Our Blog
Searching for Special
We each instinctively feel that we are somehow special, somehow worthy of love in a way that is unique to us. We go about trying to prove this, by breathtaking achievement, by embracing quirkiness, by celebrating our differences in ways that scream for attention, recognition, appreciation.
by Valerie
The Incident
Living in Okinawa, things are often very different from our life in Canada. Sometimes these differences stem from divergent cultures or languages. Sometimes they’re manifested in nature. Today I thought I would share a story that happened several years ago.
by Valerie
Burning Bright, Burning Right
Once upon a time, I had a conversation with a friend in ministry that left me dismayed. Though she’d experienced burnout before, she was now overworking again, held captive by small but pressing tasks that could be outsourced. I tried to caution her, but my words didn’t seem to sink in...
by Valerie
Gambatte?
“Look, it’s the Japanese businessman walk,” Peter said.
My gaze turned to where he indicated. Sure enough, there was a man moving along with stilted gait: hurrying, and trying not to appear as though he was. Shoulders straight, yet back somehow stooped. Left hand, clenched into a fist...
by Valerie
The Importance of Spiritual Temperament
Have you ever marvelled at how many people within the church seem to suffer from the same spiritual emptiness that exists in people who don’t know Jesus? [1]
Have you ever felt “always hungry” in a spiritual sense, and never satisfied? [2]
This may be because...
by Valerie
Social Training
We live in an age of convenient relationships. If we don’t want to talk with a nagging mother, thanks to caller ID we can ignore her. If a friend goes weird, we can ghost him. If a colleague expresses political views contrary to our own, we can unfollow her.
by Valerie
