Years ago when my father died suddenly of a heart attack, his loss was unexpected and enormous, and I felt as if my entire world had shifted on its axis. I remember wondering, how can everyone and everything else go on as normal? How could the sky still be clear and cloudless? How could students … Continue reading In Deep Grief and Deep Gratitude
On Saturday, February 19, 2022, my husband had been in the hospital for three weeks dealing with complications from his cancer, but he was feeling better and asked for some wonton soup. "Great idea," said his doctor. "Wonderful," said his dietician. So I brought my husband the wonton soup he asked for, and spooned some … Continue reading Safely Home With God
This week my too-much-to-do list includes connecting with my publisher about my next book, confirming the text and title for my next sermon, starting my class prep for Sabbath: A Life-Long, Life-Giving Rhythm, tending to my social media and the Facebook pages for my church and writers' guild, picking up my husband's medications from the … Continue reading Too Much to Do? Choose the Better Part
Until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of an "atmospheric river," but by now those of us who live in British Columbia have become all too familiar with the term. When one of those rivers in the sky released its torrent, we experienced such massive flooding and mudslides that my city and our … Continue reading Hope Is Drawing Near
I love playing with words, whether it's relaxing with a New York Times crossword puzzle, or learning to solve cryptic crosswords, or using different letters to paraphrase Psalm 23. So for my last sermon, I thought of including my own acrostic psalm of thanks in keeping with my sermon text from Psalm 111. "I will … Continue reading Thanks Be to God!
Have you ever walked away from a conversation obsessing over what you should have said instead? What would have been better? What could have been clearer? I felt that way after last week's webinar on Living Well After the Pandemic hosted by Faith Today. It was an honour for me to be invited as one … Continue reading Pandemic Lessons to Carry Forward
"Dear Friends . . . we have confidence before God" (1 John 3:21). That’s an amazing statement of faith, isn’t it? In this ongoing pandemic that has re-shaped so much of life, in times of loneliness and distress, in times of illness and loss---dear friends, we have confidence before God. When you spend two days … Continue reading Dear Friends, We Have Confidence Before God
For Lent one year I wrote a series of dramatic monologues featuring a scribe, a woman in the crowd, Pontius Pilate (the governor who had sentenced Jesus to death), and Simon Peter (one of Jesus' closest disciples). Each reflected on the choices they had made concerning Jesus, what led to their choice, and what if … Continue reading New Day, New Choices
April Yamasaki 