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The Bridge

I have family members who enjoy the New York Times daily word game “Connections.” The game consists of sixteen random words that need to be organized into four groups of four, each group with its own distinct theme. Some of the groups are easy to figure out, like the words interval, period, span and stretch are examples of duration. Others are not as straightforward, such as fair, marple, popular and psalm. The connecting theme for these words is revealed at the end of the blog. Speaking of connections, verses 5 and 6 in Psalm 24 provide the following four words which got my attention – seek, righteousness, worship and blessing.

(Reading time – 11 mins.)

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The Answer to the Question – Part 3

Do you enjoy learning through a good fictional story? Or do you prefer lists, facts and lectures? Recently my wife finished L.M. Montgomery’s novel, Jane of Lantern Hill. She shared a particular insight from the story to which I remarked that I had just read the same idea in Stephen Covey’s, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People! Same insight – two very different authors and writing methods.

(Reading time – 12 mins.)

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The Answer to the Question, Part 1

If you grew up in church and the Sunday school teacher, pastor or group leader asked any question, the safe and most likely answer was … Jesus! And while this answer tended to be correct on a surface level, the person asking the question might have been looking for a deeper answer. The question-and-answer sequence in Psalm 24:3-4 has a similar simple response, but the answer requires further consideration.

(Reading time – 10 minutes)

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Peak to Peak

What comes to mind when you think of mountains? Do you think of grandiosity, adventure, beauty, wonder, danger, or sanctuary? What does a mountain represent to you? Perhaps it represents resilience, stability and immovability, or a mammoth obstacle, a journey or challenge to overcome, or a dream to achieve?

(Reading time 10 min.)

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Death and Dancing

Have you ever noticed how two people can look at the same thing and have vastly different perspectives? Sometimes one person can even have a major shift in perspective.

This describes my relationship with Niagara Falls. Growing up I lived twenty minutes away, and I had lots of opportunity to visit the Falls. Visiting became no big deal. In fact, I despised all the touristy glitz surrounding the natural phenomenon of the Falls.

As a young adult I moved about three hours away and rarely visited the Falls. After almost forty years, I saw the Falls up close again, and I was like a child in a candy store. What changed?

(reading time – 11 mins.)

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Things in a Box

Do you have a box to keep special things? When our daughters were growing up, we kept a clear bin or two for each of them and inserted little treasures for them to take with them when they left home. These were things like their favourite stuffies, first pair of shoes, first tooth, first piece of art, special cards, certificates of achievement or souvenirs.

(Reading Time 11 mins.)

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