For me, the first signs of spring aren’t the changes in the weather but the sounds of birds in my backyard. The little starlings and robins begin singing as soon as the majority of the snow is gone. In April and May, these tiny birds sing loud and clear as they hang out on the power wires behind my house. They also pitch on my clothesline and sing to each other—calling out, I assume, to their mates. My neighbours’ house has some lattice that drops down from the roof. The birds see this lattice as a perfect place for nests to keep their eggs safe. As a result, for weeks, as these birds tend their nests, I can hear birdsong late into the morning. The birds’ songs can be heard inside my house even with the tv on!

These tiny birds return every year to my clothesline, sing their hearts out and once the babies can fly, they are gone until the next year! These little creatures always find their way back. Even though our Newfoundland winters vary in length and severity, the birds return to the same spot and usually at the same time. I assume the birds fly south for the coldest winter months, but their instinct is always to come back to where they were born and raised. How wonderful for us that these creatures instinctually return every year and as a result, we are blessed with their presence.

The tiny birds will only put their nests where they feel the safest. One bird always stays with the nest while the other forages for food. When the nest is being built, each bird brings back twigs and grasses to create a fluffy spot for the eggs to rest and mature. The birds dedicate themselves to the next generation to ensure the baby birds can grow up and continue the species. When I hear the birds return, a sense of hope and renewal lifts my soul—I always feel a sense of “lightness” and no matter how hard the winter months have been, the birdsong makes everything feel better!

So why am I nostalgic about birds in my column for Anglican Life?

For me, as a Christian, I get the same sense of well being within my church family. My church family is nurturing. It is comforting. My church family feeds my soul the way the little starling feeds her chicks. I rely on those at church to help me when I’m at my weakest. If I miss church services, someone always checks on me to see that I’m ok. Walking into a church service, I am always greeted by my church family members. They have smiles and are genuinely happy to see me. Even though I have a close relationship with my siblings and mother, those at church provide another level of comfort and closeness which can’t be found anywhere else.

This article is the last until September. I know many of you reading this will spend a lot of time at your summer places and away from your regular church homes. Please remember that every church has a family, and all church families will welcome you in the summer. While on vacation this year, drop in to your regular church family, or visit one you haven’t been into before—fellow Christians will nurture you no matter where you are from, and like the starlings and robins, they will feed you spiritually and in some cases physically, because you are part of God’s great family!

God bless you all this summer and may you continue to be nourished by his love.

The post Birdsong appeared first on Anglican Life.

One of dad’s favourite activities, was for me to back comb his hair. He would sit on the floor and for hours I played with his hair. I combed it from side to side and teased it; by the time I finished playing, dad’s hair was a mess and ultimately, he would have to go wash it before he looked presentable! During dad’s hair session, he was required to hold my dolls and change their clothes so that the dolls were ready for the day. Dad patiently sat and tried to dress the dolls to make me happy, all the while I chatted away about my friends, and school, and Sunday school, and anything I could think of. This was a weekly activity until I became old enough that dolls were no longer my main interest.

My main focus after dolls became public speaking. I would write speeches, and dad would help me to tidy up what I was saying to make sure I was saying what I wanted to say. My hairdresser phase had become my writing stage, and dad patiently sat with me week after week, as I wrote and re-wrote my speeches. No matter how busy dad was, he always had time to sit with me and help me with whatever new project I had become obsessed with! I always knew when I had been successful with whatever I was doing, because dad would look at me and give me this certain smile; when I received that smile, I knew the project was completed and I had his approval.

During all this time with my father, he never had to tell me I was doing a good job. He never lost patience with me when I wanted to start over again. He never criticized me when I wasn’t focused and being silly. He never discouraged me from trying new things. He supported me throughout all my phases of growing up, allowing me to find my own way with his gentle guidance.

My dad even loved me when I wasn’t being my best! He gently scolded me when my behaviour was bad, yet it was always done with love. The worst thing that could happen to me growing up was for dad to say he was disappointed in me. I never wanted to disappoint my dad.

So why am I telling you all this about growing up with my dad?

I want you all to know, that Our Father in Heaven loves each and every one of us just as much as my dad loved me! Our Father in Heaven is patient and kind and loving. He wants the best for each and every one of us! He knows when we are not being our best selves and yet, he still loves us. God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to prove to us how much he loves us. Jesus came to the world so we would know God’s love for us. Our Father is with us every single day of our lives and he never leaves us. God gently guides us through life, but we make our own choices, rightly or wrongly. And he never leaves us or abandons us or stops loving us. The cross assures us that God will always love us, and Jesus’ sacrifice for us is a reminder of that love!

God bless you all!

The post The Father’s Love appeared first on Anglican Life.

As I grew up, I began to realize how difficult it is to keep a promise. The dictionary defines a promise as, “a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.” The dictionary also defines a promise as “declaring something will happen.” When I was young, I could promise to be on my best behaviour and to do my duty—I knew I would behave well because I promised to do so. It was a simple idea to me as a young child but as I grew up, I realized how difficult it is to keep making promises.

As adults we are pulled in so many directions. We have families to make promises to, and jobs, and volunteer activities. We make promises to our neighbours and our friends. We make promises to ourselves and our churches, and eventually we have promised things that we know aren’t humanly possible! Yet for those who take promises seriously, we attempt to fulfill all those promises to everyone. The result of trying to make all these promises come true leaves most of us feeling we have let everyone down. The problem seems to be: we promised too much!

As the dictionary says, a promise leads to a definite outcome—what you promise will happen, but not much about life here on earth is guaranteed.

The promise of Easter, however, is guaranteed! Jesus Christ died on the cross to guarantee that his believers will go to heaven! Jesus died so that we would be sure of his promise. He died so that we would be with him in heaven after we died. Jesus sacrificed himself so we would know, for sure, that our eternity would be spent with God in heaven—a place so wonderful that we can’t imagine what it’s going to be like! There’s nothing on earth that compares! I’m sure you all have been to a beautiful place where you have commented that it looks like heaven on earth. So, think about that image and imagine how wonderful heaven is going to be! Jesus wanted Christians to be assured of their place in heaven and that’s why he sacrificed himself for us. Jesus wanted his followers to know for sure that eternity will be spent in heaven because he gave himself for our sins. His promise will be fulfilled for us!

Easter, with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, assures Christians that we will be with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for all eternity. Jesus’ promise was fulfilled by his death and resurrection, and as Christians, this is the best promise we could ever have!

God Bless you all!

The post The Promise of Easter: Reflections on Commitment, Challenges, and Eternal Assurance appeared first on Anglican Life.

When I was just a little girl, old enough to walk, I was taken to church every Sunday, and on Sunday afternoon I attended Sunday School. My parents were devout Christians who practised their religion by saying prayers, going to church and living a life trying to model themselves after Jesus Christ—trying to be kind, loving, understanding, charitable—and they passed this on to their children.

As a teenager I volunteered to be a Sunday School teacher and my brothers were all servers on the altar. We were expected to go to church, even when we were out late on a Saturday night. We were expected to not complain about going to church or kick up a fuss when we were awakened early to get ready for church. We didn’t have the option to “choose” not to go when we lived at home, and we also knew as my parents’ children that the issue of church wasn’t a choice. It was in the same category as going to school and obeying our parents—going to church was an expectation in our household. 

As a young adult, I got my first job and then bought my first house. I was on my own and away from my parents, but I wasn’t away from the church. I continued to volunteer for church activities because Jesus Christ was a part of my life and not just something I did to please my parents. I believed, at that time, that because we all believed, God protected us and kept us all safe here on earth. In 2010, however, something changed and for the first time in my life, I had a crisis of faith. Suddenly, without warning, my older brother died.

For the first time in my life, my faith was tested. 

I was so angry with God! My brother was a good Christian! He was a great father! He was a great teacher! A great friend! A great brother! Of all the people in the world why take him? One of the good guys who worked for Jesus Christ and did his best to live a good Christian life. For the first time in my life, I felt “let down” by God. My prayers to him obviously weren’t listened to or answered. My prayers to keep all my family members safe from harm had gone completely ignored! Everything my family did for God, and he “took” my brother!!

For three months I avoided the church. I found every excuse in the book not to be able to go to church or do my volunteer activities. Then I realized I had to decide: was I going to throw away everything I believed about Jesus Christ because of my grief? 

Jesus knew the devil was tempting him in the desert and he knew that he was going to be crucified on the cross when those forty days and nights were over. He knew he was going to make the ultimate sacrifice for all humanity so that until his coming again, all believers would be safe in the knowledge that we would spend eternity in heaven with God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. 

Our lives may not work out the way we would like them to but because Jesus was tested and died for us, we are assured of a blessed afterlife in glory. One day I will see all my loved ones again and through Jesus’ sacrifice, I know that is true!

God bless you all.

The post Being Tested appeared first on Anglican Life.

While thinking about these big issues, I remembered a conversation I had with my father several years ago, when I was taking him to physiotherapy. During the drive across town to his appointment, we witnessed a traffic accident. Thankfully no one was hurt in the fender bender, but both parties jumped out of their cars screaming profanities at each other. One blamed the other for the accident and they started to push and shove each other. It was at this point that the police showed up and directed traffic to go around the accident. 

My father seemed really upset by what we had witnessed because of the behaviour of the drivers. He couldn’t believe that grown men would get on like that in the middle of the street. Dad said it was obvious that neither driver had meant to hit the other and that it was simply an accident. He said that neither driver had given the other grace. 

Dad explained that God’s grace was undeserved favour. God’s grace isn’t earned, but it is freely given. God forgives our mistakes. He sees our poor choices, watches us learn from them and then doesn’t judge us but rather gives his grace to us. Dad said he thought the world was lacking in grace because people had forgotten God’s grace to each and everyone of his believers. Dad said, if we gave our grace to the people we encounter on a daily basis then how much better would the world be. We don’t know the circumstances behind people’s behaviour. We don’t know the trials and tribulations people go through every day and we shouldn’t judge people for poor choices. Only God can judge us for our behaviour when we face him at the gates of heaven, so here on earth, we should give others our grace and not assume that we know what is going on in someone’s life.

The car accident that day, and that conversation on the way to physiotherapy, changed me more than my father ever imagined. I see people in terrible circumstances every day as I travel around the city. I see those who stand at the traffic lights with cups. I see the people stumbling up the road in the middle of the day. I see the angry people screaming at each other on the streets. Since my conversation with dad so many years ago, I try not to rush to judgement regarding these people. Instead, I think, but for the Grace of God, that could be me. I remember dad’s sage conversation about God’s grace, and I try to offer people who appear to be in trouble, my grace and pray that God will give his grace to these people as well.

God bless you all! 

The post By God’s Grace appeared first on Anglican Life.

So, gyms get a huge boost in business! Weight loss clinics have tons of new clients! The liquor store isn’t as busy! The shopping malls are ghost towns! We begin the year determined to change ourselves!

Unfortunately, all these things focus on our “physical” selves. Somewhere along the ages, we think the only things we can change about ourselves is our “outsides.” Most people at the beginning of a new year don’t consider making changes that would improve their “inner” selves. How many people say to themselves New Year’s Eve, “My resolution this year is to be kinder.” “I want to be more compassionate.” “I want to be more generous.” “I want to be more spiritual.”

A small fraction of people who make New Year’s resolutions actually maintain the resolution for the rest of the year. Imagine for a moment if instead of joining the gym for January, those people decided to go to church for the new year!

Our Lord and Saviour teaches us to love one another. Jesus ate with the outcasts of society. He healed the lepers. He healed the sick and the suffering. He accepted all those who came to Him. He tells us to be kind, to be generous, to begin with love. Jesus showed us how to change ourselves so we could live with him in heaven for eternity.

As a Christian, begin your new year by renewing your connection with God. Go to his house, share his word, and sing his praises. Make January the month of joy by strengthening God’s love in your life.

God bless you all.

The post 2024 Begins! appeared first on Anglican Life.

The most exciting part of the new school was all the different activities I could do in my new school. I could join Brownies, band and choir, and after school gym activities! I thought it was all so interesting, so needless to say I joined everything I could.

My most vivid memory from that time, however, was a Christmas concert the first year in my new school. The music teacher began to teach us new songs to sing and one of those chosen was, “In The Bleak Midwinter.” The hymn had a different tune than I was used to, and the teacher brought a drum into our performance. We had to memorize all the words of the songs we were singing for our concert, and we practiced every day until the performance. 

While I don’t remember any of the other songs we sang for that concert, I still remember, all these years later, the words to “In The Bleak Midwinter.” For the first time in my young life, Christmas became something other than a time for Santa Claus and a letter to Santa.

The hymn’s words began with, “In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan. Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone. Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow. In the bleak midwinter, long ago.” Living in Newfoundland, I understood very well what a bleak midwinter was. I had seen water frozen and snow falling upon snow. As an eight-year-old, I could relate! 

But the part of the hymn which stuck even more clearly in my mind was the end of the song. The words said, “What can I give him? Poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb. If I were a wise man, I would do my part. But what can I give him, give him my heart. Give him my heart!”

As a young child those words spoke to me. I didn’t have anything to give to the baby Jesus. I was a child, and it wasn’t possible for me to give the baby Jesus a present! But that hymn told me exactly the present I could give to Jesus. I could give Jesus my heart! That was the greatest gift I could ever give Jesus.

To this day, that hymn remains my favourite. The words are entrenched in my mind and soul. We often think we need to give grand gestures and presents to show our love for one another, but in reality the greatest gift you can give anyone is your heart! Jesus considers your heart to be the best gift, and I pray this Advent season you all receive God’s gift to us… his son!

God Bless you all and Happy Christmas!

The post The Greatest Gift of All appeared first on Anglican Life.

Recently, I attended a small gathering at a local church and the purpose of the gathering was to hold a ticket draw as a fundraiser. The ticket draw took place on a Saturday morning. Tea, coffee, sandwiches and cookies were served to those who came for the ticket draw. The gathering was about 15 people. These people came for a couple of hours. We all sat around a table chatting and laughing, sharing stories from the week and reminiscing about those who were missing from the last ticket draw. 

For two hours, young and old spent time together. Some fantasized about what they would do if they won. Some spoke about children and grandchildren while others discussed the weather. No subject seemed out of place and yet nothing in particular was discussed. It was just a gathering of people to verify the ticket draw. Yet, during those two hours, something spectacular happened!

This small gathering was a great example of fellowship! That Saturday morning lifted my spirits for quite some time after the gathering was over. Although the following week was a challenge for me, I found myself thinking of that morning with those dedicated parishioners. The friendship I felt from those people and the sense of community was so powerful. I really didn’t expect a ticket draw to have any lasting effect on me, but it did. I realized that it was the coming together of people which affected me the most!

This small church gathering provided the fellowship that many have been missing. At one time, going to the church for an evening or afternoon, may have been the only entertainment provided in many communities but as time as gone on, these church activities have become fewer and fewer. Without church activities, community fellowship opportunities have become fewer and fewer. People, even church members, no longer have that sense of community and therefore, people feel less and less connected to those around them.

Our Lord and Saviour promised us “where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.” Jesus wants us to come together and spend time with each other. He doesn’t necessarily want us to only do this in a formal church service every Sunday. Jesus wants us to use every opportunity to come together as a community, so we all feel a part of his glorious presence! 

Our world seems to promote our differences these days but as Christians, Jesus reminds us that being his followers, we should focus coming together in fellowship instead of separating and being alone.

God Bless you all.

The post The Gathering appeared first on Anglican Life.

In the morning, we would get out of bed and get some breakfast. The next step was to wash your face and brush your teeth. Then the most exciting part for me was picking out my outfit to wear to church. It was always the best dress I had. My shoes had been cleaned and shined on Saturday and I had to find my whitest socks for church. We all dressed up in our best clothes and everyone piled into the car. Mom would stay home to cook lunch but everyone else went to church. We were told to be on our best behaviour in church because God was watching, and we needed to show him respect. At that time, there were three of us, all under eight years old. You would think dad had his hands full, but I don’t remember us being badly behaved. We had our good clothes on, and we were in church—a place we were to listen and sit quietly.

When church was finished, we went back home and took off our good clothes to have lunch. Mom always cooked Sunday dinner which meant chicken, salt meat, all the vegetables, dressing and gravy! A feast in our opinion!

After lunch, we all got ready again to leave the house. This time, we didn’t have to be dressed up. The next step in our Sunday was to go to Sunday School. At that time, it was held in our regular school and not in the church. Once again, we all piled in the car. Sunday School lasted a couple of hours and then we would return home for the evening. Supper would be the next step in our Sunday routine where everyone, including my grandparents, would gather once again at the kitchen table to share the leftovers from lunch. After supper, we would get ready for bed and prepare for the busy week ahead. We all had after school activities and volunteering during the week to prepare for, so my parents told us it was especially important to get a good night’s sleep on Sunday. Before bed we would all say our prayers, kneeling at the side of our beds, with mom or dad leading the prayers. A kiss good night would end the day and then we were off to dreamland!

By today’s standard, our Sunday routine seems rather boring, but we had a family day which was focused on church, Our Lord and Saviour, and being together without everyday chores and activities. We all went places together, as a family, ate as a family and prayed as a family. No matter how much “work” had to be done, it was never done on Sunday, and yet, we all had plenty of time to accomplish everything we needed to do in the other six days of the week.

Our lives have become so very very busy that we don’t stop to appreciate our many blessings—family, togetherness, down time, and faith. God has given us the ability to accomplish anything we put our minds to, but in today’s world that means being busy all day every day without a break. Even God rested on the seventh day when he created the heavens and the earth. God wants us to rest as well for one day a week: hopefully, spending that day with him!

God bless you all!

The post Sunday—The Day of Rest appeared first on Anglican Life.

I explained about the shepherd and how he was responsible for thousands of sheep. He had to make sure they were all in the pasture and at the end of the night, he had to bring them all into the paddock for safety, so predators wouldn’t take the sheep for food. The children were astonished that one man, usually with his dog’s help, could possibly get all the sheep back each day. They couldn’t understand how the shepherd could possibly be able to count all the sheep to know one was missing! I explained that the shepherd was so familiar with his flock that he knew each and every sheep. He knew what they looked like and could tell every single sheep apart from the other. To the students, all the sheep looked the same. They were all white and fluffy, and of course very cute in their opinion. They told me the shepherd must be very smart to know all of them so well! I explained that he watched each sheep being born and he watched them all grow up. He spent every day with them and cared for each and every one. One child said, “just like a mommy or daddy!”

“Exactly!” I replied. “The shepherd knows his sheep as well as your parents know you.”

I then proceeded to tell them the story of the Lost Sheep, and how the shepherd went looking for the one lost sheep, and how he wouldn’t stop searching until he found the lost sheep. One child piped up and said, “he had to look for the sheep just like my mommy and daddy wouldn’t stop looking for me if I was lost!” 

“Yes!” I said enthusiastically, “And God is just like the shepherd in the story. God knows and loves each and every one of us. He knows when one of us is lost and he will look for us. But sometimes, when God finds us, we hide and pretend we don’t see him. We know he can see us but we turn away from God and walk the other way.”

One little boy looked at me and said, “We should help God and speak to the lost person! We should show them how to come with God and bring the person back to the church with us!”

I knew then that the lesson was over. The children all agreed that they would help people, God’s sheep, to come back to his flock! 

The next week, I had an extra student: a friend of the boy who had made the suggestion. 

We all know lost sheep. Maybe we could find a lost sheep or two to bring back to the flock if we tried. Sometimes, all that people need is for someone to remind them that the flock misses them, and they are not forgotten. Let’s all find some of our lost sheep and return them to our flock; we are incomplete without them!

God Bless you all!

The post Lost Sheep appeared first on Anglican Life.