Recently Published Articles
Legacy
A stuffy senior’s residence may seem like a strange place to find some direction for my life, but as many Bible characters could attest, God can use all kinds of people, places, and events to get our attention. I volunteer at our local nursing home. I quite enjoy visiting with my elderly friends and hearing their stories. Several of them are just longing to have someone show interest in what they have to say. Some residents are eager to share some of their memories – stories of their family members, their accomplishments or their former work. Other residents feel they are insignificant and have nothing to share. I think it is a huge blessing to have them give me a glimpse into the window of their souls. They tell me of family or friends of long ago that made an impact on them. Sometimes they tell me of their faith- or of their painful losses- and sometimes they share their regrets. Regardless, one thing they all seem to have in common is an awareness that…
When I Grow Up
By Arlene Manson Last fall, I finally got a permanent job after six years of term positions. The goal I was working for – a permanent job – had been achieved. And this past spring, I turned 50. At this point, my life has kind of settled. So, what or where do I want to go next? This period of life has put me in a reflective mood. Lately, I have been reading books on spiritual disciplines and the like. I am trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I know that I want to continue to serve the Lord. I am just not sure where that is leading me to this point. The one thing I know for sure is that I want to remain faithful until the end. Lately, faithfulness has been a recurring theme in my life. The theme for the centennial celebration at the Regina Church of Christ was about God’s faithfulness. Our summer sermon series was on the fruit of the Spirit, of which…
In Every Breath
By Esther Dupperon After 45 minutes of twisting, stretching, and bending we were told to lay on our yoga mats and relax. How wonderful. The instructor put on some music, led us through a breathing practice, and then through a guided meditation. I fell asleep. Since that time, I have participated in many meditations, some simple breathing and some lasting hours. Sometimes I fall asleep, sometimes I am unable to focus my mind or relax my body. Other times, I have had a sense of peace, relaxation, and a closeness to God. Meditation can be prayerful, relaxing or mindful. It always has an effect on our bodies. It lowers blood pressure, lowers heart rate, and reduces the adrenalin build up caused by our day-to-day stress. The basis of meditation is breathing, deep belly breathing, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Give it a try. Go ahead. Keep going, about ten times should be good. You can do this anywhere, at any time. Many people use this between clients, before a stressful meeting, or at…
Prayer Journaling
By Ruth Pradzynski I remember several years ago at a Christian women’s meeting, the speaker challenged us: “If there was one thing that you could do that would make a difference in your spiritual life this year, what would it be? I challenge you to do that one thing.” I knew right away what my one thing would be: to have a daily quiet time with God. I had never done this consistently, and I thereupon set a goal, to have a quiet time with God, daily. And it truly transformed my life. I had always “not been good at” prayer. My mind wanders – I have trouble keeping focused. It seemed so boring, a vain repetition. But I’m a writer. Writing comes naturally to me, and I feel best when I write every day. So I began the spiritual practice of prayer journaling, writing my prayers. I got up every morning and spent the first hour in prayer journaling. My life changed. I began not only writing my own thoughts and prayers but waiting…
Leaning into the Lord
By Trinda Jocelyn I find myself at a time in my life when things are really good. I mean it. I have a husband who loves me, and not the bare minimum kind of love. We live in a beautiful home, and we are surrounded by loads of fabulous family and friends who are there for us, and we are there for them. I have a good job, and freelancing has picked up, showing promise as a full-time gig working from home; a dream I hold onto as I brave up to leap into the entrepreneurial unknown. My husband has a good, stable job with the bonus of job security attached to it. My kids are out of this world amazing. Two of them have jobs and my biggest worry most days is whether they have done their homework, helped with chores, or made it work on time. It is at times unclear to me how I was so blessed. Please – don’t hear life is perfect. We struggle. I struggle. The kids struggle: they are all teenagers after all, and any parent…
Thinking Backwards: Thoughts on Luke 6
By May Thiessen I volunteer with a children’s program each week. Lately we’ve been looking at the teachings of Jesus, and specifically, we’ve been working at memorizing the Beatitudes. I was telling the children that in many ways, Jesus says things that seem to be backward compared to the way we’d normally do or say things. After all, the Beatitudes start, “Happy are the poor (Blessed are the poor in spirit)… Happy are the sad (Blessed are those that mourn)… Happy are you when people pick on you because you want to do what is right (Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness). Isn’t that contrary to what we’d normally think or believe? Jesus continually calls us to think counter to our culture. This makes me think further; in what other ways does Jesus call me to listen to Him instead of to the culture around me? Am I able to listen to His call to me? We were studying from Luke with the children. He has so many teachings there that challenge me: “Love…
Sisterhood
By Lisa Gillies Sisterhood, what a beautiful word: connecting, bonding, sharing, encouraging, and so much more. This past February was my first time at the Sister Triangle Retreat; what an honour it was. We learned or were reminded that we might not be okay, and that is, okay. We are enough. To be a light wherever we go, and we may never know what others may be going through, but we can stand together. I was amazed when listening to others share, yes, I understood, I have been there. And the songs that were chosen, how they ministered to so many. For some, it took courage to share, and for that I thank you. I want to thank everyone who helped make this happen. For those who could not make it, I hope next year you can come. Remember, when you are struggling, sometimes you just need to be held by our Loving Father. Your world may not be falling out of place, but falling into place. Through trials, we grow and sometimes there is…
Climbing
By Katelyn Pippus When I was little, one of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon was playing on the sandstone rock formations outside of Roche Percee, Saskatchewan. The rocks had been weathered and worn over time presenting the perfect spot for a prairie girl to pretend she was a mountain climber. I remember the first time mom and dad took me to the rocks and I got to clamber through the caves. Climbing at the rocks became a fall tradition for my family. Every time we went climbing, dad would show off how he could climb and jump between the rocks that were often more than fifteen feet off the ground. As I got older and more adventurous, dad began to challenge me to climb higher and eventually to take the more difficult routes to the top. Although mom would tease him about showing off, I always admired his fearlessness and his confidence. By the time I was about twelve, I had climbed nearly every inch of the rocks. But there was one route I…
My Uncle’s Passing
By Sheena Koops I remember Christmas, must have been 1987. My Uncle Jelsing and Auntie Sheena, their three boys, and a tag-along-friend-of-the-family came to the farm for Christmas. The young man, like a brother to my cousins, was Michael Koops from Victoria, BC. This young guy, my cousin, and I walked over the prairie into the Souris Valley, sometimes knee deep in snow, pretending we were on a quest. We watched movies; we sang carols, we played games: my cousins and this tall, dark and handsome friend-of-the-family. In August of 1989, I married that guy. Three daughters later, my Uncle and Auntie consider our girls their granddaughters, because they consider Michael their son. When we heard the news that Uncle Jelsing had passed, Michael immediately made plans to drive to Victoria. He travelled through the night, stopping only twice to catch an hour or two of sleep on the side of the road, mountains on either side, guiding him back to the coast. On my own trip out for the funeral, I travelled with my sister, brother, our dad, and my youngest daughter. Mom flew, arriving just…
Sufficient Unto the Day
By Mary Muirhead Caller: (cheerfully penitent) I’m sorry I haven’t called to arrange this sooner, but things have been kinda crazy around here. . . . Receiver: (with acceptance) We can still get it done. I’ll have to make some adjustments to the schedule, move things around, but I’m sure Overheard on My Phone or “She hasn’t got back to me.” Caller: (cheerfully penitent) I’m sorry I haven’t called to arrange this sooner, but things have been kinda crazy around here . . . . Receiver: (with acceptance) We can still get it done. I’ll have to make some changes, move things around, but I’m sure we can still make it work. We’ll do it next Friday at 2:30. OK? Caller: (guiltily) Thank you. Sorry to be an inconvenience to you and the others, but I had contacted Ms So-and-So and (in an exasperated or perhaps injured tone), she hasn’t got back to me. . . . . Sounds like me! I’m not repeating a real call – but it is the sort of phone call, complete with excuses, that I have made too often in my life, for whatever…
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