by jot and tittle

This post will probably make some people angry, but most of all I hope it will make people think . Next week Sunday (July 28) in London, Ontario, Canada, starting on Ontario St. and ending in Victoria Park there will be a parade. But this won't just be any parade. This parade is celebrating something special for some special people. It's the Pride parade. What are these people taking pride in with their rainbow fliers and lack of clothing? They are taking pride in their sexuality-the fact that they are homosexual, transsexual, bisexual, lesbian, and transgender people. They are raising awareness of their lifestyles. This parade actually comes near the end of the week long "Pride London Festival" which started yesterday (July 20) and includes BBQs, speeches, entertainment, and even a church service after the parade. Some other special people will also be at this parade. These people are not there to celebrate this lifestyle but to spread a warning against this lif...

I pulled into the laneway of a home that I'm sure would have looked quaint if I could have seen it through all the trees. The sign by the road read "hanging baskets and railroad ties" and lo and behold that was just what I was looking for (I mean the railroad ties, not the hanging baskets).  I parked close to the grass incase a buggy had to get by and slipped out of the red mini van. I didn't see anyone. That, however, does not mean that someone did not see me. I strolled over to look at the flowers to wait for someone to come out and see what the crazy girl with the pony-tail was doing on their property. A large dog, missing his right eye, managed to find me first and it was while I was petting this friendly, half blind, beast that the house seemed to spit out a young lady. She was wearing a long dress, an apron, and a head covering. She walked toward me with a smile and I recognized her from a singing I had gone to at the neighbors place a few months earlier. I ...

Over the past couple years I've had the privilege to be blessed and I don't mean in just the blessings of day to day life (though that is also true) but more specifically I'm referring to the blessing the pastor will declare at the end of the church service. When I was little didn't take much notice of it until I started thinking about the words. Now different pastors use different blessings but they usually involve God being gracious and granting peace. And these blessings unite us as believers more than you might think. When I lived in Toronto I was blessed in Punjabi almost every Lord's Day. This first made me think of the amazingness of our God, that He not only understands other languages but also created them. You see, God is not the God who blesses only those who speak English and He will bless you even by using languages you don't understand. In the past six weeks I have been blessed in French, German, Italian, and English. It reminds me that my home c...

He took from his flock and sacrificed to God out of obedience. His brother did not. He sacrificed what he wanted and God was not pleased. When God came to his brother he did not listen, instead he grew angry, angry enough to kill. They were in the field and Cain struck down his brother and killed him. You know the story. Genesis 4. After this the story goes on to talk about how God put a mark on Cain so people would not kill him and we go on in the book without much pause but what about Abel? Does anyone feel sorry for Abel? He died young. He had no family. He hadn't done anything significantly great. Yet he died. Because he obeyed. He's a hero of faith (Heb 11:4) though he did nothing great. He obeyed. You may do nothing great by earthly standards. You may not defeat giants or save cities. But if you obey. God will credit it to you as righteousness. Abel was the first to got his eternal reward. All because he obeyed. Be encouraged by our brother, Abel. And obe...

It was an evening just like any other, completely unpredictable. Two of my friends, Agatha and Tia, and I were simply minding our own business when we heard a strange sound blowing in the trees. Our great black lion, Sophie, jump up with a snarl. We all stood, grasping our weapons of choice, and rushing out the door. It was just before dusk with the sun setting behind us when set out into the woodland on our adventure. We began on the path through the wood. A conversation began, as is prone to happen in a company comprised completely of females, but it came to an abrupt end when Sophie began to growl and her hair started to rise on the back of her neck. We stopped and took in our surroundings. A gasp escaped from Tia’s mouth when she saw what lay ahead. A great, green dragon blocked our way. Fire periodically puffed out of his nostrils with a low rumbling sound. “I think it’s sleeping,” Agatha whispered. Now the great thing about great, green dragons is that they have very ba...

they sit on your lap they run to and fro they giggle with joy Daddy, do they know? they play in the sun they sing as they go they see with eyes that wonder Daddy, do they know? they think things are big they'll stand on your toe they eat dirt and sand Daddy, do they know? they will soon grow up they won't stay at home one day they'll have jobs Daddy, do they know? you love them so much your all you'd bestow you gave so much up Daddy, do they know? your proud their your children you watch as they grow you teach them of Jesus Daddy, do they know? did you tell them you love them? did you bring yourself low? to show them your love for Jesus, Daddy, do they know? one day they will die, before God's throne they will go, may God not condemn them may they never say "Daddy, we didn't know"

In my last post I talked about how much of a blessing parents are and how mine are especially a blessing to me. Shortly after posting it a good friend of mine brought up the fact that we also learn bad things from our parents and should try to weed those qualities out. In order to help do this and to learn things that our parents can't teach us he brought up that it is sometimes helpful to adopt "fill-in" parents, however, is this undermining your own parents?  I would be inclined to think that "fill-in" parents can be a great blessing to you and to your parents as well. It is good to have more people around you who care for your spiritual wellbeing and yourself as a person in general. We aught to have older men and women who encourage us in the faith, both with words of kindness and with words of exhortation so that we are made more and more to look like God. Titus 2 talks about how older women are to teach younger women to work at home and how older men sh...