The flower-of-the-hour grew happily at the side of the strawberry patch in my garden. Its buds began to swell as it joyfully prepared to show its beautiful white and red flowers.

But, then, a lawnmower came roaring down upon it. The buds were gone and the plant stood as only a fraction of its former self. Read more…

On January 10, 2017 we had our house examined and tested for energy use. We had done a good job on the insulation side. But…

When it came to the air exchange test major problems were exposed. There were such significant leaks in the house the tester could not even get to the recommended internal air pressure.

Now the natural gas supplier had already sent us a report saying we were using 216% more gas than the 100 houses around us. But we did not feel any significant discomfort and were comfortable with the warmth in the house.

We didn’t know what the problem was until the expert arrived and exposed the gigantic flaws in our house.

What a parable! Around me I see people who name Jesus and yet have no spiritual power, discernment, effectiveness or humility. Yet when a prophet speaks truth to call them back to servanthood and costly duty in serving that very Jesus, they not only refuse to hear, since their religion affirms their status, but they even destroy the prophet. (“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven! The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways” [Matthew 5:11-12 God’s Word©]).

Are you comfortable in your religion because you are used to a spiritual half-life? If you only interact with those who agree with you where is your growing edge?

Or are you plugging up the holes in your holiness?

I was in a small American town to visit some friends. The pastor (though I didn’t know he was) tested my faith fairly strongly. Read more…

Is life comfortable with everything running smoothly? Then this is a time to fall humbly before God in thanksgiving and exercise faith to resist fleshly impulses. Don’t make the mistake of thinking “the good life” is where it’s at. Read more…

Some things about computers boggle the mind. If you type in a search it will correct spelling, change the order of words, anything to figure out what you want. Read more…

On July 19, 2013, I received the regular mailing from Anton Topilnyckyj. I felt it was worth sharing to a wider audience, and to bring attention to an important ministry which I am honoured to be a member of. Read more…

Changing from one thing to the next chapter can be tiring, challenging or even scary. Doubts may creep in. Read more…

It came to me that people wondering about God might be compared to someone looking for an apartment. Read more…

I still like winter. The beauty of the fresh-fallen snow refreshes the soul. Bundling up to go out to shovel, walk or play still feels like fun.

This morning we awoke to this scene, another big storm stretching from the Atlantic states through Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces. True, such a storm wreaks havoc on the modern industrial/commercial world, and unnecessary travel presents true danger that should certainly be avoided.

Our home, however, shelters us from the storm. We see it, hear it, watch it, but the walls and roof and furnace defeat the ill-effects of the storm.

I sense a parable in this storm. Read more…

Where I work the earth turns to grime galore in the rain. The hiring company’s logo disappears from sight. The identifier our company uses requires constant cleaning to remain visible, at the cost of rag after rag, and a string of paper towels at the end of a shift to clean the magnetic signs before storage.

And this came to me: Read more…