Years ago, after my father died, I wrote down some of the things I remembered him saying. No education is ever wasted. Don’t spend what you don’t have, always pay cash. It’s a privilege to pay taxes – somebody has to pay for the roads. These things were part of our everyday conversation, and I don’t know that my father meant them to stick in my mind forever. But I’ve come to … [Read more...] about On Writing a Better Story
April Yamasaki
April Yamasaki is a pastor, editor, and the author of Hope Beyond Our Sorrows: Learning to Live with Life-Changing Loss. She will teach two short courses this fall, each just one hour/week for six weeks: a morning course on the book of Ruth for Canadian Mennonite University’s Xplore program and an evening course on dreams and dreaming. For more information and to register your interest, see her website at AprilYamasaki.com.
Psalms for Summer
Years ago, I was given a slim, pocket-sized Bible that held the New Testament and Psalms. Keeping the books of the New Testament together made sense to me since they tell the story of Jesus and his followers. But I wondered why the Psalms were added to the end of the New Testament. Why not add Genesis that tells the story of creation? Or the book of Exodus that gives the ten … [Read more...] about Psalms for Summer
Looking for a new church, and how I found one
After 25 years of congregational ministry, I felt a new wind of the Spirit blowing in my life, to complete my role as a pastor and focus instead on the writing side of my ministry. It felt like a huge step for my husband and me to leave the congregation that had first called and nurtured me in ministry, that had been home to both of us for so many years. Yet we sensed a new … [Read more...] about Looking for a new church, and how I found one
Decluttering outwardly and inwardly
“You’re not moving, are you?” asked one of my neighbours with a concerned look on her face. “No, I’m just trying to get more organized at home,” I reassured her. But I could see why she thought I might be getting ready to move. Several of our neighbours had left recently, and I had been stacking a number of boxes beside the garage for the next thrift store pickup. That’s when … [Read more...] about Decluttering outwardly and inwardly
Are you ready to be a spiritual formation mentor?
Last year I was invited to serve as a spiritual formation mentor for a student entering a Doctor of Ministry program. What?? My husband had been a mentor as part of our congregation’s mentoring program that paired youth with adults. Business and other organizations sometimes have formal mentoring programs to support and nurture new employees. But the expression spiritual … [Read more...] about Are you ready to be a spiritual formation mentor?