“You are the light of the world… let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14–16 (NLT) I grew up in a great church where both my parents pastored. Near the end of our services, we often played soft organ music before inviting people to come to the front for prayer. Miracles were a regular occurrence, and as a little boy I was excited to go to church to see what God would do. But when I became an emergency responder, I wasn’t surrounded by soft organ music when people needed prayer—only the screams and moans of the sick. Some nights I could not get the smell of blood or thoughts of being with …

When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. Matthew 9:36 (MSG) When I was about 19, I began a job as an emergency responder. I can vividly recall one of my first calls because it started me on the journey I’m still on today. When we arrived on the scene, the first thing I heard was a little toddler crying. He was sitting in the middle of the highway, surrounded by broken glass and wearing only a diaper. A crowd had gathered but no one dared touch him since he had been thrown from the vehicle on impact. Not far from him lay a baby with a fractured skull who was beyond …

Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1–3 (NLT) Canadians are loved worldwide. In fact, one T-shirt company actually sells a package for those who want to “go Canadian” when travelling abroad. The package includes a Canadian flag T-shirt, luggage patch and a quick reference guide on “how to speak Canadian, eh!” I’m proud to call myself a Canadian, but I don’t always agree with everything our leaders do. No matter what country you’re from, I’m sure you can relate. Regardless, we can still be thankful for our leaders. Actually, God …

Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot. Proverbs 26:8 (NLT) When I was a kid, I learned how to make my own slingshot. I would tie a string to both ends of a piece of leather and then placed a rock inside. After whirling it around a few times, I’d let go of one of the strings to launch the rock, but sometimes the stone would drop out of the sling as I started the wind up. One day I had an idea—I would make the leather sling into more of a pouch so the rock wouldn’t drop out. The first time I tried my new-and-improved slingshot, I wound up and let go of one string, expecting the stone …

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV) You can keep working at your goals while believing good things will come.  Many times we think that prayer involves asking God for something and then waiting for Him to come through. Sometimes we even think that doing something about the problem ourselves shows a lack of faith. Actually, that’s not true. Early on in our married life, my wife Sally and I were in need of three hundred extra dollars one month. We agreed together in prayer that our need would be met, and then I asked my boss for a few extra shifts at work. I …