Welcome to Christmas Eve! It’s a special time. After the presents have been bought, we gather to sing carols and ponder the significance of Christ’s birth. [If you’re close to Barrie and are looking for somewhere to worship tonight check out the links below.] But we live in a world of skepticism. Many people ask … Continue reading Your life and legacy
influence
Your impact can last
Being a person of your word—a person of integrity who does their best to do what they say they’re going to do—has a positive impact that can literally last for generations. Skeptical? Think of someone from your past who had a really positive impact on you—someone who was a person of their word, someone who … Continue reading Your impact can last
What if YOU were the giant?
You and I are standing on the shoulders of giants. But have you ever considered that future giants may also be standing on yours?
Who’s brainwashing who?
Mark Clark was getting a lot of criticism from people. They said that because he consistently read his kids the Bible and explained who Jesus was (and is), and because he explained God’s hope for the world, that he was “brainwashing” them. But he wasn't the guilty one...
Time to juggle up the playlist?
If you’ve been following along with the Up! devotional this week you’ve probably caught on to the fact that I’m talking about how wildly impressionable we humans are. People say that children are sponges. But so are adults! (We’re just better at hiding it.) I read a study that said we’re more likely to trust … Continue reading Time to juggle up the playlist?
A companion of fools suffers harm
Lately I’ve been thinking about how wildly impressionable we humans are. It’s not always a bad thing, but I think it really is the truth. One study I read suggested that you’re more likely to have warm and favourable thoughts toward someone you’re talking to if you’re holding a warm drink at the same time. … Continue reading A companion of fools suffers harm
Why we’re sponges
If you put a sponge in murky water for three minutes, and then take it out and squeeze it, what is going to come out? Murky water. And if you put another sponge in pure, clear water for three minutes, and then take it out and squeeze it, what is going to come out? Pure, clear water. … Continue reading Why we’re sponges
I want to do something small…
Albert Schweitzer had a more “impressive” life than I ever will. He was a writer and influential theologian; he was an amazing and accomplished organ player; and he became a medical missionary and doctor to French Equatorial Africa. He was also awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. A biography by James Bentley reveals a … Continue reading I want to do something small…
Just one person
On Sunday a man in my congregation, Jeff Walther, delivered a sermon about making a difference in someone’s life. As a part of that, he told a story about a man walking along a beach. He saw someone moving in the distance, almost like they were dancing. As he got closer he realized that it … Continue reading Just one person
Loved people love people
I was watching an interview with someone who worked with at-risk youth. He said, “Hurt people hurt people.” He meant that if someone has been deeply hurt in their past, they often hurt other people simply because it’s what they know. Is that always the case? No. But in his experience it was often true. … Continue reading Loved people love people
