours. I tell you this in case the American president decides to suggest that their northern neighbors (notice the two spellings purposely placed in this blog) are not playing fair by being first to celebrate Thanksgiving leading to some sort of cranberry tariff…

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A Little Time Away.

I miss writing but it never hurts to take some time away. It isn’t as much about rest as it is about perspective. Sure, we all get tired out. We all need time to recharge. Still, sometimes we are ready and raring to go but where we are going isn’t always where God wants us to be. Even when we are headed in the right direction, how we perceive what God is doing can be through the eyes of our own desires. Other times we perceive what is happening to us as not of God because God wouldn’t allow that to happen. Then comes the hybrid version of both, the lie we sometimes tell ourselves; we were heading in the right direction but because something unexpected or unwanted happened, evil has derailed what was once God’s plan. Our eyes still can be blinded by our world view and our understanding of how God views our world.

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Is Democracy Compatible With being a Christian Country?

The simple answer is NO! I am not sure how you are reacting to this assertion of mine or even if you will continue reading but one thing I am sure of is that if you go beyond the basic idea and actually attempt to conceptualize what a Christian country would look like you will most likely arrive at a similar conclusion. If you are still along for the ride, let’s work through this together.

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The Best Offence is…

…an outside observer with no actual issue taking issue with something or someone on another’s behalf. There was a time when the best offence was a good defence, but things have changed. Instead of playing defence people have taken to making others go on the defence because they find what they are saying offensive. Yes, there are universally offensive actions, at least there used to be, but what was once black and white has become grey while what was once no big deal has become the thing most offensive to a select group of self-appointed defenders of those they perceive in need of defence.

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Where Were You When…?

At first glance this could be a question you would ask of someone you were counting on during a difficult period of time. There is nothing worse than facing the things that life throws at us without the support of those who we feel we can count on. The tone of voice assigned to this question immediately exposes the degree of pain one has been forced to endure in what can be best described as isolation.

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What If?

It’s a strange time in my life. I wrongly assumed that the things I have done and continue to do would have reached more people. Somehow, I came to the conclusion that the things I love to do like writing blogs, plays and music, my book, leading worship and preaching sermons would lead to a wider audience. I’m not saying I expected to be famous or even well known. I’m not going to lie; I dared to dream once in a while that I could be more than I am, be someone who’s name came up when people talked about this thing or that thing  but now my dreams can be best described as backwards. Instead of a vision of what I want my future to be, my dreams revolve more around the past and the question, “What if?”

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