Category

Life Formation

Holidays PostsLife Formation

AN ODE TO AUTUMN

Photo by Erik Witsoe on Unsplash A change is in the air. A great mellowing is at work. It’s in the breeze, in the trees, inside each and every one of us. And somewhere, not far off, the smoke of backyard firepits is seasoning the darkening sky. (more…)
Bob Jones
September 8, 2019
Life FormationTravel

2020 ISRAEL AND JORDAN TRIP OF A LIFETIME

Going to Israel will give you a whole new view of Jesus, the Bible and your faith. I'm not over-promising in saying that. Every one of the over 60 people who have traveled with us to the Middle East, including Jocelyn and I, came away with something more than money can buy. Jocelyn and I hope you will come with us in November 2020 for a life changing, unforgettable experience. Details and costs in this post. (more…)
Bob Jones
August 8, 2019
Life Formation

REUBEN CELEMIN: FUELED BY PASSION

Reuben Celemin is a man on a mission. In March 2016 Reuben shared his dream with me of starting a fitness and faith group for men at North Pointe. Men can get stuck in a rut – so busy taking care of everyone else that they forget themselves. Reuben's group would start with whoever showed up and see where it could go. Men of the Rock (MOTR) hit the ground running on a cold and snowy March Saturday morning. Three years later the group is flying and the men credit Reuben with their inspiration. (more…)
Bob Jones
July 21, 2019
Life Formation

MEN OF THE ROCK

I know what it's like. You find a girl, start dating, maybe get married, and soon you find yourself in this new exciting time. You're working and in the prime of your life. Some of you have kids and your priorities shift, like a good father should. And again, you shift your gears, sometimes into overdrive. (more…)
Bob Jones
July 14, 2019
Life Formation

MY PROBLEM WITH THE BIBLE

Every story is told from a vantage point; it has a bias. I’m trying to read the stories of the Bible for all they’re worth, but I’ve got a problem. My vantage point is not as a Hebrew slave suffering in Egypt or a conquered Judean deported to Babylon. I’m certainly not a first century Jew living under Roman occupation. I’m a citizen of a G8 nation, born among the conquerors, and living in the empire. But I want to read the Bible and think it’s talking to me. This is a problem. (more…)
Bob Jones
July 14, 2019
Health MattersLife Formation

UP FROM THE BLUE: SUSAN HENDERSON

Beautiful and maddening, hopeful and condemning, simple, yet like a knot that takes a lifetime to untangle. A heartbreaking, rewarding story that still haunts me. That’s how author Jamie Ford describes Up From the Blue, the debut novel by Susan Henderson. Novels aren't usually a genre I do book reviews for but this one is an exception. And I think you would agree once you meet Tillie. (more…)
Bob Jones
June 22, 2019
Health MattersLife Formation

CHILD SEXUAL SLAVERY: IT ENDS WITH US

Saju Mathew is an American lawyer working in India to bring about change in the most vulnerable group in the world. I met him at the Matrix Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta - an aptly named venue to begin a journey into reality. A Shift In Identity Saju introduced his subject with the story of “The Ugly Duckling.” He said, “Change can only happen when there is a shift in identity.” Saju spoke matter-of-factly about a child prostitute in Chennai, India. She had been deceived into leaving home with the promise of a better future. Once settled into her new surroundings she was told to take off all her clothes and put on a mini-skirt and tight fitting top. When she…
Bob Jones
June 15, 2019
Life FormationLife Stories

TATTOO: WHEN ART IMITATES LIFE

Starbucks coffeehouses became my new meeting places when I transitioned out of North Pointe's office space. I like the lattes but I love the unexpected connections with people. Like the one I had on Friday. Waiting in line to pick up my flat white I couldn't help but notice the tattoos of a woman seated to my right. It's not polite to stare but I was tempted. Have you ever noticed that your eyes sometimes just gravitate to people with tattoos? There’s something about tattoos that can really make someone stand out in a crowd. (more…)
Bob Jones
June 15, 2019