Does God do it on purpose?

I’m convinced He does … do it on purpose, that is. With the arrival of every spring season I comment constantly on the wonderful progression of new colours. Winters on the southwest coast of Canada aren’t extreme, and, while my lawns may remain green throughout, full of moss as they are, deciduous branches everywhere are

A Good Friday Moment

A time of reflection and questioning… . “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” Dan MacMaster (chancel) and Janet Eastwood (balcony) Tenebrae Service, March 25, 2016 Haney Presbyterian Church Maple Ridge, BC ~ ~  ~  ~

Birds of a feather…

Chickadees! Zillions of them flit back and forth, snatching seeds and passing each other on their fly past between the feeder and nearby woods. Well, maybe not zillions, but certainly millions. Oh, okay, at least a couple dozen at a time. 😉 It’s hard to catch good shots of chickadees because they don’t sit still for long.

The Ordinary and Extraordinary

~ ~ . Take time to appreciate the ordinary moments in your day. In retrospect they may well be the most extraordinary times in your life. (That’s my bit of wisdom for today.) ~  ~  ~

‘Tis Christmastime

The winter solstice happened this week. The shortest day of the year is now behind us. We spent several hours on the road Monday, transitioning from the damp and balmy west coast into the brisk and snowy east Kootenays. There is no doubt we’ll be having a white Christmas. As the sun slowly appeared over the

How many candles does it take?

He stood on tiptoes, peering at the Advent wreath, counting aloud. Then, “Okay, but if there are four Sundays on the way to Christmas, why are there five candles?” His sister had been trying to answer his questions, but with growing impatience she shrugged. “That’s the Jesus candle. Now c’mon … let’s go.” She reached for his shoulder to steer

Was it “just” another Sunday School pageant?

There was a realistic-looking camel in our church narthex yesterday; also a wooden donkey in the sanctuary and woolly sheep on the chancel. Later, a baby appeared, nestled in a manger. A young shepherd rolled on the floor clutching his sheep, while a diminutive angel, minus her halo and with a bent wing and bare feet, watched the

HOPE in a changing world

This has been the first week of Advent 2015. We begin again to HOPE. The prophet Isaiah said Jesus would be the hope of the nations, but in our changing world today we sometimes wonder at the reliability of that promise. The late Christian writer Henri Nouwen emphasized that hope is faith in something beyond our control. While

It’s NOT Christmastime yet!

Thanks to those merchants who begin their Christmas marketing before Hallowe’en is over, it’s easy to be duped into thinking we need to keep in step with them and start our own preparations earlier every year. I love everything about Christmas — celebrations of holiday and holiness along with the preparations, family festivities and traditions. What I

Saying goodbye to favourite seasons and characters

Now that the windstorm has died, we’re left with bare branches. I can envision their earlier colour, once burgundy, then scarlet, now strewn as a blanket beneath. The forecast is for frost tonight. This is the part of autumn that makes me wistful. I love all the weeks of lingering warmth and glorious colour, and am always reluctant to see