by Rev Phil | Feb 21, 2024 | Thinking Out Loud
Oprah Winfrey once said, “skiing is the next best thing to having wings”. I had no idea Oprah was a skier, so I looked it up. Not only does she ski, but she recently bought a $14,000,000 ski chalet in the Colorado mountains. Now that’s commitment!! I tested her...
by Rev Phil | Feb 14, 2024 | Thinking Out Loud
Happy Valentine’s Day!! According to experts who track such things, the average person will spend $176 on Valentine’s Day. Are you average? According to the same experts (who seem to have a lot of time on their hands), the thing that you are most likely to...
by Rev Phil | Feb 7, 2024 | Thinking Out Loud
In this winter that isn’t winter, I took a walk in the park. It was so warm the birds were out. Well, to be clear, the pigeons were out. A little girl who was at the park with her mom was trying to make friends with a small flock of them. She was following them around...
by Rev Phil | Jan 31, 2024 | Thinking Out Loud
We all need wisdom in our lives. And we all have places we go to find that wisdom. Some of us may turn to ancient and sacred texts such as the Bible or the Koran. Others of us may find wisdom in the stories of literary giants like Shakespeare, Jane Austen or Charles...
by Rev Phil | Jan 24, 2024 | Thinking Out Loud
Robbie Burns famously wrote, “There is no such uncertainty, as a sure thing.” Boy did those words come home to roost in Buffalo on Sunday night. With moments to go in the Bill’s divisional championship football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, a kicker by the...
by Rev Phil | Jan 17, 2024 | Thinking Out Loud
On the back wall of Northwest Barrie United Church, there hangs a series of banners on which is written the following prayer: “Today may there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities...
by Rev Phil | Jan 10, 2024 | Thinking Out Loud
So writes the poet: “In moonlit skies, a dance of light, Stars whisper tales through the tranquil night. A gentle breeze, a whispered song, Nature’s poetry, where dreams belong.” I love poetry. Growing up I found it to be a safe place of retreat, where I could go and...
by Rev Phil | Dec 27, 2023 | Thinking Out Loud
2023 is quickly winding down. What kind of year has it been for you? Are you excited for 2024? With the end of a new year comes the pressure to make changes. January 1st is a threshold in time, clearly dividing what is behind us from what is in front of us. Thus,...
by Rev Phil | Dec 22, 2023 | Thinking Out Loud
In 1818, a young Austrian priest named Joseph Mohr went for a walk on a cold and wintry night just days before Christmas. He climbed a hill and looked down on the sleepy village which was his home. He sighed deeply. His nation had suffered greatly during the...
by Rev Phil | Dec 13, 2023 | Thinking Out Loud
A few years ago, I wanted to use the sign outside of our church to advertise the upcoming Christmas Eve services. I didn’t have enough “c’s” for the sign, so instead of Christmas, I put “xmas”. Within a couple of hours someone from the church stopped into the office...
