Posts by James Burden
Thanksgiving Every Day
October is upon us. Days are getting shorter. Pumpkin spice is in the air (and in our morning coffee). Soon, we will gather with loved ones to celebrate another Thanksgiving. In my house, it is a tradition to go around the dinner table and invite each person to name the things they are grateful for.…
Read MoreWinterize Your Giving
Even though we may be in denial, winter is just around the corner and it’s time to winterize! Whether it’s closing your cottage, changing to snow tires, or booking a last-minute vacation down south, we all have fall rituals that prepare us for the winter season ahead. Now is a wonderful time to take advantage…
Read MoreSimple Gifts
Some years ago, my wife’s great uncle and his wife were visiting from Germany and my family travelled to my in-law’s home to see them. Our kids were quite young at the time, and prone to wake up very early. Luckily, so was my mother-in-law, who often spent the wee hours with her grandchildren. Despite…
Read MoreMore than a Gift
Carla sat on the porch of the school in the hot afternoon sun. They had had more students show up today than ever before. Her stomach grumbled, a reminder that she had not eaten since breakfast. That meant that her husband Juan probably hadn’t eaten anything either. Carla stood up and started toward the small…
Read MoreYou Can’t Take It with You: The Benefits of Giving to Charity in Your Will
Jean Robichaud* remarried after spending several years as a widower. This happy change of circumstance meant he needed to update his will. However, when he and his wife sat down to talk about it, she explained that she didn’t wish to inherit anything. Jean knew he wanted to leave some of his assets to his…
Read MoreA More Wonderful World
Summer is a time to relax and play! Whether we’re visiting a far-off place, heading out to the lake, or just spending some time in our own back yard, summer affords us the time to pause and be grateful for this wonderful world we live in. Time to Appreciate What We Have The beauty of…
Read MoreDream Big…And Then What?
Is It Enough to Dream Big? The night before bone cancer took his right leg, Terry Fox lay in a hospital bed reading a magazine article about an amputee running the New York Marathon. That night, he dreamed of running across Canada and beating cancer forever. And what a dream it was. Thanks to Terry’s…
Read MoreHow to Make a Bigger Impact
There was a farmer who grew excellent quality corn. Every year, he won the award for the best grown corn. One year, a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about his growing practices. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours. “How can you afford to share your…
Read MoreLandscaping Your Generosity
The light streaming through a crack in the shades woke me earlier than I would have liked. I padded downstairs and brewed some coffee. The bright sun was already heating the house, so I took my cup to the backyard in search of some shade and a bit of breeze. The best I could find…
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