John Stuart

This morning, I received a lovely card from someone in my congregation. On the front, it had a picture of a beautifully lit church standing beside a gently flowing stream. Inside was a cheque donated to Erin church, along with one simple … Read more

For some people, anxiety is a chronic illness which paralyzes them emotionally and exhausts them physically. They struggle with everyday tasks and try their utmost to combat feelings of unworthiness and insecurity which riddle their … Read more

I like sharing videos with my grandson, Andrew. Each week, he learns some new words, or has started a new game, or wants to show Evelyn and me either a new book or a toy that he has been given. It's wonderful to experience the joy that he … Read more

The Greek word for anxiety is "merimna" which means to be distracted or divided, to fall apart or to be split into pieces. It is a good description of something that we all experience when life hits us hard. One day, everything seems to … Read more

When I looked at the Old Testament Psalm 23, I realized that those ancient words of David would be very reassuring and valuable to us in our present circumstances. The sole purpose of a shepherd is to look after all of the sheep under … Read more

Most of the lessons that we learn about life usually come through some sort of trouble or suffering. Pain and pressure, heartache and hard knocks have ways of strengthening us after we endure them. We may not have chosen that way for … Read more

Recently, I watched my grandson playing with some blocks. He was cheerfully building a tower by piling each brick one on top of the other. At some point, the tower became unstable, and he laughed loudly as the blocks tumbled down. He … Read more

Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night, and I remember something that I foolishly spoke or an embarrassing mistake that I committed years ago. The event or the expression that I used stings my pride, and I feel sorry for having … Read more

Like most pastors, I often wake up in the middle of the night thinking about and worrying over people in the congregation that I serve. I guess that other professionals — doctors, teachers, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and … Read more

Quite recently, I've started to watch a cable channel which is totally dedicated to auto mechanics. I know practically nothing about cars, but I find these programs fascinating. Each program usually begins with an experienced mechanic … Read more