Christmas is almost here! In a few hours my husband and I, together with our eldest daughter and son-in-law, will begin the long drive to southern Alberta to celebrate Jesus’s birthday with my 85-year-old mom and my brother’s family. It’s been 16 years since we made that trek through the Rockies—the lapse due mostly to… [ read more ]
Posts Tagged: forgiveness
I Love You T-h-i-s Much
One of the ways in which I express love for my grandkids is this – I extend my arms wide open and then I say, “I love you t-h-i-s much!” At the very least, the little ones grin. Often they repeat my words and actions, and then they give me a big hug. So precious…. [ read more ]
Exchanging the Old for the New
The word “new” has appeared on my radar several times in the past week: “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from… [ read more ]
A Prayer for our Hurting World
It’s ironic, isn’t it? The same weekend that celebrates freedom and independence for both Canada and the United States comes after a horrific series of terrorist attacks around the world. I don’t know about you, but I feel as though Satan is ramping up his efforts to steal, kill, and destroy. A couple of… [ read more ]
A Prayer for a World Gone Mad
I’d be amiss today if I blogged about anything but this week’s tragedies. My mind can’t fathom the scope of what’s happened in Orlando. First the mass shooting and then the alligator attack. I find it difficult to even type these words. Something inside me recoils. Everyone’s asking the same questions: Why so many… [ read more ]
3 Actions to Take When We Feel Mistreated
I read an email this morning about a pastor who’s invested his life in his congregation but who’s now, quite frankly, being shafted by a disgruntled deacon. Sometimes ministry stinks. Sometimes life stinks. Stuff happens. Misunderstandings crop up within churches, in the workplace, and in families. We see circumstances through one lens; others… [ read more ]
Showing Love Even When It Hurts
Valentine’s’ Day is over for another year, but lessons in love never end. Here’s one I’m pondering these days. says, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (NLT). One version says, “God demonstrated his love…” Either way, God’s love is a verb…. [ read more ]
A Hard Heart? Who—Me?
The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. During that time, they saw God perform numerous miracles on their behalf. Imagine witnessing manna fall from heaven every morning, water gush from rocks upon command, and the Red Sea part to reveal dry land. You’d think witnessing incredible acts of God would have… [ read more ]
A Key to Forgiving Someone Who Hurts You
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your ability to forgive someone who’s wronged you? The lower end of the scale represents, “Forgive? Seriously? He/she doesn’t deserve forgiveness!” The upper end represents, “Forgive? Sure, no problem. ” I fall somewhere in the middle. The more hurtful the offense, the more I… [ read more ]
Forgiveness and God’s Extravagant Grace
What’s a typical response when someone hurts us? Perhaps we’re prone to defend ourselves. Maybe we’re tempted to avoid that person for a long time or to retaliate by saying unkind things about him to others. Maybe we establish walls to keep that person out lest he hurt us again. As Easter… [ read more ]
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