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?
I’d do almost anything to help save or strengthen a marriage. From my experience, most distressed husbands and wives who seek marital therapy confess communication challenges. It’s pretty much ubiquitous. All of us are broken, and our brokenness has no better stage upon which to play than in a marriage. Naturally, men and women who… Continue reading Round and Round the Barn
After much consideration, I’m recommending people within my modest sphere of influence take a pass on the controversial "vaccines" that are being pushed by the political left. Lots of ethical and health rationale listed below. Before I launch into my reasons, I wanted to pose a question: Regardless of one’s political perspective, shouldn’t everyone be… Continue reading Left Jab
I was spoiled by my family yesterday. The five of us (plus our Rough Collie) took a rigorous Father’s Day hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, followed by appetisers and beverages at a local brewery. After late afternoon showers and naps, we prepared supper together and kept the day’s celebration going. Heading… Continue reading More Than Neckties
Land stolen, now draped in thick darkness, In spite of new bright daylight hours; Patriot hearts stilled mourning the darkness, Hopes frustrated, outlooks now soured. Left staged a prolonged, stiff resistance Used name-calling, lies and deceit; Whatever it took, mob resistance Toppled good, by way of a cheat. Fake news and big tech are now… Continue reading Whiplash
(An abridged version of a sermon I originally delivered at First Baptist Church in Marblehead, MA just before it changed its name.) “Grace and peace to you, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!”Apostle Paul I’ve been thinking about grace and peace. Our church has decided to change it’s name. One of the… Continue reading On the Sign and In You
The second smartest thing I’ve done in my life was to record my childrens’ words — those funny, profound or egocentric things that pop out of their mouths between the ages of two and eight years. Let's all have privacy together!" R, age 2.5 There’s something special about that fleeting six year period when kids… Continue reading The Second Smartest Thing
This post is addressed to my American readers of voting age who profess a faith in Jesus Christ. If you don’t hold a biblical worldview, then what follows might not make a lot of sense. If you are a citizen of another country, then perhaps you can draw some parallels. I want to be faithful… Continue reading Ballots and Beliefs
I just pulled the plug on Netflix. Been dragging my feet for a long time, but finally got fed up enough to do it for my family's moral safety. Of course, Netflix co-founder and CEO, Reed Hastings’ programming decisions made my job a whole lot easier. Terminating the popular streaming service didn’t take 13 reasons… Continue reading Strike Three on Netflix
Re-blogging here to share an encouraging piece by Michelle Malkin. As an individual opposed to wearing a mask anywhere (for lack of any substantive reason to do so), I was pleased to read there’s some progress happening at State levels, where good folks are standing up to Democrat governors and their unconstitutional and blatantly political masking… Continue reading Masking Madness
My wife, Melissa, is a fabulous dancer. In describing what I do on the dance floor, she probably wouldn't use that same adjective. But we have fun. I liken the emotional life of a married couple to a "dance" -- ideally with a husband leading his wife, moving in unison around the floor. When it’s done… Continue reading You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.Rabindranath Tagore Everywhere I go I’m astonished by the level of fear on people’s faces. Even behind masks, you can see it in people’s eyes. Last week, as I was walking along a sidewalk in front of a grocery store,… Continue reading Fear Not
Hugely important and relevant stuff here, especially if you find yourself paralysed by fear these days. I recently watched a fascinating video of two California emergency doctors, talking about their clinical experiences in dealing with a medical community consumed with COVID-19 these past two or three months. The speakers were Dr. Dan Erikson and Dr.… Continue reading Back to Work, School and Life
With so many school-aged children at home these days due to the China virus, I’m hoping many parents will consider continuing to home school their precious sons and daughters after the health risks of the virus have receded. That’s my goal with this post. Melissa and I home schooled our children for seven years. We… Continue reading Keep on Home Schooling
Peace in the Home 