A Tale of Two Kingdoms

Birds of a Feather

2011-12-20T11:01:00.000-08:00

As a teenager I preferred summer. Now that I am older, I appreciate every season. During autumn God paints a kaleidoscope of colors in the forests of central Ontario. But he also instilled the instinct to fly south into many birds.

Look up into the daytime sky and you will see flocks of birds. It is a vivid picture of the well-worn saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” They join forces in preparation for their arduous flight south. Gulls invade corn fields and peck at the shortened stalks. Canada geese grace the skies with their v-formations. Sometimes they fly in the wrong direction but they eventually head south. Starlings congregate together for company on their long journey. I spotted some birds lined up on telephone wires.

Soon all birds, needing to be in warmer climates, will be gone. Likewise, some day believers will rise at the same time to meet Jesus in the air. What a sight that will be!

“According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17, NIV).

Are you ready? Those who remain will face the judgement of God. The chance to repent and be saved will be gone forever.

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What Kind of Tree are You?

2011-10-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

When we moved to our present house fourteen years ago, a tall tree grew just inside the driveway. Three thick limbs stretched up to the sky. One limb pointed toward our house, the second toward our neighbour’s, and the third toward the road. We thought a tree growing in the driveway strange. Yet we admired its grandeur.

I don’t know when the bark began to split. But I didn’t think anything of it. Eventually I wondered why there were so many carpenter ants at the base of the tree. When woodpeckers began to peck holes into all three limbs, I knew they were after the ants.

From a distance the tree still appeared strong and beautiful. Close up was a different story. Last winter woodpeckers had penetrated deep into the inner core, well past the centre of one of the limbs. Now we did not want to be responsible for a limb falling onto our neighbour’s house. The tree had to go. After the tree feller cut it down, we mourned because of the rotten interior. At some point a strong wind would have toppled it over.

That tree caused me to ponder the difference between believers and non-believers. At birth all of us are born in sin. Like the inside of all trees we are spiritually dead. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:10, 11, NIV). That is why sin crouches at the heart of everyone, believer and non-believer alike. Sometimes our own fleshly desires tempt us. Other times it may be the world or Satan and his demons.

Like the tree whose bark split we are tempted to sin. Ants and woodpeckers try to pierce our heart. James cautions us, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:13–15, NIV).

Paul writes to believers: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV).

Have you acknowledged that you are a sinner saved by grace? If not, cast yourself on the Lord and cry for mercy. Jesus is mighty to save, and the Holy Spirit will guard your heart and mind.

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Fit for Faith

2011-10-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

You’re invited to the launch celebration of Fit for Faith – 7 weeks to improved spiritual & physical health on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011.
To join the fun, please follow these simple steps:
1. On Tuesday, October 11th place your order for Fit for Faith through Amazon.com
2. Retrieve the Amazon Order Confirmation Number from your order.
3. Visit http://kimberleypayne.wordpress.com to discover all the gifts that can be yours.
4. Email your name & Amazon Order Confirmation Number to kimberleypayne [at] nexicom [dot] net
5. After submitting your information, an email will be sent to you containing the information to access the Bonus Gifts. Choose all the free gifts you like.
Note: Gifts and prizes are available only on October 11th

Kimberley Payne's Virtual Book Launch

2011-10-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

Kimberley Payne, author and speaker, is launching her book Fit for Faith - 7 weeks to improved spiritual & physical health on Tuesday, October 11th at Amazon.com. You can help Kimberley achieve ‘best seller’ status by purchasing the book at Amazon.com on that day!

About the book:

This book unites physical health and spiritual health through a 7-week program to lose weight and develop a deeper relationship with God. It is a reference on cardiovascular exercise, strength training, prayer, healthy eating, Bible study, flexibility exercise and journal writing.

About the Author:

Kimberley Payne is a motivational speaker and author. Her writings relate raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Through her work, Kimberley hopes to inspire women to live happier, healthier lives that glorify God. Kimberley is a former personal trainer and has worked in the designing and counselling fields of weight control, stress management, self esteem improvement and wellness programs. She enjoys recreational activities with her husband and two children near Peterborough, Ontario. You can visit her website at www.kimberleypayne.com

Bonus!
Buy Fit for Faith – 7 weeks to improved spiritual & physical on Tuesday, October 11th and receive loads of FREE gifts from many generous supporters.

Sample chapters, Bible studies, short stories, and children’s books from acclaimed, best selling and debut Christian authors.

All if you buy your copy of Fit for Faith – 7 weeks to improved spiritual & physical health at Amazon.com on October 11th 2011!

These free gifts are valid on Tuesday, October 11th only.

Disclaimer:
This Best Seller book launch has been coordinated with the help of the John 3:16 Marketing Network and many other generous supporters. The free gifts are deliverable electronically over the Internet or by email by individual authors and supporters. They are not in any way associated with, nor deliverable by, Amazon.com

The Circle of Life and Death

2011-09-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

While visiting my son’s place, I loved to go to the park. Every day I hoped to catch a glimpse of a mother duck and her eight ducklings. One day I saw them again. After five weeks they had grown almost to their mother’s size.

Those ducklings reminded me of the circle of life and death. This cycle is quite obvious in the backwoods. For years a tall dead pine marked the edge of our cottage property. Then one day it fell. Soon another pine began growing in its place. Down the lake I recently spied a cedar tree growing several feet above the ground in the soil of a fallen tree.

Life begets death in this sin-cursed earth. How eager I am to live forever with God in the new heaven and new earth! There the redeemed will be of one mind—loving and serving God. The world, the flesh, and the devil will never be lurking in the shadows waiting to entice one to sin. All creation will rejoice and praise God forever.

I do not understand why some believers bought with the precious blood of Jesus look forward to utopia on this present earth. According to those people, life and death will still exist. Babies will still be born with a sin nature. Sure, Satan may be muzzled, but the flesh and worldly influences will still entice the unregenerate to sin. How can that world compare to the joyful realities in the new heaven and new earth?

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14, NIV).

I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking about the new heaven and the new earth, not this sin-cursed earth.

The Lost Ducklings

2011-07-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

Emerging from the safety of the bushes, a mother duck waddled across the sidewalk to the upper pond. Eight tiny ducklings followed her into the water. At the time my husband and I were taking our grandson for a wagon ride at the park near our son’s house. Since we would be visiting them for awhile, we knew we would be giving him many more wagon rides.

Although the park had the usual playground equipment, it also had a walkway around two huge ponds. Between the upper and lower ponds lay a gentle slope with bushes and a waterfall. Our grandson looked forward to seeing the ponds because of the many ducks that lived there.

A couple of weeks passed before we saw the mother and her ducklings again. How much the ducklings had grown! This time the mother was leading her young to the water of the lower pond. The group slowly waddled down the hill toward the larger pond. The mother slipped into the water. Soon the ducklings followed her. I counted, “One, two, three…” “Two are missing,” I exclaimed. “What could have happened to them?”

We did not have long to wonder. Soon the two stragglers appeared in front of a bush near the upper pond and began to waddle toward the others. Immediately, two of their siblings climbed out of the water to join the stragglers. As soon as they met, the four ducklings waddled toward the water and slipped into the water of the lower pond. Then the whole family glided together through the glistening water.

What an excellent picture of how believers should support those in need, especially other Christians! Paul writes to the Galatians, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, NIV). Moreover James urges, “Love your neighbour as yourself” (James 2:8, NIV). Those ducklings reminded me of how the church should operate. Peter Scholtes wrote the hymn, “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love,” based on John 13:35. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

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The Persistent Squirrel

2011-06-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Squirrels live in the woods behind my house. They must find enough food there. Yet a few years ago they discovered the bird feeder in our yard. Scurrying up the tree, they perched precariously on top of the feeder. Last year my husband moved the bird feeder to our over-sized obsolete satellite dish. When the squirrels managed to find it, we were amazed. We could not understand how they could reach it.

This year my husband saw a squirrel leap through the air from our neighbour’s tree, carefully walk across the mesh dish, and jump onto the top of the feeder. After eating some seeds and scattering others on the ground below, the squirrel dropped down onto the grass. I was glad my husband had witnessed that squirrel. Now we understood how those squirrels reached a bird feeder, dangling in the air.

Since we wanted birds to eat the seeds, not squirrels, my husband had a bright idea. He hung the bird feeder to the large arm at the back of the satellite dish. The next day he looked out our back bedroom window and saw a squirrel perched on the top of the feeder. We wondered how it could get there. What persistence! What danger! That squirrel knew what it wanted and risked falling from a high distance to get it. Those squirrels persevered to gain the prize—bird seed. God promises believers will persevere for the ultimate prize—eternal life with him. And he gives us the strength to do it.

The Apostle Paul viewed the Christian life as a race. Likewise, the writer to the Hebrews urged his readers “to run with perseverance the race marked out” for them (Hebrews 12:1, NIV). We do this by fixing our eyes on Jesus, who endured the shame of the cross for the joy to follow. “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3, NIV). Those whose spiritual eyes remain focused on Jesus will persevere to the end.

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The Intruder

2011-05-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

“Help! There’s a frog in the living room,” I yelled.

My husband ran into the house and calmly replied, “It’s a toad.”

“How are you going to get it out?” I asked.

Without a word he quickly picked it up and carried it outside. Our front door had only been open a few minutes while we loaded up the car for a trip. In that short time the toad had hopped up the front stairs and into the house.

That toad reminded me of Cain and the sneaky nature of sin. His brother Abel had offered the Lord the firstborn of his flock whereas Cain had brought produce from his garden. When the Lord accepted Abel’s offering but not his, he became very angry.

God asked him, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it” (Genesis 4:6, 7, NIV).

Just like the toad, sin was crouching at Cain’s door. Likewise, sin tempts us today to rebel against God. If we yield, we become slaves to sin. But if we resist, we obey God and become slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:15–18). Only by God’s grace, will we yearn to turn from our wicked ways. If we continue to do only what we want, we will be like Cain, following our own evil desires.

Nobody likes the idea of being a slave. Yet everyone is either a slave in Satan’s kingdom or else God’s kingdom. How much better for the Holy Spirit to draw us into God’s kingdom as his slaves! What irresistible grace!

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The Pileated Woodpecker

2011-04-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have a mature cedar tree growing just inside the edge of our driveway. Three tall limbs sprout out in diverse directions close to the ground. One limb leans toward our house; the second points toward our neighbour’s driveway; and the third stretches out over our driveway. For many years I admired this tree until ants invaded its base. Not long afterward woodpeckers began pecking holes in the tree. Once I even spied a small woodpecker in the act.

We hoped the tree would survive the consistent onslaught of fresh holes—until a few weeks ago. As we drove past the tree into the garage, we noticed a huge hole, egg-shaped, about eight inches high and four inches wide. Chunks of wood lay in a heap at the base of the tree. Only a pileated woodpecker could have made such a huge hole so quickly. At that moment we knew the tree was completely rotten inside. It had to go.

People are born in sin; we are like that tree—completely rotten inside. That is why God declares everyone to be spiritually dead. This includes our wills. Paul writes, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:1, 2, NIV).

The Holy Spirit is the only one capable of restoring spiritually dead people to spiritual life. Praise God! He did it for me. Has he done it for you?
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For Good or Evil

2011-03-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

The weather in early spring appears to engage in a tug of war between cold and hot. I watch the snow gradually disappear from the yard and wait with anticipation for the first robin. To me, seeing that bird means the arrival of spring.

But this year spring brings a serious problem—moss. Fourteen years ago I thought the occasional outcrop of moss between the interlocking bricks attractive. Now the moss has grown so prolific that it has almost covered some of the bricks. If left unattended, my patio will eventually disappear.

Moss reminds me of yeast in the Bible. There are two ways of thinking about it, however. Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. Once he told them, “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33, NIV). Here the yeast is good because it represents the spread of the Gospel and the growth of God’s kingdom.
In contrast, on another occasion, Jesus chided his disciples for not understanding his warning: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6, NIV). They thought he was upset because they had forgotten to bring bread with them on their boat ride. After Jesus reminded them of his miraculous feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand, they finally understood. “He was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:12, NIV).

What kind of yeast are you? Is Jesus using you to enlarge his kingdom? Or is Satan ecstatic because you are encouraging others to remain in their sin and rebellion against God Almighty?

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The Monster Storm

2011-02-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

Last week a monster storm roared throughout North America. It began in Texas, left its mark on the central U.S. and pounded the eastern seaboard. Then it entered southern Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, until it ended up in Newfoundland.

Meteorologists tracked the speed and direction of the storm so that they could warn residents when it would arrive in their area. Those living in Toronto, Ontario, knew the storm would hit them just after midnight on Wednesday Feb 2, 2011.

My husband and I travelled to the centre of Toronto that Tuesday evening. Thankfully, we returned home before driving became treacherous. When we left at 10:30 pm, a blizzard was engulfing nearby Hamilton. Meanwhile in Toronto, people continued on with their daily routines. But, as promised, the snow began to fall after midnight and persisted into Wednesday morning.

That experience started me thinking about Jesus’ return. Like the snow storm, it will be business as usual right up until the end (Matthew 24:37–39). This means some people will be ready for Jesus’ coming while others will not (Matthew 25:1–13). I know a few who deliberately prepared for the storm by grocery shopping on Tuesday instead of Wednesday.

There is one major difference between that storm and Jesus’ second coming, however. We knew the exact time of the storm’s arrival. In contrast, no one knows when Jesus will return. “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36, NIV). Why waste time trying to figure out when Jesus is coming back? Instead let us reach out to those around us with the good news of salvation in Jesus alone while there is still time.

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The Hidden Mouse

2011-01-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

Three months ago we closed the cottage. For years, this mainly involved shutting off the propane system and locking the doors. After installing a water system, closing became much more complicated. One thing has never changed, however. Every fall I clear a ditch of leaves so that water will flow freely behind the cottage, not under it. If I don’t, we will have a very wide stream flowing underneath the cottage the following spring.

That is why I was sitting on the ground and jabbing the underside of a thick tree root with a small metal poker. After a few minutes, a frightened mouse ran out from under the root and scurried beneath the cottage. This is as close as I would ever like to get to a mouse.

That mouse reminded me of our supposed hidden sins. I unwittingly kept on poking until the mouse felt the need to flee for its life. At some point, God will deliberately expose our sins because no one can hide from the Lord. Eventually everyone else will learn about our sins, also.

There are many Bible verses on this topic. For example: “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23, NIV). “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known” (Luke 12:2, NIV).

The bad news is that we are all guilty of sinning against God. No one can point a finger at another person. The good news is: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NIV). Have you asked God to forgive you for your sins?

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Eighth Letter Conference

2010-10-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

I attended the Eighth Letter Conference on October 1st and 2nd in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The organizers of the conference invited authors to write about an issue close to his or her heart. We were to address this concern by writing a letter similar to Jesus’ seven letters to the churches in Revelation. Sadly, many of the letters read at the conference seemed to negate theology to the lowest common denominator. However, I appreciated Tim Challies clear presentation of the Gospel. As I did not have an opportunity to read my letter, I am making it public on my blog.

If Jesus were to write an eighth letter today, I believe this is what he would say:

To the pastors of the churches in North America write:
These are the words of Jesus, the pearl of great price. By faith you believe that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the founding fathers of the faith, you long for a better country—a heavenly one.

Yet I hold this against you: Many of you have continued to reject my storyline in the Bible. Although you do look forward to living with me in eternity in the new heaven and new earth, you have also focused some of your hopes and dreams on this sin-cursed earth.

Those called covenant theologians believe in a storyline embracing the whole Bible called the covenant of grace. In so doing, you have transferred the terms of God’s covenant with the nation of Israel at Sinai to the church. Thus, in your opinion, the church is ideally a state church composed of regenerate and unregenerate people. Infant baptism has replaced the physical circumcision of males in Israel. The result is that some non-believers consider themselves to be saved when they are not. You have offered them a false security of salvation. They are relying on their family and church heritage or on their infant baptism to save them.

Once I told the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21). Since God’s kingdom is spiritual and not physical, no one will ever be able to look at a geographical area and say, “There it is!” Furthermore I taught my disciples during the Sermon on the Mount: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). I also told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place” (John 18:36). This means that only regenerate people belong to God’s kingdom, the church.

Those called dispensationalists believe in two storylines—one for Israel and another for the church. Therefore they understand the new covenant promised in Jeremiah chapter thirty-one to be actually two new covenants—one for the church and the other for Israel. When I return, you believe that I will reign on earth in history for 1000 years. During this period God will save some people.

In Hebrews chapters eight and nine, the Holy Spirit teaches you that the church is living in the new covenant age. I am the superior High Priest. The Mosaic priesthood only foreshadowed me. “By calling this covenant ‘new’, he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear” (Hebrews 8:13). Since the old covenant is obsolete, God destroyed the temple in A.D. 70. From that moment on, God would not allow the Jews to sacrifice animals. To do so is an insult to my precious blood.

Moreover, although premillennial churches reject a political utopia for Israel during the millennium, they still believe that God will save some sinners. What a false hope of salvation! Thinking that they will have a second chance to be saved after I return, some people live only for the so-called pleasures of today.

My servant Paul wrote, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). The writer to the Hebrews confirmed this idea: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13). This present age is the only time when people may be saved by the preaching of the gospel. This opportunity will be gone when I come back. Like the parable in Matthew 25 of the ten virgins, I will tell unrepentant sinners, “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you” (Matthew 25:12).

Pastors, you wonder why your youth are leaving at alarming rates. True, some go, drawn by worldly ambitions, fleshly desires, or temptations of Satan. Yet my question to you is this: How many leave because you have given them a false sense of security in their salvation? How many others have a false hope of a second chance for salvation?

God warned Ezekiel, “When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood” (Ezekiel 3:18). On Judgment Day God will hold you accountable for encouraging a false hope or a false security of salvation. That is why teaching the correct biblical storyline is so important.

Thankfully, some pastors have not rejected God’s Christ-centered storyline. They teach their congregation that both the Old and New Testaments reveal how God planned salvation history. He purposed from before eternity past to redeem a people for himself to live with him forever.

The Old Testament relates how God prepared for my coming. It contains promises of me and explanations of God’s character and purpose in redemptive history. The Mosaic covenant is like the foundation of a house. Since Israel was an important building block in God’s plan, they were set apart as God’s special people. Then God could reveal more of himself to people and prepare a family for me to be born into.

The New Testament tells God’s story during the new covenant era, this present age. It is like the house itself. In the New Testament I become the fulfillment of the Old. That is what I told those two on the road to Emmaus shortly after I rose from the dead. In addition, the New Testament promises my return, the general judgment, the consignment of the lost to hell, and the inauguration of the new heaven and the new earth for the redeemed.

I plead with you this day to focus on my story as recorded in the Bible. I alone am the prize you seek. Set your hearts on things above. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Do not look for part of your reward on this sin-cursed earth by believing in a faulty storyline.

Many of you are preaching that I am the way, the truth and the life—the only way to receive forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with the Father. Do not inadvertently offer anyone a false security or a false hope of salvation. Then perhaps God will be pleased to send a mighty revival among your youth.

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:21, 22).

Respectfully submitted,
Heather Kendall

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The Rattlesnake

2010-07-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

I had never seen a rattlesnake before, except in a picture book or in a cage at a science museum. Through the years at the cottage, I had spied several water snakes, some garter snakes, and one thin black snake quickly slithering under the cover of fallen oak leaves. On this particular day I found myself a few inches from a rattlesnake. It happened in this way.

While scampering down the rocky hillside to the boat, I yelled to my husband, “I am going to get my work gloves.” After finding them, I nonchalantly climbed back up the same path, which I had travelled down moments before. Halfway up, the sound of a rattle interrupted my thoughts. I looked down to see a snake sunning itself on a rock beside the path. After carefully backing away, I chose a different route up to the cottage.

How thankful I was that the snake warned me of its presence. That rattlesnake did not want to harm me. As long as I heeded the warning, I was safe.

This encounter reminded me how often God warns people of impending judgment if they refuse to obey his commands. The Lord told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden. If they disobeyed, they would die. In the Old Testament the Lord gave Israel the Ten Commandments. Then he sent prophets to warn them of impending judgment because they had not obeyed his law. In the New Testament God continues to warn people to stop sinning or face the consequences. How merciful and patient God is. He gives everyone time to repent of sin, but not forever. Remember the flood in Noah’s day.

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News Release

2010-06-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

Local Writer Finalist for National Award

Heather Kendall, a resident of Innisfil since 1997, received a national award on Wednesday, June 16, at The Awards Gala of The Word Guild. She won first place in the Article—News category of The Canadian Christian Writing Awards. Faith Today published her article, Reach Out With Good Friday Drama, in March/April 2009. In it she described the interactive play, In Search of Jesus, which New Life Fellowship Baptist Church has put on every Good Friday for the last four years.

Heather is the author of the book, A Tale of Two Kingdoms, and a freelance writer for various Christian publications. Her latest work is a poem in the anthology, Grandmothers’ Necklace. The Stephen Lewis Foundation is sponsoring this book to support grandmothers in Africa who are looking after their grandchildren, orphaned by AIDS.

Heather is a member of The Word Guild, a national organization of writers, editors and speakers who share a Christian worldview. With 350 members, it provides professional development to published and aspiring writers through multiple channels, including writing contests and awards, newsletters, Internet discussion groups, manuscript critiques, workshops and conferences.

For the third year in a row, Herbie Kuhn, popular speaker and in-house announcer for the Toronto Raptors basketball team, hosted the black-tie gala. It was held at the headquarters of World Vision Canada in Mississauga, Ontario.

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A Leap of Faith

2010-06-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

Birdfeeders only feed birds, or so I thought. Apparently squirrels do not know this. Seeing how easily squirrels snatched the seed from our birdfeeder, my husband decided to move it. He hoped to outsmart them by dangling the birdfeeder on an abandoned satellite dish. Surely squirrels cannot climb a metal pole!

A few days later we saw a squirrel clinging precariously to the top of the birdfeeder. He looked very determined to feast on the forbidden sunflower seeds on the ledge below. With head down he gulped a few seeds before hurling himself to the ground. Another time a squirrel lunged onto the birdfeeder, swinging it enough to spill the seeds onto the grass below. Then the squirrel jumped down onto the grass to enjoy his ill-gotten gains.

Both of these squirrels took a chance leaping onto a swinging birdfeeder. The Bible records the story of Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, who jumped out of a boat. He walked on top of the water on the Sea of Galilee to meet Jesus. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was safe. But when he looked down, he sank.

Like the squirrels, jumping to be near food, Peter took a leap of faith to be close to Jesus. He faltered when he stopped looking at Jesus. All the other disciples never even left the boat. Are you like Peter, risking everything for Jesus? Or are you like the rest, staying safely in the boat? God expects every believer to put Jesus first and risk everything for the glory of God.

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Frolicking Squirrels

2010-04-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Did you know that squirrels like to play tag? When the poplar trees behind my house stand tall and barren of leaves, I can see far into the bush. One day I spied four black squirrels frolicking by jumping from thin branch to thin branch. Weighed down by the squirrels, the branches bobbed up and down in the cool spring air. Those squirrels appeared to enjoy playing with each other.

Just as squirrels take time to revel in each other’s company, God expects believers to enjoy spending time with him in prayer and Bible study. The Westminster Confession states that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. John Piper prefers to say that the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.

Let us show our enjoyment of God by praising him for sending his Son to this sin-filled earth. Let us fill our hearts with rejoicing that Jesus did not stay dead. Instead Jesus rose from the grave victorious. Now he is busy gathering a people, redeemed by his blood, to be the future residents of a new heaven and a new earth. Satan will never be able to ruin that earth the way he has this one.

These past seven months I have been suffering a constant low-grade pain in one of my eyes. Nevertheless I have joy in my heart, which sickness cannot quench. As a hymn by Luther B. Bridgers states, “There’s within my heart a melody Jesus whispers sweet and low, “Fear not, I am with thee—peace be still.” That is why I can sing the chorus: “I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart—down in my heart today.”

Grandmothers' Necklace

2010-02-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Grandmothers' Necklace was launched!

In her blog Hilda Young writes:
As a member of the Petawawa Grannies I attended the first two launches of Patricia Elfords anthology "Grandmothers' Necklace". It was a fun experience. More than 60 people crowded into the Rotary room at the Petawawa library to hear readings from most of the writers in Eastern Ontario who contributed to the book. It was a great beginning as many books were sold. On Monday 22nd there was another launch in Deep River at The Bean House coffee shop which was also well attended. Copies are available for purchase in Petawawa at Coates engraving 3584 Petawawa Bld 687-1064. cost $20. All profits will go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign.

Copied by permission of Hilda Young from http://hildaleapsforward.blogspot.com

Tuesday, February 16, 2010
GRANDMOTHERS' NECKLACE LAUNCH

In her blog Hilda Young writes:
WATCH FOR A LAUNCH NEAR YOU!

GRANDMOTHERS’ NECKLACE
is an anthology created in honour of grandmothers. Over 60 professional, and some gifted non-professional, writers and poets of varied backgrounds from across Canada, the United States and Ireland. Joyous and wistful, hilarious and serious, the collection is too rich to be scanned all at once. Appreciate it a few gems at a time.
Through Patricia Anne Elford, one of the Petawawa Grannies , the Editor and Compiler, ALL profits go to Grandmothers to Grandmothers, a branch of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, www.stephenlewisfoundation.org , to assist the grandmothers of Africa, aged anywhere from their 40’s to their 80’s who have lost their adult children and are raising their grandchildren, alone, under unbelievably impoverished circumstances. These children were orphaned due to the death of their parents from AIDS and AIDS-related illnesses.

GRANDMOTHERS’ NECKLACE ISBN 978-1-5542-468-6 Essence Pub., Epic imprint, 200 pp $20.00 Cdn, incl. taxes
Can be bought on-line now, in many stores later.

Copied by permission of Hilda Young from http://hildaleapsforward.blogspot.com

A note from Heather:
As one of the author’s in this book, I hope to take part in a launch very soon in the Barrie and/or Toronto area of Ontario. In the book I share my poem, "My First Grandchild."

The Problem of Multiplying Snails

2010-02-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

I never realized snails would become a terrible problem for me. It started when I wanted a plant in my 20-gallon tank. Taking a leaf from the 10-gallon tank, my husband found an identical plant at the fish store. Shortly after I had planted it, I noticed a snail.

Within a couple of weeks these creatures had infested the tank. My children insisted I needed to clean the tank thoroughly and start over with new rocks. I preferred searching for snails daily and then disposing of them. It did not work. The more I caught; the more I discovered.

When the tank began to leak, I knew I must buy a new one. If I was going to start over, I figured I should buy rocks as well. It would be silly to transport my problem from one tank to another. Instead of buying a plant, I took a clipping from the 10-gallon tank and planted it in the new tank. Why did I not do that in the first place? Perhaps God wanted me to learn an important lesson.

Thinking how quickly the snails multiplied reminded me of yeast. Every bread maker knows that given time a little yeast will work its way through the dough and make it rise. In the Bible, God uses yeast as an example of the spread of good and evil.

Jesus told a parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33, NIV).
Another time Jesus said, “How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:11, NIV). Then the disciples understood that Jesus was warning them about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. In the first example yeast represented the multiplication of good whereas in the latter it symbolized evil.

I doubt I shall ever forget this episode with the snails. Whenever I remember, I shall pray that my life will influence others for good and not evil.

www.tale2k.com

A Troublesome Beaver

2009-11-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

Hair blowing in the wind and eyes eager with anticipation, I waited as my husband carefully guided the boat to a stop at our dock. As I walked up the hill, I pondered the year-end chores needing to be done that weekend. Up on the deck I looked with horror at the poplar tree lying on the ground close to the cottage.

My husband remarked, “It’s the work of a beaver.”

“You mean a beaver climbed up a sixty-foot hill to chop down a poplar tree?” I wailed.

Two weeks later we returned to the cottage and found chew marks on two other poplars by the cottage. One was a huge tree with a diameter of approximately twelve to fifteen inches. I had no idea beavers would dare to tackle such big trees. If that particular tree had fallen toward the lake, it would have landed on top of our roof.

I never did see the beaver guilty of causing such devastation. That beaver reminded me how the effect of our works remains long after we are gone. Paul writes to the Philippians, “I thank my God every time I remember you” (Philippians 1:3, NIV).

How will people remember you after your death? How will they remember me? I hope they remember how much I loved Jesus and trusted him for my eternal salvation. I hope they remember that I walked in obedience to my Lord.

www.tale2k.com

Christian Book Expo

2009-11-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

Over thirty Canadian Christian authors are gathering at Faith Family Books, in Scarborough, Ontario, on Friday November 20th from 7 to 9 pm.

Event: Christian Writers of Canada Expo '09
What: Festival
Start Time: Friday, November 20 at 7:00pm
End Time: Friday, November 20 at 9:00pm
Where: Faith Family Books & Gifts (45 Milner Ave., at 401 + McCowan Rd)

If you live nearby, you are invited to come out and get to know some Canadian Christian writers. The Word Guild and Maranatha News support this endeavor.

Check out this link: faithfamilybooks.ca/id11.html

See you soon!

www.tale2k.com

The Wary Deer

2009-10-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

Head down, my mind wandering with a myriad of thoughts, I walked slowly to my vegetable garden in the back yard. Suddenly I heard the noise of several deer running from my neighbour’s yard. A few weeks later, the same thing happened at the cottage. As soon as I opened the front door, deer scattered into the woods.

Those deer were smart. Wary of danger, they fled as quickly as possible. They were like Joseph, who fled from Potiphar’s wife, rather than give in to temptation or be caught in the sin of adultery.

Paul writes, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18—20 NIV).

We do well to remember that God bought believers with the precious blood of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is living inside us. Let us be like those deer and flee from any sign of danger.

The Garter Snake

2009-07-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of women, I prefer to keep my distance from snakes, the farther away the better. One year this was impossible. A garter snake forced me to walk frequently a few inches from it. This particular snake had made its home underneath a large rock. I understand that is what snakes do. Unfortunately, the chosen rock was at the foot of my stairs. In order to enter or leave my cottage, I had to rest my foot on that rock. Every time I passed by the snake poked its head out and hissed at me. After awhile I began to admire that snake. It stood its ground against intruders.

God exhorts believers to be like that snake. Paul writes, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his power…Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, and with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:10, 14, 15 NIV).

As believers God exhorts us to remain strong in the Lord, tenaciously holding to the truth, clinging to what is holy, ready to share the Gospel with others. Are we doing this? Are we like that snake, not willing to give up? Do we stand our ground? Instead do we find it easier to give in to deception or take the easy way out of a situation?

www.tale2k.com

Maui Memories

2009-06-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

When I visited Maui last month, I admired the lush vegetation and beautiful flowers. The impatiens and dusty millar were twice as high as in my garden. I even saw a 100-year-old mango tree. One particular kind of bird intrigued me, however. It looked like a dove with white-tipped wings.

This bird appeared unaware of its surroundings. Once, as my husband and I walked down the concrete pathway to our hotel room, I spotted this bird standing by the nearby wall. Although my husband stepped a few inches from this bird, it never flinched. A few days later the bird looked as if it was waiting for us by our door. It never flew away as we approached and seemed oblivious to a cat peering intently at it several feet away.

This bird reminded me of our spiritual condition before we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. The Bible says that everyone is born spiritually dead. We were born with a sin nature because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the Garden of Eden. Since this is true, it does not take very long before we personally commit sin.

Just like that bird, dead people do not react. We are utterly incapable of responding to God and blind to spiritual realities. The Holy Spirit must first lovingly open our hearts to hear the Lord speak through his Word, the Bible. Only by the grace of God do spiritually dead people become alive. What a precious gift of God!

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:1, 2 NIV).

www.tale2k.com

Waiting on the Lord

2009-05-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

After scurrying across the yard, the rabbit plopped down on the driveway. Its ears stood straight and tall, listening for any sign of trouble. For more than five minutes, the rabbit sat still and did not move a muscle.

Several times I left the room and then came back to see if the rabbit was still there. It was. How unlike that rabbit most of us are! We hurry from one activity to another, never stopping to take a break. Life is a rat race, a never-ending whirl of things to do.

We need to sit down like the rabbit and listen to the Lord. The Psalmist writes, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NIV).

If we take the time to be quiet and hear God in his Word, then we will not be caught off guard or unprepared when the trials of life besiege us. Instead we will draw our strength from the Lord.

www.tale2k.com

Struggling with Sin

2009-04-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the changing seasons appear to engage in a tug of war with each other. Are you glad when you see a robin, the first sign of spring? Yet that robin does not necessarily mean the end of winter weather. Less than a week after I saw a robin this year, winter returned with a vengeance. Some communities in southern Ontario received the same amount of snowfall as a January storm.

I do not know how you feel, but I enjoy the opposite—a heat wave in September. It means one more chance to go canoeing or sailing before cold grips the land. In contrast, skiers rejoice when they can ski in April. Others prefer not to have to deal with shoveling more snow. Whatever your preferences, everyone must accept the fact that summer and winter do not usually end abruptly. From a human viewpoint, there is a tug of war between the seasons.

The same situation occurs spiritually. When a person is saved, he or she accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour. No longer are we legally guilty of our sins because Jesus took the punishment, which we deserve. Nevertheless the long process of sanctification begins. The new nature in Christ struggles to eradicate and replace the old sin nature. What a tug of war spiritually!

The apostle Paul lamented, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18, 19 NIV).

Paul struggled with sin in his life, just as we do. Thankfully, the Lord continues the painful process of sanctification in believers. He never gave up on Paul. Likewise God will never stop working to make us more like Jesus.

www.tale2k.com

God's Hidden Handiwork

2009-04-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

During the winter snow covers the landscape and hides the dead grass. In the spring the snow melts and reveals dormant plants waiting for warmth to grow again. Sometimes you may notice long wiggly paths imprinted in your yard—the work of voles winding their way over the frozen ground.

I have often looked out the window after a storm to admire the smooth layer of freshly fallen snow. Until recently, it never occurred to me that some animals might be busy going about their business, sight unseen.

God operates like those voles, hidden from view. If you are a believer, he is busy working in your life as well as mine. Often we do not know or understand what is happening. We likely will not fully comprehend everything the Lord has done until we get to heaven. As the hymn writer William Cowper explains, “God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform.” We are God’s handiwork. He weaves your life experiences and mine together into a beautiful tapestry.

Perhaps you are experiencing sorrow or heartache today. Take heart. If you belong to God, he is working out everything for your good and for his honour and glory.

A Winter Wonderland

2009-01-31T13:01:00.000-08:00

A thick layer of freshly fallen snow covers the yard like a pure white blanket. Tiny crater-like holes are scattered haphazardly under the trees—the result of snow falling from branches. The tracks of a rabbit cross the backyard. The ditch by the road shows evidence of children tumbling down the incline as they wait for the school bus.

Without the snowfall, I would never have known that a rabbit had scampered through the yard. Without the snowfall, I would not have realized that children liked to slide into the ditch. Free of snow, the trees would not bow down and shed their heavy load.

I was unaware of all these activities taking place in my yard. It took the snowfall to reveal them. Likewise, we are unaware of sin in our lives until we gaze upon the holiness of God. His purity sheds light on our sinfulness. Like Isaiah of old, we will fall down in dismay.

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5 NIV).

If you feel like this, do not fear. Jesus paid the penalty for sinners. If you believe that Jesus died for you, then he will remove your guilt. Look to Jesus and live!

www.tale2k.com

Economic Uncertainty

2008-12-12T18:36:00.000-08:00

We live in interesting economic times. How often have you heard those words? Companies are laying off workers. Other businesses have declared bankruptcy. Retirees do not have as much disposable income, especially if they depend on dividends from their stock portfolio. Baby boomers wonder whether they will have to work longer than they intended.

Lately the news consists of a constant diet of doom and gloom. Therefore many people are afraid to spend although they can afford it. Banks are refusing to lend even when they are able.

How should believers, who trust in the goodness and providence of God, react to this economic uncertainty? God reminded me of the answer when I looked outside my window the other day. A brightly coloured blue jay landed on a snow-laden evergreen tree. Tiny chickadees, almost hidden from view, hopped from one pine branch to another. They were not worried about what they would eat or wear.

Jesus instructed his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25, 26 NIV).

I know a chorus, “Why Worry When You Can Pray?”. Let us learn from the birds. Do not worry about the falling stock market or the subprime mortgage fiasco. Instead ask your Heavenly Father to supply your needs, not your wants. Then trust him to do it.

www.tale2k.com

Unexpected Winter Driving Hazards

2008-11-25T10:52:00.000-08:00

Long ago God promised Noah, as long as the earth exists, we would always have four seasons. Winter follows fall every year. It’s guaranteed. Yet, when it comes to winter driving, people seem to have short memories.

Although it is not officially winter, this season has arrived in southern Ontario and is here to stay for a while. Last week Toronto received its first snowfall of the season. In one day police responded to over four hundred accidents. The next day a policeman commented on the television news that all those collisions were caused by speed.

Many people are caught off guard and unprepared for winter even though it happens every year. Are you ready for Jesus’ second coming? I wonder how many will be unprepared or shocked.

Jesus told his disciples, “The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:44 NIV). This means that Jesus will come back when he is least expected. Since this is true, what advice does Jesus give believers? “So stay awake and be prepared, for you do not know the date or moment of My return” (Matthew 25:13 Living NT).

How are we to be prepared for Jesus’ return? Those who do not know Jesus as Lord and Saviour will definitely be unprepared. This fact should sadden the heart of every believer. Judging by the rest of Matthew 25, believers must do the work, which Jesus wants us to do. This means that we should live to please him by sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus alone.

www.tale2k.com

The Curious Squirrel

2008-10-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

Animals like our house. The stucco contains tiny pebbles making it easy to climb. Once I saw a mouse climbing up the wall. I wondered if it had found a home in our eaves.

One morning my husband and I woke up startled to hear noises on the exterior wall of our bedroom. We wondered who was clattering up and down the wall. Then, for a brief second, a squirrel peered through the window at us. I am not sure who was more surprised, the squirrel or us.

Seeing the squirrel staring at us reminded me that we were not alone. People often think they are alone when they are not. Sometimes believers are hurting so much that they need assurance of God’s care and presence. Other times, people mistakenly assume no one is watching them. Therefore it does not matter what they do. Both are wrong.

The story of Hagar is a good reminder of God’s all-seeing watch over everyone. Long ago Sarah encouraged her husband Abraham to take her handmaid as a concubine. According to the custom of the day, any child conceived would be considered Sarah’s. When Hagar did conceive, Sarah became so jealous that Hagar fled into the wilderness. The angel of the Lord assured Hagar that she was not alone or forgotten. Hagar responded by acknowledging, “You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13 NIV).

God is keeping an eye on you just as he did for Hagar. You are not alone. May this be a comforting thought for you today!

www.tale2k.com

Life and Death Realities

2008-09-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

I have experienced a series of contrasts about life and death this past summer. My nephew married his sweetheart near the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They stood in front of a beautiful arbor under sunny skies as the water lapped gently onto the shore. That scene reminds me of the blessings of being alive physically and of loving another person.

A few weeks later my husband and I helped to deliver Gospels of John at Hope for Quebec 2008. This summer marked the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. As part of the celebrations, believers from Europe, United States, and Canada united together to help distribute 400,000 Gospels to every household in Quebec City and to many visitors. As a result of this outreach twenty-one people accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. These new Christians not only have physical life now, but also eternal life. They are alive spiritually and belong to God’s family forever. Once they were dead spiritually, but now they are alive.

We cut our time short in Quebec City because of the hospitalization of my mother-in-law. For the next few weeks my husband and I watched her gradually die of congestive heart failure. Death is a horrible reality! It is the visible result of sin in this world. Until Jesus returns, every one of us must face this enemy. Thankfully, the nurses were kind and compassionate. They made sure she was not in distress. My mother-in-law did not fear dying because she knew Jesus. Now she is alive with her Saviour in heaven.

“ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’…But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:55, 57).

www.tale2k.com

Meeting Deadlines

2008-08-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had to meet a deadline? Most people have at one time or another. My family and I wanted to see the high tide on the Bay of Fundy. It was due at 11:30 am at the Tidal Bore near Truro. We had two hours to travel there from our hotel in Halifax. Going directly would have taken about forty minutes. Instead we decided to take the scenic route so that we could see more of the Bay of Fundy.

A star on the map indicated an attraction at Burncoat. When we couldn’t find it, we headed back toward the Tidal Bore. A short time later we took another detour on a road leading to the Bay. Getting out of the car we walked leisurely up and down the water’s edge and took a number of pictures. Not hurrying, we finally got back into the car. After a short drive we discovered a park with a deck protruding out into the Bay. Of course, we stopped to admire the view and to take more pictures. Because we took our time sightseeing, we arrived at the Tidal Bore five minutes too late.

This experience reminded me how easy it is to get distracted in this life from important spiritual realities. Once Jesus told a parable about a sower who went out to sow a field. Some seed fell on the path, but the birds ate it. Some fell on stony ground. It quickly withered and never took root. Some fell among thorns and thistles. It grew for a short time. Then choked by the weeds, it withered and died. Some fell on good ground, took root, and grew to produce fruit.

Do you feel like the seed that grew among the thorns and thistles? Are you easily distracted by the cares of this world? I hope you are not like us on our trip. We thought we had lots of time, but we became more interested in beautiful scenery than in keeping a deadline. We only missed the reversal of water at the Tidal Bore. It is much more serious to miss out on eternal salvation. Now is the day of salvation. When Jesus returns, it will be forever too late.

www.tale2k.com

Write! Canada

2008-06-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Every June Canadian authors and editors who are Christian gather together at Guelph Conference grounds in Ontario for three days of companionship and learning. This was my second year, and it was fantastic. The organizers always make sure there are classes and workshops, which will interest everyone from aspiring writers to those who are career-oriented. Since I have written a book, I signed up for all of the marketing courses.

Teresa Evenson taught five sessions on preparing a pitch for the media. I learned how important it is to be prepared. Most of all I learned to be vulnerable and share my feelings, what I am passionate about and why. It’s about presenting who I am, not trying to sell the book.

The workshop on Speed Networking and Professional Pitch Practice with Wendy Nelles and Sandra Reimer complemented Teresa’s class. In it I learned to ask questions and find out what kind of book people are interested in first. If they like my kind of writing, then pitch away. I recommend this conference to anyone who wants to connect with other writers and editors who are Christian, especially if you are eager to improve your writing skills.

www.tale2k.com

The Cardinal Family

2008-06-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

My new neighbours are gone now. I miss seeing the flash of red flit by the window. I first spotted the male cardinal in the early spring. Then I spied the female perched on a nearby tree. When a baby bird lunged toward the ground, I realized that a cardinal family had taken up residence close to the house. The last time I saw them, mom and dad cardinal watched protectively as their baby searched for food. The little one hopped across the top of our arbor with vegetation hanging from its beak. Once during a windy rainstorm, the three of them squabbled like a human family.

I have no idea if my husband and I scared them away by our presence. We tried to be very quiet and non-threatening. More likely they left because they had no need for the nest. While I could observe them, God took care of that little bird family. He fed them and clothed them with beautiful feathers. He protected them from storms. In the same way God promises to take care of us.

These days many are concerned about rising oil prices. Perhaps this will affect the price of food. Drought or floods have devastated others. These threats are real, but God is sovereign over all. As long as he grants us the gift of life, he promises to sustain us with the necessities of life, clothes and food.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26, NIV).

“God sees the little sparrow fall. It meets his tender view. If God so loves the little bird, I know he loves me too.”

www.tale2k.com

The Community of Believers

2008-06-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

I live near farmer’s fields. In the early spring the ground is either bare or has a layer of stubby green growth. Recently I noticed a stump in the middle of a field. “What a strange place for a stump,” I thought.

While I was staring at the stump, it moved. Then the long graceful neck of a Canada goose raised its head. Immediately I wondered why the goose was alone. Geese normally stick together. Was it hurt, or was it merely independent? How did it get separated from the others?

Seeing that goose reminded me of some Christians, who think church is optional. It does not matter if they are regular or not. They think they can live the Christian life alone and separate from others. This attitude contradicts Scripture. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” (Hebrews 10:25, NIV). Every believer needs to be part of a community of other Christians for mutual encouragement and edification. I am so glad I belong to the family of God in my local church.

www.tale2k.com

The Human Predicament of Sin

2008-04-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I came across a book detailing the mechanical feat of Stone Hedge. I pondered how humans built Stone Hedge. Obviously it required a host of strong men. I wondered if some died trying to erect those mammoth rocks.

This week my husband and I utilized the same principal as at Stone Hedge in raising up a tree in our backyard. During the winter heavy snow had forced its trunk to lean down near the ground. We could not leave it in that awkward position, especially since the tree now lay over our walkway.

Together we tugged on a thick rope encircling the trunk to force the tree upward. As we slowly lifted the tree up, I moved a container of very heavy rocks closer to the base of the trunk on the opposite side. In a short time the tree stood tall once again. Then my husband tied the rope to a chain link fence.

God does the same thing for us. We have been thrown down and burdened with a load of sin. Everyone is born with the sin nature. It does not take long before we act on it and deliberately disobey God. Have you cast yourself on God’s mercy? Do you realize your need of salvation? “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10). Jesus is the only answer to the human predicament of sin.

www.tale2k.com

My Knitting Adventures

2008-04-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

I did not know what I was getting into last February when I encouraged ladies to knit mittens for some needy children. Knitting one pair of mittens has been quite a challenge for me! I used wool given to me by my mother-in-law. I had no idea if I would have enough, but I took a chance anyway. Since the largest ball was dark brown, it became the main colour. I chose a slightly smaller yellow ball as the contrasting colour.

As time passed, I knew I would run out of yellow. I thought, “No problem. I will have two contrasting colours--yellow and red.”

After the first mitten was done, I continued with the second one. To my dismay, I did not have enough dark brown wool to finish the second mitten. Therefore I ripped the brown thumb off the first mitten and replaced it with a red one. I had just enough brown from the thumb to finish the top of the second mitten. Although the instructions called for the thumbs to be the main colour, I used a contrasting colour.

I am so glad that God knows the end from the beginning. When he created the world, he did not make any mistakes. God did not have to make last-minute corrections to creation. The Bible says, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31, NIV).

www.tale2k.com

Misplaced Sincerity

2008-02-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

Last November I took part in a coat giveaway for a church plant. One little girl wanted some mitts, but there were none. She affected me so much that I asked my friends in the ladies’ Bible study if we could knit mittens for the children. Most of the women were experienced knitters and eagerly accepted the project. We agreed to knit together for one-half hour before each Bible study.

A few, like me, were willing but needed guidance from the others. I thought I could at least cast the stitches on properly. After I had knitted a few inches, someone noticed my needles dangling at odd angles. Instead of forming a tight circle with three of the short needles, I may as well have been using only two long needles. Everyone else knit round and round whereas I was knitting back and forth. I was sincere but wrong.

In the Bible God often condemned people for worshipping idols. “Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save” (Isa. 45:20, NIV). In North America we may not worship wooden idols, but we often put material things ahead of God. This is misplaced sincerity and very dangerous. The Lord demands and deserves our complete devotion and worship. He will not allow us to share our attention with other false gods. He says, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me” (Isa. 46:9, NIV).

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Burdened with Cares

2008-01-17T16:55:00.000-08:00

A semi-circle of evergreen trees provides privacy for my patio. Until recently, they stood tall and straight. This winter we have received so much snow that they are heavy laden and bent toward the ground. One tree looks like a low-lying arch over the narrow path, which leads to the patio. I am wondering if I will be able to navigate my way past it next summer.

As I look at those trees, bent because of a thick layer of snow, I think of myself. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28—30, NIV).

Most sermons I have heard on these verses emphasize a salvation message. Jesus is waiting for sinners to repent and lay their burdens at his feet. This is quite true. However, I am thinking how easy it is for believers to carry unnecessary burdens also. Am I trusting God each day to accomplish his will for my life? Am I too busy doing something else? It may be good, but is it what God wants me to do? It is very easy for believers to become bogged down doing worthwhile things for Jesus and yet miss out on what he wants us to do.

“Lord, please encourage me to keep doing what you want me to do. You have promised me rest and peace, if I am in your will. I pray for discernment to tell the difference between busyness and useful service.”

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Waiting on the Lord

2007-12-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

Memories flooded back in an instant. The receptionist told me the doctor wanted to see me because my mammogram concerned the radiologist. I had been so happy passing my ten-year anniversary since having breast cancer. Now I remembered many events from those days. After the operation I had desperately hoped to avoid chemotherapy, but I could not get out of it. I remembered how emotionally spent I felt after the radiation. The combination of radiation and chemotherapy was too much for me to handle.

Four days after the doctor ordered the MRI, I had the test at the hospital. Then followed the wait. Over three weeks later, I finally heard the good news. I am fine. Waiting is so difficult. To be God-honouring, a person must be patient and trust in the Lord’s perfect timing and will.

While I was waiting, I thought of Simeon, Anna, and the other saints who waited patiently for the arrival of their Saviour, the promised Seed. Simeon and Anna were in the temple when Mary and Joseph arrived with the baby Jesus. Simeon praised God for keeping his promise. He said, “For my eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:30, NIV). Likewise, Anna thanked God for Jesus, her Redeemer.

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Accepting Change

2007-11-23T14:24:00.000-08:00

This morning I sat shivering in my unheated living room. We were without heat and water most of the day, the result of the first snowstorm of the season. Apparently a fallen tree knocked out the electricity to my community. Yesterday the grass was green. Today a blanket of snow covers the road and yard. It weighs down the boughs of the evergreen bush by the driveway. Circumstances can change in a split second.

I have been thinking about the necessity of accepting change a lot lately. It started when we closed the cottage in late October. A few weeks later I attended a ladies’ conference. There the lady in charge pondered the changing seasons of life, particularly for women. Our bodies change as we age. When we are pregnant, more changes occur. Menopause brings more changes.

In contrast, God never changes. He is eternal and unchanging. We can count on him to always keep his promises and to be with us in the changing circumstances of life. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever” (Heb. 13:8, NIV).

I knew God was with me this morning. Thankfully, by the end of the afternoon, my husband and I had heat and water once more. God surely is my protector, no matter what happens in my life. Not all change is difficult, however. Sometimes it is quite exciting. For example, I am book signing at Mitchell Family Books in Oshawa on Dec. 12, 2007 from 1 to 4 pm. This will be the third time I will have been book signing in a Mitchell’s bookstore this fall.

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Autumn Colours

2007-10-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

Every season is beautiful in its own way, but autumn is particularly spectacular. What a kaleidoscope of colour! God truly is the master artist. Driving along the highway, I look for bright red maples and yellow poplars. Beside them dark green pines reach up to the clear blue sky. Lower to the ground, I spy red sumacs. Later in the season burnt red oaks dominate the landscape.

People travel from Europe to view the fall colours in Ontario. I wonder at this. May I never take for granted the beauty of this season. May I never take for granted any of God’s good gifts. At Thanksgiving may each of us stop a while and thank the Lord for this beautiful world he has given us.

Let us thank him for sight to see it, for smell to enjoy the fragrance of flowers, for ears to hear the winsome call of the loon, for hands sensitive to a gentle touch, and for mouths with which to praise his glorious name. In this country we have so much to be thankful for. Let us never take it for granted or act as if it is our right. Most of all, I thank God for sending his Son to earth. I thank Jesus for being willing to pay the penalty for my sins.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

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The Power of the Wind

2007-09-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

Years ago I noticed a canoe peacefully gliding upstream with a makeshift sail, a sheet attached to two poles. Since then, I have dreamed of sailing on the lake where my cottage is situated. About half a kilometer upstream from the cottage the lake widens to a good size. Where we are located, the lake is so narrow my husband and I swim to the opposite shore.

This summer my dream came true. We bought a used dinghy, the smallest boat we could find. Being second hand, it did not come with any instructions. As soon as my husband hoisted the sail, we eagerly glided with the wind to the large part of the lake. Soon we were near the narrows leading to another lake.

We had a serious problem, however. We had no idea the proper way to rig the sail. Before setting out, my husband had said, “I think they gave us the wrong sail.” Nevertheless we sailed anyway.

As we glided, I held the tiller with one hand and kept part of the sail out of the water with the other hand. An amusing sight! It was not quite so funny as we frantically paddled back against the wind for two and one half hours.

During the desperate paddle back to the cottage, I thought about Jesus and his disciples caught in a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. Fearing for their lives, the disciples woke Jesus and cried, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

Jesus ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet and still. Then he asked his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:35—41).

It is so easy to become burdened by the storms of life surrounding us. When you feel overwhelmed by hurts and troubles, remember Jesus. He is in control. He may not remove you from the storm, but he will give you peace, if you trust him. “Safe am I. Safe am I in the hollow of his hand.” My God is more powerful than the storms of life.

Running Water

2007-07-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

When we bought our cottage twenty years ago, I thought carrying water up the hill would be a good job for the children. That is, until I did it. I soon discovered that water is very heavy. Therefore through the years my husband has shouldered this responsibility most of the time. Now, in this our twenty-first summer, we are finally enjoying the modern convenience of running water.

Perhaps you don’t think of using the word “freedom” in connection with water, but I do. We are now free to turn on the tap whenever we need water. What a wonderful luxury! Although this method of receiving water is a luxury, water itself is a necessity.

In John chapter four, the woman at the well walked in the heat of the day for physical water. Jesus met her there and offered her something much more precious—spiritual water. At first the woman thought Jesus was offering her an unending supply of physical water. Understanding dawned as soon as Jesus pointed out her sinful life. He knew everything about her. Who is he?

She accepted his spiritual water and received eternal life. Immediately, she ran back to the village and spread the news of the Saviour to others. What is your response?

Do you remember this chorus? "Running over. Running over. My cup is full and running over. Since the Lord saved me, I'm as happy as can be. My cup is full and running over."

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The Chipmunk

2007-06-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Shovel in hand, I walked to the back garden to dig up my canna bulbs. To my surprise a layer of sand coated some of the topsoil in the canna bed. I peered down a large hole placed strategically close to the garden and wondered what animal had decided to make a home there. After filling up the hole with dirt, I dug up the canna bulbs. Since my gardening was done, I had no reason to go back there for the rest of the season. I forgot about the hole until this spring.

Returning to plant the canna bulbs, I remembered the hole. My relief in not seeing one was short-lived, because the animal had dug a new hole a few feet away. I filled this hole with dirt. I hoped the animal would be discouraged and find a new place to live. It didn’t work. The next day the hole was back. A few days later I spied a chipmunk with its head sticking out of the hole. As I ran to the backyard, the chipmunk scurried into the forest behind my yard. Knowing the chipmunk was gone, my husband tried to fill the hole with water. It didn’t work. The chipmunk had built an extensive underground house and was determined to lay stake to his territory.

For the last two months the chipmunk and I have been battling for control of the backyard. He digs a hole. I fill it up. He digs a new hole. I fill it up. Gradually my backyard is becoming speckled with random patches of dirt, old holes, which I have filled. The forest is so close. Why doesn’t the chipmunk accept defeat and move his house there?

I can relate to the chipmunk. He has taught me a few spiritual lessons. Sometimes I am so short-sighted as far as God is concerned. I make plans and settle in my own little community without regard to the big picture. This is proper. The godly person “is like a tree planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalms 1:3). The problem arises when the Lord wants to use me in another community or in another area of ministry. Do I dig in my heels and stubbornly refuse to change, or do I yield to God’s will for my life? I pray I will always be putty in the master’s hand.

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The Water Snake

2007-05-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

As my husband carefully steered the boat toward the loading dock, he remarked, “Heather, we have a little problem.” I peered into the boat in time to see a very long water snake slither under the front deck. I looked in dismay at the luggage I had carried to the loading dock. Without a word my husband began to pile the boxes and suitcases into the back of the boat. Then he shoved bags of food under the deck.

It was Thursday, the day before the long weekend. Tomorrow I was scheduled to leave my husband at the cottage and drive further north to a ladies’ retreat where I would be the speaker. I had to squash my fear of the snake and get into the boat. My husband drove the three and one-half miles to our cottage with his legs tucked up under his body. Meanwhile I tried to keep my feet as close to the seat and as far from the deck as possible.

The next morning I asked my husband if the snake would have crawled out of the boat during the night. He was noncommittal. Very cautiously he pulled the boat cover out from under the deck. If the snake was there, we did not want it to attack him. Water snakes can be quite vicious when cornered.

That afternoon I peered into the boat before jumping in. Then I lifted a corner of the boat cover and screamed. Leaping onto the dock, I cried, “Throw the cover overboard! The snake is inside.” Of course, by the time my husband lifted up the cover, the snake had disappeared back under the deck.

Driving the boat was supposed to be my adventure. My husband always drives. I never bargained for a snake. Nevertheless a water snake would not prevent me from going to the retreat. During that trip several Bible verses drifted through my mind. Finally one gave me the most comfort. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee” (Isa. 26:3).

At the marina I hoped Mr. snake would discover he was back home. Please be gone when I get back!

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Transitions

2007-04-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

My joy last month that spring had arrived was short-lived. I need a new definition of the word “spring.” Seeing a robin on the lawn is not accurate enough. Even a temperature of 10°C (50°F) does not guarantee that spring is here to stay. Soon afterwards the temperature fell, and snow covered the ground at Easter. Two weeks later we experienced our first heat wave and summer storm of the year.

Perhaps spring is like a yo-yo. Because it is the transition from winter to summer, the temperature bounces from one extreme to another. Unlike the fall, where the temperature gradually gets colder, in spring it slowly climbs higher. If this is the case, I must apologize to those newscasters who rejoiced when the snow began to melt. Like spring, many transitions in life are difficult to perceive. For example, the change from childhood to adulthood is gradual. Nobody wakes up one day and says, “Yesterday I was a child, but today I am grown up.” To do so is fallacy.

In contrast, Easter reminds me of a very clear transition from the old to the new covenant. The evening before his crucifixion, Jesus celebrated the Jewish Passover with his disciples. Almost 1500 years earlier, the Israelite slaves in Egypt had sprinkled the blood of a lamb on their doorframes. That night the angel of death had killed the firstborn of every family not protected by the blood on the door. After finishing the Passover meal, Jesus instituted a new remembrance service. Under the new covenant we remember Jesus’ death and resurrection. At his death the veil in the temple split into two pieces. From that moment on, sacrificing animals became an insult to the effectiveness of Jesus’ blood on our behalf.

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The Promises of God

2007-03-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Spring. This word gladdens the heart. It means the end of long dark nights and short dull days. I feel like bouncing for joy when I walk down the street to pick up my mail. How appropriate it is to jump forward one hour in time! Daylight savings time also signals new beginnings.

Winter came late this year. Once it arrived, we received plenty of snow and frigid temperatures. After experiencing -35°C, -2°C seemed quite warm. Yet I laughed skeptically when the weather newscasters reported that spring was in the air. Shortly afterwards, winter returned. To me, spring only arrives when the temperature is at least 10°C for a few days. I know for sure it is here as soon as I see the first robin of the season.

Long ago God promised Noah that, as long as the earth existed, there would always be four seasons—seedtime, harvest, summer, and winter. Although we all have our favourite season, most people welcome signs of spring, especially after a particularly harsh winter. It is exciting to see the crocuses and tulips sprout up and bloom. Buds appear on the trees and bushes; grass turns green; many birds fly back to this region; other animals awake from a long winter’s nap; black soil beckons the gardener to start digging and planting. I look out my window and spy a robin.

God is good. He always keeps his promises and always tells the truth. Some people may despair during those cold winter days and act as if winter is going to last forever. It doesn’t. Others suffer from severe sunlight deprivation caused by short days. Relief is imminent. God always keeps his promise to Noah and to us. Spring has arrived in southern Ontario, and summer will soon be here. That is my favourite season!

The Love of Jesus

2007-02-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

Years ago my husband and I were alone at our cottage one hot summer day. I was busy dusting the furniture in the living room when I heard the screen door slam shut. Looking up, I was amazed to see two of my children standing there with huge grins on their faces.

My son had driven a couple of hours to deliver some papers to an office nearby. Since my daughter had the day off, she had accompanied him. As soon as he had completed his errand, he drove down the highway and parked the truck. Then they hiked about six miles through the woods to the cottage. They intended to walk briskly, but swarms of black flies encouraged them to run instead.

As he sat on the chesterfield, my son calmly peeled off his sunburned skin. They enthusiastically told me about their adventures. How they wanted to surprise their Dad and me! It was a surprise. It occurred to me that I was witnessing love in action. Our children were willing to walk a long way and brave the black flies in order to see us. At first they followed a well marked trail until they came to a narrow path that wound through tall grass. Then they ran through the woods and down a hill to the cottage.

In a far greater way, Jesus left heaven and came to earth because he loves us so much. His love is wider than the ocean, higher than the heaven above, and deeper than the deepest sea. As a child I sang the chorus, “Wide, wide as the ocean, high as the heaven above; deep, deep as the deepest sea, is my Savior’s love.” Paul prayed that the Ephesian Christians would grasp “how wide and how long and high and deep is the love of Christ’ (Eph. 3:18).

My children showed their love for their parents when they hiked a long distance. By his actions Jesus demonstrates that his love cannot be measured. The human mind cannot comprehend why God would become a man and die on a cross for sinners. May you know this love that surpasses knowledge.

The Hope of Eternal Life

2007-01-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

How many of us make New Year’s resolutions every January? Do you have the same wish list as last year or the year before? Underlying this desire to change and improve is the hope for a new beginning. Perhaps we are anxious to correct past mistakes or to get rid of bad habits. The start of a new year seems like an ideal time to set out on a new course of action. Sadly, most of us soon lose our determination and slip back into old habits.

I am very thankful that God is not like us. When he promises to do something, he does it. Paul explains that his faith and knowledge of the truth rest on the hope of eternal life. In other words, his faith depends on the expectation of receiving eternal life. If Paul cannot count on it, his faith is in vain. Thankfully, God does not lie. Before the beginning of time, the Lord promised to provide this eternal life (Titus 1:1,2).

As soon as Adam and Eve sinned, God determined to send Jesus into the world to save sinners. During all the intervening years in the Old Testament, God the Father was preparing for the arrival of his Son. He never changed his mind or gave up on his plan. Because God is so trustworthy, believers have a sure hope of eternal life. What a precious hope!

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3).

The Birth of Jesus

2006-12-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

When a baby is born, all eyes are fixed on the newborn child. The doctors and nurses are concerned for the health of the new one. Eager to catch a glimpse of the tiny baby, family and friends rally around the couple. As soon as everyone is satisfied that the baby is healthy and happy, attention turns toward the mother. How is she doing? Does she know how to look after her baby? Is she mature enough to put her baby's needs before her own? Oftentimes the father is forgotten or brushed aside.

Nevertheless the father's first reaction to his wife and newborn child is very important. It sets the tone for the emotional foundation of this family unit. Although all children are a gift from God, a firstborn child is very special. When our first child was born, I woke my husband up in the middle of the night and told him I needed to go to the hospital. He quickly dressed and carefully set my suitcase and me into the car. Eagerly he drove to the hospital and then quietly sat with me for hours. After Debra was born, my husband rushed to phone our families. He was so excited that he told everyone she was three feet long! Actually she was twenty-two inches.

Consider for a moment God the Father's reaction to the birth of Jesus. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God promised to send the Saviour. After two thousand years of planning and preparation, Jesus was born at the appointed time. God the Father sent his angels to tell the shepherds the good news. An angel told them, "I bring to you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10,11).

The Father is filled with great joy because the Saviour is born. Jesus will complete the work the Father sent him to do. It is guaranteed. This marvellous salvation will be available to all people. Many angels joined the first angel and sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).

May you know the peace of God by trusting in the Saviour today.
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The Unity of the Scriptures

2006-11-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

<> Have you ever had trouble reading through the entire Bible? Once when I was a teenager, my Mom offered me ten dollars if I could do it. Sadly, I never took her up on her offer.

My book, A Tale of Two Kingdoms, traces the history of salvation throughout the Scriptures. It shows how the Lord planned and carried out our salvation from the beginning to the end of time. God’s plan is the greatest love story ever told! How Satan and people react is an important part of the story.

This book started out being an essay about eschatology or the end times. Twelve years ago I offered to do some research for my pastor on the apostolic fathers. They were the first few generations of Christian authors after the apostles. He thought that they should be closest to the truth. However, a booklet by George Fletcher changed my focus from eschatology to God’s marvellous plan of salvation. I had never thought about the timeline of the Bible before.

When Adam and Eve sinned, the Lord promised to send a Saviour. Throughout the Old Testament God prepared for the coming of the promised Seed. Therefore the first part of the book is entitled Waiting for the Promised Seed. The last chapter in this section deals with Jewish writings between the Old and New Testaments. The second part of the book, called Responding to the Promised Seed, considers the work of Jesus on earth and the development of the early Church. The final chapter discusses the beliefs of the first few generations of Christian writers after the apostles. This is the essay that I promised my pastor!

This story has a villain—Satan. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, Satan became a defeated foe. The cover on my book shows very emphatically that Jesus is the victor.

Dr. Adams, past principal of Toronto Baptist Seminary, kindly checked the book for theological accuracy and made many suggestions. Mostly he asked me to add parts of the story that I had left out in the New Testament. Then a Christian editor critiqued it for sales appeal. He said it was well written, but people would want to know who I am and why I write the way I do. Therefore he told me to do three things, which I did. My testimony is scattered throughout the book. There are pull quotes to draw the reader into the book. Every chapter ends with five “Points to Ponder.”

It is a very easy read. My ninety-three-year old mother-in-law read it in two weeks and then proceeded to be a missionary in her own home. My heart’s desire is that the book will encourage all believers to reach out to those around them with the good news of the gospel. To me, the book has turned into a very long tract.

Some other people are reading it more slowly and using the book as a launching pad for their own personal studies. My daughter-in-law discovered that the index is an excellent tool for her to teach Bible characters at the Christian School where she works. There are also maps and, of course, a timeline. “Points to Ponder” at the end of each chapter serve as a devotional guide.

For more information check out www.tale2k.com.