-
Baseball Hit
Mary Dobkin was an unlikely baseball hero. Born in the early 1900s, she suffered severe frostbite as a child which resulted in long term complications. She endured multiple hospital stays and surgeries and spent her adult life in poverty, living on disability benefits. While hospitalized, Mary came to love the sport of baseball. As an adult, she realized that baseball could be an encouragement to the poor children of her neighbourhood. Mary raised funds for equipment and uniforms and started a team. Even though having to use a wheelchair or crutches, she was able to coach thousands of children over the years. Volunteering her time, Mary was instrumental in…
-
Taking Flight
What’s your typical reaction when you see a storm coming? Do you dance around in the midst of the hailstones or do you run for cover? Do you relish in getting soaked from the rain or do you find the nearest dry shelter? Most of us want to seek some kind of protection from stormy outbreaks. We desire a reprieve from any adverse conditions rather than search them out. Avoiding the stresses of turbulent events is typically high on our list. The bird kingdom is no different. When a storm approaches, all but one breed of bird goes to find shelter. Who is the anomaly? It is the eagle. While…
-
Perfection
If you listen to the media there are always numerous new suggestions about how to make your life better: 10 steps to an organized home, 8 ways to improve your concentration, etc. We are bombarded with diet and exercise plans that supposedly will turn our bodies into the perfect specimen. Ads promote the ideal supplements or products that will solve our health or beauty woes. The list of potential products and procedures is endless and somewhat daunting. Christians are not immune to such suggestions. There are numerous Christian websites, books, and guides out there that promise us spiritual renewal, healing, or a better life if we just follow certain steps…
-
Cabin Fever
I pace up and down my hallway for the umpteenth time today. Some days I feel like I am wearing permanent grooves in the laminate flooring. I’m sure I make a comical picture as I trot back and forth. The length of my home allows me to make only a few strides before I must turn around and go back. It gets old pretty fast but on brutal cold days it is my best form of exercise. Cold winter days on the prairies generally do lead to more indoor time. This year is worse. With pandemic restrictions my world is very narrow. I work from home. I worship via…
-
Squall Warning
The wind is howling, rattling windows and eaves like a tornado ready to strike. Outside the trees are swaying so much it looks like they will fall over. As I look out the window, snow is actually blowing sideways. These sudden, fierce storms pop up without warning. You can easily be driving along on clear roads and within seconds be surrounded by intense, blowing snow. Such snow squalls make driving treacherous and ill advised. The government has issued a squall warning. While more common in areas with large bodies of water, such a warning is rare in our prairie environment. How do we deal with such an unknown entity? …
-
People Watching
I love to watch people. It gives me great delight to observe the antics of children or the funny interactions of some adults. As I wait in line at the store or I am out for a walk, I take note of those around me. I wonder what their lives are like and how they are feeling in their current situation. Some cases even cause me to ponder what might be the story behind the story – what is truly going on their lives behind the scenes? I am always curious what makes people tick and why they behave the way they do. My overarching feeling is a I want…
-
The Gift of Peace
As I pack away my Christmas tree and finger the ornaments lovingly made or given by my children in the past, my heart longs for them. Spending Christmas apart from family is one of the most challenging experiences I have faced recently. Our government edict to limit our interactions to our own household at this time is needful to deal with the pandemic, but it hurts. Memories flood my spirit as I work on the tree. I ponder the days when my home was filled with children laughing and bouncing around with their boundless energy. Days of board games and doing puzzles, moments of glee playing together in the…
-
Christmas is Cancelled – Or Is It?
When the word came down last week from the government officials in our province that all indoor and outdoor gatherings are prohibited until January it was a tough blow. Any hope of having some kind of Christmas celebration dissipated and sadness set in. No festive dinners. No Christmas carol singing in church. No family gatherings. No trips to see loved ones. At times like these it is extremely easy to have negative thoughts settle in and take root. Like dandelion seeds blowing in the wind and creating new weeds everywhere, these negative images permeate lots of what we do and think if we let them. I challenge you, my readers,…
-
Giving
I’m in the middle of watching a Christmas movie where a struggling photographer wins a contest. Rather than use the substantial prize money for himself even though he needs it badly, he decides instead to play a Secret Santa role and help out a number of needy people in his community. He demonstrates great empathy for people and becomes aware of many whose needs are even greater than his own. He starts a trend. Soon multiple people are paying for purchases of others and helping those in need. His giving attitude is infectious. He shows that the best gifts are those where you don’t expect anything back. The rewards he…
-
Family Tree
In this Advent season I am working through the Gospel of Matthew. My purpose is to take a journey through Jesus’ earthly story and to truly appreciate the sacrifice He made to come to earth, live among us, and sacrifice Himself for us. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus. It makes sense that Matthew opens his book this way as his main purpose in writing is to show the Jews how Jesus fulfills Messianic prophecy. Part of that explanation is showing that Jesus is in the lineage of King David. Jesus’ family tree reveals some interesting points. Although it was uncommon for women to be included in such…
