I don't know about you, but June 21 is a depressing day on my calendar. It's the start of summer, for sure; who can't love that? It's the day of longest daylight hours, which here in Alberta means the horizon almost never quite goes dark. But here's the sad paradox of the day - starting… Continue reading Joy on the saddest day of the year
Joy portrait
The day started with a really good message on joy from my Pastor Mike (just because I'm a pastor doesn't mean I don't need one too) - he shared this wise observation that God likely won't give you more joy if you aren't taking in the joy he's already set before you (sort of like… Continue reading Joy portrait
Kidlet joy
Today I had a front-row seat to joy – watching my kids. After a week away, it was great simply to hang out together as a family (more on that later). But its so often what they say that brings great gladness (or makes me stifle my laughter because it sounds so funny coming out… Continue reading Kidlet joy
Buechner on joy
I've always loved author Frederick Buechner's way with words and his take on life. Here's a few words of his on joy: "Happiness turns up more or less where you'd expect it to - a good marriage, a rewarding job, a pleasant vacation. Joy, on the other hand, is as notoriously unpredictable as the one… Continue reading Buechner on joy
Defiant gladness
"Everywhere a greater joy is preceded by a greater suffering." Augustine Ok, let’s dive into one of the central struggles of living in joy – can we know joy in the face of pain, suffering, and tragedy? Is it possible, even advisable, to choose joy in seasons of devastating sorrow? Does joy trivialize our sufferings?… Continue reading Defiant gladness
Weary gladness
Tonight I'm a very happy man. Tired, but very glad. For the past few days I’ve been chairing an advisory committee at the CRC Synod in Chicago. One of the big items on our agenda was to shepherd through Synod the Study Committee Report on the Migration of Workers. It's a report birthed in pain… Continue reading Weary gladness
It’s ok, you can whoop it up!
Here’s something interesting about joy – so many of the biblical words for joy revolve around its expression. Some of the most common Hebrew root words for joy in the Old Testament (do you really want to know? Ok, they are simha, gil, sus and ranan – now wasn’t that informative) refer not only to… Continue reading It’s ok, you can whoop it up!
Enjoying Chicago
1 breakfast of pancakes, freshly picked strawberries and bacon accompanied by numerous cups of fair trade coffee + 3 hours sauntering around Chicago's Hyde Park, browsing in the 57th St. Bookstore and University of Chicago Seminary Co-op Bookstore, reveling in Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House + 1 lunch at Medici's + 1 visit to the… Continue reading Enjoying Chicago
Murphy's law and joy
So often I count on finding joy through my circumstances - but you know where that ends up? If I'm waiting for a sunny-side up, trouble free day, well, I'll come to the end of my life a curdled old sour puss because, as Jesus says, each day has enough troubles of its own. Here's… Continue reading Murphy's law and joy
Synod glee
I’m sitting here on the floor of Synod (metaphorically speaking - I'm actually I'm sitting on a chair), right at the front of the podium, so close I’m likely to get spit on by the President of Synod (you can check out the webcast at http://www.crcna.org/pages/synod_front.cfm). There’s a massive pipe organ that rises up and… Continue reading Synod glee
Squinch 