Author Archives: jrcoggins

About jrcoggins

James R. Coggins is a professional writer and editor based in British Columbia, Canada. He wrote his first novel in high school, but, fortunately for his later reputation as a writer, it was never published. He briefly served as a Christian magazine editor (for just over 20 years). He has written everything from scholarly and encyclopedia articles to jokes in Reader’s Digest (the jokes paid better). His six and a half published books include four John Smyth murder mysteries and one other, stand-alone novel. In his spare time, he operates Mill Lake Books, a small publishing imprint. His website is www.coggins.ca

The Circle by James R. Coggins

Years ago, I lost a tooth after getting hit with a hockey stick while I was playing hockey—so I can claim to be a real Canadian. But I also broke a finger playing softball, so maybe I am just clumsy. … Continue reading

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Thomas by James R. Coggins

John 11:16 mentions the apostle “Thomas (also known as Didymus).” He is commonly called “Doubting Thomas,” but the Bible never calls him that. He did not believe the other apostles when they told him that Jesus had risen from the … Continue reading

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The Legacy of the Pen by James R. Coggins

My seven-year-old grandson was given a pen as a reward for some achievement at school. He put it into his shirt pocket because he thought it made him “look like Grandpa.” I was flattered. But it brought back memories. Many … Continue reading

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Balance by James R. Coggins

I recently came across an online discussion criticizing evangelicals for being focused only on preaching the gospel and winning converts. Instead, those involved in the discussion said that Christians should be focused on social justice issues, feeding the hungry, visiting … Continue reading

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Daniel’s End by James R. Coggins

Daniel chapter 5 tells the story of Belshazzar, King of Babylon, hosting a drunken party in 539 BC. In a direct challenge to the true God, he drank toasts to the Babylonian gods using the sacred goblets taken from God’s … Continue reading

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Children of God by James R. Coggins

When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, God declared, “This is My Son” (Matthew 3:17 NIV). Then Satan quickly tempted Jesus, saying, “If you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3,6). Satan was casting doubt, asking Jesus if He … Continue reading

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Words by James R. Coggins

Writers live by the word. And sometimes they die by the word. The pen is mightier than the sword, and, like a sword, it cuts both ways. When I was editor of a Christian magazine, we used to publish 25,000 … Continue reading

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Uncomfortable Preaching by James R. Coggins

Years ago, I was involved in the planning of a Christian writing conference. We asked the director of a highly regarded Christian theatre group to teach a seminar on writing plays. When he said yes, we asked him if he … Continue reading

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Gord and the Leghold Trap by James R. Coggins

I don’t even remember Gord’s name. It could have been Gord. But I vividly remember the story he told, even several decades later. Gord was probably in his thirties, he lived in the city of Winnipeg, and he had a … Continue reading

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The Valley of Dry Bones by James R. Coggins

In Ezekiel 37, the prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of a valley full of dry bones. God told Ezekiel to “prophesy” to the bones, to tell the bones to join back together, take on flesh, and begin to breathe … Continue reading

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Speaking with Alexa by James R. Coggins

Speaking with Alexa by James R. Coggins When our daughter told my wife and me that she was giving us Alexa for Christmas, I admit it was the cause of some confusion. Entirely our fault, of course. We’re old and … Continue reading

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The Name of God by James R. Coggins

When we think of praising the name of God, we often think of doing this verbally, as in the psalms, which were the Old Testament worship songs: “I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will … Continue reading

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Poems for a Busy Time by James R. Coggins

No one has time to read blogs in the busy time around Christmas. It is appropriate, then, that today I post some poems since no one reads poetry either. Seasonally Affected Disorder Our Christmas cactuses have glorious practices in November, … Continue reading

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Rachel Weeping for Her Children by James R. Coggins

In his Gospel, Matthew stated that Herod’s slaughter of the young children in Bethlehem following the birth of Jesus was a fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy: “Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: ‘A voice is … Continue reading

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A Love Story by James R. Coggins

Sixth and Last in a Series The marriage of Ruth and Boaz described in the Old Testament book of Ruth was not the usual love story. They got married following a social convention of obligation and need, not romance. They … Continue reading

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