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Christmas Eve Sermon

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Merry Christmas Everyone! As I was preparing for my Christmas Eve Children's Sermon for this year, I found the one from last year.  I really enjoyed thinking about the importance of shepherds in God's revelation of Himself to us so I thought I would post the sermon.  Remember: it is a children's sermon!   Here we are: it is Christmas Eve... the time we celebrate the greatest gift from God – Jesus our Saviour!  Now on such a special evening we could talk about so many interesting and wonderful things: We could talk about Mary: and how this young woman became the mother of God’s Son We could talk about Joseph: who took a very pregnant Mary to Bethlehem to be counted with his family We could talk about the angel: who appeared in the night sky proclaiming “good news of great joy for all people.” But... they are not going to be our focus today – as important as they are all. This Christmas Eve, I want to talk about some very ordinary people. Men who were just livin...
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My Wallet AND My Grocery Bags

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Last Saturday when I went grocery shopping, something remarkable happened... I remembered to bring both my wallet and my grocery bags!  For some reason, that hadn't been the case on my previous three trips to the grocery store.  The first one was the worst.  I was standing in line with a full cart when I realized that I didn't bring my wallet.  Thankfully I live very close to the store and just left my cart off to the side, went home to pick up my wallet, and returned to pay.  The second time wasn't that big of a deal.  As I walked into the grocery store, I realized I wasn't carrying my grocery bags, even though I remembered getting them from my kitchen.  I ended up just paying for plastic bags which I used for garbage bags and found my re-useable bags sitting by my back door when I returned home.  The last time, it was when I was in the parking lot just about to get out of my car that I realized I didn't have my wallet so I went home to get it an...
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The Time In-Between

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We are living in the time in-between.  When I think of that with regards to Christian theology, it is the time in between the first coming of Christ (the Incarnation) and the second coming of Christ (the Parousia).  Today, however, I am thinking of the time in-between when covid-19 drove us into our homes and when we will be free to socialize and work normally again.  The time in-between in both cases is a time of uncertainty.  Of waiting.  Of trusting.  Of hoping.  Of praying. These are very unique and challenging times.  I think that is what motivated me to blog today.  Thinking of all of you living your lives under the stress and strain of the corona virus pandemic and wanting to reach out to let you know you are not alone.  Truly not alone - God is with you. Zephaniah 3:17 comes to mind: "The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he w...
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God with Us!

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Hi!  Yes, it has been a LONG time and I don't even know why.  What I do know is that today I read two verses in 1 John that amazed me and I wanted to share them with someone - and I picked all of you! Here they are: "All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.  We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love."  NLT "Have God living in them"..... "they live in God"....  this is incredible, amazing, and true! God abides - continuously remains - in us and we abide - continuously remain - in God. I don't really know how to talk about the significance of this but want us to try grasp it. Phrases that come to mind for me... - never alone - having a home - being a dwelling place - always in the light - this treasure... in jars of clay Take a moment and ask yourself - what is the significance for me that the Lord lives in me and I in Him? = = = = I'll give you a mom...
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Brake LIghts

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Three days ago I was driving in Winnipeg.  It was mid-afternoon and the traffic was starting to increase.  I was on a road that is technically one lane but near a main intersection becomes two lanes.  As I approached the intersection, someone beeped at me.  I thought, "Oh no, I didn't move over enough to give them room in their lane!"  I looked at them and smiled and the woman driving the vehicle (which was now beside me) indicated that she wanted me to roll down the window so she could say something.  I did it.... unsure what she would say. What she told me surprised me. "You don't have any brake lights," she said.  "There is the one on the top but the two on the sides are burnt out," she continued.  "Thank you!" was my reply and off we went as the stop light turned green. I drove home a little more cautiously than normal and then the next day dropped off the vehicle at Canadian Tire to fix the problem.  As I waited for my father-in-...
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Mentors and Models

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Happy New Year!!!   I hope you had a meaningful Advent and joyful Christmas Season! This past week I was listening to a podcast by Pete Scazzero ( Goals Most Leaders Overlook Part 1 at Emotionally Healthy Discipleship ) and he was talking about the need to have mentors.  Christian mentors are people who we are in relationship with who counsel, advise, and model following God to us.  I don't have one mentor but rather many different people who fulfill this role in my life.  This past week, I discovered models for following God through both the Word and stone. First, God's Word:  One of my habits that I am implementing in 2019 is reading a One Year Bible.  As I was reading Genesis, a surprising model stood out to me: Isaac.  Isaac is the patriarch who I know the least about.  Yes, he is mentioned when we talk of "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" but Scripture says so much less about him than about his father, Abraham, or son, Jacob....
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Lord, Don't You Care?

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This summer I had the joy of leading the Bible Discovery time at a VBS in Selkirk.  We did the Group Curriculum and the theme was " Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus ".  Everyday was a particular theme that went like this, "When I (some emotion or situation we find ourselves in)..... Jesus rescues!" Tuesday's theme was "When I worry, Jesus rescues!"  Now, I've had my battles with worry so I was interested in seeing what Gospel story would be told on this day.  It was Luke 10:38-42 - the story of Martha and Mary when Martha invites Jesus over for a meal.  The focus is on Martha's worry and Jesus' teaching that " only one thing is needed " which is to attend to Jesus.  What caught my attention is the power of worry and the impact it had on Martha's relationship with Jesus.  Specifically, worry caused Martha to 1) question Jesus' heart toward her and 2) tell Jesus (who is God) what to do.  Yikes!!! Let's look at Martha...
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