Stories of Hope

  After seeing the shepherds on trial in last Sunday’s Christmas musical, I was prompted to ask a familiar question, “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” I cited Don Cherry as an example of someone who went public on Hockey Night In Canada with his faith on December 17 when he said, “At this time of year we have fun with Santa Claus, but Christmas is about Jesus being born.” If Cherry is ever put on trial for being a Christian, the prosecutor will certainly introduce last week’s “Coach’s Corner” as evidence.

  Some people know that I lost my big sister, Karen, when she was only 36 years old. She was my mentor and one of my best friends. I admired the way she raised her kids, served the people around her and clung to her faith, no matter what life threw at her.

Looking for Jesus in the "Beams of Light"   You may be like me at this point and find yourself asking "What's so merry about Christmas?" You may find yourself or someone you know experiencing one of the dark storms of life such as a bitter divorce, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, or dealing with a dreaded disease like cancer. There are so many storms people face that seem to become magnified at this time of year. Sure, we go to church and put on a brave face, but in reality we have lost sight of the "Star of Bethlehem". We have become like the disciple Peter, so focused on the storm that we begin to sink rather than keep our eyes on Jesus. A couple of well-meaning friends gently reminded me of this fact the other day.

  As a teenager living in Willowdale, Anthony, my high school buddy, and I would often head downtown Toronto in December to take in the sights. Last Saturday, the Steve Bell concert at Massey Hall (amazing!) provided me an opportunity to relive those experiences.   At City Hall, Marja and I watched the skaters. My eyes were immediately drawn to the three arches over the ice pad and I remembered the day Anthony and I climbed them. Today they’re guarded by gates. Back then they were very accessible.

  Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, announced a fundraising effort to benefit a local charity. Beginning this week, Colin Carrie will be wearing the "12 Ties of Christmas" on the last 12 sitting days in this session of parliament and putting them up for auction.

  Preachers, called to proclaim a life-changing gospel, often wonder if lives are actually being changed by their messages. Their worst fear is that their words have no impact. Their greatest joy is to hear that someone was prompted to action by something they said.