Devotions (Page 29)

For some reason, writing this devo has felt a little more difficult than usual… there hasn’t been a specific passage coming to mind, no major thoughts or recent epiphanies (not even from my garden or the changing autumn colours)… my thoughts simply feel quiet. And then all of a sudden it was like I could slowly hear Rebecca St. James singing back to me from a far-off, long forgotten corner of my memory… You are God in HeavenAnd here am…

It is amazing to have a husband and wife combination on the same day. Sharing a testimony and giving us the Word – Rodney & Ada have been such a blessing to this church family and continue to do so. As Rodney & Ada shared their lives with amazing transparency – we could see the challenges that they have faced in the past and continue to face today. Challenges that we all face (work, upbringing) and challenges that are extraordinary…

Pain is part of success. It’s part of the process. God is in the pain just as much as he is in the pleasure. We often associate God with pleasure – How good we feel – But he’s also in our pain.Think about a breakthrough. Breakthroughs are mostly during times of great pain, pressure and stretching (literally at the breaking point). This is not when you’re at your greatest but weakest.  2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) says: 9 But he said to…

I dunno about you, but I have been feeling very tired lately. Although I suppose I’m technically functional most of the time, I’m facing a depth of exhaustion that I wish I could say I’ve never known before… but is one that has actually become quite familiar. I learned the phrase “compassion fatigue” the other day. As my mind was blown by how perfect those words were, it was almost as if my spirit sighed a big, “Finally.“ Compassion Fatigue…

Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did…

Dear LifeSpring Family, I have been listening to the Holy Spirit and thinking about Romans 1:17: 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” The question that comes to my mind is that “Am I living by faith?” Being in the life cycle that I am currently in sometimes does not require much faith. The kids are grown and do not require any financial…

“If you take life more slowly than your energy level is capable of, you can become lazy. If you continually run at a pace faster than you are capable, you can burn out. You need to find your balance.” I used to think that being lazy meant that you didn’t care or that you didn’t want to put in the work needed to do the thing you needed to do. As I read this quote, it highlighted to me the…

Happy Thanksgiving, Lifespring Family! We have so much to be grateful for and so many reasons to give thanks. Even though we live with such great privilege, it can sometimes be more difficult to take on a posture of praise. Regardless of where each of us may find ourselves this day, the God we love and we worship remains steadfast in love and eternally gracious. And the Kingdom of Heaven, which Jesus taught about, remains consistently confusing and dumbfounding… and…

Dear LifeSpring Family, This past Tuesday, I was on a plane flying back from Abbotsford to Toronto. I flew out to Abbotsford to attend the funeral of a good friend, mentor, and supporter of the ministry in Thailand. He and his entire extended family of 17 people consisting of his children and grandchildren have served in Thailand and Singapore on short-term missions on multiple occasions. At 73 years old, he was not young but at the same time, not old,…

Search me, O God, and know my heart;test me and know my anxious thoughts.Point out anything in me that offends you,and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139: 23-24 When my Lifegroup last met, we worked through a session in discipleship level 2 about persevering through suffering and trials. As we each shared insights from the lesson, one topic that came up was the idea of asking God “why” questions. At certain times in our lives, we…

What a blessing it was to hear from Power 2 Change – GAiN. Director of the Water for Life initiative, Steve, and manager of water sites in the Tanzania region, Geoffrey, came and spoke to the church family to encourage us and thank us for the partnership we have had over the years. As they shared the impact of what water can do – they challenged us to think of eternity. They painted us a picture of us, one day,…

Friday, September 30, 2022: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Although only one province (PEI) and two territories (The Northwest Territories and Nunavut) recognize today as a statutory holiday (one that the law requires people to take off and/or will pay people more if they need to work) … today is a National Day of Remembrance in Canada. Also known as Orange Shirt Day, this day pauses to reflect on the atrocious ways the Indigenous Peoples have been treated here…