I really have a way with plants—a knack for turning them brown. So this note isn’t full of tips about tulips, or pointers for primping your petunias. But it is about gardens. As I spend time mulling over the biblical texts of Easter, I’m struck by the contrast between two garden trials. The first, through […]
Read MoreTag Archives: Genesis
The Garden in Full Bloom: Marriage as God Intended
On the 18th of June, 1955, we said “I do.” At just 18 and barely 20, my wife and I began our journey together that is now in its sixth decade. And, contrary to popular opinion, we’ve not been sheltered from life’s harsh winds. Keeping a marriage together is hard work. Making it thrive is […]
Read MoreThe Other Side of Letting Go
It was the ultimate test of faith. God told Abraham to sacrifice his son. “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much . . . and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” (Genesis 22:1–2) God’s words pound against our ears like […]
Read MoreDoes God Hate?
Hate is a powerful word. We are taught from childhood to avoid hatred at all costs and to obey the command of Christ to love everyone, including our enemies. So it’s shocking to read the words that Paul quoted from Malachi, who declared that God loved Jacob but hated Esau (Malachi 1:2–3). How can a […]
Read MoreWhy Forgiving Someone Is Hard and How to Do It
Would you like to hold a grudge with God’s blessing? I mean, wouldn’t it be great to know exactly how much of the same guff you had to take from someone until you no longer had to forgive? The problem with forgiving is that the debt is real. Your parents neglected or even abused you. […]
Read MorePondering
One part of the Christmas story has recently come to speak to me – and it’s not even central to the story! It could almost be considered as an aside comment from Luke. You will find it in Luke 2:19, where he writes, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her […]
Read MoreWhat God Wants from You
The New Year is only one month old, and already the pressures of life have returned. Sixty-hour workweeks. Razor-thin balances in the chequebook every month. Children and/or grandchildren who call for unending, boundless bursts of energy. Sound familiar? As we peer into the pages of the Bible, tucked away toward the end of the Old […]
Read MoreSanctity of Life
Just how widespread is the practice of abortion? Are we making much ado about nothing, or do we have a full-scale issue deserving of our immediate attention? To begin with, let’s understand that medical authorities determine a person to be “alive” if there is either a detectable heartbeat or brain-wave activity. With that in mind, […]
Read MoreBe Ready!
I am always drawn back to Genesis at the start of a new year…and it is more than my annual attempt at reading through the Bible! In particular, it is the account of God testing Abraham (Genesis 22) that causes me to pause, reflect, and prepare for the uncertainty a new year brings. Abraham’s response […]
Read MoreRedeemed
You would be hard-pressed to find a more delightful story than that of Ruth. On the surface it reads like a romantic mini-drama in three scenes. Nice girl falls on hard times; girl meets man; man marries girl. But as with any really good story, just below the surface there are some very important ideas […]
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