Too often, our minds and our imaginations can run wild. And sometimes they take us down dark paths and into unsettling places. It can happen incredibly quickly. Worry sets in. The mind can begin to spin, and spin and spin. We can imagine catastrophe. We panic. It feels like a dark, downward spiral. So what […]
It only takes a spark to get a fire going. That’s the opening line of a song that inspires us to share God’s love. And two people who inspire and encourage us on our journey of sharing hope and love are our own minister, Rev. Joanne Lee, and the Presbyterian Church in Canada’s Malawi liaison, […]
Practical Compassion. It’s the title of a book, published in August by Presbyterian World Service & Development to commemorate 75 years of working to help others through relief, development and refugee sponsorship programs. Full of engaging photos that illustrate how a helping hand can change lives, Practical Compassion shares the human stories that show how […]
For 39 years, the Presbyterian Church in Canada has been offering a helpful hand of love in Malawi. One of the church’s 73 people who have spent time in Malawi carrying out the commandment to love others is Mary Helen Garvin, a member of St. Andrew’s Barrie’s Women’s Missionary Society. She recalls one vivid memory […]
Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. The skies are a bright blue, the trees robed in glorious colours and the prospect of sharing dinner with those we care about whets our appetite. In French, Thanksgiving is Le Jour d’action de grace. This is perhaps a more accurate description of what the day is, or should […]
This weekend, it’s Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. We are grateful and celebrate the plentiful harvest. The joy of biting into a fresh apple. The pumpkin pie served with some whipped cream, for pumpkin spice lovers, is an incredible creation. And the dinner – the turkey or ham with all the trimmings – definitely, something to […]
For some, fall means pumpkin spice. For others, it’s the harvest – with fresh apples to enjoy and to bake cakes and pies. Still for others, it’s the cooler, shorter days signal a time to begin to prepare to spend more time cocooning inside. In all these things, there’s an appreciation of creation. And our […]
The season of creation happens to coincide with the early apple harvest here in Central Ontario. Few things are as experientially beautiful as looking at, biting into and tasting a fresh apple. Then some of us sometimes dip it in peanut butter or cinnamon, when we’re looking for a change of flavour. Creation is indeed […]
As I walked barefoot on the grass and onto the rocks, and listened to the waves gently roll onto the rocks, I felt nourished. The shorter days and cooler nights make for better sleep. And the day after Labour Day reminds us of a new year beginning, full of learning opportunities and new friendships, at […]
Summer’s sun fades as do the flowers of the field. The days shorten and the nights become cooler. And this week is the last week of the unofficial Canadian summer, as Labour Day approaches and the kids return to school. Some mark the “end of summer” with the opening of the CNE in Toronto or […]