Michael Heykoop

When you hear the term "Armageddon," what images come to mind?  Perhaps you picture an asteroid crashing into the earth, a nuclear war ravaging the world or an epidemic snuffing out all life from the planet.  The term has become synonymous with the phrase "the end of the world," and many believe that it marks the end of all life on earth!

As a society, we love a good story. Writers can make millions of dollars crafting thrilling tales to keep us on the edge of our seat. The most common formula used is that of good versus evil.

Some years ago while traveling abroad, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the grave of Winston Churchill, at St. Martins Church in Bladon, England. As I sat at the foot of his grave, I felt a strong sense of comfort and safety. My thoughts fell on just how close Britain and the Commonwealth had come to defeat and utter destruction in the Second World War. The world would not be the same even now if God had not directly intervened.

On February 28, 2010, Canadian Brian McKeever will line up next to the best cross country skiers in the world for the 50k event at the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.  He will do so with a distinct disadvantage – Brian is legally blind.  Stargardt's disease has claimed most of Brian's eyesight, leaving him with less than 10 percent vision, all of it peripheral.

Words can be powerful things. With so many similar words to choose from—especially in the English language—I am often amazed at how the use of a particular word or phrase in just the right situation can stop a reader right in his or her tracks. Perhaps this has happened to you. You read a certain line and are so struck by it that you have to pause and consider what it means for you.