June 2024 Light Magazine by lightmagazine6

Life & Family

Reflections on the sanctity of life

by Rebecca Peters

I’ve been thinking about how that phrase applies to an unexpected pregnancy. After working in the area of unexpected pregnancy support for almost 15 years, I have a few thoughts.

In 2024, “sanctity” is a word that people don’t commonly use. That doesn’t mean it’s not relevant, far from it. As someone who works in communication, I believe it’s important to use words that people are familiar with and understand or clearly define a word if your audience might not understand it. With that in mind, I believe defining what sanctity means is important.

Sanctity comes from the Latin word “sanctus,” which means holy or sacred. A further definition is – the condition of being holy or of deserving great respect. So, the sanctity of life means that life, or an individual’s life, is sacred and deserving of respect.

Christians believe that life begins in the womb, at conception, and we base this on scripture such as Jeremiah 1:5 and Psalm 139:13.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; Jeremiah 1:5

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

These verses create beautiful imagery for us and tell us that God sees, knows, and values each life in the womb.

However, we must not stop at the womb when we’re considering the sanctity of life within the context of an unexpected pregnancy. The sanctity of life of the woman with the unexpected pregnancy should also be considered sacred and deserving of great respect. Sadly, I think sometimes in our rush to help and protect the unborn, we forget to help and defend the woman, or perhaps her welfare is considered second. But we can’t put one before the other. We must care for, consider, and respect each life equally. There is sanctity of life for each one. God has intricately woven them together.

A few months ago we celebrated the most

holy of unexpected pregnancies – the birth of Jesus. I think it’s important to pause and look past the celebration of that great miracle and consider whether God gave Mary a choice to accept the outcome He desired. From the research that I’ve done, many scholars agree that it is likely Mary had a choice. First, God clearly respects human freedom and gives us the ability to choose. Secondly, the angel waits and does not leave until Mary agrees.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 6:38 I believe it’s important to remember this when we meet with women who are facing an unexpected pregnancy. God gave consideration to Mary, and He respected and cared for her. We must do the same.

So how do we do that? How do we uphold and live out the sanctity of life for both the unborn child and the woman with an unexpected pregnancy?

At Pregnancy Care Canada, we have thought about this carefully and learned from hearing thousands of stories of women impacted by unexpected pregnancies. We understand that very few women think of abortion as an easy choice. It is often a choice made from a place of fear, feeling overwhelmed, and pressure. We have learned that if we want to honour the life of the unborn child, we must also honour the woman and offer a safe space for her to share her fears and concerns. We must consider her situation and sit with her while she explores her thoughts and feelings. We show her respect by acknowledging that she has a choice and that none of the choices available are likely easy for her.

An unexpected pregnancy is sometimes referred to as a crisis pregnancy, and that can be an accurate description because the woman is often physiologically in a fight-or-flight state. She often feels trapped and panicked and is looking for a quick escape. If this is the case, decisions are based on fear, not logic, and not considering the welfare of others, like the unborn child. A woman with an unexpected pregnancy may not view herself as a mother who needs to

protect her child; she feels the need to protect herself and get out of the crisis. Before addressing the needs and sanctity of the unborn child, we must first address the needs and sanctity of the woman with the unexpected pregnancy.

The sanctity of life is a beautiful and simple principle, and I believe in it. The difficulty is applying a simple principle to a compli-

cated, emotion-filled situation. The sanctity of life still applies, but we must walk into the situation with more than just a belief we want to uphold. We must walk into people’s lives with a listening ear, compassion, and respect for their lives because the sanctity of life is for everyone.

Reprinted with permission from pregnancycarecanada.ca

Spring Baby Bottle Campaign

Mothers Day to Fathers Day: May 12 – June 16, 2024

Each year the pregnancy care centres in the Lower Mainland have an annual campaign in support of their local centre. Baby bottles are provided to your church or group to be filled with spare change, bills, cheques or credit card donations. The funds that come in help to continue providing free services including pregnancy tests, options & peer counseling,

Mighty Man Camp

In Luke 5:4, it is here that Jesus challenges his disciples to “launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” and I also extend a bold challenge to each of you. It’s time for us, as men, to go beyond the shallows and venture into the depths of our faith, purpose, and relationships. The call is clear: it’s time to go deeper!

Who is the Mighty Man Camp for? It is for all men ages 12 to 80+ who want to know and experience more of God as

education & support, and mom & baby supplies.

Through your charitable giving, resources to support vulnerable pregnant women and their families are made possible.

Please support your local centre today. Spare change can make real change!

(Please see the ad below for contact info on the centre nearest you)

their heavenly Father. It is for men who have never been blessed and released into manhood. It is for fathers who want their sons to learn what it means to be a man and to experience the power of a father’s blessing. If you are single or your sons are under 12, we encourage you to bring your dad or another young man to bless.

Building Strong Families in Canada

The power of a father’s blessing

by Dr. Neil Campbell

Last month we talked about the first four critical times of blessing in a child’s life. Each of those times of blessing answers the identity question ‘Who Am I’. Blessing at conception answers the identity question, “Am I welcome in this world?” Blessing in the womb answers the question, “Is there a safe place for me?” The third critical time of blessing is at birth, and it answers the question, “Will my needs be met in this world?” Blessing at early childhood answers the question, “Who can I trust in the world?” Just as Jesus was provided for and protected in his infancy, so too can we trust in the provision and care extended to us, especially by our mothers in the formative years of childhood.

God created Adam in His image. Adam was the likeness of God, including all the character qualities, attributes and characteristics of His heart, He placed in Adam (Genesis 2:18-20). When God made Eve, scripture tells us that he put Adam into a deep sleep and he took from Adam to make Eve. God took those character qualities, attributes and characteristics of His heart - the nurturing qualities of His character and placed them in Eve who became the mother of all humanity. The Hebrew word used to describe this side of God is El Shaddai. The roots ‘shad’ and ‘dai’ encapsulate the nurturing love of a mother who supplies, satisfies and nurtures the needs of her offspring. That nurturing love is especially needed in the first four times of blessing in a child’s life. Adam retained the fatherly heart that launches children into the world with wisdom and guidance. There is a shift then that needs to happen in the parenting relationship where the father becomes the primary person to teach, train, and bless the identity of his children. In Psalm 127:4 scripture tells us that ‘children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior.’ Those arrows shoot in the direction of the father’s aim. A father’s blessing helps to launch his children into their adult identity and destiny.

That takes us to the fifth critical time of blessing, which is at puberty or the teen years and it answers the identity question, “Do I have what it takes?” This is a significant time in a young person’s life where they need their father’s blessing. A young man needs to know that he is a man. How does he

know that? It’s when his father tells him. A young woman needs to know she’s beautiful, she’s worth fighting for and she is worth waiting for. She learns this from her father. As a person transitions from being a child into maturing into adulthood it is definitely a changing of the seasons. Just as in nature, the changing of the seasons can be a wild time and need the love and blessing of a father to help ride through the storm. Fathers, this is a key time in your child’s life to reflect what the heart of our Heavenly Father is like – strong and stable, yet kind and caring. But because most fathers have not been blessed themselves and are unsure how to bless and release their own sons, we have designed a Mighty Man Camp where we teach father’s how to step into their role and bless the identity of their sons. There is a training component to teach these young men to be mighty men of God. Both fathers and sons deal with the generational iniquities in their lives. There is a blind trust walk where each son is blindfolded and is led by their father on an obstacle course. This creates a bonding time where the sons learn to trust their father’s voice, as an illustration that they need to listen to the voice of their Heavenly Father. During the trust walk they stop at several points where one of the dads shares on a designated topic. The first topic is about a man and his word and the importance of being a man of integrity. The second session is on a man and his work, God has created each person with a calling and gifting that fulfills the mission they have to make society a better place. The third talk is about a man and his relationship with a woman. A man will share how to treat a woman with honour and respect. To remain sexually pure and wait for the woman God has prepared as his marriage partner. The final sharing time is about a man and his worship - his relationship with God. One of the dads will share his testimony and how to have a personal walk with God. We wrap up the evening with a ceremony where each son is called into manhood to join the company of men and then he is blessed by his father.

For daughters, there is also a special ceremony. Fathers usually plan it out together with their daughters. It is an

The Elisha Code

by David Kitz & Dr. Ed Hird

Is there a “hidden code” to the Bible – a code hidden in plain sight-we have been missing for generations? By studying the ministry of Jesus, we can rediscover the blueprint he was following to launch the first-century church. It is a blueprint patterned after the prophetic Old Testament ministries of Elijah and Elisha. Together, let’s crack the Elisha Code, renew our first love, and become participants in the next great endtimes revival – a revival marked by a double portion of Christ’s miraculous anointing.

evening that is designed to honour daughters and what better way than to ask them what that ceremony should look like and the special features it should include. We help dads to plan and facilitate an opportunity to read a blessing over their daughters. You can check out some samples of these ‘Nights of Becoming’ on familydreaminstitute.ca (under the ‘Watch Tab’).

The sixth critical time of blessing is at adulthood or marriage and answers the identity question, “What am I called to do in this world and who am I called to do it with?” We see this type of blessing in the life of Jesus when John the Baptist sees Jesus coming down to the Jordon River. John the Baptist declared these words, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). John affirmed Jesus’ identity as the Lamb of God and stated His destiny, which was to take away the sins of the world. And God the Father blesses Jesus as He comes out of the waters of baptism, “And a voice came from heaven said, ‘you are my beloved Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11). Likewise, a father’s blessing releases his sons and daughters to prosper in their life, their work and their future marriage.

The seventh critical time of blessing is in the senior years, and it answers the identity question, “Am I still needed in this world?” On my father’s 70th birthday we had a time of blessing for my dad. Each of his children and several of the grandchildren had an opportunity to speak words of blessings over his life. As the oldest son, I spoke a blessing over him and affirmed our love for him and that he was and is still an important part of all of our lives.

This Father’s Day we would encourage you to write or speak a blessing over your father and take the time to affirm your love and appreciation for who he is and what he means to you. You can learn how to write a blessing at https://familydreaminstitute.ca/families/building-strong-families/

Community

Changes for ACTS at TWU

by Jack A. Taylor

If things go according to plan, the Association of Canadian Theological Schools (ACTS) consortium at Trinity Western University (TWU) will cease to function as of May 1, 2026, and students will transition for their credits to finish under the Trinity Western University School of Theology. Accreditation is being sought by TWU and efficiencies are being considered in conversations between the seminaries. Transitioning the accreditation from ACTS to TWU will allow the university to form its own Graduate School of Theology. This will create a sustainable model for the seminary.

Robert Burkinshaw, in his book, Pilgrims in Lotus Land, traced the emergence of conservative evangelicalism in British Columbia from 1917-1981 with its focus on “conversionism, activism, biblicism, and crucicentrism” (p.14). He notes that part of the cooperative effort of the evangelical movement resulted in institutions like Trinity Western University and Regent College. He adds (p. 15) that “although evangelicalism’s conservative stance has been its most apparent posture in British Columbia, this should not be allowed to mask the impulse towards innovation and adaptation that also shaped its response to modern society on the West Coast of Canada.”

Trinity Western was the outgrowth of a 1957 vision to establish a “distinctly Christian University in Canada.” David Enarson, an educator and church leader on the committee established by the Evangelical Free Churches of America, was a guiding visionary and the group was able to purchase a dairy farm in the Fraser Valley to launch a Junior College in 1962. Dr. Calvin Hanson (1962-1974) shaped the early vision while Dr. Neil Snider (1974-2006) led the school into full membership in the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. In 1985, the school was granted University status by the BC legislature.

One of the first steps included launching ACTS through a partnership with Canadian Baptist Seminary, Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, Northwest Baptist Seminary, and TWU. Winnie Liu, director of Public Relations for TWU and a grad of ACTS, notes that “both ACTS and the TWU School of Graduate Studies offer Master’s Education in Scripture and Christian Thought. As for doctoral programs, ACTS offers D.Min degrees while TWU’s school

of Graduate Studies offers a Ph.D in nursing.” Alongside these seminaries, Canada Institute of Linguistics and the Vancouver Institute for Evangelical Worldview developed.

The collaborative effort also included the John William Wevers Institute for Septuagint Studies “as a hub for Septuagint research, translation, and publication projects.”

Barton Priebe (DMin), current president of Northwest Baptist Seminary, worked for TWU student life for four years, served as a lead pastor for 20 years with Fellowship Pacific, and finished his doctorate through Northwest. He notes that after 30 years in Vancouver, Northwest embraced a common vision for theological education and growth with TWU for a kingdom partnership and moved its campus to the Langley University grounds in 1987 where leadership development could happen in a more sustainable way and where they could conjointly offer degrees.

As a member of ACTS, Northwest led seminary innovation in 2012, under Dr. Kent Anderson, after realizing the traditional model of campus-focused theological education was not meeting the needs of local churches. The need for character, leadership, and ministry skills would move under the sphere of church campus sites with outcomesbased education. The Seminary featured the Immerse model of competency-based training with academic, field, and ministry mentors overseeing developing students. Their unique model received accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in 2015. This innovation was accompanied by Korean Language programs and in 2020 undergraduate programs were reintroduced under the new model. Through partnerships with more than ten denominations, ministry agencies, and churches in four languages, Northwest Baptist Seminary is on a growth trajectory, placing 75 percent of its graduates.

Evangelical institutions like those at ACTS are lauded for their flexibility in adapting to cultural changes. Priebe says that “with the rise of the internet and globalization in a changing world we needed to respond to churches saying that the seminary was no longer producing the kind of pastors and leaders needed.” They realized that

character formation doesn’t happen in the classroom and that competency-based skills were better learned by actually preaching, counseling, leading and learning on the job. “Traditional education was too expensive, and people were not willing to move on to campus for four years.”

Evangelicals have come under increasing pressure as irrelevant in our changing culture. Priebe admits we live in challenging times which makes it “all the more important to train the next generation in their theology, their character, and how they relate to the culture around us. We can’t give simplistic answers to the next generation. What is needed is best offered through on-site mentorships in the places where a supportive faith community already exists and offers opportunity for development.”

“Over the past few years, the ACTS board of directors, in collaboration with member seminaries, has deliberated over what structure will best serve students today and in years to come to ensure the flourishing of their education. The ACTS board of directors has agreed to a plan that will allow each member seminary to grow and deliver excellent theological education through unique models that meet the specific needs of their constituencies while ensuring that students can continue to access course-based theological education through a seminary at Trinity Western University.”

Next steps from the ACTS consortium started with a Petition for Change in Control or Legal Status filed on April 1, 2024, to the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). A task force of member Presidents, Chief Financial Officers, and the Executive Committee of ACTS has been established “to create a transition plan by June 24, 2024. ATS will do a site visit in the fall of 2024 to ensure a smooth transition and care for students to the new TWU School of Theology. In February 2025 ATS will vote regarding the transfer of accreditation. If all goes well, TWU will launch its School of Theology on May 1, 2026.

by Nancy Kingdon

Do you know that the concept of accountability, as presented in the Old Testament, is radically reversed by Jesus in the New Testament? Instead of obedience to rigid laws of right and wrong, Jesus offers heart transformational opportunities and invites believers to pursue the fruit of the Spirit, thus identifying nine specific measures for spiritual growth and satisfaction.

Moral laws, and making right choices, surpass all other accountability and commitment measures.

Pete Baran’s Story…

Pete Baran shares a heartwarming story involving two rock climbers ready to be the first to free climb the Dawn Wall, a 3,000-foot vertical rock face in Yosemite. Just prior to the climb, one rock climber needed to be replaced by someone less experienced. Near the top, the new climber was exhausted and unable to cross a particularly dangerous pitch. The lead climber raced on, but a few feet from the top, he stopped, paused and asked himself a question.

“Is this the right thing to do?” Then he retraced his steps, and helped the exhausted climber cross the treacherous stretch of rockface thousands of feet in the air and reach the top.

“We’re a team. We, not I, committed to making this climb together and making history together.”

Pete’s father grew up on a meager homestead in Saskatchewan, where carpetbaggers swindled his immigrant parents of their savings. Although the family had followed God, this experience tainted his dad’s opinion about religion, which led to Pete’s childhood reluctance to turn towards God. Finally, God got a hold of him. Sixteen years ago, Pete gave his life to Christ.

He has been Vice-President or Director in more than one Fortune 500 company, but currently is Chair of CCBF Board and runs his own business, Blueneck Consulting.

When asked for his favourite book, he replied, “one of my colleagues always points to his bible when asked for his business plan. I agree with him!”

“I do a lot of coaching,” Pete says, “and I often hear employers talk about accountability as something negative, or a power struggle with employees. But that’s not God’s way. God is gentle and kind, inviting us to share His purpose. Being accountable for something should instead be an honour where someone has placed their faith in you, believing that you can do it! It is also an opportunity to discover how much more we are truly capable of being. We should commit to our responsibilities joyfully because this is how God helps us to grow. God is constantly encouraging as He comes alongside of us, demonstrating that He has faith in us, trusts us to do what is right and wants to see us build better relationships.

That’s not how many non-Christian business leaders operate. Accountability, for them, means fulfilling minimum requirements to avoid legal, tax or government penalties. That motivation breeds distrust. It’s stressful and fear driven. Even worse, it’s de-humanizing. God does not ask of us the least we can do; He asks more of us!

In the Old Testament, the Pharisees demand that hundreds of laws be meticulously kept. Condemnation for failing to be righteous is inevitable and commitment to this level of perfection is both frustrating and impossible. Jesus gloriously overcomes this legalistic dilemma. We read about a transformational way of understanding accountability in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Instead of legalism, we learn here that accountability is truly a precious gift, not a demanding, negative responsibility to be endured.

Why is it a gift? It nourishes strong relationships,

strengthens confidence, expands team spirit and radiates God’s trust in us, and our trust in others. All these blessings humanize us and strengthen our dependence on God. As we seek to become more like Jesus, we grow in compassion.

Biblical Principles…

• In the New Testament, accountability is a heart issue. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5: 22-23.

• Trust matters. “Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5-6.

In conclusion, once you recognize that accountability is a treasured and beautiful gift, you will delight in it. Why? It is used to build others up, and to show that we have faith in them.

“You can do it! I have faith in you! I trust you!” should become frequent phrases on our lips, as we encourage others, emulating how Jesus continually lifts us up, builds us up, and encourages us to build trust relationships, and pursue His purposes with loving passionate intentionality!

“Connecting your Sunday Faith to your Monday Work” The Canadian Christian Business Federation exists to support business leaders in the study and application of Biblical Leadership Principles with peers in order to transform lives, strengthen businesses, and positively influence and impact our world. www.ccbf.org

Nancy Kingdon is an author and freelance writer who writes and donates these stories as a gift to the CCBF ministry. She may be reached through: www.writinglegacy.com

Seniors managed to live longer with the revolutionary holistic approach to home care of Angels There for You Home Care

Angels There for You Home Care was born in 1999 out of love and compassion for seniors who were losing their home and their independence. The main goal for Angels owner Patricia Cruz, was to support seniors to remain at home as long as possible and her main purpose was to find the key to support seniors to live their last days feeling appreciated, respected, loved, and cared for.

Over 25 years Angels Home Care has helped thousands of seniors across the lower mainland with its Revolutionary ‘Holistic Home Care approach’. This revolutionary approach has challenged the traditional home care approach. Seniors have not only recovered faster and gained their independence but they found purpose in living longer.

Helping Seniors to age in health and wholeness

Living longer is the goal of every hu-

man being, but it is most important to live a life feeling useful, appreciated, cared for and cared about. Angels understands that caring for seniors involves addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of every client. Angels’ caregivers undergo a comprehensive training to understand their client’s psychological, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs.

“Understanding senior’s needs is the key to provide an effective home care,“ says Patricia Cruz.

“Caregiver’s empathy and compassion are the most important traits to provide the care desperately needed by seniors and their families.”

The Revolutionary approach to home care has improved the lives of many seniors who found the idea of leaving their cherished home and moving into a care facility very stressful. Angels approach makes possible for seniors to remain safe in their own

environment. Seniors not only feel cared for but truly understood. The Angels approach mission is to boost self-confidence, foster emotional stability, and provide a sense of purpose to their clients.

Patricia Cruz emphasizes that the emotional stability gained from staying in one’s home is immeasurable.

Tailored support for independent living

Every client has a unique personality and Angel’s care assessment manager prepares care plans encompassing a wide range of services to fit the needs of every client’s personality and health-related needs. Services range from personal care, nursing to companionship and assistance with daily tasks. However, extraordinary services are provided to keep clients mind active with games and memory drills. Healing Massages, exercises, and positive outlook of life as well as a good portion of good sense of

humour are some activities that sets the Angels approach to Home Care apart from other home care providers.

What does the Angels Home Care future look like?

Looking ahead Angels Home Care is determined to make caregiving more accessible to all seniors. With the rising demands of the sandwich generation –those who care for both children and aging parents – Angels Home care provider aims to integrate technology to enhance safety, communication and provide peace of mind to family members. Reducing financial stress by offering technology and gadgets that will provide friendly and affordable options to keep home care safe at home.

To learn more about Angels There for You visit http://atfy.ca or phone: 604-4272839 or 604-551-7347

Family Fun

Cultus Lake Adventure Park and Waterpark

with files by Lilianne Fuller

Cultus Lake Waterpark has long been a destination for good, clean, family fun. Liz and Chris Steunenberg bought the business in the mid-nineties with a dream of expanding the park and making it the ultimate in family entertainment. Today, Cultus Lake Waterpark is the biggest waterpark in British Columbia.

At Cultus Lake Waterpark, you’ll find some of the most extreme waterslides anywhere. Rides with names like the Bazooka Bowls, Tubular Terror, Free Fall, The Rattler, Speedslide and the Valley of Fear are guaranteed to get hearts racing even before boarding the ride.

There are also slides that are less intense but a common feature of many of the slides, whether wild or mild, is that families can ride together. For example, the Boomerang is a bobsled-type ride that carries four passengers in a bobsledstyle ‘boat’. Another slide is the Colossal Canyon which features the largest raft in the park seating five people or four adults.

Over the years, there have been a lot of improvements. The park originally had six slides spread over three acres and there were very few places where visitors could find shade. Today, the park has significantly expanded the number of slides and includes many shade structures. Coined ‘Beach Side Cabanas’, available online to pre-book, these structures provide great spots for families to camp out for a fun day in the park. They can leave their stuff, the kids can come and go, and the cabanas are a great spot for a picnic. Families can bring a picnic lunch or get something from one of the restaurants located onsite with lots of food choices and dessert favourites like Dole whip ice cream!!

Suitable for all ages, the Family Spray Park offers 15 interactive features including water cannons, geysers, hoops and shower towers; it’s a great spot to beat the heat.

From the beginning, Cultus Lake Waterpark, was guided by the values of safety, cleanliness, and quality. Every year, maintenance and upgrades are ongoing.

Over the years, visiting Cultus Lake Waterpark has been a tradition with families. Today, the park is welcoming second and even third-generation guests. “Every so often, someone will come up to me and say how much they enjoyed the waterpark when they were growing up and that coming to the waterpark is now a family tradition with their own children,” commented Chris Steunenberg, owner of the Waterpark.

Cultus Lake Waterpark opens weekends starting June 8, opening seven days a week rain or shine starting June 22. Regular hours are from 10 am to 6 pm, with extended hours till 7 pm. Afterschool Tickets are available online (for June 24 – 27) for only $18.99 each, 2 - 5:30 pm.

Until June 30, online regular priced tickets are $8 off. Full details and all times are available at cultus.com.

Cultus Lake Adventure Park

A number of years ago, the Steunenbergs bought and expanded Cultus Lake Adventure Park located just across the street from the waterpark.

Cultus Lake Adventure Park has a Wild West theme with rides and attractions for all ages. For example, the Ferris Wheel features four-seater chuck wagons instead of traditional benches. Seated astride multi-coloured horses, the Bucking Bronco takes you on a breathtaking ride and the Runaway Mine Train is a rollercoaster, which you board from a classic railway station. For the adrenaline junkie, there’s the Cloud Buster. Visible from the drive into Cultus Lake, the Cloud Buster, at 150 feet tall looks pretty formidable. Located in the centre of the park, this ride sits 20 feet above the mini golf course. A free-fall ride with a heart stopping 120-foot drop, it’s not for the faint of heart.

WIN tickets cultus.com

For the younger kids, and those a little less daring, there are rides that are less scary but just as much fun. The Honey Pots, a kiddie ride, is the park’s unique spin on the classic ‘teacup’ ride. Also, there is the Ribbit which is great for first timers with lively bull frog carriages that bounce and hop around in the tree top habitat.

By far, the most popular ride is the Bumper Boats! Located below the Wave Swinger, the Bumper Boats are a great way to cool off. Even if you aren’t on one of the boats you can shoot water cannons at the riders, but watch out, they can shoot right back.

There are 16 rides in all and an 18 hole mini golf course. Located up on the boardwalk, the concession stand features a variety of food and snacks.

The Adventure Park opening weekend is June 22/23 and then opens daily starting June 26, with an afterschool special from 4 - 8 pm, and then from 2 to 10 pm with extended hours from noon on July weekends, and daily in August.

The new Weekend ticket this year is the WEEKEND WARRIOR –this new pass allows for same day entry to both the Waterpark, and the Adventure Park. Waterpark opens 10 am, and the Adventure Park closes at10 pm. So you have up to 12 hours access between the two parks. A great idea would be to start your day at the Waterpark and end it across the street at the Adventure Park. (Both tickets only valid on same date, can not be split over two days)

Cultus Lake Waterslides have been a destination for fun seekers throughout the Lower Mainland for many years, and now with the addition of Cultus Lake Adventure Park, Cultus Lake has become the destination for awesome family fun.

For more information visit www.cultus.com.

Initiate a new family tradition this summer. Plan a visit to Cultus Lake Water and Adventure Parks.

Davison Orchards Country Village

A visit to the Okanagan is not complete without a trip to an orchard to taste the sweet delights of summer. Everything from Real Fruit Ice Cream, Country Cream Fudge and their famous Applelanche - a pure apple juice slushie. Davison Orchards also offers Fresh home-grown fruit and veg and a genuine farm experience.

The Davison family have been growing quality produce for 91 years in Vernon and now, four farming generations later, they offer so much more.

The Farmhouse Café was the original homestead to Tom and May Davison and is now repurposed serving breakfast, lunch and fresh baked goods including fruit pies, apple cinnamon buns, scones and cookies from the scratch bakery. Oldfashioned comfort food, full of flavour,

using produce grown on-site, it truly is a farm-to-fork experience with zero food miles.

When the kids need room to run, let them loose in the “Crazy Cow Kids Corral”, a farm-themed play area. Take some time to visit the farm animals in the log barn or just sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful view of the Bella Vista valley.

Check out the Country Village full of fresh baking, preserves, gifts, books and children’s toys.

Tours run Fridays and Saturdays in June and daily in July and August from 10 am - 4 pm.

This is a family fun destination with something for everyone, only minutes from downtown Vernon. Davison Orchards is open daily, May 1st to October 31st, located at 3111 Davison Road in Vernon, BC.

Bridal Falls Waterpark is home to the Fraser Valley’s most accessible waterslides. Our family-oriented facilities make for the perfect day of fun in the sun (and the water) for you, your family, and friends. The water is always warm but if you like it hot there is also a gigantic hot tub to hang out in. With plenty of green space there is room to spread out and have a picnic or visit the concession. You can also reserve a private area for your group. No stairs, free parking and in/out privileges make the Bridal Falls Waterpark a perfect spot for a summer day.

www. davisonorchards.ca

Conveniently located just off the TransCanada Highway, the Water Park is located right beside the Camperland RV Resort and the Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park. Open from June 1 to September 2. Check us out at www.bridalfallswaterpark.com or email info@bridalfallswaterpark.com or FMI call 1 (604) 794-7455.

Spring Baby Bottle Campaign

Mothers Day to Fathers Day: May 12 – June 16, 2024

education & support, and mom & baby supplies.

Through your charitable giving, resources to support vulnerable pregnant women and their families are made possible.

Please support your local centre today. Spare change can make real change!

(Please see the ad below for contact info on the centre nearest you)

A Spotlight on Christian mission and ministry

Martin Luther: Here I stand

By Rev. Dr. Ed and Janice Hird

In 1934, Hitler tragically became the German Fuhrer. That same year, Mr. King, a black preacher from the United States, visited the places of the Reformation in Germany. He was so impressed that he changed his name and that of his eldest son Michael, to Martin Luther. His son Martin Luther King Jr. is famous for having an anti-racist dream of civil rights for all. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), Martin Luther King defended himself against the charge of extremism by noting the examples of Jesus, Amos, Paul, John Bunyan, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Martin Luther himself: ‘Was not Martin Luther an extremist – ‘Here I stand: I can do none other so help me God?’

The original Martin Luther however was not a King, but rather a copper-smelter’s son. His dad, Hans, was always involved in mining conflicts, so decided that he needed his son to become a lawyer. But after a lightning-filled storm on July 2, 1505, Martin pledged that he would become an Augustinian monk. His father, who wanted grandchildren, was so upset that he initially disowned his Martin, dismissing his son’s calling, saying “May it not prove an illusion and deception.” At Martin’s ordination in 1507, his dad suggested that the devil had caused Martin to break the commandment to obey one’s parents. After the death of two of Martin’s brothers, news falsely reached his dad, Hans, that Martin too had died from the black plague. This somewhat softened his dad to his ‘wayward’ monastic son. Both Martin’s father and mother were very strict disciplinarians: “For a mere nut, my mother beat me until the blood flowed.” As an Augustinian monk, Martin Luther never felt that he could please his

heavenly Father: “I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners.” Did Luther have God the Father confused with his often angry and unforgiving earthly father?

Luther tried very hard to please God through monastic practices. His day began at 3 am with the first of hourly prayers. He would whip himself and lie outside in the snow in an attempt to be good enough. None of his fellow monks prayed more or fasted longer than him. Luther would confess his sins for up to six hours at a time. His tired confessor Staupitz told him “Man, God is not angry with you. You are angry with God. Don’t you know that God commands you to hope? Go away and don’t come back until you have done some real sinning.”

and captive to the Word of God, he did not see it safe to go against freedom of his conscience.

After becoming a theological Professor at the University of Wittenburg, Luther began to teach his students about the book of Romans. God freed him from guilt through Romans 1:17 which said that the just will live by faith: “This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.” This enabled Luther to bring hope to the hopeless, forgiveness to the guilty, and a born-again experience to those lost in works-religiosity, who were trying to be good enough for God. Luther was so excited about this breakthrough that he changed his family name in 1917 from Luder (cadaver or prostitute) to Luther, based on a Latin & Greek word (Elutherius/eleutheria) for freedom. Because he saw himself as bound

Intercede International: Ukraine – the war and refuge for ukrainians

Intercede International is a mission board whose main focus is assisting indigenous (national) missionaries working within their own or a neighbouring culture. Intercede raises awareness among Canadians of their work and provides financial relief and development aid and intercessory prayer support. Intercede also hosts national missionary leaders to speak in churches in Canada and at Intercede Mission Events.

As the world focuses on the war in Ukraine, God is at work powerfully through two Ukraine-based ministries partnered with Intercede International. One, Father’s House, with help from Christians in Canada, has helped 160 vulnerable children to escape safely from the Kiev region to Germany where they are being cared for. The other ministry, Good Samaritan Mission, again with much help from Christians giving to Intercede have been able to collect food and medical supplies for first aid and sending them to the hotspots of the war in Ukraine. Intercede’s GSM partner is also distributing Bibles to thousands of people requesting them throughout Ukraine and also to Ukainian refugees in Poland, Romania and other countries. These ministries need the continued prayers and support of Canadian Christians.

Established in Canada in 1953, Intercede International was raised up by God to establish, encourage and strengthen an indigenous New Testament witness for our Lord Jesus Christ among all nations, by providing intercessory spiritual and material aid to Christians who are impoverished, few or persecuted – and to encourage a Christian witness to the international community in Canada.

Intercede partners with 49 indigenous missions worldwide – impacting people groups in more than 50 nations.

Discover the joy of partnering with Indigenous Missions! For further Information please check out our website at www.IntercedeNow.ca . Contact us at: 1-800-871-0882 or friends@IntercedeNow.ca .

Choose one free book when signing up for Intercede newsletter mailing:

Interceding for His Children by James S. Eagles

It All Started With a Shoemaker by Eliud Herrara

Under The Rubble by Barb Lataillade

Clay in The Potter’s Hand and He Alone by Dorothy Sun

The Man In The Fiery furnace by Dr. Freddie Sun

Tapestry: Poems and Meditations by Margaret Anne Eagles

You can imagine how upset Luther was when John Tetzel came hawking indulgences in Wittenburg. Indulgences were paper certificates that one purchased to reduce one’s time in purgatory. Tetzel, a Dominican monk, had previously been convicted of adultery, and the Emperor ordered that he be tied in a sack and thrown in a river. Luther’s own parishioners thought that Tetzel’s indulgences were like a ‘get-out-of-purgatory’ card, even if they did not give up their adultery and theft. The Bible, said Luther, calls us to actually repent and stop sinning, rather than just do acts of penance, like blooding our knees while crawling up stairs. Indulgences were the bingo of the sixteenth century. At first, indulgences were conferred on those who either went on a crusade or helped pay the Crusade ex-

Continued on page 14

Interceding for His Children by James S. Eagles

A collection of personal memoirs. Reflections over a period of 50 years. James shares from own personal experiences, his own struggles, the story of his salvation and call of God, and his relationship with Jesus in his life. He also shares from his collection of inspiring testimonies of some of the indigenous missionaries from nations around the world who he met through his work with Intercede International

Call, or write, today to receive your free copy by contacting Intercede International by phone at 1-800-871-0882 ext 1 or 905-871-1773, or by email at friends@intercedenow.ca, or by mail to 201 Stanton Street, Fort Erie, ON, L2A 3N8

Martin Luther nails his theses to the Wittenberg door

A Spotlight on Christian mission and ministry

In the image of God

By Shannon Van Roekel

Brian Thomson’s heart was about to be shattered. He was asked to speak at a church conference being held in Kigali, Rwanda. It was December 2006 and due to the AIDS epidemic and the genocide of over one million Tutsis in 1994, Rwanda was struggling to cope with its massive orphan population, claiming some of the highest rates in the world of households with children raising children.

After the conference, Thomson asked the pastor to show him some of these children. The enormity of despair everywhere they went shook him to his core. “This is not a World Vision commercial. I can’t just change the channel to look for something more ‘entertaining’,” he thought, with remorse, remembering how in the past he had done just that.

In the plane on the way home God filled Thomson’s heart with His own sorrow and love for orphans. He describes it as miraculous. His heart truly broke and he began to weep. And weep. For months. Every time someone asked him about his trip, he would start to share what he had witnessed, and, overcome with grief and sorrow, end up weeping again. God was springing up a new work in Thomson, something this 48-year-old pastor from Red Deer, Alberta, could never have imagined or dreamed.

Back in Rwanda four months later, now armed with approval from his own church, The Home Church in Red Deer, Alberta, to found a new ministry, appropriately called Home of Hope, Thomson did something unexpected, yet brilliant.

He asked the mayor of Kigali for permission to plant a church in an area where the needs of the children were greatest, but where there was no Christian church. She, in turn, happy to assist, sent two men from her office with Thomson to a community called Jabana. There they spoke with the local leaders, then met with, photographed, and wrote the stories of the most desperate children in that community. At Jabana’s first church meeting (held outdoors), over one thousand people came. When Thomson gave an invitation to pray for salvation at the end of the service, everyone raised their hand. That Sunday a church was planted with 400 new members. The harvest was ripe, and the worker had shown up.

Thomson returned to Canada with pictures and stories of 20 children to start a sponsorship programme. Such a generous response was given that he asked

his contact in Rwanda to send pictures of 20 more children. At this time, he was often invited to preach in churches across Canada and at the end of the service would always share what was happening in Rwanda. Everywhere he went people wanted to help.

During the first few years of establishing Home of Hope, Thomson made the trip to Rwanda repeatedly. Each time, God brought new converts to Himself, and children who had been previously abandoned and hopeless, found homes inside church families or family units, with sponsorships from Canada to help with feeding and school fees.

As more churches were planted in new communities, microloan projects, funded by generous donors, were used to provide a means of financial support for the pastors and their congregations, enabling them to be a source of blessing and stability to their needy communities. New pastors receive pastoral training and support through Home Church Bible College and its online courses, as well as with Thomson himself on a weekly basis through zoom calls.

Home of Hope has quickly grown in Rwanda, and has now jumped borders into Kenya, Malawi, and even into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

Over the past 18 years, 128 churches have been planted (Thomson, himself, directly involved in planting 120 of these), ten thousand children have been helped as of 2017, and the current goal is to help five thousand new children every year.

Other projects were created as new needs were identified:

– The Dream Centre Project rescues babies that have been thrown away in the garbage dump in Nairobi,

– The Pregnant Mothers Project provides sponsorships for single moms to afford to keep their babies and to receive weekly counseling and support,

– The Feeding Project helps starving, desperate children receive regular meals every week,

– The Shoe Project helps protect countless children from preventable diseases,

– The Medical Project where $6 provides a child with

CSB - Christian Service Brigade

There’s something happening with CSB across Canada. Men and women are recognizing that they have Godgiven responsibilities for the Christian growth of the next generations. In BC, churches are rediscovering how CSB effectively makes disciples of boys for Christ. This fall in Nova Scotia, pastors are restarting their ministries to boys and young men, and also beginning new ministries to girls through CSB’s Girls Alive. In Ontario, CSB staff are encouraged by the dedication of leaders to the boys in their

Christian Friends of Israel

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

care. Doors are opening (Colossians 4:3), but it’s not without cost.

For over ten months, CSB has endured spiritual attacks. Illness, unexpected needs, and the loss of critical systems have taken a toll, but God is faithful and has given great success in rebuilding the ministry’s foundations. Additional staff, new supporters and systems are being added. Pray for us as we build others for Christ. Check out CSB at www.csbcan.ca/news/.

Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

And I will make of you a great nation...and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curses thee.

Rom 10.1-15, Ps 121.4-5, ‭Gen 12:2-3 ESV

healthcare for 12 months,

– The Stella Project provides single moms living in slums with a safe clean place to live, and then sets them up with business training and microloan projects enabling them to provide adequately for their families, – the Tumaini Project started in response to the needs of so many rape victims in DR Congo (with the highest rate of rape in the world, four women raped every five minutes). These terrorized women live lives of rejection from their communities, which compounds the trauma they already deal with. Home of Hope provides physical support and spiritual healing, safe places to live, training in sewing and making handbags, and other microloan projects, enabling these women to support themselves and their children, giving hope and help to others.

Incredibly, during the last 18 years Thomson has not received a salary as director of Home of Hope or used any of the sponsorship money or donations for himself. He has been living by faith, trusting God for his personal provisions.

Thomson was made, like us all, in the image of God: to receive God’s love, share God’s love, through God’s Spirit. His life is testimony to the miracles that happen when we do.

He has written several books, including Meant 4 More (www.HomeofHope.ca/Meant4more). For information about his other books and resources go to www.brianthomson.com.

All proceeds go to Home of Hope. (Note: Buying books through Amazon $1 goes to HOH; buying through Home of Hope every dollar you spend goes to HOH!)

For information on how you can join a team or donate, go to www.homeofhope.com.

Christian Friends of Israel - Canada

CFI Canada gives hope and support in the midst of war to IDF soldiers, thousands of displaced people, Holocaust survivors and terror attack victims. Send your best gift today.

CFI-Canada Box 88631 RPO Newton Surrey, BC V3W 0X1 www.cfi-canada.org

A Spotlight on Christian mission and ministry

Persecuted for their faith

Mexico – For several years, leaders in the villages of Coamila and Rancho Nuevo, which are both located within the state of Hidalgo, have been pressuring members of the Great Commission Baptist Church to participate in religious festivals that go against their beliefs. In December 2022, one of the non-compliant Protestant believers was admitted to hospital after being tied to a tree and beaten. Additionally, since 2018, the children of church members in these villages have been banned from attending school.

After years of tension between village leaders and members of the Protestant community, matters came to a head this spring. On March 25, Pastor Rogelio Hernández Baltazar and other church leaders were arbitrarily detained for 48 hours. Subsequent to their detainment, five plots of land belonging to members of the church were taken over by village leaders in early April.

Since then, church members have been attacked on several occasions, and three Protestant families were prevented from returning to their homes. Furthermore, 139 church members – including at least 70 children – were forced to flee their homes on April 26 after village leaders cut off their electricity. The church building was also vandalized, and guards were posted at the entry points of the two villages in order to keep church members out.

The displaced Baptists are currently being sheltered in a municipal building in Huejutla de los Reyes where they are requesting assistance from the government. Local churches are providing humanitarian aid and have joined in the call for governing municipal leaders to intervene.

When speaking earlier in the year about the treatment of his church members, Pastor Rogelio stated, “When you convert from Catholicism, you lose all rights and all standing in the village.”

Indonesia – Two young women were slightly wounded when a mob attacked a Catholic prayer meeting on May 5 in the city of Tangerang, Banten Province. The group

Voice of the Martyrs -

Encouragement, provisions and new leases on life

Following her husband’s death, Lami and her children, along with other villagers, were driven from their home with little hope for return as their lands, crops and livestock were seized by militant Fulani. Many Irigwe women, like Lami, of the minority tribe of the Miango area in Nigeria – a predominantly Christian area – have been widowed; their children left fatherless.

Lami is one of thousands of believers worldwide who find themselves in precarious situations because of their faith in Jesus Christ. The Voice of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC) comes alongside believers, like Lami, and their families in a variety of ways and invites you to

meeting, which consisted of 15 Catholic students who had gathered in a home for prayer, was disrupted when armed assailants forced their way into the residence, injuring two females during the intrusion. Some concerned local Muslims attempted to defend the students, with one of them sustaining a minor cut from the attack.

One of the intruders has since been identified as the local village leader – a Muslim man named Diding. According to police, the conflict began when Diding started shouting threats and statements of profanity in an attempt to incite other members of the community to attack the Catholic group. Diding claims that he was disrespected by the students, whom he had told earlier that worship was only permitted within a church building and not in a home. Four local residents, including Diding, were later arrested by police on charges of assault.

Religious gatherings in homes are frequently targeted by those in the predominantly Muslim country of Indonesia who are opposed to minorities. However, despite local opposition, there are no legal restrictions outlawing citizens from gathering for worship in private homes.

Kazakhstan – Police in the Shu district of southern Kazakhstan raided four worship gatherings during the months of March and April, resulting in a total of seven fines being laid. During the raids, officers filmed those who were present and demanded that they provide written statements explaining the reasons for their gatherings. These raids affected the worship activities of three unregistered Protestant churches.

On the morning of March 3, police invaded the home of Valter Mirau, whose residence is located in the village of Koneyeva, just before he and his fellow church members were about to begin their Sunday worship meeting. Valter was issued a fine for his “leadership of an unregistered, halted, or banned religious community or social organization.” Two other church members who had attended the gathering were also fined.

consider doing the same.

Through the Families of Martyrs Fund, VOMC provides encouragement and assistance to martyrs’ families – primarily widows and orphans – who have been left destitute by the imprisonment, death or exile of a parent or spouse because of their Christian faith and witness. This fund also aids elderly Christians who have endured long years of persecution and, as a result, have no adequate means of support in their retirement years.

Additionally, the Women’s Ministry Fund addresses the unique needs of Christian women who suffer for their faith by providing practical assistance, spiritual encouragement and emotional support. Some of these

In another incident, police raided a Council of Churches Baptist meeting that was led by Pastor Andrei Boiprav in the village of Shu on April 14. While no fines were issued at the time, officers took photos and videos of the attending Christians and warned them to stop holding unregistered religious gatherings.

Police returned to Pastor Andrei’s congregation on April 28, claiming that they had received complaints from neighbours, though all nearby residents denied having contacted the authorities. One officer later appeared apologetic, explaining that the order had come from the Religious Affairs Department. Fines were issued against the congregants as a result of their involvement in an unregistered religious gathering. Immediately after raiding Pastor Andrei’s church, officers moved on to another Protestant community in the village known as ‘the Children of God.’

Religious groups in Kazakhstan are required by law to register with the government. However, the process to do so is very complex, expensive and restrictive. Some groups, such as those affiliated with the Council of Churches Baptist, choose not to register, sometimes due to concerns that it could lead to increased government interference – as was the case under the country’s former Soviet rule.

– http://vomcanada.com

women are incarcerated; others are forced to labour under great duress, providing for their families because their husbands have been imprisoned or martyred for their faith. Many are mistreated and sexually abused, highlighting the very real issue of vulnerability – a fundamental root as to why Christian women suffer differently from men.

With support – prayerful and financial – from VOMC and individuals like you, believers like Lami are encouraged, provided for and given new leases on life. For more information on how you can help, please click here.

For more information on how you can help, please visit vomcanada.com.

She didn’t always have a reason to smile. Her husband was killed by militant Fulani in Nigeria, and she lived her life in fear. Even today believers are vulnerable to daily threats.

Now in a safe place, Lami wonders what God has in store for her and her children. As she grows in her faith, she is learning new skills that will help sustain her family in the future.

To read more stories from our persecuted family, subscribe to our free monthly magazine: vomcanada.com

Innovative Broadcasting: Worship Road Radio launches in Canada

Worship Road Radio has launched a transformative digital platform for Christian worship music. Based in Vancouver, BC, Worship Road Radio is the first nationally accessible Christian radio station in Canada and is set to revolutionize the listener experience by offering an adfree digital ecosystem.

A comprehensive digital ecosystem for enhanced user engagement

Departing from traditional radio formats, Worship Road Radio eliminates the interruption of ads and frequent fundraising, providing a seamless worship music experience. Beyond just broadcasting, Worship Road Radio also offers each program as an on-demand playlist on Spotify and YouTube Music, facilitating a deeper engagement with the audience. This unique feature allows listeners to explore and reconnect with their favourite programs at their convenience, effectively merging live streaming with personalized digital playlists.

Disrupting traditional broadcasting with an always-accessible ad-free model

Worship Road Radio’s unique digital ecosystem enhances listener engagement by offering multiple access points for its 24/7 live stream. Whether through smartphones, phone apps, tablets, laptops, radio aggregators like Radio.net, or smart speakers (e.g., “Alexa, play Worship Road Radio”), the station ensures easy access to its ad-free content for worship music anytime, anywhere.

Breaking the mold for more music, more emerging artists, and less interruptions

Worship Road Radio offers a weekly song rotation that features over 125 percent more tracks than conventional Christian radio, directly addressing listener concerns about repetitive playlists. With its no-ad policy, which allows for 30 percent more music per hour, the station prominently features independent and emerging artists often ignored by traditional formats. Moreover, Worship Road Radio expands the definition of worship music beyond industry norms to include any song that inspires listeners to worship God. This broad and uninterrupted programming significantly enhances the listener experience, ensuring a diverse and engaging selection of music.

Visionary leadership and commitment

Founded by Scott Fehrenbacher, former CEO of the digital Christian platform Crosswalk.com and a leader in digital transformation of Christian higher education at Grand Canyon University, Worship Road Radio is more than just a radio station – it embodies a mission-driven movement.

“Our goal is to forge the next digital generation of Christian radio, broadening accessibility and the diversity of music across Canada and North America,” says Fehrenbacher, who also has experience on the Gospel Music Association Board of Directors. “Worship is a unifying force within the Church, and through our platform, we aim to extend this unifying power of worship music to a broader audience.”

Northern Canada Evangelical Mission

Our missionaries are active across Canada in evangelism, discipling, and ministering to the needs of the whole person. We do these within the framework of the bigger picture – we believe that establishing local fellowship groups and churches is central to the Great Commission and the building of God’s Kingdom among Canada’s First Peoples.

There are still many Aboriginal communities without a healthy Bible-based church. Can you imagine anything

more rewarding than seeing, firsthand, a church planted where there previously wasn’t one?

We have career church multiplying opportunities, as well as short- and long-term ministry openings in Bible camps, publishing, television, office, and facilities maintenance. Visit our website (www.ncem.ca) or call 306-764-3388. See how God is working among Canada’s First Peoples when you tune in to our TV program Tribal Trails or watch anytime online at www.tribaltrails.org

Lighthouse Harbour Ministries

A Light in the Darkness. Much of world news testifies to a darkened humanity that is not searching for God. Reports of war, hate, pride, materialism and sexual identity confusion are prevalent and distressing. In contrast to this, however, are instances of light, encouraging encounters with seafarers to whom Lighthouse Harbour Ministries ministers. An example of one of these meetings occurred recently between a Lighthouse chaplain and a Filipino second officer, Jason, who is “hungry’ for

God’s word. Shortly after the two met aboard the seafarer’s ship, Jason voiced his interest in, and desire to understand, the Bible. In response, the chaplain spoke to him about the Scripture and the centrality of Jesus in it. Jason was a very keen learner and was pleased to receive several Biblical materials that were offered to him. The Light appeared to be shining brightly in this man’s life! Looking to share the Light of Christ? Come and volunteer with Lighthouse: www.sealight.org

In The Cross Maker series, Jack A. Taylor weaves a tapestry of creative history, powerful characters, and dynamic dialogue to bring to life a shadowy world. In a land where tragedy is as common as dust, triumph is about to make itself known. https://www.jackataylor.com

About Worship Road Radio

Inspired by Matthew 7:14: “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it,” Worship Road Radio is a pioneering non-profit initiative based in Vancouver. Operated by the Worship Road Radio Foundation, their mission is to offer an unparalleled worship music experience, free from commercial interruptions and fundraising campaigns. As Canada’s first national Christian radio broadcaster, Worship Road Radio strives to connect Christ followers and worship music enthusiasts from coast to coast. Relying solely on a classic non-profit sponsorship model, serving as a digital sanctuary, immersing listeners in the unifying power of worship music and fostering a more engaged, expansive worship community.

For more information about Worship Road Radio, visit WorshipRoad.com. Follow on Spotify and YouTube Music to engage with their diverse playlists.

– Christian Newswire

This Ordinary, Extraordinary Life

by April Yamasaki

Practical sermons for everyday faith, rooted in the ordinary, extraordinary life of Jesus. For sermon preparation or personal and group study, order from CSS Publishing (https://store. csspub.com) or your favourite local or online bookstore.

A free study guide is available at aprilyamasaki.com.

REACHING CANADA’S FIRST PEOPLES

Lighthouse Harbour Ministries

Events@lightmagazine.ca

Post your event free of charge in print and on our website. Email us at events@lightmagazine.ca. Include the following information:

Event name and type (concert, special event, conference, etc)

Music

Date(s)

Time(s)

Thursdays, 7:30 pm: Bez Open Mic night with Russ Rosen – Come as a performer or as an audience member. Sign up is at 7:15 pm and performances start at 7:30 pm at Bez Arts Hub, Langley. https://bezartshub.com.

Jun 2, 7 pm: Leeroy Stagger at Bez Arts Hub – Prolific roots troubadour, Leeroy Stagger returns to the Bez stage. With a dozen or so albums and a who’s who list of greats that he has worked with, we’re really looking forward to this sophomore show in Langley. Bez Arts Hub, Langley. http://bezartshub.com.

Jun 7, 7 pm: Carmen (and other works) – Calvin Dyck, the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra and the Fraser Valley Academy of Dance will perform an exciting and visceral arrangement of Bizet’s opera Carmen written for strings and 27 percussion instruments played by five percussionists, at Abbotsford Arts Centre. https://www.calvindyck.com.

Jun 8, 7 pm: How Can I Keep From Singing – Pacific Voices Spring concert at Gateway Community Church in Abbotsford. Concert showings will be at 2 and 7 pm. https:// pacificvoices.ca.

Jun 9, 7 pm: Bethel Music Worship Nights – With David Funk, Paul McClure, Hanna McClure and Abbie Gamboa. At Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver. Tickets, uniteproductions.com.

Jun 9, 7:30 pm: Sanctuary - A Cantata of Hope & Peace – Vancouver Oratorio Society 2024 Spring Concert featuring Joseph Martin’s ‘Sanctuary’ a cantata of Hope and Peace, and other sacred choral selections sung in English and Chinese, at Evangelical Chinese Bible Church, Burnaby. http://www.vancouveroratorio.org.

Jun 15, 7:30 pm: Hymn Festival - He Leadeth Me – at Richmond Chinese Baptist Church, Hosts Elaine Chu and Ben Chan, Conductor, Hebert Tsang, Organist, Simone Ren. http://cmmc.wikidot.com.

Jun 22, 1 pm: Juneteenth at Bez Arts Hub – Our first event presented by the nonprofit Friends Of Bez with Marcus Mosely, Sister J’s Soul Summit and the Bez Gospel Choir, at Bez Arts Hub, Langley. http://bezartshub.com.

Jun 28, 4 pm: Jazz Vespers at St. Andrew’s – featuring Angela Verbrugge at St. Andrew’s United Church, North Vancouver. https://www.st-andrews-united.ca/jazz-vespers.

Aug 16, 6:30 pm: Symphony in the Park – Presented by Songs, Strings and Steps at Mill Lake Park, Abbotsford (near the lawn bowling). Bring a lawn chair and enjoy a full symphony orchestra conducted by Calvin Dyck. Food trucks on site, parking available at MSA Arena, Abby Middle School. Donations gratefully accepted. https://www.calvindyck.com.

Oct 6, 7 pm: Phil Wickham, Canada Worship Nights – At The Centre for Performing Arts, Vancouver, with special guest, Josh Baldwin. https://uniteproductions.com.

Theatre

Jun 7 - 9: Dark Glass Theatre presents: No Mama, No Cry at Bez Arts Hub – A one woman play. An exciting new work from Associate Artist, Shayna Jones. My father always told me “Black families are matriarchal” But my mother left and my father raised me. Bez Arts Hub, Langley. http://bezartshub.com.

Until Jun 9: A Case For The Existence of God – by Samuel D. Hunter. Two young fathers, a mortgage broker, and a plant worker, desperate to buy a piece of land, meet to discuss a loan in an unassuming cubicle. As Keith and Ryan grapple with the realities of adulthood, a shared quest for meaning and belonging transcends the systems that fence them in. At Pacific Theatre, Vancouver. http://pacifictheatre.org.

Jun 22, 8 pm: Very Very Improv at Bez Arts Hub – A very very good way to spend the evening - laughing! The cast of Very Very Improv Theatre takes to the stage delighting audiences with hilarious comedy improv games and wonder-filled long-form improv. Bez Arts Hub, Langley. http://bezartshub.com.

Jun 13 - 15: 7 x 12 – Lamppost Theatre Collective presents 7 x 12 with the support of Pacific Theatre. Written and directed by Heids MacDonald. A nurse who, while working in a women’s prison, is assigned to care for an inmate dying of cancer. This one-act drama walks a tightrope of reality and metaphor, past and present, as the two characters wrestle with questions of belonging and the meaning of grace. At Pacific Theatre, Vancouver. http://pacifictheatre.org.

Seniors

Mondays, 10 to noon: Life’s stories – at Newton Senior’s Recreation Center 13775 -70 Avenue, phone: 778 998 5225 for info, everyone welcome for fellowship.

Thursdays, 10 am - 1 pm: GenMin seniors group drop-in – Cedar Grove Church, Surrey. https://the-grove.net.

Prayer, Worship & Retreats

Mondays, 8 - 9 pm: Vancouver House of Prayer – Live prayer together online via Zoom. Zoom Links are sent upon request on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/vhopca. 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 11 am: Canada Wide Prayer for Israel – Join Zoom Meet-

ing: https://zoom.us/j/94966621615?pwd=ME9QY0pOVHp4amUyNk41dWNGci93UT09. Meeting ID: 949 6662 1615. Passcode: 737728.

Wednesdays, 7:30 pm: Worship Wednesdays – Join us for a time of worship every Wednesday, where we lift up the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and experience His sweet presence in a beautiful personal way. Garden Park Tower Azalea Room, Abbotsford. Info: 604-832-2154; aandbministries@gmail.com; http://aboveandbeyondministries.ca.

2nd Saturday of the month, 7 pm: Contemplative Liturgies – with Taize-styled worship and meditations on prayer. At Fairview Baptist Church, Vancouver. Info: imago@ shaw.ca, www.imagodeicommunity.ca.

Other Events

Tuesdays, 6:45 - 8:30 pm: Messengers of Hope Motorcycle Riders – Weekly coffee meeting Tim Horton’s, 2255 Sumas Way, Abbotsford. Contact Ed at 604-525-8041 Come for coffee, find out what we are all about.

Tuesdays, 7 pm: Build your speaking and leadership skills – Golden Ears Christian Toastmasters meets Tuesdays at 7 pm at Haney Presbyterian Church, Maple Ridge. In person or on zoom. Info Susan Gredley 604-764-2126 or sgredley@icloud.com.

Jun 16 & 23: World Refugee Sunday – The World Evangelical Alliance calls on churches to observe World Refugee Sunday on or near to June 20 and participate in prayer and action, responding in practical ways to God’s call to ‘love the stranger as yourself.’ Using the hashtags #WorldRefugeeSunday and #RefugeeHighway, churches can share about their activities on social media and inspire others to join. https://www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/Topics/Refugees/World-Refugee-Sunday.

Jun 21, 6 pm: OM Ships Partner Dinner Evening – OM’s Ship Ministry is sharing knowledge, help, & hope in and around the world’s port cities. Join guest speaker Randy Grebe, (former ‘Logos Hope’ Director), for a pleasant evening of ministry, vision & fellowship. Continental Seafood Restaurant, Richmond. Register & Info: om.org/ca/events, info.ca@ om.org, 1-877-487-7777 ext. 202.

Jun 22, 6 pm: OM Ships Partner Dinner Evening – OM’s Ship Ministry is sharing knowledge, help, & hope in and around the world’s port cities. Join guest speaker Randy Grebe, (former ‘Logos Hope’ Director), for a pleasant evening of ministry, vision & fellowship. Lambrick Park Church Cafe. Register & Info: om.org/ca/events, info.ca@om.org, 1-877-487-7777 ext. 202.

Jun 23, 7 pm: OM Ships Partner Dessert Evening – OM’s Ship Ministry is sharing knowledge, help, & hope in and around the world’s port cities. Join guest speaker Randy Grebe, (former ‘Logos Hope’ Director), for a pleasant evening of ministry, vision & fellowship. Heritage Alliance Church, Abbotsford. Register & Info: om.org/ca/events, info.ca@om.org, 1-877-487-7777 ext. 202

Jun 25: One With Them - A Day for Christian Captives – join believers across Canada for a day of prayer for Christian captives in places where faith costs the most. During the month of June, Open Doors Canada will be sharing stories, prayer requests and hosting a special online event – all focused on Christian captives. All of this will culminate on One With Them Sunday when we will stand united in prayer for our brothers and sisters who share our faith but not our freedom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7txm9X7_tM.

Jul 5 - 6: BC Christian Ashram – A Christian retreat started by E. Stanley Jones which combines prayer, Biblical teaching and practical spiritual disciplines. Our hybrid format means anyone can participate, either in person or online. At Christian Life Assembly, Langley. https://bcchristianashram.com.

Jul 5 - 6: A conference on Deconstruction and ‘Progressive Christianity – With Alisa Childers at Westside Church, Vancouver. Childers’ ministry primarily focuses on equipping Christians to identify the core beliefs of historic Christianity, discern its counterfeits, and proclaim the gospel with clarity, kindness, and truth. Info: office@wchurch.ca. Eventbrite.

Free money

So good I just had to share

by Arnold Machel, CFP ®

“...never inspect the teeth of a given horse.”

- St. Jerome: Preface to the Commentaries of the Letter to the Ephesians

I don’t know about you, but I like free money. I really like free money. Additionally, I get a kick out of discovering hidden gems. So, when I find a little-known secret that offers free money to people, I get really jazzed.

If you have a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) or think you might be eligible for one, this article is for you. If you know someone who has one or you think they might be eligible, then this article is for you, too.

Let me tell you about the Endowment 150 grant which is both a hidden gem and a source of free money. It’s a program which is (at least in part) designed to encourage eligible BC residents with disabilities to open and contribute to an RDSP. Think of it as a jumpstart. If you already have an RDSP, don’t despair—you may still be eligible.

In short, a handful of charities (specifically the Plan Institute, Disability Alliance of BC, and the British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society along with the generous financial support of the Vancouver Foundation) have partnered to help British Columbians with disabilities learn about and access tax benefits that will help them save for the future. As part of this initiative, Plan Institute is distributing a one-time $150 grant to help lowincome British Columbians start growing their RDSP.

You might be thinking “but it’s only $150.” I get it, but don’t forget about the government matching program. Eligible individuals can get up to three times matching from the government ($450 in this case), increasing that initial $150 to a much more meaningful $600. Also, depending on income, just setting up the RDSP may lead to government bonds of up to $1,000 per year of eligibility. That could add up to $20,000 of free money by just opening a plan and applying for that $150. And that could be even more if you invest it!

Let me be absolutely clear on this. Each of these organizations is a charity working alongside the government, so while this is indeed a bribe to encourage individuals or families to open up an RDSP, it is not in any way like the timeshare presentation you have to sit through just for some free snacks. These groups do not sell RDSPs. They are not trying to get you to buy an RDSP from them. They don’t care where you establish an RDSP or where you hold it. They just want you to have one (if you’re eligible), because they are awesome.

There is a simple form to complete and then, if eligible,

you will receive the funds to your RDSP wherever it is held. Again, the charities have no hidden agenda. Each of them simply recognizes the enormous benefits of contributing to an RDSP and is also aware of how many eligible Canadians still have not opened one yet.

I don’t normally do this, but I’m going to provide links to the applications and FAQ pages. I’ve included the direct links since most of them are fairly straightforward. If you are reading in print, you can type them into your browser, but feel free to reach out if you’re having difficulty and we can give you the links directly. If you are reading online, just click the links.

Endowment 150 grants are available for individuals and families with low incomes who are residents of BC and have an RDSP. It’s worth noting that it’s very likely that once they reach the age of majority, individuals with disabilities will qualify based on the income criteria. So, if your child isn’t eligible right now, make a note in your calendar and try again after they reach the age of majority. I suggest reading all the requirements directly from the RDSP site on your own, and when you apply, make sure you send in all the items on the checklist with your application form.

To apply for the Endowment 150 grant:

• for a child, go to rdsp.com/how-to-apply-for-a-child

• for an adult, go to rdsp.com/how-to-apply-for-anadult

Everyday Life

Simplify

by April Yamasaki

Last night I made Thai basil ground pork and rice for supper. Only the kitchen counter was still cluttered with dishes from breakfast and lunch, and instead of clearing a spot for my cutting board, measuring cups, and other assorted utensils and ingredients, I worked around and among everything that was already there.

For some reason, I thought that was simpler and faster than first clearing a spot to make supper. But was I ever wrong about that! For by awkwardly reaching around and over everything on the counter, I managed to knock over my almost-full bottle of Little Saigon fish sauce and sent a river of the sticky sweet sauce across the counter and onto the floor.

What a mess! I rescued my bottle of fish sauce which was still half full and put its cap back on. I used a couple of dish towels to soak up the sauce. I finished putting my supper together, and while it simmered, I thoroughly washed both counter and floor. And when the floor still felt sticky, I washed it again. My one consolation was that my late dinner was delicious!

But it was also more complicated than it needed to be. Instead of making the simple supper that I had intended and enjoying a peaceful evening, I had to quickly rescue the rest of my fish sauce and wash the kitchen floor not once, but twice. That experience reminded me again of my 2024 word of the year: simplify.

At the start of the year, I had been feeling quite overwhelmed. Yes, I was meeting my speaking and writing deadlines and paying my bills on time. But I was also taking on too many things and struggling to keep up. I would sometimes find the dryer door standing open with the laundry only half

put away because I had been interrupted by a phone call and then gone on to something else without giving the laundry a second thought. I had misplaced my bank card – which was so unlike me – and couldn’t find it for weeks until I finally found where it had fallen and gotten caught under a seat.

So, I decided I needed to simplify. Not so much decluttering in the sense of giving away things I no longer use or need, although I’m doing some of that too. But I needed to simplify in the sense of decluttering my calendar. Streamlining my bill paying. Finishing one thing before going on to another. Putting things away so I can find them when I need to. Making two trips from the basement instead of trying to make it up the stairs while carrying a sheaf of papers, a pen, my cell phone, and a cup of tea, with my exercise mat tucked under one arm. And now I’m adding to that list: clearing away the breakfast and lunch dishes so there’s room to make supper.

When Jesus pays a visit to his good friends, Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42). Martha plays the role of responsible host, and is “distracted by all the preparations.” As you might guess, I have a fair bit of Martha in me. Like Martha, I’m responsible, energetic, busily working, and as Jesus describes her, “worried and upset about many things.”

But I have a little bit of Mary in me too. Like her, I’m not always so responsible with household chores, witness the clutter of dishes on my kitchen counter. Mary is not at all concerned about the duties of hosting and apparently not at all concerned about leaving Martha with all of the work. Yet Jesus commends her, for “only one” thing is needed, and Mary “has chosen what is better.” She sits and listens to Jesus. Perhaps that’s the real key to simplifying – to listen to Jesus. Instead of filling my calendar with appointments and

Martin Luther: Here I stand -

Continued from page 8 penses. Indulgences proved so lucrative that it was speedily extended to build churches, monasteries, and hospitals. Because indulgences were seen as transferable, one could pay money to reduce their relatives’ time in purgatory. Luther denounced this money-making scheme by nailing his 95 Theses on Oct 31, 1517 to the now famous Wittenberg Door of the Castle Church. Where, he asked, is any mention of indulgences or purgatory in the Bible?

Luther never intended to start a new Lutheran denomination. He just naively wanted to address these financial abuses that needed reforming. But Tetsel’s indulgences were not just going to pay for Pope Leo’s St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Half of it was going directly to the Fugger banking family in Augsburg, Germany. They were the richest merchant capitalists with a GDP-adjusted net worth of $400 billion. Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz owed the Fuggers money after buying his Archbishopric position. Luther was in a lose/lose situation as he upset the financial security of not just the pope, but also the most powerful politicians in Europe. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who had bought his position with around 3,000 kg of gold from the Fuggers, was determined to capture and execute Luther. He made it a crime for anyone in Germany to give Luther food or shelter. Luther became Europe’s most ‘wanted, dead or alive’ criminal. Fortunately for Luther, the Elector Prince Frederick the Wise ‘kidnapped’ him after the 1521 Diet of Worms debate, hiding him away in the Wartburg Castle. There Luther grew a beard, disguising himself as a knight, Junker Jorg. During this depressing time of isolation, Luther translated the New Testament into German. It instantly became Germany’s first runaway bestseller, thanks in part to the new technology of the Gutenberg printing press. The Reformation was a back to the Bible movement. Luther taught that the Bible is over the Church, that the Bible commands and directs the Church, not the other way around. No longer was the Bible only available for the elite who could read

Latin, Hebrew or Greek. It then took Luther twelve years to complete the German Old Testament. Luther’s Bible had over 100,000 copies purchased by 1525. His bible, like the King James Version for the English, standardized the German language and literature, producing a stronger sense of common identity among those speaking German. Through reading Luther’s Bible, German literacy rates skyrocketed. Because literacy is essential to reading the Bible, Luther convinced the German nobles to provide schools for all children. Sermons were often not a regular part of medieval worship. Luther’s preaching was based on the Bible and always pointed to Christ crucified. Because many medieval clergy didn’t know the ten commandments, apostles’ creed, or the Lord’s prayer, Luther taught about these in his German-language Greater Catechism.

Luther was a prolific song writer restoring congregational singing: “Second only to the Bible, the Word of God, is the importance of music, because music had the singular ability to elevate the soul.” He knew that music deeply touches the feelings of the human heart: “My heart bubbles up and overflows in response to music, which has so often refreshed me and delivered me from dire plagues.”

Has God ever amazed you when he uses deeply flawed people like David and Luther? Both stood against the Goliaths of their day; both fell into tragic behaviours. God used Luther to launch a 16th century Jesus revolution that is still shaping our world today. Luther described himself as a rough woodsman whose job it was to ‘dig out stumps and trunks, hack away thorns and briars, fill in puddles and clear a path.’ His weaknesses were hidden in his strengths. Many deeply admire Luther for his courageous willingness to be an underdog standing for his convictions against impossible odds. This perseverance sometimes translated into intractable stubbornness where he would not allow other reformed Christians to work with him. For those of us who deeply admire Luther, the most troubling area was

deadlines set by other people, what if I first listened to Jesus? Instead of taking on more and more and letting other things languish half done or barely started, what if I first finished those things that the Spirit has placed before me? Instead of being distracted by many things, what if I waited on God for the one thing that is needed? I invite you to join me.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

– Isaiah 40:31

April Yamasaki is a pastor, author, editor, and spiritual formation mentor. She currently serves as resident author for Valley CrossWay Church, editor of Rejoice! magazine, part of a mentoring group for a seminary student, and often speaks in churches and other settings. Her published books include Sacred Pauses, Four Gifts, and This Ordinary, Extraordinary Life. Read more of her writing at AprilYamasaki.com and WhenYouWorkfortheChurch.com.

his later antisemitic comments in 1543. The younger Luther in 1523 said: “If I had been a Jew and had seen such dolts and blockheads govern and teach the Christian faith, I would sooner have become a hog than a Christian. They have dealt with the Jews as if they were dogs rather than human beings; they have done little else than deride them and seize their property.”

Did the endless controversy that Luther lived with cause him to later embrace the root of bitterness towards God’s Chosen People? (Hebrews 12:15) As a young student, Luther was known as the King of the Hops. Luther spoke publicly about alcoholism: “Our Lord God must count the drunkenness of us Germans as an everyday sin, for we probably cannot stop and yet it’s such a disgraceful nuisance that injures body, soul, and goods.” Luther even recommended alcohol as a way to fight off depression: “When you are assailed by gloom, despair, or a troubled conscience, you should eat, drink, and talk with others (…) Copious drinking benefits me when I am in this condition.” Might Luther’s drinking problem have influenced his later antisemitic comments? Fortunately, the Lutheran Church has renounced this serious mistake.

Luther has had a lasting impact, particularly on the western world and rise of democracy’s emphasis on liberty, equality, and individual rights. More than 70 million Christians in 79 countries call themselves Lutherans, a term that Luther didn’t like. The number of Lutherans is now increasing faster in Africa than anywhere else in the world. All of the 900 million Christians who identify as Protestants owe a great debt to Martin Luther. John Calvin saw Luther as a great man with excellent gifts. He added: “Would that Luther had studied to curb his restless uneasy temper that is so ready to boil over everywhere.”

May Luther’s courageous stand inspire us to also courageously stand for the Lordship of Jesus and the authority of Scripture in 2024.

On time

by Shirley Brosius

I grew up on a farm where days, weeks and months marched to the beat of Time. Time to plant. Time to hoe, Time to harvest. Time to drink sweet tea on the front porch. According to the Bible, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV).

The days of the week drummed a steady beat – wash on Mondays, iron on Tuesdays, clean on Saturdays. My sister Marie and I argued over who would vacuum and who would dust.

As a child, Time wore a frilly dress and sat in our meadow looping daisy chains. Arbellis, my imaginary friend, and I spent long afternoons on the front porch, playing store, using broad-leaved grass for money. My two brothers and two sisters, much older than I, didn’t want me tagging along when they went off swimming or working in the fields. Sometimes, though, my sisters allowed me to lie with them on a blanket on the lawn as they chattered about boyfriends and fashions. Marie let me sit by her on our bed as she sketched out mail-order art lessons on a drawing board. I painstakingly tried to copy her drawings on a tablet.

group. Time marched much faster than in my childhood. Not sure how it happened, but my little guys sprouted into big guys. I went back to work. Now Time wore heels and pointed to chalkboards and classroom clocks. Now I held the stopwatch. Then time got away from me. Before I knew what happened, our sons were in college, then married, then fathers.

Now that I‘m older and a writer, I try to boss Time around. It doesn’t work. Time nudges me to produce. One hundred percent of the articles I don’t send out do not get published. So, I set goals – so many articles a week to send out, so many hours to spend writing.

I try to control Time, but doctor’s appointments and family matters rip control from my hands. Time wears sneakers and runs.

As I celebrate another birthday, I listen to Time. It tells me:

Time let me play and think and sometimes long for something to do. I had lots of time to read and walk and visit neighbours.

Then came school days when Time wore a wristwatch. Evenings filled with homework, piano practice and clarinet practice. In high school, Time held a stopwatch and pushed me to type faster and scribble shorthand even faster.

Then came college. Now Time breathed down my neck. I wanted to excel at business skills so that I could someday teach them. So, we entered competitions, and I beat Time and won ribbons.

After I married, Time wore an apron and carried a wooden spoon. I mothered and smothered my two little guys by insisting we respect Time. Meals. Practices. Curfews. My boys wore band, football and basketball uniforms, according to Time’s season. They joined Cub Scouts and attended youth

Camp Qwanoes –

Enjoy the moment. This is what you got! Forget yesterday. Stuff the regrets. Tomorrow may never come. Sit up and take notice. Listen to music. Sniff a candle. Laugh at yourself. Enjoy your work. Set goals and check them off if you’re a list-type person. Write a bucket list and work on it.

Enjoy your family and friends. Play with children – yours or someone else’s. Read to them. Share what you’ve learned. Stay in touch with grandkids. Send cards. Call. Text. Keep them on your radar.

Enjoy nature. Feed the birds. Plant flowers. Watch sunrises and sunsets. Sit by the river. Walk in the rain. Play in the snow.

Enjoy the way you’re made. Bless others with your talents and skills. Paint a picture. Play the piano. Write a story.

Enjoy an attitude of gratitude. If you can’t be thankful for what you have, be thankful for what you don’t have. Let God know you appreciate His daily graces.

Thank you Time for blessing me through the decades. I haven’t had all the Time I’ve wanted, but I’ve had enough Time for everything important in every season of life. And I must say, Time’s been good to me.

Have you heard what God is doing at camp?

It seems like every day, there’s a new headline showing how broken, confused and lost our world is. Many in the younger generation are struggling like never before. Christian camps such as Camp Qwanoes on Vancouver Island offer kids a chance to escape from the everyday and the perfect setting to discover life like no other in Christ.

If you are looking for a way to impact the lives of kids this summer, you need to hear about what God is doing at camp.

Here are a couple of stories from Qwanoes that show what happens when kids come to a place where they encounter the reality of God’s love: A girl at a Jr. High camp said that her only relatives are her dad and a grandma. Her dad has told her that he doesn’t want her to be part of his new family’s life, so she is with her grandma and her grandma’s partner. After listening to the camp speaker, she said, “Now I understand why my family is the way it is… If my family wanted me, I wouldn’t need God.”

“Amy came to camp with an abundance of anger. She had attempted suicide quite a few times and was bitter at everything and everyone. After

realizing Qwanoes was a safe place, she spent an hour crying and sharing about her pain. She wanted to get rid of the hurt and start living for God. She began closing doors to her past and forgiving people. She let God forgive her and the weight lifted from her and she left camp leaving all of her baggage behind. The harshness about her was gone, and her true spirit of gentleness and joy was shining through!”

At camp, kids discover hope. Many life-changing decisions, including thousands of decisions to follow Christ, have been made in recent years. While campers meet new friends and try exciting activities like zipping over the ocean or bouncing on a water trampoline or playing laser tag in the forest, they encounter the truth that they matter and are loved unconditionally.

It takes a very large team of people to make camp happen. Qwanoes hopes to welcome over 4,000 kids this summer – and the potential is amazing. This summer, you are invited to be part of loving kids to life.

~ Written by Julie Bayley, Qwanoes’ Associate Program Director (life@qwanoes.ca)

The author with her, now grown, sons

Books recommended by House of James Bookstore

Non-Fiction: A Non-Anxious Life

By Alan Fadling InterVarsity Press

Do you, like so many of us, see anxiety as an incentive to perform? Or a proof of how much you care? Or is anxiety simply an unwelcome shadow over your days, bringing with it clenched teeth and an upset stomach?

Anxiety leads us to succumb to fear and fight peace. Anxious living is a distortion of good motives, blocking the clarity of stillness and rest.

Alan Fadling has also felt mastered by worry, but he brings counsel on how to learn a better way and who to look to for it: Jesus, “the ultimate non-anxious presence.” He constructs a posture from which we can rest more deeply, live more fully, and lead better. Fixing our minds on grace and eternity, we can begin to see the benefit of loosening our grip and operating from a sure foundation.

From Broken Boy to Mended Man

By Patrick Morley

Tyndale House Publishers

Hiding inside every man is a little boy. For some this kid is healthy and strong. For others he’s insecure, afraid, angry, and broken. This describes Patrick Morley. Successful entrepreneur and businessman, Patrick ignored the pain of his childhood wounds for decades. This book tells his story and offers a surprising remedy. An ironclad promise of wholeness. Today, millions of men are suffering silently and not breaking the cycle because they’ve never processed the pain of their father and mother wounds. Does that describe you?

If so, you are not alone. And there’s hope. A better way. You can find healing and finally break free from a lifelong cycle of pain and smoldering rage. You can, by God’s grace, re-write the script for your future and achieve so much more. Can you imagine?

From Garden to Glory

By Courtney Doctor Harvest House Publishers

Many of us read the Bible without realizing that it is one story from beginning to end – a story about God’s great mission to redeem all things. From Genesis to Revelation, we see God’s heart in his redemptive plan for humanity, and how earnestly he desires for us to be a part of it!

This engaging journey through God’s grand story of Scripture will deepen your gratitude and awe as you discover how the God of the Bible has stopped at nothing to bring you back to himself!

Discovering Daniel

By Amir Tsarfati

Harvest House Publishers

While the world appears to be in dire straits, the book of Daniel paints a vivid picture of the many ways God guides our lives and world events, providing us with great reason to hope.

Using the same deep but easy-to-understand style found in his standout seller Revealing Revelation, bestselling author Amir Tsarfati reveals how Daniel’s prophecies – and his unwavering faith amid a contentious culture – provide vital insights for living out these last days with hope and wisdom. Discovering Daniel reveals how the words, actions, and visions of the prophet Daniel can provide you with purpose and hope in today’s chaotic world, encouraging you to live with confidence in God’s supreme sovereignty and love in the time we have left on this earth.

Fiction: Night Falls on Predicament Avenue

By Jaime Jo Wright (Christy Award Winner) Baker Publishing Group

In 1910, Effie James is committed to doing anything to save her younger sister, who witnessed a shocking murder, leaving her mute and in danger of the killer’s retribution. When a British gentleman arrives, he disrupts Effie’s quest with his attempts to locate his wife, Isabelle Addington, who was last seen at the supposed crime scene in the abandoned house at 322 Predicament Avenue.

A century later, Norah Richman grapples with social anxiety and grief as she runs her late great-aunt’s bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue. But Norah has little affection for the house and is committed only to carrying out her murdered sister’s dreams until crime historian and podcaster Sebastian Blaine arrives to investigate the ghostly legacy of the house’s claim to fame – the murder of Isabelle Addington.

Fatal Domain

By Steven James Tyndale House Publishers

A series of cryptic clues leads Department of Defense redactor Travis Brock to suspect that a grim chapter from his past is not yet over. With the help of his eidetic memory and his newly formed team, he must unearth the truth and stop a terrorist group from stealing one of the military’s most highly guarded technological breakthroughs. With it, the group plans to commit a daring act of espionage that could upend the work of one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms and impact millions of people worldwide.

In a high-stakes story of action and intrigue that reaches from a refugee settlement in Uganda to the shores of the Potomac in Washington, DC, shattering secrets from the past will be revealed, loyalties tested, and intimate betrayals brought to light as Brock is forced to decide how to forgive what he cannot forget.

The Roads We Follow

By Nicole Deese Baker Publishing Group

A cross-country road trip, a secretive box of journals, an unforgettable summer romance. As the youngest daughter of a country music legend, Raegan Farrow longs to establish an identity away from the spotlight and publish her small-town romances under a pen name. But after her dream is dashed when she won’t exploit her mother’s fame to further her own career, she hears a rumour from a reliable source regarding a tellall being written about the Farrow family. Making matters worse, the unknown author has gone to great lengths to remain anonymous until publication.

The British Booksellers

By Kristy Cambron

Thomas Nelson

When the future Earl of Harcourt chose Charlotte to be his wife, she knew she was destined for a loveless match. Though her heart had chosen another long ago, she pledges her future even as her husband goes to war. Twenty-five years later, Charlotte remains a war widow who divides her days between her late husband’s declining estate and operating a quaint Coventry bookshop – Eden Books, lovingly named after her grown daughter. As war with Hitler looms, Eden is determined to preserve her father’s legacy. So, when an American solicitor arrives threatening a lawsuit that could destroy everything they’ve worked so hard to preserve, mother and daughter prepare to fight back.

Kids: God’s Big Picture Bible Storybook (ages 6-10)

by NT Wright

Tommy Nelson

This first illustrated Bible storybook from one of the world’s top Bible scholars draws the connections across all of God’s very good story, His Word. This practical Bible guide shares all your family’s favourite stories, plus some that may be new, combining a theologian’s expertise with engaging narratives that will draw kids into the good news of the world’s greatest, truest tale. Discover the many surprising ways in which one Bible story echoes another, and how different stories contribute to the one very good and very big story of God that unfolds over the centuries, until at last it is fully revealed in the life and teaching of Jesus.

Kids in the Bible

By Caroline Saunders B&H Publishing Group

Kids are part of God’s special plan! Miriam, Samuel, young Jesus – the Bible is full of stories about kids! In fact, it’s one big story about a parent (God) and His children. Some of these kids have become grown-ups who, of course, still need God as their true Father. And some of the kids in the Bible are actual kids! Featuring Caroline Saunders’s delightful storytelling, these thirty-three stories show how God loves to do His big work through smallish people. Explore the lives and adventures of a young warrior and a brave queen, a boy in a basket and three boys in a fire, a girl who lived again, and one change-the-world-forever baby.

Jesus Moments: David

by Alison Mitchell

The Good Book Company

Help 4-7s learn how David points to Jesus with this beautifully illustrated Old Testament storybook. Moments in David’s story when David is a little bit like Jesus are signposted with symbols that children need to spot, helping them to understand the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.

Hiding Place Graphic Novel

by Corrie Ten Boom/John and Elizabeth Sherrill Baker Publishing Group

One of the bestselling books of all time is now a captivating graphic novel!

It’s World War II. Darkness has fallen over the world as the Nazis spread fear and hatred. But on a city corner in Holland one woman fights against injustice and darkness. In a quiet watchmaking shop, Corrie ten Boom and her close-knit family risk their lives to hide hundreds of Jews and others hunted by the Nazis in a secret hiding place they built into the old building.

Until one day when Corrie and her family are betrayed. They’re captured and sent in cattle cars to the notorious Nazi concentration camps to die. Yet even in that darkest of places, Corrie still fights.