Category: general discussions

That’s me going for a walk… in the ocean. Experiencing God is like experiencing the ocean. You can only touch a small part of it, and you could never grasp the whole of it. It’s expanse, it’s depth, and the wonder that it contains, is all beyond my reach. But that doesn’t stop me from…

Yes, it was a wonderful week on the Island (PEI). Valerie and I enjoyed a whole week of quiet relaxation. Thank You Lord! It was also good to see our friends at Charlottetown CRC. Thank You Lord, again! And above all, it was great to see our kids again when we came home. Thank You…

God’s Mission, what on earth God is doing! Do you think of God as on a mission? Do you see God as active in the world, or passive? And if God is active, what is it that God is doing? I believe that God is on a mission; I believe that God is active in…

He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us,…

What is a community of grace? A place where all people are welcomed and blessed, no matter who they are, what they are like, what they have done or not done, or how they stand in relationship to God. Jesus models this with His disciples, a motley crew of followers from a variety of backgrounds…

On Monday May 3, 2010, the Lord took home His covenant children, Rachel Marie VanHartingsveldt, and her unborn infant daughter, Kaylee Elaine, as a result of a car accident. Rachel, at the age of 21, beloved daughter of Pete and Elaine (nee Sikma). Loving sister of Ryan (Grace), Alicia (Ken) Boekee; Bradley and Kristin. Dear…

Today I chatted with an atheist. Sitting here at Starbucks, working on my blog devotionals, I noticed he was reading Karen Armstrong’s The Case For God. I appreciated his honesty: He was an ardent atheist, but was concerned that he was becoming close-minded, so he was exploring perspectives on God’s existence. Most of the books…

Too often we think of church as a place where we go. The connection between ‘church’ and a building is rooted in the very word itself, which comes from the Old English word “circe”, which is derived from the Greek word “kyriakon” meaning “the Lord’s (house)” from the Greek root word “kyrious” mean “Lord”. Constrast…

Yesterday I watched video clips that depicted the cruel torture and death of Jesus on the cross, something that I have done many times around this time of year. For my own spiritual journey, watching these graphic scenes has helped me to experience the depth and horror of what Jesus endured, as well as to…