Are evangelical Christians anti-Canadian?
Pardon me, but my Sunny Side Up perspective flipped a bit last week, when a well-known national leader suggested that I—and millions of others who share my evangelical Christian faith—could be anti-Canadian because what we believe doesn’t mesh with the new moral fabric of Canada. His remarks propagate a popular ignorance-based myth: Christianity impedes progress [...]
Don’t sweat the the onion skins
Very early in our marriage, another couple invited the Preacher and I over. Nothing formal, just a simple, “Hey, you two. C’mon over for dinner on Wednesday.” We did, happily. But as Ellen readied the meal, I noticed a piece of onion skin on the floor. I picked it up and held it where she [...]
What makes a long marriage work?
Not everyone will marry. Not everyone wants to—and not everyone should. But long marriages fascinate us all. “How’d they do that?” we wonder, especially around Valentine’s Day. “What’s the secret of your long romance?” someone asked a happy pair celebrating their golden anniversary. “Since we both retired, we take warm and wonderful vacations,” the [...]
Love your postal code
At a seminar the Preacher and I attended last year, noted Christian leaders challenged believers to do a better job of living our faith in our local communities. One of them, author and futurist Len Sweet, used the phrase “loving our own postal codes.” A bearded man across our aisle asked him a question. “My [...]
For heaven’s sake, make up your mind
Successful people, says motivational speaker Andy Andrews, make decisions quickly, and change their mind slowly. People who are failures take forever to make up their mind, then quickly change it again. That knocks me off the success ladder entirely, I think sometimes. In many areas of life, indecision is my home state. If you [...]
In the beginning, God created
“Those are some gorgeous paintings,” said my son-in-law, viewing our new artwork for the first time. The nightscape and seascape perch on the piano ledge in our living room. In a space too often cluttered with the stuff of life (a child’s Noah’s ark set, animals wandering at large; books and papers piled on tables, [...]
Share your sugar—share your faith
For a few years during our empty nest, I ignored my cake and cookie recipes, hoping to reduce calories and save time. When we became grandparents, I hauled some out again. Our four grandbeans live on the next block now. My sweetest moments in the kitchen are shared with one or more little people wearing [...]
God’s New Year’s nudge
I usually sleep like Rip Van Winkle. That didn’t happen on the first night of 2013. I thought maybe the house was too warm, or I’d eaten too late. Or perhaps I’d gone to bed too early for New Year’s Eve. I wasn’t sure what kept my eyes open and my brain charged. Getting up [...]
Let’s just grow up
Every time I listen to the news, I think of how many of us need to stop acting like children (darling as they are!) and just grow up. Stop getting out of sorts when we don’t win. Stop playing with guns. Stop pretending we’re the best at everything. Stop reaching for the biggest piece. “Nana, what [...]
Slow cards in a fast world—little reminders of community
Cancer in the family has swerved me to realize afresh the sweetness of certain old and familiar ways. Like Christmas cards—particularly the snail mail variety. So rather than stand at counter or table, wherever the day’s mail gets dumped until we have time for it, I sat down to open most of ours this year. [...]
