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Canada

Life Formation

5 WORLD CLASS LESSONS IN RESILIENCE

The aftermath of Canada’s 2:1 quarter-final loss to England was gut-wrenching. As the final whistle blew, English players rushed the field to celebrate. Canadians dropped to their knees in disappointment. (more…)
Bob Jones
November 22, 2019
Life Formation

PTSD And Me: Craig Silverson’s Story Part 2

This is Part 2 of Cpl Craig Silverson's journey through PTSD. You can follow him at @CraigSilverson There was no escaping it! From helmet to boots.  Once you stepped off, it was there. Moon dust. It was  so fine, similar to baby powder, that underneath my feet tiny clouds would appear. To my surprise the landscape had changed and the terrain had become hard and clay like.  Fractured.  The stark contrast captivated me. An image that I would later see when I looked in the mirror. Underneath the surface and often barely evident was our biggest threat,  Improvised Explosive Devices. Now my anger had become my own IED and  the slightest thing would set me off! I desperately wanted my…
Bob Jones
November 10, 2019
Life Stories

WHY WE REMEMBER

There were over 37 million soldiers and civilians casualties during what is known as "The Great War." 17 million deaths and over 20 million wounded give WWI the dubious distinction of being one of the bloodiest wars in history. Approximately 63,000 of the dead were Canadians. My grandfather fought for Canada at Vimy Ridge in 1917. (more…)
Bob Jones
November 10, 2019
Life Stories

RUNNING TO THE ROAR: BARBARA WINTERS

"When you are dying, you need to be told how loved you are." She was an anonymous hero desperately laboring to save the life of a reservist mortally wounded at the cenotaph of Canada's Unknown Soldier. Who was this woman? Where did she find her courage? (more…)
Bob Jones
September 28, 2019
Life Formation

CANADA SUMMER JOBS AND DISCRIMINATION

Just before Christmas 2017 the Government of Canada gifted a stocking full of coal to Christian charitable groups requesting funding for its Canada Summer Jobs program. Only those non-profit groups that hold the same views as the government on matters of abortion, and sexual moral norms will be eligible to apply. Ideological screening has become the new vogue for groups requesting funding for the program. Canada Summer Jobs Paula Simons, a self-declared pro-choice feminist and I, rarely land on the same side of political issues. I have to give Justin Trudeau’s government all the credit for uniting us on this issue. Simons wrote on January 17, 2018: “I find myself deeply disturbed by a new federal rule that says any small…
Bob Jones
March 7, 2018
Popular

FOR TALIYAH AND THE WORLD

My day ended with with thoughts of 5 year-old Taliyah Marsman on my mind. I’d listened to Ryan Jesperson and Andrew Grose field texts and phone calls from irate listeners on an unscheduled 630 CHED radio program in response to the terrorist killings in Nice, France and the discovery of Taliyah’s body. A Pastor And The Death Penalty All Albertans held their collective breath as we waited with hope that Taliyah, missing for four days, would turn up somewhere safe with a caregiver. We took a collective punch to the gut with the discovery of her body and the 1st degree murder charges laid against the suspect. Then the calls flooded in for the death penalty to be re-instated for…
Bob Jones
July 15, 2016
Uncategorized

ARE YOU SETTLING?

"If you can be a Christian in Canada, you can be a Christian anywhere." The words got my attention. The speaker got my respect. He was new to North Pointe and relatively new to Canada. Our meeting was so Tesfaye could help me get to know him, his wife and two young daughters. His Ethiopian accent made understanding his words a challenge but there was no misunderstanding his passion. Tesfaye Debla is a pastor and a church planter in Ethiopia. Adversity's Refining Ability He knows adversity. “When you become a Christian in Ethiopia, you face opposition and alienation from your family and society. You have to think twice to be a Christian for it comes with lots of cost and life…
Bob Jones
April 28, 2016
Uncategorized

REVITALIZATION AND MULTIPLICATION

The illuminated face of the clock by the bed read, “3:38.” Conscious. Confused. Clear. Awake! O yah, its Thursday and I’m supposed to jet to Vancouver. Belt buckled. Keys in pockets. Shoes on. Groomed! No time for brewing coffee. Grrrrr. Notes? Check. iPhone ticket? Check. Car rental? Check. Ready! Cold and snow blankets everything, delaying but invigorating. Sparse traffic. Silent morning. Slushy roads. Departures! The ripples of 9/11 are reminders that tighter security doesn’t make life feel more secure. Belt off. Pockets emptied. Shoes off. Inconvenienced! The best part of flying. Not. 32,000 feet. 548km/hr -64C Purpose! The planeload empties at almost the identical local time we departed. Rain for snow. Green for white. Mountains for plains. Envious! A rented…
Bob Jones
March 2, 2016
Uncategorized

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE: A CANADIAN’S STORY

Freedom is not free. I should not – I must not forget – that peace is won at the cost of precious life. Flanders Fields, not strawberry fields, remind me of that truth. Free nations must do everything to keep the peace. Where peace is threatened by force, it must be met with force. Canada's role as "Peacekeeper" has been a part of our nation's pride. That role has shifted recently to "Peacemakers" - fighting to win the peace in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. The decision to withdraw Canadian combat support against ISIS is now another change in direction. Lonya D’Orsay is a part of the community of believers at North Pointe. Her husband, Dan, is retired military. He served…
Bob Jones
November 21, 2015