January 3, 2008

Joy - Silent night, holy war Day 60 of my experiment in joy happened to fall on Christmas. In all ninety days I had only four thoroughly unhappy ones, an astonishing record for me. However, I regret to report that one of my joyless days was Christmas.

Overcoming the Fear of Financial Insecurity Several months ago I interviewed a former bank robber who'd spent time in prison for his offenses.

The Master's Touch This true story presses home the heart of Christmas to me - see if it does for you also.

Brad & Ben - a testimony of dealing with disability Ben Hagkull has a shirt in his closet that reads: Don't tell me what I can't do! It says a lot about the budding athlete, who at eight years of age has nine triathlons under his belt.

January 10, 2008

Joy - Champagne of Cana Day 67 of my experiment in joy happened to fall on January 1. That New Year's Eve we sat with friends around a campfire beside a frozen lake in the interior of British Columbia.

Helping Children Set Goals At the beginning of a new year many families find themselves thinking about resolutions.

Kindness & the cold Kindness is a powerful virtue. Its positive influence can not be overstated. The simple Bible verse, "Be kind to one another", carries huge implications for both giving and receiving.

Brad & Ben - part 2 - a testimony of dealing with disability Ben Hagkull has a shirt in his closet that reads: Don't tell me what I can't do! It says a lot about the budding athlete, who at eight years of age has nine triathlons under his belt.

January 17, 2008

Childlike Faith - Welcome the age of the child One day in our church all the parents were encouraged to stand before their children and take their hands.

Overcoming the fear of inadequacy A woman recently told me that her pastor asked her to take a church leadership role. Her first response was, "Who, me? I can't do that."

A bag of seeds There's a picture painted with words in the Psalms about a farmer who is carrying a bag of seeds.

A bag of seeds There's a picture painted with words in the Psalms about a farmer who is carrying a bag of seeds.

January 24, 2008

Childlike Faith - Meet the Child Jesus At different times in my journey of faith I find myself praying to the Father, or to the Son, or to the Holy Spirit, or to the Trinity.

Five things to say before good-bye Maybe it's because of my job as a pastor, or maybe it's that I'm getting older, but I have noticed that there seems to be a lot of people who are leaving these days.

Don't miss God's gift of rest THE WORLD is not dying for another book. But it is dying for the rest of God.

Why Has No One Ever Told Me This Before? When I was 18 my Mom got married for the first time. She had become a Christian shortly before that, and I had no idea what was going on.

January 31, 2008

Childlike Faith - The strong-willed parent People of my generation were fond of talking about the strong-willed child. If anybody was having trouble with their kids it was because the kids were strong-willed.

Fears & Phobias Last evening, Susan and I were listening to Larry King interview President and Mrs. Bush Sr., and I was surprised by one of Barbara's answers.

"As you do for the least of these..." As Christians, we are called to pursue justice for all, and especially for the vulnerable among us.

Joe's path to freedom Hi, my name is Joe. I have a wonderful wife and five beautiful children and was raised in a Hutterite Community.