"Every day I come across moments that intrigue me, and I feel the need to capture them on canvas and share them with everyone else."
"Every day I come across moments that intrigue me, and I feel the need to capture them on canvas and share them with everyone else. When I paint I am able to express my thoughts and feelings in a unique and universal way. I use vibrant colours and bold brushstrokes. In painting wet on wet, I create new hues and colours I wouldn’t otherwise achieve, adding life to the paintings." – Hoda Nicholas
Hello Spring (30″ × 40″, oil on canvas) by Hoda Nicholas; HodaNicholasArt.com.
▪ From Anvil to Pulpit: The Spiritual Journey of P. W. Philpott, His Family and His Struggles for Ethical Integrity by David R. Elliott (Theological Resources, 2023). Biography of a travelling evangelist who broke from the Salvation Army in 1892 and created a new denomination based in Hamilton, Ont. He and his wife raised 13 children.
▪ Cuckoos in Our Nest: Truth and Lies About Being Human by Iain Provan (Cascade Books, 2023). Our current theological crisis is not asking, "Who is Jesus?" (as in the 4th century) nor "How can we be saved?" (as in the 16th). Now it is, "What is a human being?" Discussion-starting cultural reflections by a recently retired prof from Regent College (IainProvan.ca).
▪ Your Calling Here and Now: Making Sense of Vocation by Gordon T. Smith (IVP, 2022). A wise, clear, practical 176-page guide by the prolific president of Ambrose University and Seminary in Calgary (GordonTSmith.com).
▪ Christian Peace Principles: War, Capital Punishment, Property Disputes Between Christians, Abortion, Euthanasia, Violence in Sports, and Turning the Other Cheek Before the Middle of the Third Century AD by David W. T. Brattston (Wipf and Stock, 2023). Short 68-page collection of reworked articles by a prolific author in Lunenburg, N.S.
▪ The Lies That Bind: Exposing the Lies Keeping You From a Rich & Meaningful Life by Chris Quiring (self published, 2023). By pastor at Dresden Community Church in Ontario (ChrisQuiring.com).
▪ Anything but Ordinary: Finding Faith That Works When Life Doesn’t by Stephanie Morales-Beaulieu (Word Alive, 2023). First book by a daughter remembering the ALS death of her Filipino immigrant father and how a divine encounter changed everything (AnythingButOrdinaryBook.ca). Inspiring.
▪ Pursuing God’s Presence: A Practical Guide to Daily Renewal and Joy by Roger Helland (Chosen Books, 2023). Alberta author of seven books, professor, former pastor and is now prayer ambassador at The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (PursuingGodsPresenceBook.com).
▪ Iron Sharpens Iron: Friendship and the Grace of God by Michael A. G. Haykin (Union Publishing, 2022). Prolific Baptist professor of church history and biblical spirituality finds inspiration from three pastor friendships in the 1700s.