What is the Christian perspective of self-care?, asks Amelia Warkentin in her award-winning speech for the C. Henry Smith Oratorical Contest. I love the way she frames her answer with her own experience, research, and reflection on Scripture, including her reading of my book, Four Gifts: Seeking Self-care for Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength. It's an … Continue reading Finding Peace Through Self-Care
Merry Christmas, and God's rich blessing for the coming new year to all of my dear readers! May the many glittering lights of this season remind you of Jesus, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, the Light of the World today and every day. If you ever experience FOMO--the Fear Of Missing Out--today's article is … Continue reading The Best of 2017 From April Yamasaki
Where I live in B.C., the smoky haze is finally clearing, and I can actually see some blue sky this morning! Yet as a province we're still in a state of emergency due to wildfires continuing to rage out of control in some areas, with more evacuation orders issued over the weekend. So I've been trying … Continue reading How to Pray Against Racial Hostility
That title is quite a mouthful, isn't it? And doesn't it over-reach by suggesting that empowering entrepreneurs is a solution to poverty? Consider systemic racism in North America, conflict in Israel-Palestine, famine in South Sudan, violence in Congo, and other ills at home and around the world. The causes of poverty are so many and … Continue reading Empowering Entrepreneurs and Creating Enduring Livelihoods as Solutions to Poverty
Since I started blogging, I've seen many other blogs come and go. Some were created for a specific time and purpose with a limited life span. Others fell into disuse and eventually closed. Some bloggers grew tired or disillusioned or both, and left the often relentless pace of blogging behind. Unfortunately that means that some … Continue reading On a Pilgrimage, Following Jesus
What does it mean to pray for our enemies? For the terrorist taking many lives in response to other grave wrongs, for the known or unknown assailant afflicting apparently senseless violence, for the thief who breaks into your house in the middle of the day and steals your things and sense of safety, for the … Continue reading How to Pray for Your Enemies Even When You Don’t Want To
I've written before on praying for peace and how to pray for peace when you can't find the words, but I'm still wrestling with how to pray for peace. If faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain (Matthew 17:20-21), then why can't our prayers bring peace? Is our faith so small, … Continue reading How to Pray Powerfully for Peace
Last year I participated in an Interfaith Symposium for the first time, and this year I gladly accepted a second invitation, again as part of a panel with several speakers, this time on fasting as a divine source of spiritual and physical health. Like last year, I was impressed by the warm welcome of our … Continue reading In the Christian Faith, How is Fasting a Divine Source of Health?
April Yamasaki 