David Thompson represents the best of the early Canadian explorers. A strong Christian, he remained faithful to his wife and never sold alcohol to First Nations people. Thompson had seen so many First Nations people harmed by the liquor trade that he had acquired a strong aversion to such profiteering. When once forced to carry alcohol on his donkeys, he tied the ropes so loose … [Read more...] about Leading explorer David Thompson
Rev. Dr. Ed & Janice Hird
Books by Rev. Dr. Ed & Janice Hird include God's Firestarters; Blue Sky, a novel; and For Better, For Worse: Discovering the keys to a Lasting Relationship. Dr Ed’s newest award-winning book The Elisha Code is co-authored with Rev. David Kitz. Earlier books by Dr. Ed include the award-winning Battle for the Soul of Canada, and Restoring Health: Body, Mind, & Spirit.
Pastor Bob Birch: A life of prayer
The late Pastor Bob Birch impacted Canada, and specifically the Greater Vancouver area, during his almost 100 years, from 1907 to 2007. I will never forget the first time that I attended a prayer meeting with ‘Pastor Bob’. The depth of his prayers astounded me. For most of his ministry years, Birch would never miss his 2 am to 6 am morning prayer time. Even younger men, one … [Read more...] about Pastor Bob Birch: A life of prayer
Rising Faith: Just as I am
My grandmother and mother knew I would become an Anglican priest. I dismissed this expectation, being convinced that I would become an electrical engineer like my father. In my family system, there were no adult males who attended church. In 1965, my mother had a spiritual encounter at a Billy Graham event at the Pacific National Exhibition. Fifty-two years later, my mother’s … [Read more...] about Rising Faith: Just as I am
Rising Love: A Valentine’s story
Former Prime Minister Lester Pearson’s wife Maryon once famously quipped: “Behind every successful man is a surprised woman.” So then, perhaps one could count Ruth Graham among the most lovingly, patiently surprised women in history. Renowned evangelist Billy Graham, aged 98, was recently named for the 60th consecutive year in a Gallup poll as one of the 10 most admired people … [Read more...] about Rising Love: A Valentine’s story
The unforgettable Charles Dickens
Idealistic and Scrooge-like At a recent birthday party, I had the joy of meeting a fellow UBC School of Social Work alumni, whom I had not seen since our 1976 graduation. As we renewed our friendship, he gave me a Charles Dickens biography as a Christmas present. This sent me to our local library to get out numerous Dickens books, biographies and movies. Dickens was perhaps … [Read more...] about The unforgettable Charles Dickens