Pointes Of View

Stories shape the world. You’ll find stories here of how Christian faith catalyzes values, relationships and purpose.  Check out the popular posts page, for a curated list of top articles.

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THE POINTES OF VIEW TOP 5 POSTS OF 2018

POST #1. WICKED STRONG: JOCELYN’S CANCER JOURNEY “I have cancer.” Jocelyn’s voice sounded a million miles away. Unreal. Words I never expected to hear from my wife. Read more here. POST #2. MY ENCOUNTER WITH GOD: AKIANE KRAMARIK Akiane Kramarik’s atheist parents were surprised when their three-year-old began to describe dreams and visions from God. This inexplicable direction in their daughter’s life, combined with a remarkable talent in art and poetry, inspired her family to re-examine their own lives. Read more here. POST #3. SILVER LININGS: VANESSA GLEW’S STORY On April 8th, 2013, I heard the words you never want to hear, “You have cancer.” My life was never the same from that day on. Fortunately for me the mass…
Jones Bob
December 30, 2018
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HOW TO HAVE YOUR BEST YEAR EVER

I was about to embark on my best year ever.  I just didn't know it at the time. All I knew is that I had an idea that would move me out of my comfort zone. For years I'd talked about writing a book. Now was the time to stop talking and get it done. Out Of The Comfort Zone In my wildest dreams I didn't foresee that within two years the book would be published, sell over 4,000 copies and win a Canadian national award. Your dreams and mine may not be the same but achieving them will follow a shared path. I couldn’t shake the thought that the year would be great if I not only achieved my…
Jones Bob
December 28, 2018
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BROKEN TO GLOW: LOSS, GRIEF AND MERCY

It wasn't supposed to end this way. Doug and Mimi Marchewka endured more than enough breathless moments after their only son, Hudson was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Its what CF families are told to expect. When Your Boy Has Cystic Fibrosis In November 2018 Hudson began palliative home care. Doctors warned they were facing their last Christmas together. They braced themselves. Talking to the head nurse of home care in December was sobering as she asked if the Woods had the funeral home they would be using picked yet. It hit home that he really didn’t have a lot of time left. Hudson was a big fan of Thomas the Tank Engine. One of his last family experiences was singing…
Jones Bob
December 26, 2018
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TO ALL FIRST RESPONDERS

First Responders They call him “Tuna.” He’s the kind of guy you want around in an emergency, not only because he’s a Paramedic but also because he could lift a truck if need be to save someone. Crazy Tough Before moving to Edmonton, Charles Blades competed on the Nova Scotia provincial rugby team, as well as a Pittsburgh rugby team, so you know he’s a bit crazy and tough. And I’m proud of the way he is using his abilities to serve people in the greater Edmonton area everyday. He’s one of Edmonton's first responders who run in when others are running out. He’s my brother-in-law. This is a shout out to every first responder at Christmastime. Gratitude for how…
Jones Bob
December 23, 2018
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NORTH POINTE STRONG

Preparing for round 3. It's not exactly what I had planned for Christmas this year. The timing of my "bad" days will put me right on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. With all that has been going on we weren't able to host our annual events or have the house filled with family and friends on a rotating basis. It's been a bit hard knowing that my favorite season has been and continues to be tainted by all this. Angela Hawrylak is a fighter. She is battling cancer - the fight of a lifetime. This is her second bout. In 2013 she was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Follicular Lymphoma - stage 3. Angela possesses a resolute courage that is helping…
Jones Bob
December 19, 2018
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A CREATURE WAS STIRRING

“His hair was shoulder-length, his youthful face hid behind an abundance of shaggy beard. Over tight, faded blue jeans and an old, bulky knit, he had thrown his pride and joy — a sheepskin wrap.” Where were you when you first heard Jerry Forbes reading A Creature Was Stirring? For me it was December 1990, in our '82 Cutlass Sierra, the radio dial tuned to Edmonton’s 630 CHED. Our family moved to Edmonton that August. We never heard of Santas Anonymous or Jerry Forbes. After listening to - or more accurately, experiencing - the recording, I would never forget it. A Christmas Classic Forbes first aired what has become a Christmas classic in 1966. His piece of creative writing -…
Jones Bob
December 16, 2018
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CHRISTMAS MAKES EVERYTHING NEW

Love makes a promise to me and you, Christmas makes everything new. Changing Everything Christmas divides time into BC and AD - "Anno Domini" - "The year of our Lord." Christmas changes how we spell God - "E-M-M-A-N-U-E-L" - "God is with us." Broken relationships, broken hearts, and broken dreams can be restored because of Christmas. A New Way Of Knowing God Christmas is the answer to the quandary of a man who told me, "For me, God is a big entity somewhere out there. He is neither personal, nor caring, nor loving. Never has been. At least not for me. How do I shed a harsh image of God? This is the only God I know. I can't seem…
Jones Bob
December 16, 2018
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WHY THE WRIGHT BROTHERS GOT IT RIGHT

115 years ago today (December 17, 1903), the brothers Wright on a field in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, lifted off to the sky and into history. Their 59-second flight at an altitude of 120 feet and at the speed of a jog was all it took to set in motion the winds of technological of change. Samuel Langley A few hundred miles away, Samuel Langley was recovering from his humiliation over a similar attempt that ended in failure when his test flight landed in the Potomac River. The Wright brothers and Langley were trying to achieve the SAME goal - they were both building the SAME project. BOTH the Wrights and Langley had a bold goal - build the world's…
Jones Bob
December 12, 2018
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MARY DID YOU KNOW?

“If anyone knew Jesus was virgin born, it was Mary and her silence at the cross is proof, I think, that her story was indeed true.” Mark Lowry crafted the lyrics of a song that's become a Christmas favorite on par with White Christmas and Silent Night. The prose of Mary, Did You Know? ignites imaginations with some of the deepest mysteries of Christmas. Lowry's mother, Bev, gave him the spark of his original idea. WHAT DID MARY KNOW? Mark says, "I just tried to put into words the unfathomable. I started thinking of the questions I would have for her if I were to sit down & have coffee with Mary." He wondered if Mary realized the tiny hands…
Jones Bob
December 10, 2018
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ADVICE TO YOUNG LEADERS: GEORGE H.W. BUSH

“I love you more than tongue can tell.” When George H.W. Bush was preparing to accept the Republican presidential nomination in 1988, he sent his speechwriter a list of notions that he believed best represented him. “Words I like: family, loyalty, kids, freedom, grandkids, caring, love, heart, decency, faith, honor, service to country, pride, fair play, tolerance, strength, hope, healing kindness, excellence...I like people; I’m proud of the USA; I like sports; I’m experienced; I love kids.” Yes, he loved kids so much he mentions them twice. President Bush passed away on November 30, 2018. Family is the cornerstone of his legacy. Family First There are things that could be said critically about his Presidency but make no mistake -…
Jones Bob
December 9, 2018