Stories of Hope

  Happy Mother's Day!  But perhaps you are looking at today with regret and brokenness.  Maybe you find yourself mourning that which you never had.  If so, here are some survival tips for you.

  So here we are again - another year has almost passed and it’s Christmas! I can’t believe it! It’s Christmas and I am actually writing a hopeful story about Christmas!!! That is a miracle within itself

  People know that we are living in very precarious times. Definitely, these are days of great uncertainty and concern. As a Christian community, it is ok to express and share our concerns. By doing so, we are not denying that God is ultimately in control. We are basically admitting our humanity and our need for our Sovereign God. We are admitting that we are real and that is what the world needs right now – a good dose of reality!!!

  Thanksgiving! First and foremost, I am thankful for life. Since this year almost didn’t happen, I am thankful to God for family and friends who loving supported me through the darkness. We come to a deeper appreciation for life when walking through the valley

  Let me ask you a couple of questions. How many of you are familiar with migrant workers? Probably most of you. Now, how many of you ever saw the migrant workers as a mission field? If you are like me, I bet that thought never crossed your mind!   A few people in Bowmanville saw the need to reach out to these men and took action.

  I find it quite interesting how it has taken almost 3 months for me to be able to write my story. But God’s timing is perfect. Sharing my story on Palm Sunday will help bring our focus to where we need to be on our journey to Good Friday

  Many of you know that Claire and I were in London, England for 2 weeks from Aug.19 – Sept.1. What people don’t know is that God had been placing things in order since Thanksgiving weekend 2013.

  Happy Canada Day! In honour of my father, who did a lot of missions work with the Inuit and the Blackfoot, Blood, and Cree First Nations peoples, I am writing this article.

  An exceptionally large number of people turned out for the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Bowmanville. It wasn’t because of the good weather, although that helped. It was because of the recent deaths of Canadian soldiers on Canadian soil.

  The scripture in Joel 2:25-26 came to mind when writing this story. In Joel, God speaks about restoring that which the locusts have eaten and this hopeful story is a great example.

A TRIBUTE TO FATHERS   After writing about mothers, it was suggested that fathers receive equal honour. Even though this is being printed on the Sunday following Father’s Day, it does not diminish the honour due.

The Importance of Pentecost   In order to truly understand the meaning of Pentecost, we must look back to the Feasts of the Lord laid out for us in Leviticus 23.

  People from many countries celebrate Mother’s Day at different times throughout the year. But I began wondering how it all began. So I began my Mother’s Day quest.

  After Pastor Peter preached that wonderful message about Relationship, I knew that this story had to be shared.   What many people don’t know is that prior to coming to Hope, my life was pretty much symbolized by the “brokenness” picture shown on the screen and Bob Dylan’s song. Another strong symbol was the basement of my mother’s house where I lived. It was dimly lit and lonely which was exactly how I felt.

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.