Our children have no idea how they have touched us. Sometimes the touch is painful, but more often, it's not. Their touch is like a reconnection that has been lost after 9 months or so of constant unity. They gradually separate form us, little by little. First, They breathe on their own and only the air and a blanket comes between us, but not much else. Then, more and more space fills the gap, as our eyes stay on them as long as possible. Once our eyes no longer go the miles off to school, a friends house or their first job, we learn to love from a distance, always craving that touch…

The horse's courage does not come from within himself, it comes from his Maker. We'd like to think, like little children, that we do thing all by ourselves, but elders laugh at that naivety, knowing the truth of it. All it takes is one moment of helpless desperation and rescue from a savior outside of ourselves to help us see this. But that is nothing to be sad about, no, it's something to rejoice in! Not only do we not have to carry the weight of the world on our own shoulders…

Touch is such an intimate thing. Maybe that's part of the reason why we're spiraling downward mentally/spiritually these days. People were made to be intimate. Without it, we suffer and even die, in our unattached starved space. Our souls float around looking for a physical anchor to hold onto. Safety, comfort pleasure and unity pair well...no, vitally...to these spirits of ours. Too much intimacy, without the attachment of the “strings” that are necessary to protect it, kills us in a different way. The recreational joining of souls our society deems “normal” is a silent killer as well. Our bodies and minds weren't meant for that. It's information and emotion overload. The constant cleaving and breaking of bodies and souls produces such a multitude of scars that our souls have become hardened and unable to function in the flow and purity of it's original design. A disease to which there is a cure and healing from, we just can't seem to come back from our over indulgence, once again. ..

I am in no way one of those people whose self confidence is their mainstay. Self love is not something I think we need to chase...I think we love ourselves pretty naturally. We might not “like” ourselves sometimes, but love...self preservation and defensiveness come pretty quickly. We are commanded to “love our neighbour, as we love ourselves”, meaning, the way we love ourselves. With that established and cleared out of the way, I do however think that many of us are not ok being alone or alone with God. We always seem to need someone else to prop us up or make life good. Could be our kids, our spouse or best friend, but it is a precious thing to be comfortable...even enjoy...being alone with yourself…

Life's battles are exhausting for everyone. No one is exempt from feeling the stress and pressure and even torment at times, even when it feels like you are the only one...you are not. The key is to surround yourself with support and strength of various kinds. Reject the pride of saying, “I can do this on my own”, when you don't have to. Listen to truth and hope and turn from pessimistic fairy tales created by those who have hardened their hearts to courage and are grounded in their own fluffy kingdom of comfort…

It only takes one. And it only takes a few willing followers.It is said that all you need is 3.5% of the population to make effective change...whatever change you are after. And it only takes 1 to start anything. But that 1 has to be all in. The 1 needs passion, conviction, selflessness and determination. Leaders are rare...real leaders, I mean…

Farmers of old have coined a phrase, “Make hay while the sun is shining”, to put across the idea of non procrastination and getting things done now, before it's too late. Waiting often risks the loss of opportunity, especially when you are not in control of what is coming...the sun going down or the clouds rolling in. I remember laying on the beach, so many days, as a younger, less responsible adult, and soaking up the warm sun for hours on end…

Where we live, there are mountains to climb, everywhere. My backyard growing up, was miles and miles of forest mountain, where every Spring, the Winter's melted snow poured down to the river. We hiked a lot, to the trickle of these streams, stopping often for a fresh cold drink and even longer to rest, picnic or roll up our pant legs for some long awaited wading…

To really know someone is sheer intimacy. Communication brings the knowing. When someone closes him or herself off, they are protecting something...defense mode is on. It's difficult to become close and to love properly when we do this…

It is in the early hours of the morning that my mind is most alert and productive. A million thoughts traffic jam the neuron pathways and the noise can be a little too much. It is then that I have to deliberately calm myself, be aware of my breathing and set my mind on things above. First thoughts need to be the kind that induce hope and peace. I fill the traffic jams with words of life and allow the Spirit to help me focus on a particular truth that seems to jump out of the page…

There are many moments when I wish I could go back to those childhood days. Without a care in the world, all we did was explore and play, sleep and eat. I was blessed to live in a place where the river lined our front yard and the woods deepened our back yard...tons of earth to explore…

Ok, so my "coffee break" painting got a little bigger and took a little longer this time…

When I'm walking in the woods in winter, the stillness is incredible. You just have to stop and listen...to nothing. No music nor conversation...nothing. Time sands still for just a moment and you just get to rest everything, your exercise, your planning, your work and your entertainment…

Remember the days when we would play outside until the last of the sun went down? Warm summer nights at the beach, until the last campfire embers fade and cold winter evenings, walking on water in the dead of January, getting one last skate in before darkness covered…

This present generation isn't exactly known for it's patience. Short attention span is the norm, with information, entertainment, advertisements and memes constantly bombarding our minds and distracting us from things of greater importance. Whatever is important to you needs to kept at the forefront of your mind. Losing focus and running down rabbit trails is very common now, and these trails often lead to nowhere. Getting you lost in nowhere is a great place for ineffectiveness and deception to find you. Go down the camel trail instead…

We've always been told “You can't run away from your problems”. That's true...they'll always be there and usually follow you wherever you go. However, a temporary running away is very good for the soul and body. For the purpose of spiritual renewal and physical cleansing, a trip to the mountains is highly recommended. I love how Jesus regularly slipped away alone, for this purpose. Disciples, looking around for Him, usually early in the morning, expecting Him to be frantically writing in His daily planner or conference calling the religious leaders, looking to “connect” or build a “team” for evangelism strategies and social gospel initiatives. He was not…

How is it possible to miss someone you've never met? …

The first blossoms of 2021.

Sometimes...many times...less is more.

If one thing can be learned from the past year, it might be that we don't need as much as we think we do. We might be a little spoiled, we, living this North American lifestyle. Trimming back our business and our recreation leaves a simple, more peaceful existence. Time for quiet…

This time of far more inactivity than normal, allows us to take time to think. We can quiet our minds and think about who we are and the life we are living. We can take stock, re-evaluate and determine to make changes. It can be a messy job, but now is a good time to do it. Dragonflies symbolize the change in perspective of yourself…