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Yea, all things

come not by chance but by His fatherly hand - Lord’s Day 10

*****

The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.
– Proverbs 16:33

The Heidelberg Catechism is both a confession and a summary of the doctrines of Scripture. The words of the Heidelberg can be easily understood, even though they convey the deep truths of the Bible. Two men, Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus, were commissioned by Frederick the Pious (III), Protestant ruler and devout Calvinist, Elector Palatine of the Rhine (1559–76), to write this catechism for the people. Ursinus was a timid scholar, who preferred study to the limelight, and Olevianus was an eloquent preacher. Both were uniquely gifted and were providentially brought together by God to write the wonderful questions and answers in the Heidelberg.

When our children were younger, my husband Anco and I spent much time in teaching them the Heidelberg Catechism. We considered Lord’s Day 10, dealing with the providence of God, an important section, and we took our time with its questions and answers.

Question 27: What do you understand by the providence of God?
Answer: God’s providence is His almighty and ever-present power, whereby, as with His hand, He still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures, and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things, come to us not by chance but by His Fatherly hand.

At the close of breakfast each morning, even at the risk of missing the school bus, we would recite the phrases in unison. These words were a spiritual intake that contained the past, the present and gave much confidence in the future.

Odd but true

The truth that God is totally in charge of all things, things that occur each day, has been a comfort throughout my life. There is a rather odd, and simultaneously humorous, story which I heard from my sister some forty or more years ago – a story which illustrates God’s providence. Because she is a truthful person, I believe it happened. It runs like this.

A retired preacher was living out his days of retirement together with his wife in a two-story condo somewhere in the States. On Saturday mornings he was wont to take a bath in preparation for Sunday. One Saturday, as he was soaking in the tub, his wife let out a blood-curdling scream in the living room. It chilled him to the bone and he hopped out of his bath. In the altogether, he raced through the hall, into the living room, only to find his wife standing on a chair, totally upset.

“What is it, Mary?” he asked, alarmed by her loss of composure.

She pointed to the couch. “A snake,” she finally managed, “there is a snake under the couch.”

“A snake?” he responded, slowly turning his head, searching the room.

“Yes,” she went on, “I was watering the flowers and suddenly it crawled right by me and crept under the couch.” She again pointed to the couch.

Cautiously Stan, the preacher, walked over and knelt down to take a peek. He couldn’t really see much as it was dark under the couch. As he was investigating, their dog came up behind him, nudging the pastor’s posterior with his cold nose. Thinking it was the snake, Stan promptly fainted, face-down, on the carpet. Mary, brave woman that she was, got down off the chair and hastened over to her husband.

“Stan!” she called out, “Are you all right?”

Stan, however, was out cold. Thinking that he’d suffered a heart attack, Mary ran to the phone and dialed for help, calling for an ambulance.
The ambulance arrived just as Stan was recovering consciousness. Two men raced up the stairs, introduced themselves and skillfully maneuvered the pastor onto the stretcher they had brought with them. Gently and carefully covering him with a blanket, they took his blood pressure, finding it high.

“Sir, it is possible you suffered a heart attack,” they explained, “and we’re just going to take you into emergency to make sure you are not in trouble.”

Reassuring him and his wife in this way, they calmly carried him out of the room into the hallway. Standing at the top of the staircase, one of the two ambulance attendants began a slow descent, holding onto the foot end of the stretcher. The other man, also beginning to descend the stairs, suddenly dropped his carrying end. The snake, who had left the nether region of the couch, had quietly slithered into the hallway across his shoes. It startled the latter attendant to such a degree that he lost control over his end of the stretcher. Stan, the preacher, tumbled down the steps, breaking his left leg.

The providence in this little story lies in the fact that two ambulance attendants were immediately on hand to give first aid to an aging preacher in a rather unfortunate, strange chain of events – events orchestrated by God. The attendants were there to help the preacher in his time of need as God intended.

Our heavenly Father is One who not only sees everything beforehand, which is what providence essentially means, but He also brings about all He determines. Knowing and accepting the fact that God sees everything and brings events about can be a scary thought because it demonstrates that sinful man cannot hide anything from God. But providence is also comforting because it illustrates that God knows and cares for His people.

God has us in the little things too

Last week I had an unanticipated dental appointment. An infection in a bottom molar caused sudden and painful swelling in my left cheek. Resembling a chipmunk, I could barely open my mouth. The dentist immediately prescribed an antibiotic to take care of the infection. After the antibiotics had run their course, I had a second appointment – a consultation about what to do about a tooth that would very likely require an extraction. Like many people, I have anxiety, concern and wariness about sitting down in a dental chair. Yet, the morning of that second appointment my morning devotional had the heading of Psalm 81:10 which read: “I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”

Our God is a God of not just the things we consider huge in life, (such as cyclones and world wars), but also of the little things, the mundane and ordinary. The given text, prior to my dental appointment, made me grin. But the reality is that it also greatly strengthened and encouraged me.

The truth of it is that we may be encouraged to ask God to bless us in all matters pertaining to our daily life. We may open our mouth as wide as we can and request whatever is needful. Spurgeon, in his Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith, gives the example of baby birds being fed by their parents. Squawking away, beaks open so wide you’d think they were going to split their little mouths, they are sustained. Spurgeon says:

“God is ready to fill us if we are only ready to be filled. Let our needs make us open our mouths; let our faintness cause us to open our mouths and pant; yes, let our alarm make us open our mouths with a child’s cry. The opened mouth shall be filled by the Lord Himself. So be it unto us, O Lord, this day.”

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Adult non-fiction, Book Reviews

8 Errors Parents Make and How to Avoid Them

by Michael Brock 2024 / 224 pages Climbing the ladder out of the tranquil waters of Middleton beach, my ears were assaulted by an angry rant. A mother was giving her son a verbal lashing right there on the pontoon deck. The issue, I could not help but learning, was the misuse of some borrowed snorkeling equipment. But the incident was apparently indicative of what a completely useless boy he was in general. “Give me a break, lady. Do you really think your caustic belittling is helping? What chance does this kid have of growing up into a confident, well-adjusted adult? Listen to yourself!” Now I didn’t say any of that aloud. I dove back in and swam to the jetty. But it got me thinking. What does my parenting sound like? Renae and I were reading the recently published 8 Errors Parents Make and How to Avoid Them by Michael Brock. When a friend recommended it, I had raised my eyebrows at the word “Error” in the title. Couldn’t he have titled it, “8 Principles”? Put it in the positive. Give us a bit of encouragement here. But I’ve read the book (twice). “Errors” is the right word. You could even say “Sins.” The book is concise, but incisive and biblical. Nothing new Author Michael Brock opens by admitting that he’s not giving anything new here. In his introduction, he cites some of the materials he and his wife have benefited from. These include a lot of the titles we read earlier in our parenting career: Douglas Wilson, Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, the Tripp brothers (Paul and Ted). But Brock’s contribution is that he nicely balances the explanation of biblical principles with specific practical application. He’s not afraid to describe what this can look like in practice. He acknowledges that other parents have raised godly kids, doing things differently. He’s not saying that if you don’t raise your child as he counsels, you are guaranteed a rebellious child. But he is saying there are clear biblical principles that must be applied by everyone. We ignore them to our peril. Parenting begins with parents For example, the first error is “Shifting the blame.” We like to spread around the blame when things go wrong. One of his mantras is that “parenting begins with parents.” If you are an angry person, your children will likely be angry. If you are a lazy person, your children will likely be lazy. If you are a joyful person, your children will probably be joyful. For sure, there are exceptions. Prodigal sons and daughters break the hearts of their godly parents. But still, parents need to recognize that their training has a massive impact. They have received both authority and a call to train their children. Now, this might not sound like good news, but it is. Because when we see we are shifting the blame, there is grace and power to change. For example, Brock emphasizes that you need to pray with your kids. Not just prayers at mealtimes but meaningfully bringing your needs and theirs before the throne of grace, through the ups and downs of life. You might say, “I’m not good at that. I’ve never done that.” Well, you must learn. With the help of the Lord and His people, you can. When the stakes are low The book has a chapter on each stage of child development: toddler through to teenager. He advises parents to be strict and teach obedience when children are young, so that they can loosen up and give more independence when they are older. Otherwise, older children get frustrated. But many parents do it the other way around. They smile at the foibles and rebellion of their toddler. Tantrums are kind of cute in a one-year-old. But later on, it’s not so cute, and then parents try to rein things in. But sin is sin, even in the young. So, discipline when the stakes are low (“Eat your broccoli”) so that later they will listen when the stakes are higher (“Don’t date that guy”). What does that discipline look like? Our culture has all but lost an understanding of what a loving spanking looks like. Brock gives clear step-by-step guidance on what discipline looks like as the child matures (here he riffs on Ted Tripp’s book, Shepherding a Child’s Heart). Without proper discipline, parents must resort to controlling their young children by berating them. The tirade I heard on the Middleton beach pontoon was much more painful than a couple of paddy whacks. Joy and laughter You may be getting the impression that this book will turn your home into the VonTrapp residence (pre- Maria). But far from it. Brock paints a picture of how beautiful and fun a Christian family is. It is not a dour, unpleasant place. It can be full of more laughter and joy than you can imagine. And children who are disciplined and trained when they are young can grow to be your lifelong friends as adults. Was there anything I didn’t like? Anything unbiblical? I wondered whether by emphasizing the responsibility of the parent to train, Brock might miss the grace and sovereignty of God. When a child grows up to love and serve the Lord, that is the result of a miracle of God’s grace. We can’t take credit for it. But Brock affirms that too. There are no perfect parents. God uses us through our weaknesses. Parents are responsible to do their best and then trust the results to the Lord. The solution to regret Brock describes the day his daughter left for college. His heart was full of regrets. “I should have spent more one-on-one time with her. I have not taught her the best ways to have personal devotions. Etc....” When we are overcome with a feeling of failure, the solution is not to get defensive. It is not to try to remind ourselves of the good things that we’ve done. The solution is to confess our weakness and sin to the Lord. And then to trust that there is grace and forgiveness in Christ. And rest in that grace. God uses us in our weakness. We can trust that by His power we (and they) can grow. While reading the book for the first time, I found myself regularly stopping to repent and pray. I’d recommend Brock’s book to new and experienced parents. You might wince at times. But that’s good. It’s the clear, biblical, practical instruction that parents need. Rev. Arend Witten in the pastor of the Free Reformed Church of Baldivis. This is reprinted with permission from the June 2025 issue of “Una Sancta.”...

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Book Reviews, Children’s fiction

Akimbo and the Lions

by Alexander McCall Smith 1992 / 66 pages Rating: Good/GREAT/Give Alexander McCall Smith is best known as the author of the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency but it turns out he's written a number of children's books as well. And they are good. Really good! Akimbo is a boy who has access to all the coolest animals in Africa – his dad is chief ranger in charge of a wild game reserve, which means that from one book to the next Akimbo is having adventures with snakes and baboons and elephants and crocodiles, oh my! In Akimbo and the Lions he accompanies his father to trap a lion harassing a small village. But things don't go as planned – instead they trap a cub and scare the momma away. That means someone needs to take care of this wee little lion, and Akimbo convinces his dad that he is just the boy for the job! McCall does a wonderful job of balancing the tension in the book. There were moments where my 5 and 7-year-old were covering their mouths (and sometimes their eyes) but these moments didn't last too long. This is just a good old fashioned adventure, perfect for their age group. It is short – a book that can be read in an hour – exciting, sometimes sweet, with gentle humor along the way too. And in this first story, there is absolutely nothing to object to – Akimbo doesn't talk back to his parents, or teacher. No sex, no language, no weird philosophies. The only downside would be God's absence. In an adventure where God's creation has such a big role, it would be only natural to give God his credit for these wonderful creatures. But it seems that Akimbo and his parents are not Christians. And if I was going to add one other nitpick I'll also say this is not the sort of children's book that works equally well as an adult book (this is no Narnia, for example). The story is too simple and predictable for older folk. I only mention that because, since this is by a well known, and well-loved adult-fiction author, that might raise some expectations. But while these are very good kid's books, they are kid's books. There are five in all, in this order: Akimbo and the Lions Akimbo and the Crocodile Man Akimbo and the Elephants Akimbo and the Snakes Akimbo and the Baboons The others In addition to Akimbo and the Lions we've now read the other four in the series. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man was a bit scarier as there is an actual crocodile attack. It all turns out fine in the end, but that extra bit of tension means I was glad we did read things in order, starting with Lions before Crocodile Man – that order meant even in Crocodile Man's scariest bit, my girls understood that this sort of book was going to have a happy ending. Akimbo and the Elephants had Akimbo going behind his dad's back to stop ivory (which comes from elephant tusks) poachers. He has good intentions, but lies a number of times, and even steals some ivory to serve as bait for the poachers. We had to explain to the girls that Akimbo was doing something downright dumb here - that he should be talking his plan over with his dad. So while we enjoyed reading it together, I would have some reservations about my children reading this by themselves. In Akimbo and the Snakes we come along as Akimbo visits his Uncle Pete's snake farm for a month and learns what it means to "milk" snakes. My nine-year-old enjoyed learning more about snakes but said this was definitely a day time and not bedtime book. The only objectionable bit would be in the notes after the story where it briefly mentions that snakes are thought to have evolved from lizards. In Akimbo and the Baboons a "baboon lady" comes for a visit. This is a visiting scientist who has come to study that baboons, and Akimbo and his cousin Kosi get jobs as her assistants. The author believes in evolution, and while that only comes out clearly in a section in the back – "Brilliant baboon facts" where McCall notes baboons are not in the same genetic family as human beings – the scientist, Jen, notes a few times in the story, how the baboons are "a lot like us" or "just like us." True, in some ways, but when we read between the lines here, we can see this is about being similar in an evolutionary sense. I'm making much of this and will note my nine and under kids didn't even notice the evolutinoary angle. So if I was getting these for a school library, I would get the first two – two very enthusiastic thumbs up! – but maybe give the third a miss, and the fourth and fifth with a note about evolution in the front. What's the ideal age range? I'd think kids in Grades One to Three are sure to enjoy them. Akimbo and the Lions is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca....

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News

Saturday Selections – July 19, 2025

One man band This is an amazing performance – one guy sounding like a whole band – on quite the machine! "Scottie Scheffler's take on success in golf: 'What's the point?'" ESPN covers sports, not philosophy, so their article on how the best player in golf doesn't find fulfillment in winning stuck out from their usual fare. But as a secular media organization, they didn't dare ask the question the article raised: if winning golf isn't your reasons for getting up in the morning, what is? I don't know golf, and hadn't heard of Scottie Scheffler before, but I do know how to read between the lines. Scheffler was speaking to how what he spends most of his effort on didn't bringing him but the briefest moments of joy, and that's the sort of thing a depressed guy sitting at a bar might confess to you, or what someone who has found joy elsewhere is happy to admit. Scheffler didn't look like a sad barfly, so I did a bit of digging and discovered he is a professing Christian, and though ESPN's article doesn't share anything about Scheffler's true source of joy, he has been happy to share. They've found a mass dinosaur grave in Alberta... ... and it is seeming very Flood-related. Chip and Joanna feature gay couple on their show After Not the Bee reported on Chip and Joanna Gaines (of Fixer Upper fame) featuring a gay couple on one of their shows, Chip doubled and tripled down on social media, pulling out the most popular verse in the Bible "Do not judge" while ignoring all the rest of what the Bible has to say, including about same-sex relations. Chip called the questions coming his way "hate or vitriol" but as Franklin Graham noted, Chip wasn't acting loving himself. "While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God’s Word.... His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman. Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin." Whatever happened to villains? With Disney recasting its biggest baddies as simply misunderstood, it's following a trend where there is no real wrong or bad. It's another sort of relativism, it'd seem. Do we want to force our religion on others? When you get hit with an accusation, a knee-jerk temptation can be to deny it. But when it comes to the charge of Christians wanting to force our religion on others, we need to plead guilty.... in part. God has no interest in hypocritical worship, so we should never want to force people to go to Church (see Amos 5:21-24, Is. 1:11–15, etc.). But stopping the murder of unborn babies and the infirm elderly is both biblical, and it is a restriction that should be universally applied. So yes, we do want to "force our religion" on others in the laws we want to make. However, while the you-just-want-to-force-your-religion accusation sticks, it actually applies much more so in the opposite direction, and the secular world has little reason not to violate consciences. That's why they'll try to destroy a Christian baker for not wanting to bake a cake to celebrate a same-sex commitment ceremony or gender "transitions." It doesn't matter if there is another bakery in town that could fill the order, this Christian must be punished. Or maybe you know euthanasia is murder, and want no part of it as a doctor or other health professional. You better refer them to another contract killer who will do the hit, or you could face reprisals. The secular ethos must be imposed. The fact is tolerance – within limits – is only a Christian virtue. The Western world has only the remnants of their Christian heritage to restrain them from "or else" demands and as those remnants fade, their religious demands will increase. ...

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Animated, Movie Reviews, Watch for free

The George Müller Story

Animated / Biography / Drama 2019 / 30 minutes Rating: 8/10 In his day, I'd imagine George Müller (1805-1898) was accused of being irresponsible, or maybe even insane. He ran orphanages that helped thousands of children, and yet he never sent out an appeal letter or solicited donations. Instead, he went to the Lord to ask for help. And again and again the Lord delivered what Müller and his orphans needed. One of the most extraordinary examples of God's providence – an account that made it into this fantastic animated biography – is the morning that there was no food for the children for breakfast. So, Müller and the children prayed, and shortly thereafter a baker showed up with fresh bread for the children that, as he put it, God had put it on his heart to donate. And a milkman came knocking, wondering if the children might like his milk, since his truck had broken down nearby, and the milk would spoil anyway. Müller's orphanages served 18,000 children over the years, all of them helped without a request being made to any but the Lord. Cautions I knew a man whose multiple sclerosis had trapped him in a wheelchair. His suffering was physical, but also brought on mentally and spiritually by the brothers and sisters in his Pentecostal circles who questioned if the reason he was in his wheelchair was because he hadn't yet prayed for healing with enough faith and trust. They thought, if you prayed the right way, then God had to do what you say. And that's not so. Our children watching this need to understand that yes, God does provide, and in extraordinary fashion sometimes – twenty years later, this same man was able to walk away from his wheelchair, his MS in remission. But God also answers in ways that might not match with our hopes, and we will simply have to trust that He knows what is best for us, even if that means difficulties and even death. Other cautions could be offered with regard to some of Müller's views, but this video doesn't really get into them. Still, he had his faults and confusions. Parents can address this, not so much by researching him and finding those flaws, but simply by directing young hearts to where their admiration most belongs. George Müller was quite a man, but he served an astonishing God! Conclusion I've seen God act in amazing ways in my own life at times, and I don't think it a coincidence that it was at times when I stepped outside my own comfort zone and acted in obedience to meet a need that I knew was beyond my own ability. I've seen the same happen, all the more so, in others' lives who have been all the more obedient to act in faith and trust. I know of how God has precisely answered prayers, sometimes providing the exact sum required and not a penny more – whether it was as small as a nickel raise, or as large as a cheque for $30,000. Müller got his milk, yes, and that's not the first story I've heard of a Christian having milk arrive out of the blue on their doorstep. I've been told of a needed house downpayment appearing in the hands of a mysterious stranger who was never seen again. Our God is our Father indeed, and He loves us, and generously provides for us. And I do wonder what He might work through us, if we were bolder still, like a Müller, a Corrie ten Boom, or a Brother Andrew (of God's Smuggler fame). This, then, is a film to watch to see what God has already done with a man obediently acting in such faith. And you can watch it for free below. ...

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Book lists, Book Reviews

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Economics

On why freer trade is best

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Saturday Selections – July 12, 2025

Josiah Queen's "A Garden in Manhattan" On the crowded streets, all the people that I see Want them to know the Jesus that I know If I'm the closes...
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Canada’s population almost shrinking

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You now live on šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street

“911, I need an ambulance at 232 šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street, and quickly please!” “Sorry, I didn’t get that. Can you repeat the address?” “The first letter is an s with a hat on it, followed by an x with a w above and to the side of it… BUT CAN YOU PLEASE COME? WE NEED HELP NOW!” This exchange may sound like something from a bad dream, but it is a new reality for about 100 residents who live on what was once called Trutch Street in Vancouver. Vancouver’s city council made a unanimous decision in June to change the name to this indigenous word, which means “Musqueamview,” even though it recognizes that there are no fluent speakers of the language remaining in the world today. Trutch Street was named after Joseph Trutch, BC’s first Lieutenant Governor. Trutch is now seen by many as a colonialist oppressor, particularly because he didn’t recognize aboriginal land title. Those who work for emergency services shared their concerns that the new name will make it difficult for people to get help when they need it, but the city decided that it is sufficient to add “unofficial” signs that read “Musqueamview St.” When the English version is used in writing, city staff clarify that it should include a footnote that says “Musqueamview St is a translated name available for use while colonial systems work to accept multilingual characters.” The city also provided a QR code in a letter, which residents can scan to hear the proper pronunciation. The decision also means that those who live on the street will need to update their licences, insurance, registrations, land titles, credit cards, and more. The city of Vancouver is planning “education opportunities” and invited residents to a “community celebration” to commemorate their decision. Yes, this is another example of woke activism and critical theory at work: stepping on those whom we deem to have been oppressors while justifying today’s oppression as deserved. But it is more than that. It serves as a very clear example of how a secular system, divorced from God, is so enthusiastic about its own religion that it is willing to descend into absurdity. It isn’t enough to remove a name they don’t like, nor to replace it with a name that is politically correct today. It has to go one step further by adopting a language that we aren’t actually capable of speaking or understanding, and then asking the public to celebrate this. Like changing the pronouns “him” or “her” to “them,” the secular worldview is demanding that we ignore logic, truth, and reality, and simply conform to whatever we are told is justice today, even if that changes next year. If others don’t like this, the strong-arm of the state is used to coerce and fine transgressors and celebrate those who conform. What a contrast this is to God’s unchanging will for our lives – it is based on the truth, and our lives are blessed when we live accordingly!...

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News

Government quietly disbands inquiry into residential school graves

Allegations of “mass graves” of indigenous children at residential schools in Canada was one of the top news stories of 2021, making ripples around the world. Those same allegations have inspired annual “every child matters” community events. They may also have triggered the vandalism of over 100 churches since. In response, the federal government established the National Advisory Committee on Residential Schools, Missing Children and Unmarked Burials to investigate the allegations. Three years, and 216.5 million dollars later, the committee has quietly been disbanded. The CBC’s coverage of the decision provided extensive criticism of the decision but failed to mention that not a single grave has been verified in the years since the “discoveries.” To add to this, reputable reports have been published which question the “findings” that sparked the allegations of mass graves. But due to the political narrative that has evolved, seeking the truth could have you labelled a “residential school denier.” A private member’s bill was even introduced in Parliament last year that would have made it an offence to “downplay” the harms caused by residential schools. There is no doubt that inexcusable harms were done at residential schools. Scripture speaks strongly in defence of the vulnerable. The young boys and girls at residential schools, separated from their parents, and under intense pressure to abandon their culture, definitely qualify as vulnerable. And Christians of all kinds now publicly recognize that it was wrong, even wicked, for the government to forcibly separate children from their parents. But the fact that evil was committed at these schools does not mean that the only appropriate response to new allegations can ever be an assumption of further guilt and evil at these institutions. Justice can only be achieved when built on truth. When truth is verified, trust is built, and then a foundation exists for genuine justice and reconciliation....

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Are you still able?

A nation-wide challenge to experience life without screens ***** It used to be different, not all that long ago. Carrie is a teen who always had the kind of contagious smile that would get her friends smiling right back, no matter their mood. She used to shoot hoops with her younger sister after dinner. She enjoyed heart-to-heart chats with her mom while doing her hair. And she treasured many of the devotionals that her dad read to her by the glow of her small bedside lamp. George, a mechanic and all-around handyman, has always counted himself blessed to be married to his wife of 26 years. He was the kind of dad who’d get down on the ground to play with his kids. While three of his kids have moved out, his two youngest children still live at home. George has served as a deacon in his church, where his love of tinkering was a help not only to his own family but to some of the older couples in his ward. Liz’s life changed after losing her husband eight years ago. But she did an amazing job doting on all five of her children, her 23 grandchildren, and the seven great-grandchildren. She’d always make it out for every one of their milestones to give out hugs, and to remind her growing clan of God’s goodness and love. Then, not right away, but over the weeks and months and years, things changed. Carrie’s sister, mom, and grandparents now don’t see much of Carrie. OK, they see her, but not her eyes. Carrie is mostly head down, scrolling on her phone and messaging with people they don’t even know. Her mom has a hard time remembering when they last shared a good chat, or when she last saw her daughter’s beautiful smile. Dad’s devotionals were replaced by someone Carrie follows on Instagram who posts short reflections… which Carrie reads when she has time. George’s wife knows that her husband is still committed to their marriage. But she is having a hard time competing with the attention he gives to his various YouTube subscriptions. His ward doesn’t see him much outside of church, and he seems to spend more time watching clips about fixing cars than actually fixing them. And lately his scale seems to be out by at least 10 pounds. Instead of dropping by with a card, Grandma Liz now sends a WhatsApp message when her children and grandchildren celebrate a birthday. She has become very hesitant to head out her front door. It’s all the nightly news she’s been watching, which is making the world look like an ever-scarier place. Even when she makes a grocery trip, she stays out for as short a time as possible. Carrie, George, and Liz all go to the same church, and share this in common too: they have all slowly become dominated by their screens. None of them think it’s a real problem, but, if pressed, they will agree that they spend more time on their screens than they did a couple of years ago. But isn’t that just life today? Increased screen time may well be one of the biggest changes our world has experienced in the past half-century, with one estimate putting the global average for daily Internet usage at 6 hours and 38 minutes. The correlation between screen time and anxiety, mental health challenges, and weight gain is well-known now. What isn’t so well documented, or discussed in church, is the impact that screens are having on our pace as we “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Heb 12:1-2). Putting screens in their place When Reformed Perspective did a deep dive into this topic last spring, we promoted The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch. Crouch correctly shifts the focus from whether a particular type of technology can or can’t be allowed, to instead how these technologies can be put in their proper place, so that priorities like family, friends, and faith remain priorities. But how is this going for you? Screen time, like money and sex, has become a sensitive topic – okay to talk about in generalities, but don’t get personal! We’re all quick to be defensive and shut down the discussion if anyone dares raise the topic of our own usage. That’s why we challenged our readers to a 10-day screen fast in the last issue. The goal of such a fast isn’t to eradicate screens from our lives. But don’t we all see wisdom in implementing a reset? Let’s test it out, to determine just how reliant we are on our devices, and what sort of impact this dependence may be having on our relationships, including with our LORD. Last month our Assistant Editor Marty VanDriel gathered a group and gave the challenge a go, and you can read about how their screen fast went. Now we’re issuing the challenge again because some generous supporters have presented us with quite the offer. For every person that commits to, and completes, a ten-day screen fast from July 21 to 30 they will donate $100, split between two charities (Word & Deed and Reformed Perspective). They will give up to $20,000! Could you do it? Do you have what it takes to put your screens aside for 10 days? (The screen challenge allows exceptions for necessary activities, like your job and making a phone call.) It may be hard to do this by yourself, so would you consider asking some of your family, friends, and siblings in the LORD to join you? If you can get a group of 10 together, that can serve as a great accountability and encouragement. Plus, it will lead to $1,000 going to two very good causes. And if you don’t think screens are much of a challenge for you, we encourage you to ask your loved ones if they think you should give this screen fast a try. This challenge isn’t so much about saying no to screens as it is about saying yes to other priorities. That’s why we’ve put together 35 ideas for fun, productive, and meaningful activities you can challenge yourself to do during these 10 days. Enjoy some time travel Can you remember not having your phone in your pocket, or not hearing the ping of a new message on your tablet? Although we think screens are essential, we have the power to make necessary changes in our lives. A screen fast can serve as an important reminder to yourself that you don’t have to keep living the way you have. Instead of scrolling, Carrie can shoot some hoops with her sister again. George can go for a walk with his wife, and drop by the home of the young man in his ward who hasn’t been coming to church much lately. And Liz can write a card and deliver it in person to her granddaughter. Yes, you can ignore this screen fast, and hope that your family members and friends don’t bring it up either. But before you brush it aside and reach for your phone, consider for a moment what you want your legacy to be at your funeral. Which Carrie, George, and Liz do you want to be? The one before the screen addiction, or the one after? To register for the screen fast click here. Let’s do this together!...

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News

Saturday Selections – July 5, 2025

On boys, and not failing to launch As singer Brian Sauvé wrote of his song Old Neptune, He's Roaring, "I wrote this... for my boys: Ari, Ira, Cyril, and Alfred. It's a call to go and run the race to win the prize, to do what Paul urged in Romans 2, to live for glory and immortality through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's for your sons, too." N.T. Wright gets it wrong on abortion and the unborn A recent public gaffe by this famous Christian intellectual highlights how few seem to understand the basic argument for the unborn's worth. Even the linked article, by two great Christian thinkers, John Stonestreet and Shane Morris, only gets it right in part. Yes, it is wrong to kill any innocent human being, but why? What makes a tiny human being of the same value as a big one? From where do we get our worth, and from where do we get this notion of equality? The secular world has no answer. But Christians know that there is one thing we all share, and in equal measure. What sets us apart from the animals, but not the unborn, is that we are all made in the very Image of God (Gen. 9:6). It's this foundational truth that N.T. Wright forgot, and that many other pro-lifers neglect as well. But it is this distinctly Christian point that is the only foundation for equality, and in raising it we highlight the antithesis – God's truth vs. the world's emptiness – to the glory of God. So ridiculous, it has to be God A husband whose wife has had to endure 98 surgeries shares how, in the midst of the craziness, they've been reassured that, "God is good. "Christ is near. "Grace is sufficient. "Even when nothing else makes sense. "Maybe especially then." An amazing, encouraging story... God's guidelines for sex aren't arbitrary This is a longer read, but it might shake how you think not only about sex, but how you think about politics, and conversations over the office cooler. Trevin Wax talks of sin as "our hearts bending inward, turning away from God." "The Latin phrase is incurvatus in se – a curving in on ourselves, where we grasp for God’s blessings but push away God himself." Does that not strike you as the popular Christian, Jordan Peterson-esque approach to public debate? We try to teach our world about how they can get some of the blessings of God by following His laws – turning away from pornography, envy, and adultery are all good for us and for our society – even as we pitch it to them completely separate of God Himself. It's what we do because we think our world isn't interested to hear what God has to say. But Trevin Wax seems to call this sin! The massive lies ChatGPT might be telling you A longer read, but this real conversation with ChatGPT takes increasingly bizarre turns. Even if you've already been regularly catching ChatGPT lying to you, this'll be the eye-opener! Would you rather be colonized by Aztecs or Christians? "The right of conquest" is the centuries-old (and longer than even that) notion that if a country conquers and manages to hold an area of land for a length of time it should then be understood as theirs. But many are rightly suspicious of this tradition, and Christians should be in particular, because this tradition runs right up against the 8th Commandment. Or, it would require the commandment be modified such that it says "Do not steal... unless you are bigger and stronger and can hold onto what you've stolen for at least so long." But if we don't like that kind of modification, we should also object to another alteration that's been proposed, though never explicitly: "Thou shall not steal what I stole." As Michael Knowles highlights in this video, we're all immigrants and "colonizers," even including the tribes that were supplanted. As Nathaniel T. Jeanson also highlights in his They Had Names: Tracing the History of North American Indigenous People, tribes fought against tribes, and one supplanted the next. In a very real sense, there are no original owners to give the land back to. Does that mean that it's okay then, to have taken land from the tribes that were here before? No. But it does recast them as, not simply victims, but also victimizers – what was done to them, their ancestors did to others to gain this same land. Let's get that into the land acknowledgements we hear so often: "Before we begin, I'd just like to acknowledge we are on the traditional hunting grounds of the --- tribe, who took these grounds from the ---- tribe, who in turn took them from other tribes, and so on, down through time immemorial...." Where does that leave us with treaty negotiations? I don't know, but I do know more honesty is better than less. If it is wrong for the Western world to have taken what they would by force of arms, then it is no less wrong when it was done by the tribes who were here before us. ...

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News, Pro-life - Euthanasia

MP says: No MAiD for the mentally ill

BILL C-218 PROPOSES TO SCRAP EXPANSION OF EUTHANASIA FOR MENTAL ILLNESS ***** MP Tamara Jansen has introduced a new bill that would repeal the expan...
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Science - Environment

Creation stewards in a logging town

My little blue Kia Soul didn’t quite fit in, as I drove through the industrial section of the small forestry town of Houston, BC. Not only are truck...
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Internet

We took the "No Screens Challenge"

… and now we’re changing our habits ***** Do you remember the last time you were without your phone for a day? Maybe you left it at your friend�...
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Saturday Selections – June 28, 2025

The Franz Family and "Somewhere in glory" If you liked the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, you'll love this but of bluegrass gospel... ...
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Professing God's Name, unashamed, at the Stanley Cup

If you’re a keen hockey fan, you probably watched the last game of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. And while there are many unchristian parts to the game – unsportsmanlike penalties, cursing, sports betting – if you watched long enough, you would have heard one player praise God after lifting the iconic silver trophy. As each player took his turn hoisting the cup, the various broadcasters were interviewing players on the ice. Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky used his minute and a half on Canadian sports broadcast Sportsnet to say this: “I want to thank God for everything that I have and everything that I don’t have… Over my career, I've had so many ups and downs, you know. And one of the last downs I was probably… not many people believed in me that I can come back, you know. Yeah, and again, that’s why I thank God for this experience. I couldn’t even dream about , but now I’m here winning it twice, you know. And again, I couldn’t be more humbled and appreciative. And again, I am nothing, you know. It’s all God.” On the American broadcaster TNT Sports, the Russian goaltender, who identifies as Russian Orthodox, said: “I want to say glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. You know, I dedicate again… and am humbled and appreciative for everything I went through. And I want to give that glory to God. I want to thank Him for everything I have, for my parents, for my family, my wife Olga, my daughter – my two daughters – for this family . Like this family is amazing. I am blessed with everything, and I want to thank God for that.” Although NHL players tend to be fairly private about their faith, Bobrovsky isn’t the lone Christian in the game. The Staal brothers – Eric, Marc, and Jordan– are well known for their Christian faith. Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele helps organize chapel services for his teammates. (Former) San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer and current Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Ivan Provorov have recently refused to participate in their team’s pride celebrations out of their Christian convictions. Each example is a refreshing and encouraging example of Christians trying to live out their faith in all areas of life. We could certainly use more of that....

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Book Reviews, Children’s picture books

Don't trust fish

by Neil Sharpson and Dan Santat 2025 / 40 pages Rating: Good/GREAT/Give Can you look at this title and not open the cover? And it only gets better the further on and further in you go. I've shared this with everyone in my family, though they are all long past the picture book stage. I gave a dramatic reading to my wife, because I just had to. This is the kind of book that can make a dad into a performer – your kids will be asking for encores. You may well get a standing ovation! (I'm quite sure I just missed out on one.) I don't want to spoil the story so I'll only share the inside book flap. Fish. They're in our homes. They're in our water. But what do we really know about them? Don't. Trust. FISH. That, there, is a really good inside flap, and too good to really let it go to waste so let me lay this tip on you dads – don't start this read-aloud on page 1, start on the inside flap! So run – but don't swim – to your nearest bookstore and get this one today!...

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Assorted

Am I lazy or just relaxing?

What does Proverbs say? ***** After a long and hard day at work or school, the last thing someone might want to do is more work. So, some don’t. Instead, maybe we’ll sit around on our phone, scrolling social media, catching up on the latest news. Then, when the weekend rolls around, doing house chores can be the last thing on our minds. So, some don’t. Instead, we’ve sat on the couch and binge-watched our favorite TV series to waste the day away. Taking a break isn’t a problem, but how much is too much? Relaxation can be good, but laziness isn’t. What exactly does the Bible say about laziness and how can we fight against it? And how do we determine whether we are being lazy or just relaxing? Laziness means excuses While the dictionary defines laziness as “the unwillingness to work or use energy,” the Bible has a more applicable explanation. Solomon, in Proverbs 26:13-15, pictures it in this way: 13 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. 15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. In Warning Against Laziness, Alistair Begg says of verse 14: “He can turn to his left, or he can turn to his right, but that’s about it. He absolutely loves it. He makes movement but no progress. Where you found him at seven in the morning you can find him later at eleven in the morning, and perhaps at three in the afternoon.” And what of the lion? The sluggard is happy making excuses for reasons not to leave his house. He becomes a procrastinator. As Begg notes: “And the longer they go on filling their mind with that kind of thing, they have imaginary reasons for their inactivity, and these imaginary reasons finally convince them of the fact that they can rationalize the fact that they don’t get up. Of course, the real danger is not the imaginary lion in the street. The real danger is the roaring lion, the devil, who loves to come and lull people into indolence and defeat.” The more excuses we come up with for avoiding tasks, the more we begin to think it isn’t a problem. A strong temptation Throughout the book of Proverbs laziness arises repeatedly. If God repeats a warning, we know that it matters for our spiritual lives and that it’s a tough temptation to overcome. Proverbs 24:30-34 gives us an image of how detrimental laziness is for our souls. We are given a description of the vineyard of a sluggard and as expected, it is overgrown with weeds, full of thorns, and the walls are in ruins. It is a testimony to his laziness. When challenged with the work and upkeep of his vineyard, this is someone who’d prefer “a little more sleep, a little more slumber.” He or she would rather have 5 more minutes of sleep than do the tasks God has asked of them. Laziness affects more than just vineyards. A few chapters earlier, in Prov. 21:25, we read that “The cravings of the sluggard will be the death of him because his hands refuse to work.” Laziness keeps the heart empty and provides opportunity for the devil to enter an open door. Laziness occurs when we do nothing productive for the soul and the mind. The truth of the matter is that we were made to work. Even in the Garden of Eden, Adam was given work to do, to tend the garden and name the animals (Gen. 2:15-20). We work to glorify God, and God has so created us that when we live out our purpose, it is good for us to work too. When we fail to obey the command to work hard, we are more susceptible to other temptations as well. We need to be working hard, whether that is in the home caring for our children, providing an income for our family, or doing our best in school so that we aren’t easily tempted. We need to be aware of laziness as a sin. It isn’t a joke because sin, left unchecked, separates us from God. It effects the wholeness of our lives, and it needs to be dealt with. Those hours spent on Instagram or Tik Tok are times that you could be enjoying communion with others, doing the tasks God’s set out for you, spending time with Him in His Word, and more. The point is that if you don’t discipline yourself to be diligent in your work, studies, in practicing hospitality, and in the reading of the Bible, as well as prayer, you will become lazy. Laziness is the default; it’s the result of not trying. Remember the Parable of the Talents, with the servant who buried his talent – the master took it from him and gave the talent away to someone who would actually do something with it (Matt. 25:14-30). God is not happy with the bare minimum from us. We need to make the most of every opportunity lest laziness hinder us from serving God wholeheartedly. Fight laziness with productivity What can we do to assure ourselves to not fall into this temptation? We can ask ourselves one simple question: Have I been productive today? If you can list off a number of things, then a break might be just the thing. If you ask this same question to your parents, or your spouse – “Have I done anything productive today?” – you’ll likely get an honest answer. Another good starting question could be “what does productivity look like in your home?” Learn from others what it means to be productive. Each individual has their own happy medium so there is nothing wrong with asking around. And if you are struggling with laziness here are some other tips that have helped me: 1) Pray – Ask God to show you when you aren’t putting in a good effort 2) Read what Scripture says about laziness and work 3) Listen to (or read) Alistair Begg’s “Warning Against Laziness” 4) Go for a walk when you can – keep yourself in shape 5) Call a friend whom you haven’t talked to in a while – put effort into your relationships Fight laziness by resting On the other hand, burning out isn’t godly either. Just because God calls us to work hard doesn’t mean we should work to a point of pure exhaustion at the end of the day. How can we ever thank Him if we’re too busy to see what He is doing? Jesus reminds us to rest, “And He said unto them, ‘come away by yourself to a desolate place and rest awhile’” (Mark 6:31). He says rest awhile. He tells his apostles that even the most active servants of Christ cannot always be upon the stretch of business and work. They too need some time to recharge. Christ understands how weary our lives are. He went through it every day during His ministry. We can turn to Him knowing He’s experienced exhaustion too. So He provides those free afternoons or evenings when there’s no homework taking over. He gives us the weekend for a change of pace from our daily work, and to go out with friends. He has even set aside a day every week where we can step away from our obligations and come praise Him in His house with fellow believers. We have an obligation to serve Him wholeheartedly and always, but this doesn’t mean working 6 days a week for every waking hour. It’s just that having a break doesn’t have to mean pulling out your phone to doomscroll. It might be as simple as taking a moment to consider every blessing that God has given, and express gratitude for them. It means being present with your family, teaching them the ways of their Maker and training them up in His word. When you feel deflated, read Psalm 23. God leads us to the still waters, not the raging sea. He restores our souls and gives us quietness of mind. How do I know it’s rest? The difference between rest and laziness might come down to its purpose. Laziness is an avoidance – avoiding the laundry piling up, the lawn that needs mowing, the taxes that need doing, the kids that need engagement, whatever it might be. Rest is about restoration, to make yourself ready again to do the work God has prepared for you. Rest will feel good, it will be enjoyable, and it’s God-given. When I find myself being lazy, I notice that it stinks. I feel sluggish. A sluggard man does not enjoy being lazy. In contrast, a busy man enjoys a day of rest. He is satisfied because he has completed the task to which God called him. Keep this in mind as you go about each day. Serve the Lord wholeheartedly with your hands and with your rest. We must be good stewards with the time we’ve been given glorifying God in our work. Laziness is serious; it is incredibly dangerous – the Bible has nothing good to say about the fate of the sluggard. So, when that snooze button is tempting you, think through who God is calling you to be, and how much more important obedience to Him is, than 5 more minutes of sleep. And because we aren’t alone in this race, we can be an encouragement to one another, reprimanding each other gently to stop putting off things until tomorrow. The difference between laziness and rest matters! God has saved us. He sent his Son to die for us, and we have only a limited time here on Earth to express our gratitude towards Him. So let’s repent from the opportunities we’ve wasted, and ask Him to help us take up “the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10)....

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Assorted

Our forever home

Reflections on finding permanence from someone who has lived in 27 homes. ***** Home is Where the Heart Is. God Bless Our Home. Home Sweet Home. Have you seen or heard these slogans lately? Maybe on a plaque or as an embroidered craft on your grandmother’s wall? Maybe on a hand-painted sign? Or how about this. You’re searching real estate online and a beautiful property is described as “your new forever home!” Recently, I heard a Christian podcaster use that term – forever home – in reference to where she was living. It made me think a little deeper about how we bandy those words about. Perhaps a little carelessly? God understands Although the idea of finding the perfect place to live is universally appealing, what should our perspective as Christians be? We’re all going to die one day so the concept of finding a permanent place on this planet is fundamentally flawed. So where is our forever home? As believers we know that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). And yet God understands our earthly desire for home here and now. He promised the Israelites that one day they would enter a land flowing with milk and honey. They would build houses and dwell securely. Psalm 132:13-14 says, “For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place; ‘This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it’” . If God desired an earthly dwelling place, then surely, He understands our desire for one. How do we live with our own intense longing and need for an earthly home, knowing that this planet ultimately is not where we will spend eternity? The conundrum set before us is to create loving spaces where we can raise families, practice the art of hospitality, and honor God… all the while remembering the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Did you catch that last part? Sounds a lot like Home is Where the Heart Is, doesn’t it? My parents did an amazing job of keeping the tension between our earthly and heavenly homes foremost in the hearts and minds of their five children. Whenever we drove home from an afternoon of shopping, a visit to another family, or our annual camping trip, my mother sang an old-fashioned song… ‘Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. But she always followed that up with… There's a land that is fairer than day, And by faith we can see it afar. To an impressionable, often sleepy young child, sitting squished between her older siblings in the backseat, that balance struck home. The yearning for a safe place at the end of a long tiring day became permanently intermingled with the conviction of knowing this world isn’t our final abode. Citizenship? Fast forward through the years and I’m in a car again. Over our 40+ years of marriage I’ve moved many times with my husband and have given a lot of thought to this subject. Each time we moved into a new place, I prayed for God’s hand of protection to cover us. Each time we moved out, I learned to hold our earthly possessions lightly, letting go of material things and clinging ever more tightly to heavenly treasures. My car is parked beside a booth. A uniformed guard perches on a stool inside. “Citizenship?” he asks brusquely. I’m at the border. Crossing the invisible line between two nations. On my way to visit our daughter who married an American and moved there fifteen years ago. Every time I’m asked that inevitable question, I want to answer “my citizenship is in heaven.” But then I remember that the agent posing the question has the authority to lawfully detain me or send me on my way. I dutifully answer “Canadian.” How much more can God, who has the ultimate authority, welcome us one glorious day into His everlasting kingdom… or banish us from His presence. Our forever home is not and never can be here on earth. One day, at the brink of eternity, we will all stand before His judgment throne, and our citizenship will either be in heaven or hell. Let’s be diligent to lay up our treasures where they rightfully belong. In our true forever home....

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