Last week we celebrated Christmas with our children’s presentation, which I’m sure Marilyn and her crew would testify is kind of like herding cats.  And that was part of the process that led Charlie Brown to ask in frustration, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” And that is the question that…

For millions of people over the past fifty years the only exposure they have had to the bible happened each Christmas as Linus read Luke chapter 2 verses 8 to 14 from the King James version in response to Charlie Brown’s questions:  Doesn’t anyone know what Christmas is all about. And when Linus is done…

Wow, it’s been fifty years.  Sure doesn’t seem like it.  December 9th will be the 50th anniversary of the first showing of Charlie Brown Christmas.  And while most of us grew up watching the animated special there were a number of hesitations about the show when it was aired.  As a matter of fact, for…

They held his hands firmly against the un-planed timber and placed the rough iron spikes over the junction of his wrists.  The roman centurion lifted the mall and drove the first spike home with one swing.  The man bucked and twisted in agony as the metal pierced his wrist like white hot fire, pinning his…

Grace in an Awkward Situation I knew something changed between us, all the talk we made was small, but what do you say to someone when they’ve heard you say it all.  It’s an awkward conversation in a most peculiar way.  How did we get from saying I love you to I’ll see you around…

It was the summer of 1980.  I had just completed my first year of university and for the summer I volunteered with an organization called the Shantymen Christian Association, now referred to simply as SCA.  In an article written for the Toronto Star in the 1970s the author wrote:  “If you have the zeal of…

There's a new Prime Minister in Canada and when you woke up Tuesday morning you were either ecstatic or disappointed, but however you feel about the new Prime Minister the Bible tells us that we have an obligation as Christians to pray for Prime Minister Trudeau and may I suggest for Mrs. Trudeau and their…

If you are like most people, then your family tree probably has some folks in it that you’d rather not talk about. Not just the nuts and saps that collect in most trees but people that when you are drawing your family tree you are tempted to use the white out.  We just don’t like…

For most of us, sometime over the next two days we will celebrate the Feast of the Dead Bird, better known by many as Thanksgiving Dinner.  And as a part of that tradition at some point before we actually begin to consume food someone will ask “Uncle Bob would you return thanks?” or “Aunt Martha…

The Pain of Growth You ever have growing pains?  If you didn’t you probably know someone who did, maybe your own kids.   You know when you were around 8 or 9 you’d wake up with your legs aching.  Growing pains are kind of a generic diagnosis that covers a variety of aches and pains when…