What comes to mind when you hear the word hospitality? I think most people envision extending an invitation to people, an immaculately clean house, fancy table settings, an elaborate menu, entertaining guests, and then sending them off on their way home. But what if we treated hospitality as deeper and more relational than that? What if there was a constant open invitation into our homes and the m...  Read More

What a testament the death and resurrection of Christ are to the intentional love He has for those whom He has called. As we move forward from Easter and the celebration of Christ’s resurrection I cannot help but reflect upon all that led up to this moment. Furthermore, my mind is shattered to think of all the emotions that our Saviour, who is fully human, was experiencing fulfilling His calling, ...  Read More

Ps 130:3-4 1 cor 4If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,    O Lord, who could stand?But with you there is forgiveness,    that you may be feared.The last word of this passage has been giving me pause. Is that the right verb? Our gut level intuitions would think that our response to God’s forgiveness would be something else. “With you there is forgiveness that you may be…honored; loved; thanked; p...  Read More

When I was 7 years old I got my first pair of glasses and I hated them! I didn’t like the way I looked. I didn’t like the jokes and name calling. I didn’t like the inconvenience. I didn’t like being different than most of my classmates. What I DID like was that I could see! Those new lenses gave me new vision and put things in focus. I could read better and see the ball coming more clearly. I coul...  Read More

I was cleaning up recently after all of the holiday festivities and I picked up a stack of conversation cards that I have. On one of the cards is the question, “Is there something that you feel God might be calling you into this next year?” This got me thinking about my own calling. Heartland just installed elders and the question of “calling” has been a topic of extensive study for me personally ...  Read More

One of the primary messages that our culture screams at us is the need to be efficient in every area of our lives. In fact, much of our culture is based on the ability to get more things done in less time, while utilizing fewer resources. This creates the feeling of intense pressure on us to measure up and “prove ourselves useful” as we inevitably attempt to cram more into the day and to get as ma...  Read More