He had it all, at least on the surface. A good business, a fine family, status in the community. He had everything it would appear, but not quite enough. Some men craved after gold or silver or jewels, not this man. Those things were all so cold and inanimate, forged and moulded deep inside an…
Amazing Grace
It is a story of Grace. Last week Angela and I were sorting through some boxes that had been in storage since we moved into our present home, in 2004. Upon opening a box of books packed by our daughter I discovered a library book I thought I’d returned in 2003. When I saw the…
A Story of Change
For seven of the eight parables that Jesus began with the line “The Kingdom of Heaven, or the Kingdom of God is like. . .” he used everyday events that were happening around those he was teaching, outside, but in one instance he took them out of the fields and vineyards, away from the sea…
I See Dead People
We spent our vacation hanging out with dead people. Not literally, but with a 30-day free trial from Ancestry.ca, it sure seemed that way. People have asked if I have discovered any surprises, and the entire story of my ancestry has been a surprise. It wove its way from Edinburgh Castle, through the Salem Witch trials…
A Gem of a Story
I have a confession to make and I hope you don’t think less of me after I’m done; That’s right I love country music. I love listening to the new artists like Zack Brown, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney and I love listening to the outlaws from the seventies like Willie and Waylon and Merle…
A Denn by Any Other Name
Twenty-Four years ago I added an “n” to my name. It was a whim, but I’ve never regretted it. Fifteen years before that I had removed the same “n” along with a “y” when I went from being Denny to being Den. And for fifteen years I had people correct my name, helpfully changing it…
A Tragedy
This is it, this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of the most important cultural icons of my youth. It was a life-changing discovery for me, one that defined my teens years. It wasn’t the founding of “intel” or Pierre Trudeau becoming Prime Minister of Canada. It was the introduction of “Two all-beef patties,…
A Story of Forgiveness
Do you like scary stories? I have never really been into scary movies, although I went to a couple as a teenager just to prove a point. And if you have to ask what that point is then you’ve never been a teenaged boy. And when Carrie’s hand came out of the grave at the…
A Story of Weeds
If I could grow flowers like I grow weeds we would have the most awesome gardens in Kingswood. I’ve kind of given up on weed control. I’m through, I quit, I’ve thrown in the towel, they’ve won. Ever since the municipality and then the province banned chemical weed control it’s been a losing battle. I’ve…
Choices equal Consequences
The bible teaches us to be careful because we will reap what we sow. That’s still a valuable life lesson for people to learn today, the concept that our personal choices have consequences. A Montreal woman recently posted negative comments on social media about her OBGYN, as well as calling the Doctor’s receptionist snooty, and…