My fashion philosophy is, if you’re not covered in dog hair, your life is empty.” Elayne Boosler Who doesn’t love their dog? When Melissa and I first married, we didn’t have a dog, even though we were both dog lovers. Before adopting our first, we used to drive around with a large plush Pongo (from… Continue reading The Family Dog
When our youngest daughter was eight, she wanted a mouse. A white mouse. We already had a pretty good dog, but Leah wanted a mouse to keep in her bedroom. My wife, Melissa, has an aversion to rodents, so you can probably guess who Leah approached to maximise her probability of success. As a management… Continue reading I Can’t Talk!
I've been thinking about Christmas and worship, so sharing some seasonal thoughts, hoping something here might resonate with you ... The Lord of all creation may be worshipped Anywhere. On a cross, in a stable,On a hilltop, under gable;In the heart of your own town square. Any where. God's way was a smart incarnationFor rescuing… Continue reading Christmas Then and Now
What do you remember about your first kiss? I’d speculate it wasn’t as traumatic as mine. The Hurley sisters lived right across Winston Road from our house. I vaguely remember them as twins or at least close in age, and a year or two older than my seven years. Adele Hurley and her sister had… Continue reading First Kiss
How emotionally connected are you to your husband or wife? To help answer this important question, I’m reposting a popular article from 2019, hoping it will be beneficial today for your marriage. Sometimes timing is everything. Enjoy. + + + + + + + I met my wife, Melissa, on a cycling trip on the… Continue reading Sustainable Marriage
I'm noticing a growing trend of wives "throwing in the towel", leaving passive husbands. Initially, I was shocked by what I thought I was seeing: women, married* to nice, easy-going guys, were bailing on their marriages. Believers and non-believers alike. At first, it didn’t make sense. But then it did. Every aspect of the family… Continue reading Up the Down Escalator
I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion is already born."Ronald Reagan American babies are leaping for joy in their mother’s wombs today, after the US Supreme Court brought to an abrupt end what the ADF calls "the disastrous and deadly Roe v. Wade" decision. (Jurisdiction for laws impacting abortion has been sent back to… Continue reading Jumping for Joy
June remains the most popular month of the year for weddings. To honour God’s amazing design for gender, marriage and healthy sexuality, I'm reposting an article from two and a half years ago, celebrating gender uniqueness. What better month to do that? Call me crazy, but one of the ways I like to express my… Continue reading Bigger Than Pronouns … Again
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 A week or so before our wedding, Melissa moved 700 miles south, giving up her cool Chicago apartment and a fun group of close friends. The day we wed at a small Moravian church in rural North… Continue reading What She Gave Up
There's no straight lines make up my life,All my roads have bends."from "Circle" by Harry Chapin When acquaintances ask about my backstory, I often laugh and say that I’ve taken a “scenic route” through life. “Scenic” denotes a leisurely drive along picturesque backroads, taking in breathtaking vistas or pastoral landscapes. But such a romantic picture… Continue reading No Straight Lines
The left thrives by keeping Americans divided, dependent and angry." Daily Signal For some of my more sensitive or battle-weary readers, this piece will seem like a bit of a rant. As I mentioned in my original blog article, "The Road Ahead", anything that affects the family is fair game and important. Sadly, many life… Continue reading Everyman’s Guide to Woke Terminology
A lie stands on one leg, the truth on two."Benjamin Franklin Melissa and I have been lying to our kids for over twenty years. We had three of our four babies when we were living in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Our house was a hundred and twenty-five-year-old late Victorian with a slate Mansard roof. An historic landmark… Continue reading The Disappearing Pool
(Every January I post an abridged text from one of my past sermons. Sermons are meant to be delivered for the ear, rather than for the eye. Still, but I hope you will find these messages edifying.) From God’s perspective, what do you think he would consider the most radical thing you’ve ever done? When… Continue reading Follow the Leader
Years ago, when I was immersed in graduate studies, one of my mentors suggested I start an “encouragement file”. It was a casual, out-of-the-blue suggestion at the time, but one I now acknowledge as packed with wisdom. Thankfully, I listened to my mentor and established an encouragement file back in 2003. First, one lonely note… Continue reading Words from the Heart
Helping them change their marriage was like untangling a ball of yarn that had been played with by a mischievous cat for a very long time." Napier & Whitaker -- The Family Crucible In 1943, American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, published a paper entitled, “A Theory of Human Motivation”. In it he described a hierarchy of… Continue reading A Worthwhile Climb
I love reading the Christmas story, especially at this time of year when we celebrate the astounding circumstances surrounding the birth of Israel’s Messiah (not to mention the Saviour of the whole world). For a huge seasonal blessing, please watch “Christmas with the Chosen”. It’s in theatres, but it’s also on YouTube. Bracketed by talented… Continue reading Pants on Fire
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 I walked the earth for too many years without having close male friends. Sure, I stayed… Continue reading Confidants
Many of God’s creatures will put up with a lot of adversity, but when precious offspring are threatened, some parents will defend their young to the death. Consequences for offenders can involve mauling, bites, missing eyes or ears, or even election loses. Mothers and fathers in Virginia (USA) rose up and sent a clear message… Continue reading Don’t Mess with our Kids!
(The following true story occurred about two years after my house fire incident recounted in “Dogs Can’t Talk”.) How is it that you meet someone just momentarily in life, but her name becomes permanently etched in your memory? When I was thirteen, my Southern Ontario town built an arena at the end our our street. … Continue reading Girl-Crazy #1
Everyone names pets. Some people name body parts. At our house, we name our vehicles. We didn’t always do that, but it is becoming a tradition. It all started with a 1994 BMW 3-Series. Since he was assembled in Munich, we gave him a nice Germanic name, "Hans". When we sized-up to a 7-seater Mazda… Continue reading What do You Name?
Peace in the Home 