perspective
A New Way to See
By Arlene Manson It is 9 o’clock on a Monday night. This article- that I am only starting to write now- is due by midnight. In my mind, in my new beginning, I am going to be that person who always gets things done early. In my earthly reality, I am a procrastinator and I get things done, but always at the last minute. When I think of beginnings, I think of starting or trying new things. One new beginning that I had this year was traveling for mission work. This past winter, during February, while Canadians were…
Read MoreThinking 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…
Read MoreWhat Do You See?
By Alicia Krogsgaard Close your eyes. What vision of God does your mind portray? Do you see an old man, white hair and beard, somewhat clueless, stooping over the world, looking down? Do you see a stark white spirit holding a lightning rod, ready to throw it at those of us who are messing up? Do you see a frumpy old Santa figure listening to all your wants as you sit on his knee? Do you see the kind face of your earthly father? Or perhaps a stern, you-better-straighten-up face stares at you? When you envision God, what do you…
Read MoreGoing On Ahead.
By Sara Pippus Once in a while, writing is very hard. I know how it feels in my head but getting it out in a way that means something to someone else becomes considerably more difficult the more personal it is. I will admit openly that I am stunted when it comes to being vulnerable and bearing my heart to anyone who is not close and trusted. I have been putting off sharing these ideas and my jumbled bits of learning. But the more I searched for answers over the past year, the more I came up short. We are…
Read MoreForgotten Words
by Sheena Koops I am singing “As Long as the Grass Grows: A Treaty Song from Saskatchewan” at the front of a wooden-pewed, domed assembly hall on a Sunday morning in Regina, Saskatchewan, Treaty Four Territory. I have sung the first verse: They are living documents, First Peoples’ and the Crowns’ Building blocks of Canada, to which we are bound Sacred agreements, the Pipe and the Pen Brother to Brother, Peace Good Order to Men I am singing the chorus a second time, and I begin to feel anxious. I can’t remember the beginning line to the next verse. I…
Read MoreLines in the Sand
Sheena Koops Imagine. You have made a mistake. Maybe you’ve made this mistake over and over, but this time, you’ve been caught. You are being escorted into a public space, a circle of those who hold the most power and the most respect in your community. They are listening to an outsider, a newcomer, and you recognize this guy. He’s the one making a buzz from coffee row to the hair salon. Many people don’t know what to make of him. Some really get what he’s serving up. Others think he’s the devil himself. Well, here you are. Tossed into…
Read MoreDo not be afraid
Deanna Cook Fright, horror, panic, trepidation, dread, dismay, distress, aversion, dread, terror, anxiety, fear. Fear is what I felt 15 years ago the night our plane crashed. Fear is caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or is a threat. Sometimes fear is caused by the unknown. Sometimes fear is based on past experiences. We can all think of something that has caused us fear in the past. If being honest, we can think of a fear we have right now. I have a fear: it’s a fear of flying. I don’t sleep…
Read MoreBeneath the Surface
Trinda Jocelyn I have a love-hate relationship with writing. I enjoy putting pen to paper; maybe fingers to a keyboard is the more appropriate way to say that these days. I have a blog, which I have had for a good long time, but if you visit it, you will find the dates I write very sporadic. When I write, I feel like it needs to be honest and so when I do sit down and write something, I feel like people can see a little deeper into who I am and being a relatively private person, that leaves me…
Read MoreMy Path
Natasha Coroluick I never know where to start when telling my story. Everyone I talk to tells me to “start from the beginning”. Is that meaning to start with, “I was born on a chilly November day twenty-nine years ago.”? Or is it the beginning of where my life began on its path? I suppose I will start where it’s relevant. Twenty years ago I was new to small town living. My grandmother had passed away in the summer of ’95 and we moved into her home in Avonlea, SK. I remember our mom telling my sister and me that…
Read MoreFeel
Trinda Jocelyn The last real memory I have of my dad was the day that he left Quill Lake. He came to my school to say good-bye. He was in an old, red, late 70’s Ford truck. I was thirteen; I don’t remember the exchange of words, more the exchange of feeling. The bitter sadness ran through me as he hugged me through that truck window: this would be one of the last times in my entire life. Then he rolled up the window, put his eyes forward, and drove away; I was left to go back into the school…
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