Category Archives: James R. Coggins

Finding Our Calling

Posted on December 4, 2019 by

I have a young grandson who is having trouble deciding what he wants to be when he grows up. He keeps encountering new occupations and changing his mind. When he started school, he decided he wanted to be a principal. … Continue reading →

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Away from the Puck

Posted on November 20, 2019 by

He is a young, professional hockey player, highly valued for his ability to score goals. For this reason, he has the potential to have a long and successful career as a professional athlete. He can be a star. But this … Continue reading →

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Living for God in a Pagan Society: What Daniel Can Teach Us

Posted on November 6, 2019 by

Do you ever feel confused or disappointed with what is going on in the world? Do you feel helpless before unwelcome trends in society? Do you feel pressured and isolated by what seems to be a pagan, God-defying culture all … Continue reading →

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Handling Criticism by James R. Coggins

Posted on October 23, 2019 by

Anyone with a public profile, including writers, inevitably receives criticism from to time. How do we handle it? I know criticism bothers some people greatly, but I have never had a great problem with it. Some of this has to … Continue reading →

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Fortune Cookies

Posted on October 9, 2019 by

Have you ever experienced opening a fortune cookie and finding a message that seemed very appropriate to your situation? A while back, I was in a Chinese restaurant. My dinner companion ate three fortune cookies and found three messages: • … Continue reading →

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It Was a Dark and Stormy Conversation

Posted on September 25, 2019 by

(A Short Story) “Harder was climbing out of a deep, dark well toward a distant, insistent ringing when his hand slipped under the pillow for his snub-nose 38 and he blasted the alarm clock, which was a replacement for the … Continue reading →

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Advice to a First Year University Student

Posted on September 11, 2019 by

The universities from which I graduated often ask me for things (mostly money). One, a secular, government-run institution, recently asked me to contribute a short note of encouragement and advice to a first year student. I agreed. And then I … Continue reading →

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The Best Is Yet to Be

Posted on August 28, 2019 by

Over a quarter of a century ago, I was working as an associate editor for a denominational church magazine. The denomination decided to move me from central Canada to Canada’s most western province, British Columbia, so I could connect with … Continue reading →

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Al Buchholtz

Posted on August 14, 2019 by

Al Bucholtz called me this morning. At five a.m. He said he was Al Bucholtz, he was 82 and he had had a stroke. Interesting information, but I wasn’t sure why he was telling me all this. He said he … Continue reading →

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Letting Go

Posted on July 31, 2019 by

Nothing good is likely to come from a conversation that starts with the other person calling me “immature, stupid, and ignorant.” Yet this was what G. alleged when he contacted me by email a little while ago. G. was responding … Continue reading →

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Panfilo de Narvaez

Posted on July 17, 2019 by

If you were paying any attention in school, you know of Hernan Cortes, the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico with only a few hundred soldiers, and Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire … Continue reading →

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Growing Wild

Posted on July 3, 2019 by

I am pleased to announce that we have gone green. Or organic. Or wild. I am not a professional gardener, so I am not sure of the precise term. What I mean is that we have converted the big flower … Continue reading →

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News Reporting in Jeopardy

Posted on June 19, 2019 by

  Media for $200 Alex Trebek is the Canadian-born host of the TV game show Jeopardy and is reportedly a committed Christian. He has also been battling pancreatic cancer. A few weeks ago, the news on our local TV station … Continue reading →

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Boom and Busted

Posted on June 5, 2019 by

A couple pf weeks ago, my son-in-law was mowing our lawn when our lawn mower suddenly stopped working, for no discernible reason. I was puzzled, so I sent the attached picture to my brother, who is much more mechanically inclined … Continue reading →

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When Mother is Queen by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 8, 2019 by

Many women don’t need Mother’s Day. This is because they are treated like royalty all year long. When a woman is treated like a queen, it means that: She is expected to be present at an endless round of athletic … Continue reading →

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