Category: assorted
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AssortedLearning to be anxious for nothing
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of…
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AssortedA biblical counselor’s advice for church leadership
In the article “Anxiety and the triumph of hope,” we shared insights from three biblical counselors about anxiety. What follows is further insight from one…
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AssortedAnxiety and the triumph of hope: 3 biblical counsellors explain anxiety
As God’s people wandered in the wilderness, they were sustained by bread from heaven – Manna. Not only was it nutritional, it also came with…
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AssortedA pastor on anxiety
Rev. Dirk Poppe is serving as the pastor of the Southern River Free Reformed Church, in Western Australia. Prior to this he served as pastor…
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AssortedWords and Phrases: a little road trip quiz
When you travel out for your holidays this summer and are stuck in traffic with a carful of fidgety teenagers, or are snugly ensconced in…
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AssortedPuppy love: in praise of pets
I was lucky enough to share my growing-up years with a big red chow chow. After deferring my request to get a dog for some…
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AssortedToo certain by half: standing firm doesn’t mean dismissing all debate
As a young man I spent years trying to decipher the stony response I got when people found out my church denomination. I finally discovered there…
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AssortedTragedy, resistance, and change: Glimpses into the Lejac Residential School near Fraser Lake, BC
The following is based on numerous original letters, reports and other primary source correspondence that is available online. It attempts to provide some insights and…
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AssortedTolerance
The common word on the streets today is “tolerance.” That idea, however, is wrong – very wrong… dead wrong! There’s no such thing as tolerance….
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AssortedHow to have a proper conversation
or, Confessions of a Loquacious Person ***** Loquacious: tending to talk a great deal We might all think that we know how to have a…
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AssortedRed, White, and Blue? Are there greener pastures south of the border?
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” These words are engraved on…
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AssortedIs it time to leave Canada?
I had to answer this question in front of a live, though physically distanced, audience in Toronto in the fall of 2021. The presentation occurred…
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AssortedSanta Claus at Nicea
As we continue to celebrate Advent, we need to deal with a competing story. But it would probably be more accurate to say that we…
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Assorted“Yes, Virginia, there was a Santa Claus”
In 1897, The Sun newspaper was asked a doozy of a question. Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wanted to know: “is there a Santa Claus?” The little…
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AssortedGetting used to a new church
The time may come when you must leave the church you grew up in and become a member elsewhere. Let me be clear: I’m not…
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AssortedAging in hope!
I am 68 years of age and retired, so I suppose I am considered old. In our politically correct times, I am called either a “senior…
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AssortedThe gift of sleep: it’s good for what ails you
Early to bed is a spiritual discipline. You may have said it yourself at some time, “I can get by with only 5-6 hours of sleep…
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AssortedG.K. Chesterton on the difference between reformers and deformers
As a young man I had questions about how my denomination conducted services: Why did we have an organ and the style of music we…
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AssortedThe coming battles over church property
Same-sex “marriage” and sexual morality were hot topics in evangelicalism in the late-90s and early 2000s. Since the legalization of same-sex “marriage” in 2005, the…
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AssortedHolding on to wisdom: What would a younger you tell you to do?
I’ve written on marriage and headship in the past but when a friend asked me for my “expert take” on a marital matter he had…
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AssortedTruth requires you to love and love requires you to be truthful
Contrary to popular opinion, love and truth don’t stand in opposition to one another. In fact, you can’t really have one without the other. To…
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AssortedIs recreational marijuana sinful?
God says we should honor the governing authorities (Romans 13:1-6) in as far as they don’t require us to violate God’s law. So, before today,…
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Adult non-fictionReflections on “12 ways your phone is changing you”
The phone has had a huge impact on our way of life. This was true already, back in the 1920s, when the coming of the…
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AssortedSeniors: Florida does not exist
Some seniors have a phobia about aging. They see their retirement years as a curse of boredom and uselessness. Others see them as an opportunity…
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AssortedLesson From My Mum: there is hope for western civilization
I learned an important lesson from a cheap house plant last week – that plant was a chrysanthemum (mum), and it comes with a background…
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AssortedThe words a father speaks
The words a father speaks to his children in the privacy of the home are not overheard at the time, but, as in the whispering…
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AssortedFraud and Truth
Fraud is defined as wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. And insurance fraud is a deliberate deception perpetrated against…
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AssortedAllies vs. cobelligerents: don’t mix them up!
Sometimes we find the most unlikely sorts fighting alongside us. Maybe it’s atheists and Roman Catholics standing with us against abortion, or feminists joining hands with…
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AssortedAll’s well with the Earth
“I’m so glad that my parents never experienced such a time as this, such a time of uncertainty.” “I’m so glad they did not have…
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AssortedSuffer Annie Spence
The smooth money resting in John’s calloused hand equaled his small plot of land; a few acres lay on a roughened palm. It had only…
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Assorted“You too?” What friendship is, and why it’s so hard to find
Finding good friends can be a daunting process. Oh, sure, some people seem to slide quickly and easily into friendship in only a matter of…
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AssortedWhat does God’s “favorite” Bible verse tell us?
We all have our own favorite books, chapters, and verses in the Bible. I love the last 5 chapters of Job, where God answers Job…
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AssortedGezellig: cozy, restful
When I think of my mom, an image that often comes to me is one of her sitting in her rocking chair, holding her cup of…
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AssortedA matter of seeing: decay and delights to consider
Some years back we rented a little island cottage north of Kingston, Ontario, sight unseen, for the first week of July. The fact that in…
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AssortedThe devil’s foothold
Three demons perched on the edge of a big-city skyscraper. They often met at this particular pinnacle at the close of a day swapping stories…
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AssortedWhen promises hold up as well as pie-crusts…
“Promises and pie-crust are made to be broken,” wrote the British satirist Jonathan Swift. Swift’s bit of cynicism seems to be aimed squarely at politicians….