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Parenting

The Pity Party Pit and how to get out of it

An exhortation to mothers on guarding our hearts and minds from the sin of self-pity

*****

Homemaking and motherhood are hard. There are days and even seasons when the monotony can feel palpable as we change one more diaper, wash one more dish, and prepare one more meal. “Does anyone in this house notice my hard work? Appreciate it? A thank you would be nice.” Before we know it, a woe-is-me, victim mindset takes hold and, voilà, we’ve fallen into the Pity Party Pit.

“Well, wait one minute,” our flesh says. “Surely my feelings are justified. I’ve been in prayer over this. I’ve been crying to the Lord for help. He’s seen how unappreciated my work is; how hard I’ve been trying to serve my family; to honor Him. If there is any sin happening, it’s sin being done to me, not by me.”

Hit the pause button

Let’s pause here.

These are all understandable feelings, but are they right thinking? As Christian women living in a world saturated with self-care mantras, we can’t let ourselves be shaped by them. We need to fill our minds with the truth of God’s Word so we aren’t tossed to and fro on the world’s waves of self-help philosophy. Right thinking means knowing what God says about our hardships and struggles and how He commands us to deal with them.

We are called to take all thoughts captive to Christ, to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh, and to be content in all circumstances… and that means all.

Yikes! That’s a tall order. Or is it? Does our loving Father give us commands without also giving us the grace to obey? Christ Himself tells His disciples in John 14:15-18a:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans…”

Do you want to hear something encouraging? This is just one of over 7,000 precious promises found in Scripture that God has for us to lay hold of. When we realize that many of these promises are accessible now, we can encourage our hearts and minds to walk according to our new nature and not be dragged down by the old man who has been crucified with Christ. Life, and life abundant, is what Christ has made available to us; and He has given us every tool to make a life abundant a reality.

With that, we can confidently declare that self-pity has no place in our new nature, including no place in our homemaking or motherhood. Knowing this, let’s replace the lies we’ve been telling ourselves with God’s Word, which is a “lamp unto feet and a light unto path” and lay hold of the rope that pulls us out of this pit…

He lets us see it coming

We serve a loving and kind God. In fact, the Lord is so kind in His dealings with us, that He gives us ample opportunity to see sin coming and put into practice our new nature and gifts found in Christ. Let’s take a look at how James lays out the process of how our sin is actually birthed:

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15, NKJV)

If we read this Scripture carefully, we can see that the road to actual sin is a process. James explains that this process starts with our own desires enticing us. So, if we find ourselves in the Pity Party Pit, we can know that we have an unmet desire. The sin of self-pity typically is the result of multiple sinful thoughts about unmet desires that have not been confessed, repented of, or corrected. Rather, they’ve been stewed upon or vented in an ungodly way.

For me, my secret desire (that is often unmet, being the mother of four small children) is control. When I lose control, I begin to stew on my frustrations. The stewing makes it very easy for me to fall into the Pity Party Pit, especially when I continue down this path of sin by validating my ungodly feelings rather than confessing them.

Let me set the scene. It usually goes something like this…

I have a great day planned for the family. I’ve taken every measure to prepare all meals and activities the night before. Stress-free and the livin’s easy! Spur-of-the-moment play-date planning? Check!

Carpe diem!

We all sit down to breakfast with our Bible open, ready to honor Christ as living sacrifices.

“I hate eggs,” says my three-year-old.

“Okay,” I think to myself. “He’s three. Correct and overlook the offense.”

Then the two oldest start arguing over animal facts from the last Wild Kratts episode we watched while my three-year-old continues to pout about the eggs. Before I can gather my next thought, I hear my 9-month-old crying, only to find him in his crib rolling around in a blown-out diaper.

“Honey! Can you make me coffee?” shouts my husband from downstairs.

My brain goes into over-stimulation overload and I feel the mom-lecture coming on.

“You can stop now, Brianna,” I tell myself. “Stop now and redirect this in a godly way.”

In my flesh, I decide that’s a hard no – and I burst.

I unleash my unrighteous anger (which I call righteous anger in the moment of course) on anyone within earshot. I speak in a tone unbecoming of a Christian woman, let alone a Christian mother, and decide to spray everyone around me in a shower of sin disguised as godly wisdom.

Does this sound familiar?

It’s about this time that I see the Pity Party Pit. Why does it look so inviting? It’s wooing me toward it like the woman Proverbs warns about. Sweet like honey? No – a deadly poison. Instead of taking the path around the Pity Party Pit, straight into the arms of Christ, I jump headlong into it. For a moment it tastes sweet, but I quickly begin to taste the bitterness. Then, almost instantaneously, follow the accusations of the enemy:

“You’re a terrible mother. You really shouldn’t have more children.”

“You were just praying THIS morning about being a more gentle mother, Brianna. You’re hopeless.”

Sound familiar again?

There is a way out

It’s easy to see the process of sin unfold when you write it down on paper, but in the moment it is much more deceitful and difficult to see. This calls for prayer. The Lord is faithful to answer us when we pray according to His will. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says:

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NKJV)

As we can all see by my own failure described above, the Lord did give me a way out; I just didn’t take it. The enemy also chose to attack me directly after I had fallen into the Pity Party Pit with accusations about my identity. However, herein lies the Achilles’ heel of Satan – and our way out of the pit.

When Christ died on the cross, Colossians 2:15 says:

“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Furthermore, Romans 8:1 encourages our hearts: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

The devil’s accusations that keep us trapped in the Pity Party Pit have no hold on us. Christ has defeated Satan and all his minions. He has “disarmed them and put them to open shame.” When the devil or our own hearts accuse us, we can confidently declare our identity in Christ, confess our sin, and repent. I highly recommend doing this out loud. I speak the truths of Scripture out loud over myself, my husband, and my children daily. I even do it when I am by myself doing chores. We are:

• Elect (Luke 18:7)
• New creatures (2 Cor. 5:17)
• Heirs (Rom. 8:17)
• Citizens of Heaven (Phil. 3:20)
• Children of Light (Eph. 5:8)
• Kings (Rev. 5:10)
• a Royal Priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9)
• and my personal favorites, the aroma of Christ (2 Cor. 2:15), and Free (John 8:36)

Do I sound crazy? Maybe.

Do I care? No.

We are who Christ says we are, and we must do whatever it takes to replace lies about our identity and our reality with truth. Only when we know the truth and how it applies to every nook and cranny of our life, will it set us free. This is when we can start walking out our new nature. Bible study, time in prayer, confession and repentance are all growth and healing opportunities our loving Father has provided us through Christ. These are gifts freely given that we must make use of if we are to be effective in glorifying God through our homemaking. There is so much grace to be received – more than you and I can even comprehend.

Called to battle

Conquering and triumphing over the sin of self-pity calls for war. As mothers, what better reason to go to war than for our own soul and the souls of those under our care? We must walk worthy of our calling in Christ, using the sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God – to cut down all sin that sprouts forth in our hearts. We are to take every thought captive to Christ and walk in humble submission. The Lord Jesus says that fullness of joy is found in obedience to His commands. If He commanded it, He will give us the grace to obey.

Our pastor, Zach Wilke, recently exhorted our congregation, “If you want a flourishing garden, pulling weeds is a necessary first step, but it will not actively produce the fruit you desire. For that, you must plant seeds, you must water them, you must prune the branches, and you must defend them against invaders.”

See things as they really are

As I like to tell my kids: “Put on your Kingdom goggles.” See things through God’s eyes, obey, and watch Christ bless you with fullness of joy as you seek to abide in Him.

Are you feeling downcast because your child just colored all over the table you just cleaned?

Are you feeling frustrated because you can’t seem to get into a regular Bible time?

Are you ticked off because your husband just put his three-day-old blueberry-crusted smoothie cup in the sink right after you started the dishwasher?

Think of these moments as opportunities to train in righteousness, practice godliness, and petition God in prayer. As I like to tell my kids: “Put on your Kingdom goggles.” See things through God’s eyes, obey, and watch Christ bless you with fullness of joy as you seek to abide in Him. These are good works, faith-strengthening tests, and obstacles prepared for you directly by the hand of God – all of it to mold you more into the likeness of our Savior.

Remember, this is the entire point. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches us, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” You and I were created to be living sacrifices unto God and to find fullness of joy while doing it.

So instead of grumbling – out loud or quietly in our hearts – speak life, speak truth.

“Lord, thank You so much for washable markers and an opportunity to disciple my child.”

“Lord, forgive me for not being in Your Word regularly in this season. I am without excuse, but I also thank You for giving me an abundance of good work and teaching me to live out my faith.”

“Lord, thank You for my husband’s blueberry-crusted, three-day-old smoothie cup. I’m so grateful for him working hard to provide food for our family. One day I will miss this.”

Okay, maybe we won’t miss the blueberry-crusted smoothie cup – but you get the picture.

Replace grumbles with gratitude

Cultivating a heart of thankfulness pushes out a heart filled with grumbles and self-pity. Thanksgiving toward God for all of our blessings – starting with the fact that we are alive and breathing, all the way up to our salvation – should be meditated upon each morning. When we create a habit of thinking upon all we are grateful for, it’s amazing how the devil’s flaming darts are extinguished. It’s amazing how quickly our Lord can pull us out of the muck and mire and reorient our eyes toward Him.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” (Phil. 4:8, NKJV)

We’re in this race together. Eyes up.

Brianna Stevens is a mother to four, wife to one, and a recovering pity-party thrower. Her passion is to encourage women to run the race well.

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Perhaps you should run

Obedience belongs to us. The results belong to the Lord. ***** Every four years, for a brief season, nomination papers open and the question becomes concrete: who will step forward to govern our towns and cities? Budgets and bylaws will be passed, libraries and parks funded, streets and neighborhoods planned, and public moral judgments made. Decisions will be made. The question is, by whom, and according to what vision of justice and the public good? I write to suggest that some of you should step forward, and that those who do must let God’s Word govern the campaign and leave the result to the Lord. I write this while running for municipal council in my home city of Peterborough, Ontario. I do not write from the safety of hindsight. The campaign is underway, and whatever attention or pressure may come as election day approaches has not yet come. That is part of why I want to think clearly now. I have said that I am not running despite being a Christian, but because I am a Christian. 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You already have more good work before you than hours in which to do it. Those responsibilities may be why you should not run. But municipal elections generally come only every four years. The opportunity to stand is not permanently available, and for many of us a truly quiet calendar is not a few months away but decades away. If we wait until our responsibilities have thinned out and life finally feels manageable, the nomination period will have closed and someone else will have stepped forward. Scripture warns us against burying w hat has been entrusted to us, and it tells us that whoever knows the good he ought to do and fails to do it sins. That does not mean every capable Christian is commanded to become a candidate. Capability is not identical to calling. But capability does create a responsibility to discern. I ran as a federal candidate in 2021. I did not win. Campaigning did take time. Yet I learned that public service need not simply subtract from family life. At times it can be woven into it. My family came with me to rallies, debates, and candidate events. They helped deliver literature. My oldest daughter baked cupcakes for the campaign. We traveled, talked, worked, and learned together. Time itself is finite, but family life is not simply a ledger in which every hour spent in public service is an hour stolen from one’s children. A child who comes to a debate, helps deliver flyers, watches his father speak with an opponent, or prays for an election is not necessarily being deprived of family life. He may be receiving a memorable form of Christian instruction. The campaign became part of our life together. My children saw that public responsibility was not merely something their father discussed at the dinner table. It was something a Christian family could practice. This must not be romanticized. A man who neglects his wife and children while claiming to save the country has misunderstood Christian service. A wife should not be steamrolled by political ambition, and children should not be treated as campaign props. Some families are in seasons when candidacy would plainly be irresponsible. Still, “I have a family” or “I am already serving” should not always end the discussion. When the cost became personal After the 2021 federal election, the Peterborough Public Library began hosting “Drag Queen Story Time” events for children. A friend and I organized two peaceful protests, one in September 2022 and another in January 2023. We said publicly that God made human beings male and female, that this created distinction is good, and that deliberately blurring it is harmful, particularly when children are involved. In the days before, during, and after the second protest, the opposition became much more intense and personal. Some people involved in the counter-protest found my employer through LinkedIn. They tweeted at the company, telephoned, and tried to have me fired. That was wicked behavior. I wish I could say that I met the pressure with calm confidence. I did not. When people began contacting my employer, the possible cost was no longer theoretical. I had a wife and nine children to provide for. I found myself thinking about what would happen if I lost my job and how I would continue caring for them. I was afraid, and I am ashamed that I did not trust God’s fatherly care more readily. Thankfully, I did not withdraw what I had said or abandon the stand we had taken, and I discovered then that willingness in principle, and steadiness under pressure, are not quite the same thing. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is obedience while fear is still present. In the end, I was not fired, although I was placed under pressure at work. That experience made me more active in seeking other employment. In time, an opportunity arose with ARPA Canada. The public advocacy that some people had tried to make a professional liability became an asset and part of the experience that fitted me for my present work. There was other good as well. My friend and I were quoted in the local newspaper saying plainly that God made human beings male and female, and that this is good. My friend was later interviewed on national radio, where he had a further opportunity to speak about the issue. The truth about God’s created order went out more widely than it otherwise might have. We did not persuade the library to stop hosting “Drag Queen Story Time,” so we did not achieve the immediate result we had sought. But silence did not have the last word. God has not promised that every Christian who speaks publicly will keep his job or quickly receive a better one. Faithful Christians have lost employment, income, professional standing, friendships, and much more. But, as Lord’s Day 10 teaches, “all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand.” I can now identify several ways the Lord used that period for good. At the time, I could not see them. That is often the nature of obedience. We are called to obey before we are shown what the Lord intends to do with it. An opportunity to speak plainly Running for office can give you the opportunity to share truth with people you might never otherwise communicate with. I am now in another campaign, and if attention increases as election day approaches, I expect some questions concerning my previous advocacy, and my Christian beliefs. I welcome those questions. If reporters, voters, or opponents ask me about abortion, transgender ideology, drag events directed at children, or my belief that Jesus Christ is Lord of public life, I hope to answer plainly. Public attention can bring pressure, but it can also widen the audience for truth. The concern is not that people may discover what I believe. The concern is whether, when pressed, I will speak with the clarity, charity, and confidence that those beliefs require. Honest scrutiny is not persecution. A candidate asks the public to entrust him with authority. Voters and journalists are entitled to ask about his record, beliefs, judgment, and character. Some criticism may be true and necessary for me to hear. A difficult question is not an attack simply because I would have preferred an easier one. There is, however, a subtler danger. A candidate can begin responding to opposition before it arrives. He imagines the headline, the social-media campaign, the accusation of bigotry, or the votes that may be lost. Then he edits himself in advance. No one has ordered him to deny what he believes. He simply learns to say less and less of substance. A Christian who had worked on many political campaigns once told me about a pro-life candidate who had spent years counseling women outside an abortion clinic. Her faith and concern for preborn children were central to why she was running, and the first draft of her brochure said so. Then came a series of individually plausible revisions. The campaign did not want her to appear to be a one-issue candidate. Voters needed to learn more about her family and background. Some of the material about abortion no longer seemed to fit the brochure’s tone. By about the tenth draft, the brochure described a brave and bold woman who would defend the oppressed, but it no longer told voters what she had spent years bravely doing. Nothing in the handout was an explicit lie. Yet the overall picture was no longer candid. A campaign message must be selective. It may not be deceptive. That is why the 9th Commandment matters so much. Prudence asks how, when, and where a relevant truth should be spoken. Fear asks how much truth can be removed while leaving every remaining sentence technically accurate. A candidate under the 9th Commandment The Heidelberg Catechism’s Lord’s Day 43, in unpacking the 9th Commandment, treats lying and deceit as works of the devil. We are taught that God is forbidding here not only false testimony, but also twisting another’s words, gossip, slander, and rash condemnation. Positively, the 9th Commandment requires us to love the truth, speak it candidly, and defend and advance our neighbor’s honor and reputation. That is a demanding political ethic. It means a Christian candidate not only shouldn’t tell explicit falsehoods, he mustn’t even deliberately cultivate a false impression. Obviously, a Christian candidate will not be able to include everything he believes in every campaign piece. But he should ask whether a reasonable voter would feel deceived if an omitted conviction became public the next day. When asked a direct and relevant question, he should answer it rather than hide behind words designed to leave opposite audiences with opposite impressions. The same commandment governs how we speak about our opponents. Christians on the political right are not immune to gossip, exaggeration, rash judgment, or caricature. We may call abortion the killing of preborn children. We may say that gender ideology rebels against the created order. We may identify attempts to have a man fired for lawful Christian speech as wicked. The 9th Commandment calls for moral clarity. We may not twist an opponent’s words, invent motives, repeat allegations we have not verified, or treat every person on the other side as though he were guilty of everything done by anyone associated with his cause. We may oppose a policy as foolish, unjust, destructive, or contrary to God’s law without pretending to know every motive in the heart of the person promoting it. The commandment also requires truthfulness about the office itself. Candidates should not promise powers the office does not possess. A municipal councillor must not pretend to be able to solve every social problem, command every public institution, or repair every failure of federal and provincial government. Exaggerating our own authority is also a form of false witness. Finally, the commandment applies when falsehood favors us. If supporters exaggerate our accomplishments, circulate an untrue allegation against an opponent, or attribute an endorsement we did not receive, we may not quietly enjoy the advantage. We should correct flattering falsehoods as readily as accusations made against us. The Christian candidate should be difficult to intimidate and difficult to provoke. He should refuse both cowardly concealment and slanderous combativeness. Why municipal office? Municipal politics may offer a particular opportunity for principled Christian service. Municipal elections in Ontario are non-partisan, so candidates do not run under formal party banners. That removes one important part of the machinery of compromise. A municipal councillor is not formally required to defend an entire federal or provincial platform, submit to a party leader, or vote according to the direction of a caucus whip. He can own his judgment and explain his vote issue by issue. That can make it easier to act as a principled Christian. It does not make faithfulness easy. There are still media narratives, activist groups, professional associations, donors, influential residents, council colleagues, city staff, and informal voting blocs. There is still the desire to be liked. There is still the fear of being treated as unreasonable, extreme, ignorant, or hateful. In some ways, municipal pressure can be more personal. There is no national party organization absorbing the criticism. The councillor meets his opponents at the grocery store, the arena, the library, and the school event. The people affected by his decisions may be his neighbors, former colleagues, customers, fellow church members, or parents whose children play with his own. Municipal independence therefore creates both an opportunity and a responsibility. A councillor has greater freedom to act according to principle, but he also has fewer excuses when he does not. Municipal government is also wonderfully concrete. It concerns public order, roads, taxes, libraries, parks, planning, policing budgets, infrastructure, and whether families can use public spaces in safety. Christian political involvement cannot be limited to dramatic protests or national controversies. We also need Christians who will read reports, steward tax dollars, protect neighborhoods, maintain good order, and carry out ordinary public duties faithfully. A Christian candidate should be prepared not only to advocate or protest, but to govern. Obedience and results The author, in front of where he seeks to serve: “A candidate should take the office seriously and take his campaign seriously too, genuinely seek to win. You want to win because winning provides an opportunity to govern. But victory must remain a means of service rather than becoming a god.” A phrase I once heard in a sermon has stayed with me: “Obedience belongs to us. The results belong to the Lord.” Proverbs 21:31 expresses the same truth: “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord.” That horse must still be prepared. Confidence in providence is not an excuse for carelessness, passivity, or half-hearted work. A candidate should take the office seriously and take his campaign seriously too, genuinely seek to win. You want to win because winning provides an opportunity to govern. But victory must remain a means of service rather than becoming a god. Victory does not vindicate sinful methods, and defeat does not transform poor preparation, unnecessary harshness, or dishonesty into faithfulness. My loss in the 2021 federal election did not mean that the candidacy had been pointless. It formed my family, gave me experience, and contributed to later opportunities. Yet I could not know those results in advance. I was responsible to act faithfully and leave the consequences to God. The same is true now. I do not know whether I will win my municipal election. I do not know what attention or pressure may come before election day. I do know that Christ’s lordship will not be strengthened by my victory or weakened by my defeat. Perhaps you should run Our churches contain men who manage employees, read financial statements, chair meetings, teach clearly, withstand conflict, make difficult decisions, and carry heavy responsibilities. Some serve as elders or deacons. Others sit on school boards, own businesses, work in the trades, farm, practise law, teach, manage organizations, or serve in the professions. Those existing responsibilities may be reasons not to run, but they may also be evidence that God has given you gifts public office requires. You need not already be an expert in municipal law or public finance. Much of that can be learned. The question is not whether you are already a fully formed politician. It is whether the Lord has given you something your neighbors presently need. It is therefore worth asking whether refusing to step forward could itself sometimes be unfaithful. That question should not be answered quickly, but with prayer, Scripture, counsel from family and church leadership, and honest examination of motive. Are you declining because you already carry responsibilities that must not be abandoned, or because political office is public, costly, and likely to bring criticism? Are you guarding your family, or guarding your comfort? Are you exercising humility, or burying a talent? You may never have spare time. You may not feel fearless. You may lose. Do not confuse ambition with calling or candidacy with entitlement to office. But if, after prayer and counsel, you believe God is calling you to offer yourself as a candidate, step forward. Speak plainly. Tell the truth about yourself, your opponents, and the office. Defend your neighbor’s good name. Refuse to make public approval your master or electoral victory your god. Someone will govern your community, and that government will act from some moral vision. The question is which one. Obedience belongs to us. The results belong to the Lord. Paul Lawton wrote this while running for municipal council in Peterborough, Ontario. You can find his campaign website here. The sidebar article that accompanies his article in the Sept/Oct 2026 issue can be found below. ***** Christ is Lord of the magistrate too The apostle John calls Jesus Christ “the ruler of the kings of the earth.” Psalm 2 commands kings and judges to serve the Lord with fear and to kiss the Son. Civil rulers are not autonomous authorities who may acknowledge God if they find it personally meaningful. They are servants who receive their authority from Him and will answer to Him. Belgic Confession Article 36 speaks with refreshing directness: “…because of the depravity of the human race, our good God has ordained kings, princes, and civil officers. He wants the world to be governed by laws and policies so that human lawlessness may be restrained and that everything may be conducted in good order among human beings.” The Confession does not stop at saying that government should keep traffic moving and prevent theft. It says that civil rulers are called “to contribute to the advancement of a society that is pleasing to God.” They are to act subject to God’s law, remove obstacles to the preaching of the gospel and divine worship, resist anti-Christian power, and do so while refraining from absolute authority and remaining within the office entrusted to them. This is neither statism nor religious neutrality. The magistrate does not administer the sacraments or exercise ecclesiastical discipline. Those responsibilities belong to Christ’s church. Yet civil rulers are not therefore free to act as though Christ has no claim on public life. They should acknowledge Christ, govern subject to God’s law, protect the free course of the Word, and resist anti-Christian power by the lawful means entrusted to their office. The magistrate must not usurp the government of the church, but neither may he pretend that civil government is religiously neutral. A Christian understanding of government therefore includes the restraint of evil, the protection of the good, the preservation of public order, the honoring of marriage and family, respect for private property, the protection of preborn children, and recognition of the created distinction between male and female. It also includes the restraint of government itself. Civil rulers are not saviors, and their authority is never absolute. Some of these matters are primarily the responsibility of federal or provincial government, rather than municipal. A city council cannot change Canada’s Criminal Code or determine federal abortion law, for example. But no municipal decision falls outside God’s moral order. At times the moral vision is unmistakable, as when councils fund Pride events, fly the Progress Pride flag on civic property, or use municipal bylaws to restrict the delivery of pro-life literature depicting the victims of abortion. More often, that moral vision is expressed less dramatically through decisions about libraries, public spaces, policing budgets, taxation, zoning, neighborhoods, and the treatment of families. In either case, council is acting from some view of the human person and of what a good society ought to be. Because Christ is Lord, politics matters. Because Christ is Savior, politics cannot save. That should make Christians more willing to serve and less willing to compromise. We can work seriously for a good political result without acting as though an election decides the fate of Christ’s kingdom....

Contests, Your Turn 2026

Thoughts from tulips to TULIP: My journey into the Reformed faith and translation

One morning in early April 2025, I am sitting on our back deck, holding a cup of coffee and enjoying the quiet stillness of the day. The air is crisp, and the warmth of the cup settles into my hands. Along the edge of the yard, tightly closed tulip buds push through the damp soil, standing bravely against the lingering grey of winter – like a baby stretching out a tiny hand to reach for the world after a good night’s sleep. Spring is here! As I watch this quiet miracle unfold, the melody of the Doxology – Hymn 8 in the Book of Praise – drifts into my mind. How beautiful! God is the source of every blessing. All that lives and grows on earth shall praise the Lord, the great Creator. As I hum, my thoughts turn to the Chinese translation of the hymn. And speaking of translation, I realize I have work to do. I have been invited to speak at my local Christian school’s assembly about my career as a translator, particularly my work translating Reformed books and sermons, and about the journey that brought me to this point. My memories begin to surface, one after another, as if scrolling back through Google Photos all the way to the 1990s. Time truly does fly. It has been twenty years since I began translating. "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." – Prov. 16:9 My translation journey begins in the early 1990s, during a period when China is experiencing rapid growth in foreign trade following its opening-to-the-world policy. As a university English teacher, I am often assigned to interpret for foreign investors and at government-hosted events. These experiences bring me into contact with people from across the English-speaking world and expand my perspective far beyond the boundaries of Chinese culture. What captivates me most is not the act of translation itself, but the people – their stories, their backgrounds, and the ways they think. Around that time, I meet several American couples on campus who happen to live in the same neighborhood as we do. We become friends, and they invite me to join their weekly Bible study. Wanting to better understand Western culture for my teaching, and enjoying learning from people of different backgrounds, I gladly accept their invitation. Later, I learn that they have been sent by Campus Crusade (now called Power to Change) and are serving university students and young professors in China while living there as international students. For years, I question Christianity, challenge their beliefs, and debate with them. Yet even in my resistance, I begin searching for answers to life’s deepest questions. Slowly, as I stand in awe of God, my pride is humbled, and a deep hunger for His Word takes root in my heart. "…for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." – Phil. 2:13 Our Bible study group grows as more Chinese friends join us. Because our home is large enough to welcome a bigger group – and with my husband’s permission, though he is not yet a believer – we open our home to host the gatherings. Many of the participants are English teachers like me. God blesses us in ways we do not expect. As the Bible study meets in our home, my husband also begins to hear the gospel. At first, he overhears only fragments from his home office upstairs. Later, he moves downstairs and sits quietly on the edge of the group. Over time, he becomes more engaged and eventually joins us fully. He asks questions, debates ideas, and explores the Scriptures – often approaching them through the lenses he loves most: art and human history. Through listening, thinking, and seeking, he comes to accept Jesus as his Saviour. "…they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." – Matt. 9:36 In 2004, we make a short landing in Canada as new immigrants. British Columbia’s breathtaking scenery immediately captivates us. Yet leaving behind our family, our friends, and our promising careers is deeply difficult. Around the same time, our American friends prepare to relocate to other countries. Our Bible study group is left without leadership and without a connection to a church. Feeling uncertain but determined, we press on – much like the Chinese saying, “a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger,” meaning that beginners often act with fearless simplicity. We search online for materials and take turns leading Bible studies. At first, this seems to solve the problem. But pulling resources from many different sources soon leads to confusion. Questions multiply, disagreements arise, and discussions turn into heated debates. While reading Matthew 11:12, a difference between the English and Chinese translations sparks a debate over human effort versus God’s sovereignty, and the discussion ends in tears. As similar conflicts repeat, we become spiritually weary and cry out to God for clarity – and it is then that the Reformed faith enters our lives. "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them…" – Matt. 9:36 Shortly after we return from a visit to Canada, Rev. F. Vandongen (a pseudonym used for security reasons) embarks on a mission trip to China, delivering his lecture on TULIP – the Five Points of Calvinism. Somehow, he learns about our small fellowship and reaches out to ask if we would help translate sermons for his mission work. We answer immediately and wholeheartedly – yes – and roll up our sleeves to begin. As we translate, clarity grows. What once felt fragmented now comes together like a puzzle, each piece fitting into place. We are like gold miners uncovering hidden treasure, awestruck by the depth and beauty of God’s truth. God is merciful. He hears even our unspoken prayers and shines His light on us as we grow through struggle. As we begin studying the Heidelberg Catechism, clarity replaces confusion. We often hear people say, “That makes sense,” or, “If we had known this earlier, we wouldn’t have argued at all.” Others share their relief: fears of weak faith, of rejection, even nightmares about judgment, begin to fade. "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…" – Rom. 12:6 From that point on, I spend countless hours – day after day, year after year – sitting at my computer translating Reformed, faith-based books and sermons. For two decades, the same core truths fill my work: our sin, God’s mercy, and Christ’s saving work on the cross. To others, my work may appear repetitive. To me, it is life-giving. These messages nourish my soul and richly bless our family. Not long ago, I overheard our two sons say, “Mom’s job is pretty solid.” Those words warm my heart – not only as appreciation, but as testimony to God’s faithful care for our family. And beyond our home, countless Chinese-speaking families around the world are blessed through translation work connected to Asia Mission and supported by local churches. When the Chinese translation of the Book of Praise is finally completed and printed, I can hardly contain my joy. I share the news on Facebook, and the response is overwhelming: congratulations from believers across the globe, from China to Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Russia, and Japan. The Book of Praise is only one of many completed projects. Others include I Belong, The Overflowing Riches of God’s Mercy, Lest Anyone Should Boast, The Covenant of Love, The Elder and the Deacon, Unseen Footprints, and Christ’s Psalms, Our Psalms, as well as many more. "To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." – 1 Pet. 4:11 I claim no credit of my own. Translation is never a solo effort – it is always a team endeavor. I am simply grateful to have been part of it. Before I close, I invite you to pause, look at God’s creation, and sing Hymn 8. Perhaps you might even try the Chinese version. I have asked AI to render the pronunciation so it can be sung aloud. And if that feels daunting, simply hum along until “Amen.” After all, Amen is beautifully universal. Dzan may juhn shun wan foo Dzer ywen Dee shahng wan yo doe dahng soong dzan Tien sher tien joon dahng dzan joo meeng Dzan may shuhng foo, shuhng dzer, shuhng leeng Amen!...

Theology

May I judge?

I hear repeatedly that we’re not supposed to judge another. Young people express themselves this way, and that’s not surprising – after all, n...

Contests, Your Turn 2026

Made new

Josh Schouwstra’s "Made New" is about the quiet witness of the Christian life, and how God can use that quiet witness to chip away at a “heart of ...

News

Liberal party support highest among boomers

More than any other age group, boomers overwhelmingly support the Liberal Party. A July 2026 poll conducted by Abacus Data asked 4,200 Canadian adults...

News

Saturday Selections – July 25, 2026

When they mock the Bible, question the question One of my friend's university professors had, as a clear goal – if I recall right, he even stated i...

Politics

Should Alberta Separate? Why one Christian decided to vote no

“Canada is like an old cow. The West feeds it. Ontario and Quebec milk it. And you can well imagine what it’s doing in the Maritimes.” ~ attributed to Tommy Douglas, premier of Saskatchewan from 1944-1961 I am a true-blue Albertan, born and raised in this province, and I truly haven’t found a better place to live. However, with a referendum looming in October I’ve been presented with the choice of whether my allegiance is to Alberta or to my country Canada. In October, Albertans will vote on the question: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?” Maybe your back goes up immediately – with words like disloyal, unpatriotic, and betrayal going through your mind. Or maybe you feel disillusioned with Canada and understand why a province would want to separate. If I’m perfectly honest, I never felt like Alberta independence was a real thing. It’s been an idea at the back of Alberta political dialogue for my whole life, but mostly proposed in a joking way – “Wouldn’t we be better off if we were our own country?” But now the sentiment is real enough to send enough signatures on a petition to get the question put to a referendum. Despite my skepticism of independence, I have always been sympathetic to western alienation. But my instinct was still to vote “stay” – that there was something good about loyalty, that grievance wasn’t enough of a reason to leave, that respect for my country meant not tearing it apart. But my instinct was not enough. So, when faced with writing this article, I knew what I had to do – I had to go beyond my own feelings and impressions. I needed to go out and talk to other Albertans, to figure out what exactly was going on, and to hear in their own words why they supported or did not support independence. But more importantly than that, I needed to compare their thoughts and opinions to the Word of God. What should Christians think of all this separatism talk? Background Let’s first start with the “why” behind the independence movement. I have sympathy for western alienation, and in my view it started with the eastern provinces viewing the development of the West as a resource for them to profit from. And while that makes sense from the perspective of Central Canada, the West never felt fully included in Canada. Oil complicated this picture. It turned Alberta from a “have not” province based on farming to a “have” province based on oil, and gave it some power in terms of financial wealth. However, the federal government saw this as further resources to profit from, and implemented a series of taxes and programs to spread the financial wealth around the rest of Canada. For example, here is how one prominent supporter of Albertan independence, Tim Stephens, put it in a speech on April 10: “Alberta, having about 12% of the population of Canada, contributes nearly 20% to the federal tax revenue. And when this takes place, we have very little influence over the political future of our country. For instance, many of the elections are decided by Ontario and Quebec. And before people here even cast their vote, who our next government is going to be has already been decided.” There is a feeling in Alberta that many provinces in Canada are happy to take our money as long as we don’t have any opinions on either how the country is run or what the federal government wants to do in our own province. Separatists will argue that through all these years, Albertans have tried through various political means to reform this system, to give Alberta a louder voice in a country they fund. Their conclusion is that the lack of success makes separation our only option. So this is why I’m sympathetic to some of the arguments of the separatists. However, this raises several questions. Is “grievance” enough of a reason to base a new country on? Or even just the simple fact of being treated unfairly? God calls us to respect and obey our leaders, which means we have some responsibility in the place where we’re at. When do we judge we’ve made “enough” effort and our responsibility has come to an end? Lastly, there’s the question of the harm it would cause to our brothers and sisters in the rest of Canada. Even the mention of separation causes some economic instability. Is this justified? I’m sympathetic and yet I feel a deep loyalty to Canada, and the home it provided to my Dutch ancestors fleeing the aftermath of WWII, to my husband when he immigrated, and now provides to our family. “Personally, I argue that Alberta independence is compatible with biblical Christianity,” says Michael Wagner, another well-known supporter of independence, “but desiring Canada to stay together can also legitimately be a Christian perspective. So I don’t think the Bible requires Alberta Christians to support independence.” Each Christian needs to think about why they are voting one way or the other. Love for country, love for neighbor While the motivations for separation are understandable, so is the backlash against the idea. For those who love Canada, it stirs up strong emotions. It’s like a sibling threatening to leave the family or to go “no contact.” This is true not only in the rest of the country, but in Alberta itself. While much of Alberta feels alienated from the political apparatus out East, many still feel deep loyalty and patriotism for Canada itself. Some have even become Canadian citizens specifically because they love Canada, and don’t want to be part of a different country. This is why this issue has become so divisive. I began to reach out to various friends to hear how they’ve been thinking this issue through. “We have also been given political responsibility as those who vote,” one says to me. “In a small way, we are those who bear the sword when we vote, when we choose what we believe is right for our nation. It is not evil to make what one believes to be the right choice in that vote. What is evil is insurrection, rebellion, and violence. But a referendum (democratic vote) is none of those things. Nor is a free discussion about why we think a political decision is right or wrong. Christians should concur with the legitimate result of the election, but they are free to think and vote as they see fit.” It is true that mechanisms for provinces to leave have been worked out by the courts, and Alberta is not the first province to explore the option of leaving (see Quebec and Nova Scotia). It’s not immoral to explore an existing legal pathway to independence. But the motivations and reasons behind doing so may be. Take the issue of grievances. “It’s one thing to forgive a grievance when it’s in the past,” the same friend tells me. “It’s another to remain complicit when that injustice is still ongoing. We can love (an act, not a feeling) our nation without believing that the nation has our best interests at heart.” However, another friend argues, “As a father, I do not want to raise my boys to think that if you feel like you are treated unfairly, the answer is to threaten grievous harm to get what you want. That’s extortion and sinful.” He goes on to add, “A sovereign God has overseen this election, Carney is doing some good things in which I can rejoice, and I can pray for God’s hand in those areas that concern me and trust in Him.” Next, I decide to reach out to my sister and get her opinion. She texts back to me: “One of the things that comes up the most often in the Bible is ‘take care of the widows and orphans and the poor’ – will separating improve people’s lives? Right now equalization payments benefit poorer provinces – isn’t that a good thing from a Christian perspective?” I quickly text back, “One argument would be that the Bible teaches us to voluntarily help the poor, not that other people (the government) should make us help the poor.” She replies, “I would say that it’s more that we should have an attitude of helping the poor – including through the government.” That resonated with me, because it put into words something I had been struggling to articulate. If I want to keep Alberta’s money because I resent helping others like me in the rest of Canada, maybe my motivation is wrong. I might not agree with exactly how the government takes the money, but I should maintain my care for others even while I might advocate for better use of the money we send. Lastly, I decide to listen to a speech available on YouTube on a Christian perspective on Albertan independence. In it, Clint Humfrey, senior pastor of Calvary Grace Church in Calgary, urges Christians to support the cause: “That is what we need today here in Alberta. We need to expect great things from God and attempt great things for God... We ought to seek the relief of our neighbors groaning. We ought to seek the relief of our own groaning in our churches, but we also ought to seek the relief of our children’s future and the provision for them... If you have no hope, you will not be able to have the drive to see what could be done. And it starts with having hope in Jesus Christ for eternal life. And that then gives you the ability to have hope to try things… to try things all for the glory of God.” For a brief moment, his excitement fired me up. But his vision was not my vision, though I certainly care about doing great things for God. The energy and effort required to build a new nation is not where I feel God calling me to work today, even as I try to care for my neighbors around me in my quiet, ordinary life. Love for God I feel somewhat lost in all the arguments for and against. My husband is one of the people whose opinions I value most in this world. So, on a recent trip out of town I took the opportunity of discussing it with him. “Why don’t you support independence?” I ask. “Because it’s about money,” he says. “What are we supposed to do when we’re afraid? Rely on God and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Yes, things are hard for people and gas prices are high. But – ” he gestures at the fields as we drive by, “wouldn’t you say Alberta is rich?” “Ye-es,” I answer, thinking of the not-so-rich country my husband grew up in. “So Alberta is prosperous, let’s trust God will continue to prosper us.” “Okay, so what about this,” I say. “The argument is that the federal government does a lot of unchristian things with our money, and if we kept more of it we could use it for more Christian things.” “Really?” he says. “Do you really think Alberta is more Christian? Alberta isn’t more Christian.” “Why do you say that?” “We have all the same issues as the rest of Canada.” “But maybe statistically the number of Christians is slightly higher in Alberta?” “Think about it,” he says. “Say the Prime Minister gives us what we want – more say, and lets us keep our money. We’d be happy, right? We say it’s all these unchristian laws, but that makes me think it’s about the money.” I nod along because in my discussions I had come across many supporters of having more sovereignty but staying in Canada (and using this referendum as leverage to get it), or arguments that threatening separation had worked for Quebec so we should do it too. I think there are ardent separatists for whom nothing but independence would satisfy, and I hope Christians who vote to leave are not primarily motivated by the idea of leverage – but this group is smaller than the number of people who might vote “leave.” “So, biblically,” I say, “what would you say the Christian thing is to do?” “What does the Bible say? ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.’ That goes deeper than money – it goes to everything: respect, support, everything unless the government comes against our faith.” I nod again, thinking of something similar John Calvin said that I’d read a while back: “But Peter requires something more of us when he says, ‘Honor the king’ (1 Pet. 2: 17); and Solomon, when he says, ‘My son, fear thou the Lord and the king’ (Prov. 24: 21). For, under the term honor, the former includes a sincere and candid esteem, and the latter, by joining the king with God, shows that he is invested with a kind of sacred veneration and dignity...” My husband looks over at me. “And you know what? The government is coming against our faith. Why not fight that more? We’re willing to stand up for our money, to fight taxes, etc. We’ll fight when the government takes our money and gives it to someone else, but otherwise we stick to ourselves because we don’t want to rock the boat.” He pauses. “There’s a reason God gave us this government, and put these people in power over us. Maybe it’s to teach us how much we need to call on Him.” I think about all the energy that had gone into this separatism debate, and whether it was distracting us from other things. He reaches over and grabs my hand. “Look at Psalms 35-40. I’ve been reading these in the morning lately. It’s all about the poor being oppressed. But who rescues them? God. Who fixes injustice? God. We need to cry out to Him. He’s the one who has our lives in His hands.” Later, I look up Psalms 35-41. In Psalm 37, I read: Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. … Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. We can spend a lot of time fretting in our lives, over what we perceive as unfair, over evildoers “getting away” with something, over what might happen in our futures. But we don’t need to despair when God is on our side. *** I want to be fair, so I reach out to Michael Wagner by email. He replies: “The federal government in recent years has imposed policies on Alberta that undermine the well-being of many Albertans and their families. Looking for an alternative that provides a better future for Alberta has nothing to do with greed, ungodly grievances, or threats. Independence is an option that would make it possible for Albertans to choose political leaders who will adopt policies that will benefit Alberta rather than harm Alberta.” He also says, “It’s about justice, not greed.” I think about the issues at hand for many evenings as I rock my baby to sleep, staring at her beautiful face and wondering about the kind of future I want for my family. For me, my journey over the past couple years has been learning to fully trust God with everything in my life. To let go of control and really believe God will take care of my life. What kind of country do I want my daughter to live in? I think about the “what if” vision that the supporters of independence have put forward, a vision of a more Christian nation we could build if we could just start over from scratch. I think about how much easier it is to tear things down rather than to build them. I think about Canada stagnating, losing its place in the world, and what that would look like for my daughter’s future. I think about the nation that I love and what I would want to tell her about it. Ultimately I don’t have control over the future. It is enough if my daughter is able to trust herself into the hands of God. And in the end, I will stay Albertan AND Canadian. I don’t see a compelling vision of Alberta as a sovereign nation yet, and I haven’t given up on Canada. I haven’t done everything in my power to change the country I love for the better yet. And so I will continue to trust myself and my family into God’s hands....

In a Nutshell

Tidbits – July 2026

If Dad told only dinosaur jokes - Part II How can you tell a dinosaur from a peanut? Try lifting it up. If you can’t, it’s probably a dinosaur. (Though it might be a heavy peanut.) What’s the difference between a dinosaur and a pencil? A dinosaur is harder to sharpen. Why did the dinosaur cross the road? It was the chicken’s day off. What’s the difference between a dinosaur and a cup of coffee? A dinosaur doesn’t keep you awake at night. (Usually.) What’s red, has a long neck, and hates to be touched? A dinosaur with sunburn. How are dinosaurs and bluebirds alike? They both have wings. Except for the dinosaurs. What do you do with a green dinosaur? Wait until it ripens. What do you do with a blue dinosaur? Cheer him up. What do you do with a white dinosaur? Try not to lose him in the snow. Source: inspired by, and some borrowed from Charles Keller’s “Colossal Fossils: Dinosaur Riddles” How he learned he needed to preach Mark 2:28 Some years ago, on an early Sunday morning, a young Dutch pastor faced a quandary. A snowstorm had closed the roads between his house and the church and there seemed no way he could make it there to preach. But then he had an idea. The canal running behind his house went right to the church, so he could still make it there if he skated. But was that a good idea? Bringing the Word was important; however his church was very firm on Sunday observance, and skating was simply not an acceptable Sunday activity. He hemmed and hawed before finally deciding that if it was at all possible, he just had to conduct worship. So the pastor strapped on his skates, and though the wind was howling, he managed to speedily make his way down the frozen canal right to the church building. When he walked up the steps, he saw the congregation was already in place, and as he stepped in the door, the consistory was there waiting for him, grim expressions all. The elders weren’t pleased, but they liked their young pastor and weren’t eager to publicly rebuke him. So after some hurried discussion among the men, one elder asked the pastor a question: “Did you enjoy the skating, reverend?” “No,” he replied, “I didn’t enjoy it at all.” “Phew!” the consistory said as one. It was all right – skating on Sunday could be allowed, just so long as there was no joy in it! Source: adapted from Michael Hodgin's “1001 More Humorous illustrations for Public Speaking” Big Brother can’t be father or mother “We fear the government may be powerful enough to destroy families; we know that it is not powerful enough to replace them.” – Ronald Reagan Never read a Bible verse Mark Twain once quipped that a cat that’s sat on a hot stove will never do so again… but he’ll never sit on a cold one either. In other words, that the lesson the cat learned had been applied broadly, even to circumstances where it isn’t warranted. That notion – that we shouldn’t overlearn our lessons – has biblical backing. God regularly tells us to do one thing in one place, and nearly the opposite elsewhere. The starkest contrast is Proverbs 26:4-5, where God begins with why we shouldn’t answer a fool (lest we appear like him), before, in the very next verse, telling us why we must answer a fool (lest he appear wise in his own eyes). So when should you do which? That’s where wisdom is required. Another contrast? Solomon’s advice to be like the hard-working ant who diligently plans ahead (Prov. 6:6-8), and Jesus’ encouragement not to be anxious about tomorrow (Matt. 6:25-34). Contradictions? Not at all – just different lessons for different circumstances. Solomon’s advice was for the lazy, and Jesus’ correction was to those fixated on the here and now rather than on God. So don’t be like Twain’s cat who let one incident shape its whole understanding. God gave us a Book, not just a verse, so we should be sure to never read just a Bible verse – read His Word in the context of what else God thought it important for us to know. Know your history "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian!" – commonly attributed to Henry Ford, but without any clear sourcing. Whether from him or not, the truth it captures makes clear the foolishness of socialist schemes. Have scientists created life? Every few years media outlets share a startling scientific advancement about how a group of scientists have "created life." A couple recent examples include J. Craig Venter back in 2010 for creating "the world's first synthetic life form," and Elizabeth Strychalski and her crew in 2021 who "crafted a single-celled synthetic organism that divides and multiplies just like the real thing." Why is this so important? Because there's only two explanations for how life began: God, or godless. And these supposed "creations of life" are seen as steps towards coming up with a godless explanation. So have scientists actually created life? No. They've tinkered, placing engineered DNA in already living cells. So, they began with life and ended up with life. And as Jonathan Sarfati noted: "It took an enormous amount of intelligence to make this cell, and they borrowed a lot of information from already-existing cells. In particular, they synthesized the genome of Mycoplasma mycoides, with 1.08 million base-pairs (bp)3 and about 985 genes.... it cost US$40 million and 200 man-years to produce." So with their brilliant minds, supercomputers, lab equipment, refined chemicals, all sorts of intentionality, and a living cell to start with they've managed to create life. Which is supposed to show us something about how it all could have happened accidentally and unintelligently? Tell that to a devoted evolutionist and they'll probably tell you it's only a matter of time before scientists figure it out. But time hasn't proven to be their friend. When Darwin proposed his theory, he thought the cell was made up of "membrane, nucleus, and nucleolus" which was all that could be seen under his day's microscopes. The ribosomes, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and other microscopic machines were missed entirely, and the nucleus was a black box – unknown and disregarded – which made it a lot easier to ignore God's fingerprints evident all over the cell's design. But since then every new discovery has shown how much more complicated single-celled life is than previously realized. That means the more we are discovering, the more and more impossible abiogenesis – life from non-life – is revealed to be. And the more obvious the need for a great Genius to be behind it all. Just be yourself, they say There’s a story told about Abe Lincoln, that when he was at a hometown soiree, he approached the lady of his interest and told her, “Mary Todd, I want to dance with you in the worst way.” And after a turn around the floor together, she could only say, “You wanted to dance in the worst way, and you certainly did.” Why not fund my educational trip to Europe too? Our professor had written for the local daily newspaper for decades, and explained that before universities started offering journalism programs, his newspaper would put all their new hires through a 3-month training program. When journalism degrees became a thing, the paper cut back their own training program to just a month or two, and required all applicants have a journalism degree. So a young man or woman who wanted to be a journalist now had to invest 2 to 4 years of their life, and a lot of their own money and taxpayer money too on tuition, to get a piece of paper that would save the newspaper just a month or two of training. That doesn’t math. Meanwhile the government could talk about how it was directing so much new money towards post-secondary institutions so we could have a more educated workforce. But at what cost? As has been said: “If your college degree doesn’t have enough value for you to pay it off, it certainly doesn’t have enough value for me to pay it off.” Boys, do you want this to happen to you? Dinosaurs didn't read. And now they're extinct. When John MacArthur visited a philosophy class… We, as Christians, are called to walk humbly (Micah 6:8). But let’s not get confused about who or what we are being humble about. It’s us, not God. That’s a point worth pausing on. We so often get things wrong and muddled, so we have good reason to be humble. But not about God or His Word. Yet somehow, there are all sorts of topics the Bible is crystal clear on that we’re still acting quite “humbly” about, reluctant to speak up in His Name. It’s time to get confident. For inspiration, here’s a story from the late John MacArthur. This is a man who’d proclaim God’s Truth just as boldly sitting across from a newscaster as he would standing up in a pulpit, but the point here isn’t his example, but his basis – he had God’s Word. "As a Christian, you and I share this in common: I see things clearly. I see the world clearly. In fact, I often wonder why I'm not on more programs giving the right answer to everything. It's all very clear to me. Everything is clear to me. I understand where the world came from, where it's going. I understand all of that. I understand why things happen the way they happen. I understand life and death and life after death and heaven and hell and morality and immorality. I understand it all. I understand why the world is the way it is. Why people act the way they act. Am I particularly intelligent? No. Am I particularly wise? No. I just have the mind of Christ here in this book. “I remember one time, years ago, being invited to Cal State Northridge to speak to the philosophy class and the professor was a former rabbi who liked to chew on an occasional fundamentalist. And so, I was going to be the bone for that experience. I went to the class and I was supposed to talk on the subject of Christianity and culture. Well, I didn't want to talk about Christianity and culture. I wanted to talk about the gospel. I think I opened by saying, something like, ‘….I know this is a philosophy class, and I know that you're searching for the truth, and I'm here to bring your search to an end.’ “That was enough to lose them all. They looked like somebody had shot off a gun in the room. So, I said: ‘I'm here to tell you the truth. Tell you the truth about the origin of the universe. Tell you the truth about why the universe holds together. Things that Einstein couldn't figure out. I'm here to tell you where the universe is going in the future, how it will end. I'm here to tell you about life and death and the afterlife, morality, everything you want to know. I'm here to tell you all of it.’ “And when I said this, the rabbi professor was as stunned as everybody else. “I said, ‘But no matter what I say, you're not going to understand it and you're not going to believe it.’ “And one student at that moment spoke for all of them and said, ‘How do you know? How do you know we won't understand it? We won't believe it?’ “I said, ‘Because there's a prerequisite. For you to understand this, you have to have been transformed by faith in Jesus Christ so that your understanding is opened.’ “To which he replied, ‘Well, how does that happen?’ “And I said, ‘Good. Now we'll talk about how you become transformed by Jesus Christ.’ And so I went into the gospel, which was no small irritation to the professor. I remember an extended time of sharing the gospel with some of the students out in the hall after the class was over. A number of them came to church and a couple of them actually joined our ministry here and professed Christ. The Word brings light to absolutely everything." ...

Assorted

Ruin and restoration and our part

When the world falls into spiritual darkness and all you see around you is chaos and misery, what then? Kin Jong-un and Vladimir Putin meeting in China last year – North Korea has been supplying Russia with troops for their war with Ukraine since as early as 2024. 1 Isaiah, in chapter 24, spoke of how “The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken.” Was he speaking only to the people of his day about the earth being broken? Was he judging the nations of his time about the world being violently shaken? Or was he also speaking to the nations of the world today? Are our present lives, and the lives of those around us, in a state of rebellion against Almighty God? Ruins all around Most people enjoy eating a fine smorgasbord. As a matter of fact, the Chinese Mandarin restaurant is one of my favorite places to dine. To walk by the mouth-watering dishes displayed, and to anticipate dining, is delightful. To deposit a little scoop of this and a tad of that on a warm, hand-held plate, creates thankful moments. There are other smorgasbords displayed to us, however, which do not generate pleasure. The world is actually a smorgasbord right now – a literal smorgasbord of brokenness – of ruin. No matter where we turn in the newspapers, no matter what we turn to on our laptops, there are ruins we can choose to read about, or literally see misery portrayed on our screen. Grim headlines underline this actuality. Our plate of daily current events is filled with somber, unappetizing incidents. Is this where Canada’s Bill C-9 will take us? Finnish Member of Parliament, and former leader of the Finnish Christian Democrats, Päivi Räsänen was found guilty of hate speech earlier this year by her country’s Supreme Court for a booklet she and a Lutheran bishop co-authored in 2004 opposing same-sex “marriage.” 2 For example, it has of late been disclosed that the North Korean president, Kim Jong Un, is supporting a policy that requires soldiers to commit suicide on the battlefield to avoid capture, while fighting Russia’s war against Ukraine. For example, it has been verified that twenty-nine Christians were massacred in the Islamic state of Nigeria, during a soccer match in the spring of this year, 2026. The attack took place on a Sunday, included the torching of a church, and most of the victims were youths and women. For example, earlier this year of 2026, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Canada, investigated a Dr. MacLean of London, Ontario. Dr. MacLean diagnosed a man with inflammatory bowel disease while sitting with him in a car outside a Tim Horton’s. Afterwards, he personally drove this man, who was prone to depression, to a MAiD location where his life was ended. Dr. MacClean was only verbally cautioned by CPSO. For example, Canadian Bill C-9, also known as the Combatting Hate Act, passed the House of Commons, Senate and received Royal Assent. It removed the religious defence to hate speech in the Criminal Code. For example, the horrible tragedy of the earthquakes which have hit Venezuela. Venezuelan morgues are filling up rapidly. At the end of June 2026, the actual death toll was reported to be more than 2,300. However, the projected number of people missing and presumed dead, is running into many thousands more. Dead children arrive at morgues, so badly decomposed that they are unrecognizable. These smorgasbord current events detail a world that is a far cry from the “It was good” phrase, in Genesis 1. They reflect a world fallen into sin. Are we part of God’s restoration? Should we, therefore, mourn and lament over these present evil times? It is a fact, that like Jeremiah lamented, it is not a bad thing for us also to weep over worldwide sin. However, it is also a good thing to sit down and examine ourselves, to study our own hearts carefully, to make sure that our motives, our interactions with others and our priorities, are not in any way contributing to the evil around us. For example, do we encourage our next-door neighbors to live without fear? Does our joy in the prospect of life eternal, reflect in loving our neighbors, in bringing them both soup and the Gospel? For example, do we speak openly about these disasters with people we meet? Do we know our Bible well enough to testify with a smile that “God is our refuge and our strength” and that “therefore we will not fear” (Ps. 46)? When those nearby have a cast-down soul, can we boldly, like the Reformers before us, boost the spirits of those around us with personal anecdotes of answered prayer and songs of cheer? It is said of Luther, who loved the 46th Psalm dearly, that when his companions were cast down because of the seeming strength of the opposition, he would say: “Come, let us sing the Forty-Sixth Psalm, friends.” For example, do we testify to those dying in pain on a hospital bed, Jesus’ words in John 14 that their hearts ought not to be troubled? And can we explain why their hearts ought not to be troubled? Can we percolate the steadfast faith of Job to friends? Can we say with certainty to others, “I know that my Redeemer lives”? The evangelist, John Wesley, died on March 2,1791, at the age of 87. As he lay dying, with a group of friends gathered around his bed, Wesley’s last words were from Psalm 46, “The best of all is, God is with us.” He repeated this as he lifted his arms: "The best of all is, God is with us.” My niece’s daughter, Amy, died more than a month ago. She was thirty-five years old and had special-needs – but a person who knew and loved the Lord Jesus. A small story was told of her during the funeral. Amy had a friend whose name was Melissa. Melissa could not speak. During a Special Olympics day for those with special-needs, there was a race – a walking race from one point to another. Amy’s friend was participating in that race. But as she began to walk with all the other contestants, she suddenly froze. She seemed to be afraid and not able to move. Amy saw that her friend was afraid and walked away from the sidelines where she was watching and came up to Melissa. She took Melissa’s hand and told her it was all right. And Amy and Melissa finished that race together. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed His truth to triumph through us. ***** 1 Photo credit: The President of the Russian Federation website www.kremlin.ru, and used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. 2 Photo credit: Modified from a picture by Lauri Heikkinen and the Finnish Government and used under a CC by 2.0 Attribution 2.0 Generic license....

Politics

Alberta separatism: is it wrong to go?

I have deep roots in Alberta, having lived there for the first 30+ years of my life. I was also heavily involved in politics through a half dozen different campaigns, and during those years I thought long and hard about what a better Alberta might look like. I have since been separated from my home province by mileage and decades. While I am still a very interested observer, the distance allows me to act as more of an impartial observer than I would have been able to be two decades ago. I’m going to try here, to make a limited point – that it would be okay for Alberta to go. Not that it should go, but just that going is an option on the table that Christians can consider. Even as I think the referendum is well worth talking about, I don’t think it has any chance of success. A June 5 Ipsos poll had only 19% of Albertans interested in starting the process, and only 18% who actually wanted to go. Angus Reid had support as high as 35% for starting the process, but that was back in May, and their guesstimate was the highest of all the pollsters. So, I’m not writing to sway voters one way or the other. The reason I wanted to write is because some of the issues brought up are universal – they apply not just for Albertans trying to figure out how to vote, but whenever Christians are making any decision. Kevin DeYoung tackled decision-making in his excellent book Just Do Something, so, inspired by him, here are a handful of questions to help shape a Christian’s decision-making process. Q.1 HAS GOD LEFT THE DECISION UP TO ME? Another way to phrase this question would be, is this a wrong/right matter? If it is, then we know what to do – we need to do whatever it is that God commands. Screwing up the courage to do so might be hard, but if we know it is a moral matter then we already know what we should do. God’s will be done. However, as Kevin DeYoung notes in Just Do Something, a lot of our decisions aren’t so simple, precisely because they aren’t about wrong or right. God leaves some pretty big decisions up to us: what kind of job we’ll pursue, where we’ll live, who we will marry, whether we should partner up to start a company. Big stuff. Huge stuff! We can and should look to God for guidance, and talk to our parents and the other wise people He’s gifted us. We can come to Him in prayer and ask Him to make our motivations pure. We can look to His word for wisdom. But then it is up to us; He gives us a decision to make. Take marriage as an example. You can look over every page of the Bible, and you just aren’t going to find the name of the person God has in mind for you. He’s left it to you, to figure out who you have in mind for you. Now, you can’t marry an unbeliever because He’s said we should not be unequally yoked (2 Cor. 6:14). He also offers guidance on the kind of man or woman you should be impressed by. But, if a young man, Timmy, has a couple of those kind of ladies sitting in the pews nearby him each Sunday, then it will be up to him to make a choice. And up to whoever Timmy asks to make her own. Now let’s direct the question above to the separation referendum: is this a matter of wrong and right? The possible answers to the question can go a few different ways: 1. Yes it is, which is why we have to vote against 2. Yes it is, so we have to vote for separation 3. No it is not, so God has left the decision up to us. So which is it? Before trying to answer that, let’s clear away one distraction. That something can be done for the wrong reasons is not proof that it is wrong. Mankind has the sad ability to make just about anything immoral if we try. So, as noted, Timmy could have a couple of wonderful godly young women to consider – either could be a good God-honoring choice. But if he asks out Helen only because she has a cool car he’d like to drive, his selfishness and disregard for her heart would turn a legitimate action into a sinful one. That doesn’t change the fact that Helen is a great girl. So, for our purposes, that people could have bad motivations for voting for (or against) separation is not what we’re trying to figure out. It is no surprise that it could be done sinfully because anything can be done sinfully. But what we’re trying to figure out is whether seeking to leave Canada is sinful all by itself, or whether it’s something God leaves for us to decide. To that end let’s ask a couple of clarifying questions. A) Is there something about leaving that is wrong? Some Christians have invoked Romans 13 to argue that because God calls us to be in submission to our authorities it would be wrong for Alberta to remove itself from being under the authority of the federal government. It’s a good idea to go to Scripture, but let’s dig a little deeper and consider what sort of submission God speaks of here. Under a dictatorship, as Paul and most of the world lived under when this was written, they had no means of changing their leaders. But in a democracy, we do. So, while we know God has placed the Liberals in charge of Canada, we don’t think it would be wrong for us to try, via democratic means, to remove ourselves from being under their authority the next time an election is called. We’d likely thank God for such a result. So, how then, is it so very different for Alberta, via democratic means, to seek to replace this authority over them? Can we characterize such a vote as rebellion against, or disrespect for God’s appointed authorities? No, because, after all, this is simply following the process via the means those authorities laid out. This is an important point – what submission involves – that often gets confused, such that some Christians will characterize taking the government to court as disrespectful, because, again, didn’t God put them in authority over us? But Paul used the courts (Acts 25), and could do so while writing Romans 13, because those courts and that process were a part of the very authority he was in submission to. And what we have in the separation referendum is another government-given process that we can access in submission. B) Would it be wrong not to go? Or in other words, should Christians feel obligated to vote for the referendum? While I think there are reasons that could be offered for leaving, that’s not the same thing as saying Christians must choose to go. To go back to Timmy and his marriage prospects, that there are reasons for him to ask out Susan doesn’t mean he has to. There are, after all, other possibilities to consider, including Helen. So would it actually be wrong to stay? I think that would be a very tough case to make but let’s for the sake of argument, make a hypothetical case where it wouldn’t be so tough. Let’s imagine that the federal government was evil – it was murdering a quarter of its citizens before they were even born, and was now going after the elderly and disabled too. We won’t find that hard to imagine, because that is what’s happening right now. Now let’s imagine Alberta was ruled by wise godly Christians who sought to honor God, and were desperately trying to stop the federal government from pushing abortion and euthanasia in their province but they just couldn’t so long as the province was still under the federal thumb. In those circumstances would it be wrong to stay? Under those circumstances, I think we might well conclude it would be wrong, based on just how many unborn and elderly and disabled lives could be saved if Alberta left. But those aren’t the circumstances we have, are they? Even Alberta at its best is far from godly. Danielle Smith has no qualms about abortion, and euthanasia is paid for by provincial coffers with no protest. Even where the province is out of step with the rest of our Liberal country, it is only a half-step, with the premier’s stance against transgenderism a good example. Yes, she defended kids from this mutilation, but at the very same time she was recruiting doctors from Quebec to better enable confused Albertan adults to mutilate themselves. So this is not some black and white choice between an evil and a godly government. And as such, I don’t think there is a clear case to be made that Alberta must go either. Which would mean God is leaving the decision to us. Q.2 HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS? We make a million decisions every day, and not all of them deserve the same amount of attention. So we need to treat things proportionately. If you are going to buy a new car, that deserves more of your time and maybe prayerful consideration than if you’re buying a coffee. Though if you’re buying a coffee every day, that could warrant some consideration too, because that’s now become a bigger budgetary matter. But not everything is big. If you’re trying to decide between toast and cereal this morning, it’s not worth much brain space. Don’t take forever deciding – that’d be wasting the time that God has entrusted to your care. So, we do need to treat big things as big, but also treat small things as small. And I’d make the case that for the vast majority of us, the separation referendum shouldn’t be a big thing. Why? First, there’s every reason to think the separation vote is going to lose in a landslide. So, give it enough time to go cast your vote, but there are a lot of matters likely to actually happen that are, therefore, more deserving of your attention. Second, even if separation were to happen, would it solve any of our most pressing political problems? No. If it were only the Alberta government in power, God’s people would still need to be just as busy standing up for the unborn, the elderly, and the disabled. So, this isn’t nothing; but it isn’t the big way forward that will save Alberta either. We can give it more brain space and passion than our toast vs. cereal dilemma, but for both practical and prioritization reasons, should it get all that much more? Q.3 ARE MY MOTIVATIONS PURE? As noted, we can do the right thing for the wrong reasons. That’s why Kevin DeYoung suggests (again, in his excellent book Just Do Something) that when we’re making the very decisions that God has left up to us – what job we’ll take, whether we’re going to move, whether we should buy that gaming system – a good prayer we can bring to Him is to ask that He make our motivations pure. So, it’s important that Christians don’t vote for separation with a middle finger in the air aimed at Ottawa. But in our call to love our neighbors as ourselves, someone might vote for separation thinking of what a helpful example a free Alberta could be to the rest of Canada, showing what could be done with a different approach. One Albertan might vote for separation thinking that if only we stop those equalization payments, Albertans, and more specifically him, will now be able to live a life of leisure, rolling in all those extra billions. But another voter might well want separation to end those equalization payments so that the federal government will stop incentivizing people to live where jobs are hard to come by. They could vote out of concern for their neighboring Canadians who are getting harmed by this government program. So, the same act – the same decision – could be done in submission or defiance of God, based on our own motivations. Let’s pray, then, that God be honored in all that we do. Q.4 IN MY ESTIMATION, IS IT WISE? So where do we land when a matter isn’t wrong or right, when we have given it its due consideration, and after we’ve questioned our own motivations? Then we arrive at the point where we have to decide for ourselves whether it is the wise thing to do. Wisdom can be sought in consultation. Ask your parents. Read relevant articles. Debate things with your friends. But it’ll be up to you. CONCLUSION I’m not going to make a case for separation or against, but I hope I’ve made a good case for Christian liberty. And in doing so, I hope I’ve also made the case for charity towards your brothers and sisters who are voting the opposite way you are. We do need to vote to God’s glory. But what I’m arguing here is that in this referendum, that will be done more through the motivation and manner in which we vote, than in what direction we cast our ballot. Honoring God is more than submitting to His will, but certainly not less. When He has expressed His will, then we need to submit no matter what it might cost to follow Him. But we can be bold too, when He leaves the decision-making up to us, knowing that our Heavenly Father will be pleased with whatever we might decide, just so long as we are trying to please Him....

News

Ontario’s “conservative” gov’t opposes bill that would have banned gambling ads

Adult non-fiction, Book Reviews, Teen non-fiction

The Amazing Generation: Your guide to fun and freedom in a screen-filled world

News

Saturday Selections – July 11, 2026

If only Steve Jobs had pitched it this way back in 2007... Back in 2007, if Steve Jobs had pitched the iPhone for everything it helps us do, would w...

Contests

Sign up for RP’s July 13-22 screenfast challenge!

Entertainment

Can I watch a movie during my screen-fast?

…and other FAQs answered ***** 1. Can I still do the screen-fast if my work requires I be on a computer? Some didn’t participate in last year’s screen-fast because they figured their job just didn’t allow for it – they had to answer texts and calls, or type away on a keyboard most of the day. But everyone can join in on the fun! For kids an entirely screen-free fast is probably best, just to help them reset. For mom and dad, it’d be about stretching ourselves as much as we realistically can. To paraphrase Andy Crouch, the screen-fast isn’t about becoming Amish; it’s just about becoming a lot more Amish than we might be comfortable with. Go without Instagram, Facebook, or checking the sports scores… because that can so easily go from the seconds you intended to the minutes you didn’t. It’s about drawing a line. So sign up, note your exceptions, and then stick to them. 2. Can I still Facetime with Oma during the screen fast? If your children do regular Sunday Facetime or Messenger video calls with their grandma, should they skip those for RP’s 10-day screen-fast challenge? No siree, for at least a couple of reasons. First, the you from the future wants you to call. A good way to evaluate decisions is to consider what the you from ten years hence might have wished you’d have done now. We know that the us from then would really appreciate it if we’d kick our screen-addiction… which is a reason to get at it now. But that same future you would love it if you’d call your mom more often (and more importantly God does too – Ex. 20:12). Even during a screen-fast. So you should. Second, not all screen usage is the same. Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, has spoken to how face-to-face communication, even over a smartphone, is entirely different from a kid swiping through a video roll. One destroys our ability to focus, and the other helps stretch it. One involves interaction and intention, while the other is simply consumption and the abdication of deliberate decision-making. One harms us, and the other builds us up. And we all know which is which. 3. Can I watch a movie during my screen-fast? The screen-fast shouldn’t be just another time to watch the latest that Hollywood offers. But as mentioned, not all screen usage is the same, and Haidt also speaks to how watching a long-form movie – not a half-hour sitcom but one single story told over a couple of hours – is very different from viewing TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. Those mediums’ seconds-long clips erode attention spans, making us unable to deal with moments or minutes of boredom. But even the best movies aren’t going to be one long action scene, and sticking with the story through the lulls will actually help build up our ability to focus. So, for some families captivated by YouTube shorts, watching a film could be part of taking back control. The key is intentionality. Don’t fall onto the couch and see what’s on. Watching “just something” is like eating “just something” – God gave us a brain, and we need to use it to meal plan. If you’re going to do it, deliberate so that you, and not the algorithm, decides. Pick a challenging film that will spark conversation, and get you and your family thinking and then watch it with the pause button at the ready so you can make this interactive and not simply consumptive. A movie could be an exception in your screen-fast… if it’s a movie (and not ten) and a certain sort (and not just any). I’ve offered one nominee, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which will stretch young viewers’ attention-spans, but will certainly reward all who make it to the end. 4. What is the screen-fast actually for? First off, this isn’t about legalism and creating some 11th commandment that must be woodenly followed. It really isn’t even about screens so much as it is about regaining self-control. What we’re doing now is damaging ourselves and our kids in ways that are both obvious, and not so. When every ding has our hand flinching toward our phones, we’re never fully present – we’re always distractible and we can all feel our attention span frittering away. And it doesn’t take a genius to know screens are impacting our kids all the more so, and will cripple their ability to buckle down and just learn. But our out-of-control screen usage is also impacting us in ways we might not have even considered. In Ps. 63:6, King David spoke of how: “…I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night...” Do any of us use our insomnia like that anymore? We leave no room for long unhurried conversations with God when we fall asleep staring at our devices instead. The problem isn’t our deliberate, intentional usage, but our loss of self-control, and with it the loss of minutes going on hours, with nothing to show for it. The screen-fast is about a reset to put our screens in their place, as our tools and not our masters. And more so, it is about reorienting our lives to properly recognize God’s place as the Lord of our lives, our time and our priorities. ***** Join us for our 2026 screen fast from July 13-22! Sign up here....

What I like about my dumbphone

I’ve been using the Light Phone III exclusively for almost a year now and wanted to share a few notes for anyone who might be interested. First, the LPIII is not a smartphone at all. It truly is “dumb.” It doesn’t have email, a web browser, social media apps, or YouTube. It only has these basics: phone texting maps camera podcasts a calendar music notes calculator an alarm a timer I purchased the LPIII because it’s truly a dumbphone and doesn’t have any of the distractions that smartphones have. Second, it works well! Calls and texts are as they should be. The camera isn’t top-of-the-line, but it does a pretty good job. The podcast and music tools work as I’d expect. I load podcasts and music from my laptop on the Light Phone dashboard website. Easy! The Bluetooth works nicely with my earbuds and with my car’s aftermarket Pioneer radio. You can brighten/dim the screen using the little wheel on the side of the phone. There’s even a night mode that minimizes the blue light output. I love that you can use this phone in the sun and still see the screen just fine. Third, the LPIII is sturdy. It feels solid in my hand. It has a removable battery so I can replace it in the future if need be. Speaking of battery, I get around 2-3 days per charge. Fourth, there is a learning curve to using the phone. The user interface is not like your smartphone. That’s because it’s not designed to suck you in for hours at a time. Smartphone companies and app developers aim to keep users on the phone as much as possible. The Light Phone team does not have that philosophy at all. They purposely made the phone not addictive. Although the OS was new to me, I did adapt to the interface in just a week or two, and now it’s fine – I have no complaints. I realize the phone is not cheap ($699 right now – though the older version is half that). However, this phone is worth it to me for these reasons: my monthly phone bill is half what it used to be. That is a savings of around $250 per year. I don’t have to upgrade this phone every two or three years because the battery is easily replaceable, and Light will keep updating it as they have with the previous version of the phone. I don’t have to worry about data mining, creepy spyware, purchasing apps, or expensive subscriptions. I will never be addicted to this phone, nor will it distract me from being present. It’s hard to explain how wonderful it is not to be tethered to my phone. I often go for hours without touching my phone or thinking about it. LPIII is not for everyone. Don’t order it if you want a dumbed-down smartphone. There are apps and hacks for that. But if you’re looking for a good full-time dumbphone or a dumbphone for untethering on evenings and weekends, I’d suggest you check out the LPIII. There are other good dumbphones out there – I think several more came out in the last two years – but the LPIII is one of the best ones on the market right now. Before ordering the Light Phone III at theLightPhone.com be sure to check with your carrier to see if they support it. Canadian plans are $29 to $39 plus tax (though without a long-distance option)....

News

Nearly 60% of violent crime cases now being stayed or withdrawn

“Justice delayed has become justice denied,” concluded a recent report from The Hub about the amount of time it is taking for criminal justice cases to be completed. Digging into the most recent data available across Canada, the report found that the median amount of time it takes to complete a case – from first appearance to a final decision – has increased 60 percent in just eight years. It’s gone from averaging around 4 months – varying from 121 to 124 days – for the 8 years preceding 2016, to now being well over 6 months, or 198 days for 2023/24. There are many costs to delaying justice, with a big one being guilty people set free because they haven’t been offered a trial within the “reasonable time” promised in the Charter of Rights. The same report found that over the same time period, there has been a corresponding increase in the number of cases that have been stayed or withdrawn. That means no finding of guilt or innocence has been reached. As The Hub’s David Snow reports: “Focusing on Canada outside Quebec , the proportion of criminal cases that were stayed or withdrawn increased from just under 35 percent in 2007/08 to 40 percent by 2019/20. The increase accelerated sharply after the pandemic, to the extent that more than 50 percent of criminal cases outside Quebec now end without a determination of guilt or innocence.” This is particularly the case for violent crimes, where now nearly three in five cases are stayed or withdrawn. As a result, fewer people are being found guilty, dropping from 63 percent to 46 percent. This isn’t because there are more acquittals. In fact, of the 228,425 adult court cases in 2023/2024: • 105,371 were found guilty • 118,265 were stayed or withdrawn • only 2,442 were acquitted God, who is perfectly just, calls us to image His justice. “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act" we are instructed in Proverbs 3:27. And as we read in Jeremiah 21:12, it must be done promptly. “Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed.” So the Charter of Rights’ call for trials in a “reasonable time” is good – we don’t want people who’ve never been convicted, languishing in jail for years on end before they even have a trial. Imagine if you are innocent, and you’re made to wait in jail for even “just” 4 months. This needs to be fixed....

Contests, Your Turn 2026

Because

What if you were rich as you could be? You owned everything, far as the eye could see. You loved to share these riches with a friend, of your generosity there was no end. They ate with you, the best delights; they walked and talked with you day and night. They shared in all your pleasures, had free access without measure. But there was one thing you told them they couldn’t touch. Such a little thing. It wasn’t much. But if they touched it, it would be the end; you could no longer be considered friends. How would you feel if they couldn’t resist? They considered this one thing that they missed, more important than all their delights; so, they touched it. Gave up all their rights. How would you respond to betrayal like this? Like the betrayal of the Judas kiss. Would you find a way to make amends? Would you lay down your life to again be friends? What a wonder such a sacrifice would be; it would be beyond the comprehension of me. Yet this very thing has taken place, a mightier than all the human race. Laid down His life to redeem His own. Came to earth from His heavenly throne. Came so redemption He could give, Gave His life, so we could live. Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Do not continue to be stubbornly blind. Take this gift so that you may say I’ve received the unimaginable gift this day. I’ve received the greatest gift of all. I’ve been rescued from my awful fall. Now I live as one set free, because my Redeemer died for me. Genesis 2:15 to Genesis 3:2-12,15 / Matthew 7:7,8 / John 3:16,17 / Romans 5:6 / Romans 6:18, 22 / 1 Corinthians 15:21 ***** When thoughts cross my mind. That turn into rhyme. I feel I need to write it because someone needs to hear it. I usually feel it's not my creation. I just retell what the bible already says. I feel honored when anyone wishes to publish my poetry, and always hope that it will benefit the reader....

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Can I watch a movie during my screen-fast?