Whatever He Says

Two books are currently having the impact of booster  rocket s in my life. Wikipedia  defines a booster rocket as: " a strap-on rocket used to augment the core launch vehicle's takeoff thrust and payload capability. Boosters are generally necessary to launch  spacecraft  into Earth's orbit or beyond." A great description of the impact of these books on me. Theologian and writer, Dallas Willard died in 2013. Ever  since reading an article about him by John Ortberg, written after his death and published in Christianity Today, I have wanted to read his books. You can read the article for yourself  here. In Willard's book,  The Spirit of the Disciplines , he opens up the difference between trying to follow Christ by responding to life's circumstances in a "godly way," and actually becoming godly in character by following Christ's pattern of life--the spiritual disciplines he practiced. Willard the describes those disciplines and how their ...

By Belinda I'm an "involved reader," and an "involved movie watcher" come to that. If you want to watch a movie with someone in peace and quiet--don't go with me; I laugh loudly, jump and cringe, grip the person next to me in scary parts--and cry. So it wasn't a surprise this morning as I read the final letters home of  Private Percy Winthrop (Winnie) McClare , regimental number 488944, 24th Battalion, Canadian InfantryRegiment; to "Mother," "Dad" and his sister Helen; that my eyes began to fill  unbidden with tears and a lump rose from somewhere deep in my chest and worked its way up to my throat. I knew--I don't know how-- that this boy of 19 would not be going home to Nova Scotia. His last letter home, dated April 16, 1917; addressed to "My dear Mother," ended with a request for her to not worry, but to "remember me in your prayer. I know you do that and it helps me a lot." He died May 5, 1917. It wa...

 By Belinda I arrived early at the writers conference, turning into the curving, tree shaded driveway, with a sense of anticipation. What lay ahead over the next three days was known only to God. I knew that there would be many connections made; networking opportunities; chance encounters—I  prefer to think of them as “Divine appointments,” connections in which God has a hand. After dropping off my luggage in my room, I reported to the volunteer coordinator’s post to pick up a bundle of signs. My first job of the day would be putting them up around the conference grounds. I found that I had a helper named Nikki Rosen. Soon we were busy with our assignment and chatting at the same time. It turned out that Nikki wasn’t attending the conference but lived nearby and had volunteered to come help set up. She was small and neatly built, with short, auburn hair and brightly intelligent brown eyes. Her conversation was as engaging as the person she projected and a...