One of the more intriguing aspects about the English language is how it is constantly changing. New words are added every year to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. As a lay pastor and blog writer, I really try hard to keep up with these new words so I can be relevant to today’s quickly changing society. This…
This year will be my 7th year running. Running is now so very much a part of me that is hard to picture myself that there was a time when I was not running. But actually I was that way for the first 55 years of my life. It all started at a running club…
It was one of those unusually warm October days. It was a PA day in our schools, which meant I was not required to be at the highway for crossing guard duties. My sister knew that, so she called me up asking if I would be able to come over for a hike together. We…
I always look forward to our annual church anniversary service, held each year on the 3rd Sunday of September. That Sunday, as well as Christmas Eve are the two times a year where the church is reasonably full. But with COVID-19 this year, we would not be able to follow protocol if quite a few…
One of my favorite books on writing is Writing for the Soul by Jerry Jenkins. In his book Jerry gives some excellent advice for Christian writers. For example, “We can’t write for other people’s souls unless ours are healthy.” Or how about this gem: “No writer ever arrives.” Jerry also advises, “Allow yourself to be moved,…
Back 40 to 50 years ago cemeteries were pieces of land I desperately tried to avoid. Following the death of my Uncle Lloyd when I was 10, and the death of my dad when I was 15, cemeteries brought back such painful memories. Despite all that, in my late teens I took the job on…
In my 20 plus years in well drilling, I was involved in some pretty amazing projects. Such as being involved with drilling a 42 inch, 202 foot mine ventilation shaft hole that finished off 5 feet into solid bedrock in Northern Quebec. Or working several months while drilling monitoring wells at the now closed Keele…
Every December at our church there has been this annual tradition of what is called a Mitten Tree. It is like a Christmas tree, but instead of ornaments and tinsel, it is decorated with donated mittens, scarves and warm hats. To have a full and well decorated tree will mean there will need to be…
Just the other day I was conversing on my Twitter timeline with a lady who was grieving the loss of her father. Her fear that after the funeral and with people getting back with their own lives, her dad would be forgotten. This was a very legitimate fear. Using my own dad as an example…
A questionable photo from college days. A tweet written when in a bad mood. A Facebook rant. Careless words are nothing new. In years gone by most people have not had ample opportunities to publish their passing thoughts for the world’s consumption. Not until social media came around. This puts us in a position to…
