Jane Berube

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2 When I was a little girl, I often fell asleep at the dinner table, waiting for dinner to be ready. One evening, while I patiently waited for dinner, I fell asleep and fell out of the chair. My toe hooked into the bottom of the chair and required immediate medical attention. My mother quickly rushed me to the hospital and to console me. She started s[...]

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1-2 Our children and young people around us are watching. They watch what we do, what we say, how we treat others, and how we show the love of Christ. Anyone who has ever spent time around children has probably noticed how, over time, they start to use the same expressions as us. Even in how we respond to things, they can pick up on o[...]

1 Corinthians 6:11 (NLT) says, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” As I was reading this passage of scripture, I was reminded of a man I had read about who lives in London, England, named Joshua Coombes. Joshua Coombes did something that changed his life forever. He was walking to a friend’s house after finishing work at a hairdressing salon when he stoppe[...]

Matthew 26: 73 – “After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” In my recent bible reading in the book of Matthew, I came across the familiar story of Peter denying Jesus three times. This time, the Holy Spirit really illuminated verse 73 for me. In verses 69-75, we see that Peter was outside in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him and said, “you were with Jesus the Galilean.” But Peter denied it. Then[...]

It was a hot sunny day, and the lake water was a welcome retreat from the heat. Laughing and splashing about, my brother and I enjoyed swimming in the lake with two of our friends, Susan and Angel. With no care in the world, we were happy to have a place to play and enjoy the afternoon. Then, as quickly as the fun had started, it suddenly ended. We watched as Angel stepped into the water, right where there was a drop-off, and quickly disappeared. My brother dove below the surface of the water and saw her sink[...]

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:1(ESV). As I begin each year with fasting, I put aside distractions and things that keep me from God's word. One of those things for me is social media. Last year, in particular, I engaged in time online in a specific app, where opinions are freely expressed. I was curious to see peopl[...]

So often, we pray for God to move in our lives and change things about ourselves that we don’t like.  When we send up those prayers, we often don’t think to ourselves, “I wonder what he will use to make that change in me,”  and if I’m honest, I picture him just taking that thing away from me and making me a better version of myself.  Easy-peasy.  But that’s not how God works.  We have to go through a pruning and refining process, like precious gold and gems; we too need to be chipped away at,[...]

"He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." Psalm 91:4(NLT). Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you are fighting a battle, when you are scared, you just want to run and find a safe space where the rest of the world cannot find you? A bad diagnosis might come along, sickness creeps in, and no matter how much you pray, you still worry that things just won't get better. Your faith feels like a tiny vapour, and you are ju[...]

I remember as a young child shopping with my mother.  I always held a fear deep inside that I would somehow get separated from her and be lost.  I remember one particular day we were shopping, and I got distracted by something in the store. When I reached over and tapped her on the leg, I looked up, and to my embarrassment, it was not her.  The panic began to overtake me, and I could not see her anywhere in sight.  With tears in my eyes, I made my way around the store, only to find her near to where I had[...]

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8 ESV As I look out on a crisp Fall morning, I see the grass-covered in leaves, the trees bare and exposed to the elements, with their arms reaching towards heaven. Everything is covered in frost. The ground will harden as frost sets in, the flowers will fade and turn to brown piles on the ground. Everything has come to the end of its seasonal cycle, and we know to expect this every year. I cannot help but think of u[...]