In the fall of 1959, two men sat across a chessboard. One was Vasily Smyslov, former World Champion—calm, precise, a technical master. The other was Mikhail Tal, a 22-year-old Latvian genius nicknamed The Magician, famous for moves that left onlookers speechless. Smyslov—ever the pragmatist—opened with the well-worn Caro–Kann Defence. Tal followed the script for a... Read More →
I want to begin with the story of Anastasia. She was born to an unremarkable family in the Czech Republic. Eastern Europe has a proud heritage of musical excellence, and her mother—Nadia—had played a little violin as a girl. So, on Anastasia’s eighth birthday, she handed her daughter a small wooden case. By nine, Anastasia... Read More →
There’s an old story about a small kingdom perched high on a mountain—though “mountain” may be generous. It was really a hill, just high enough to lift its people above the valley below. From that height they could see every road and river that ran through the farmland spread beneath them. The mountain folk lived... Read More →
There was a season of my life where I worked as a web developer for an agency based out of Kamloops. And while I was there I got to work with some amazingly talented people. One in particular always stands out to me; her name was Lea, and she was one of the greatest designers... Read More →
Gary turned 40 in 1964, and like every other man of his generation, his attention was captured that spring by the launch of the Ford Mustang. It was magical — the roar of that V8 driving 2,500 pounds of pure Americana, 271 horsepower, and a 4-speed manual transmission. He wanted it desperately, but he couldn’t afford... Read More →
Paul’s time under house arrest in Rome paints a vivid picture of joy in the midst of adversity. Bound to a soldier, living on his own resources, and awaiting a trial that could end in his execution, Paul’s circumstances were far from ideal. Yet, rather than despairing, Paul seized the opportunity to preach the Gospel,... Read More →