One of the areas that I feel like this blog helps to address is the experience of grief and loss. Today I want to share a few thoughts that I think might be helpful for people who are experiencing a fresh loss – the people’s whose wounds are newly open and for the first time…
As we have been journeying through Genesis at our church, I recently had the opportunity to speak on the story of Cain and Abel, the first recorded children of Adam and Eve. The story is told in Genesis 4, and I have always felt like it is very sad. It jumps into the story by…
At the church where I pastor, we are currently learning from the first book of the Bible – the book of Genesis. This is the book with all those fun stories, like how God created the world, and how people brought sin into the world by eating forbidden fruit and how Noah got drunk and…
I grew up going to church every Sunday morning, and, when I got to a certain age, every Sunday night. In my tradition, one of the elements of the Sunday night service was the “Testimony Time.” This was a time when people could get up and say how they had become a Christian or what…
By Leanne Tomorrow I turn 37. I am not feeling happy about it. Aren’t I too young to be turning 37? Didn’t I just turn 30? Wasn’t I old then? Will I really be planning for my 40th in three short years? Truth be told, I’m still not over having to check the “35-50” age…
I’m big on resolutions. I know some people don’t like them at all, and I’m not saying they’re for everyone, but I like me a new year when I can pause and say: “Here’s to a new shot!” and then I like making a list of things that I want to work on. I know…
This, the third week of Advent, is the week when we remember the joy that we experience because of the hope of Christ. I often approach Joy week with some trepidation. Don’t get me wrong – I love joy, and I sure do want more of it – but I’m aware that for so many…
This week we lit the Advent Candle of Peace. Of the four Advent candles (Hope, Peace, Joy, Love), it is the candle whose theme is the hardest for me. I’m not really so great at peace, sadly. Now, if there were a candle of worry, I would have that down pat. I’d burn that candle…
This is the second Christmas I will face without my sister, who died just over a year and half ago. I know I’ve used this blog to process my grief a lot, but it amazes me how much I am always learning. I hope these thoughts on the “second Christmas” may be helpful to…
This week when I preached I went off on a little bit of a rant. I have had a lot of people since speak to me about said rant, and their appreciation for it, so I thought I would share it with you on the blog. This is rather more controversial than I usually lean…
Leanne Friesen 