Depression is not a choice. Too many suffer in silence. In a war with myself. I have a black dog. It won’t leave me alone. (more…)
Bob JonesOctober 8, 2019
A few days before she turned 61, Anne Lamott wrote down everything she knew for sure about life and writing. There's not a lot of certainty in life but Anne does a candid and humorous job of pointing out twelve of her "for sures." (more…)
Bob JonesSeptember 18, 2019
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 JonesJuly 14, 2019
They represented social agencies, service providers, societies, camps, and churches, an inter-generational demographic of CEO’s, directors, business owners, leaders, professionals, and volunteers typically reserved for a public servant’s funeral. John Benes was a servant. And he was public, very public. (more…)
Bob JonesJune 23, 2019
"Happy birthday dear John, happy birthday to you." The room was nicely filled with friends. No family. These friends are his family. And they had just finished crooning out a couple of creative versions of the tune for the birthday guy. Pretty special for the sixtieth year of a dreamer who lived through a nightmare of a childhood. Time To Remember Orphaned in Calgary. Into foster care in Edmonton. Sent to the Michener Centre in Red Deer. Yes, that one. Those are experiences that John Benes would like to forget. This night's festivities will be ones that John will always remember. We celebrated as a diverse group united by connections with John that spanned generations and decades. He's that kind…
Bob JonesJune 1, 2019
Holding yourself together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart - that's true strength. Kristen Fersovitch was one of the strongest women I know. (more…)
Jones BobMay 18, 2019
My name is Katelyn and if you can believe it I used to be a normal kid. I’ve always been short for my age but nothing like I am now. I haven’t grown at all because of my chemo treatments over the past two years. (more…)
Bob JonesMay 17, 2019
Scot McKnight is a theologian and a storyteller, which makes for the best combo in communicating complex concepts. The theological term for his subject is "ecclesiology." The everyday term is "what-the-church-is-all-about." The kind of church Scot McKnight describes in A Fellowship of Differents isn’t your parent’s church or for that matter your grandparents’ church. It's way older than that, going all the way back to the New Testament. (more…)
Bob JonesMay 14, 2019
Reading Kevin and Julia Garratt’s experiences in Chinese captivity left me feeling nauseous. The story of their arrest, captivity, grueling interrogations, and intense suffering over 775 days is chronicled in such a way as to create a vicarious experience. This is one book you will need to read in 2019. Whatever your circumstance, the Garratt’s vulnerability, honesty, faith, and humor will resonate with your spirit. (more…)
Bob JonesMay 14, 2019