Finding the balance between humour and seriousness can be tricky at times, and that tension between whimsy and wisdom is one I'm always conscious of as I prepare these newsletters. I want them to make you smile, even chuckle, but I also hope they give you something to reflect on, whether it's a word of comfort or a word of challenge. 

Finley Peter Dunne, an American journlist born in the late 1800s, once said the role of newspapers was to "comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable." I've heard this quote used to describe the role of preachers, which may or may not be a good fit. I've been a journalist (to some degree) and I've also been involved in church ministry (to some degree). I confess that at times I enjoyed "afflicting the comfortable" more than I should have. Now I tend to want to comfort the afflicted. But we all need both types of help, don't we?

Your doctor will treat your ailments, stitch you up, and prescribe medication, but he or she will also warn you when you need to change your diet, drop a bad habit, or work fewer hours. Doctors don't really care if you like them—they just want to do the right thing and see you get better.

This edition of Whimsy & Wisdom is a bit of a mix. Thank you for inviting me to share some of my thoughts and discoveries with you every week. It always brings me joy when one of you sends me a note telling me how a particular item spoke to you, encouraged you, or simply made you laugh. :)

Have a fantastic day!

When was the last time you wondered, How am I ever going to get through this? or When will this end? I’m going to assume it wasn’t all that long ago for most of us.

In the last 16 months, we all had to come face to face with a global pandemic that not only made hundreds of thousands fatally ill, but also sparked widespread panic, stress, and confusion. We all had to make adjustments to our work, family, and social lives. Rules about masks and social distancing and the question of vaccines became divisive issues for many families and friendships. Besides all this, we have had ongoing debates on political and societal issues, further dividing communities and families that were already hurting.

And then there are individual, personal problems. Broken relationships, children who have walked away from the Lord, lost jobs, sickness, accidents, fatigue, loneliness, phobias… The list goes on and on.

You know you have to trust God, be patient, and keep obeying, but it’s too much. It’s too hard. Don’t you just want to give up sometimes, to stop trying, to stop praying, rather than risk the disappointment of not getting the answers you hope for?

Wait. Stop. Listen to this: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

One of my favourite songs is No Impossible with You by I Am They because it always reminds me to put my hope in Jesus Christ. It is a prayer with this chorus:

There’s no heart You can’t rescue,
no war You can’t win,
no story so over it can’t start again,
no pain You won’t use,
no wall You won’t break through.
It might be too much for me but there is no impossible with You.

Can I get an amen? Jesus Himself told His disciples: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Amen!

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:20-21).

The Bible is full of examples of “impossible” things God did, which is why it’s crucial that we immerse ourselves in God’s Word. The more our minds are saturated with His proven promises, the less room there is for destructive thoughts from the enemy.

Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you (1 Samuel 12:24).

• A Yellow Penguin!

Here's a rare look at leucism (a bonus vocabulary word this week that refers to a partial loss of pigmentation in an animal or human) in a penguin, spotted in the South Atlantic by a Belgian wildlife photographer. Pretty. . . or pretty weird?

• Don't Obsess About Your Post-Lockdown Looks

I'm sure we'd all like to think that we're not so vain as to worry about some extra weight or new wrinkles or grayer hair that mysteriously appeared while we were dealing with COVID restrictions. Yet a lot of us ARE feeling self-conscious. As this New York Times article points out, you're not alone. (I, at least, am with you!)

• 6 Ways to Conquer Fear

Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.

– also unknown