Mike Woodard
Mike is a small town boy who grew up on a hobby farm in Michigan. After finishing a science degree at Central Michigan University in 1977, Mike moved to Canada to begin working in university student ministry. He married Karen in 1978, after years of friendship that started in high school. Edmonton was their home for 11 years. Their son and 3 daughters were born in rapid order. Home base moved to Ottawa and then to their current home in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Mike and Karen have both finished MA degrees from Trinity Western University, ACTS Seminary. They currently serve with FamilyLife Canada. Their family has expanded to include 3 sons-in-law and two grandsons.
Mike enjoys backpacking in the stunning wilderness of Western Canada. A thrill seeker at heart, bungee-jumping, sky-diving, marathon and triathlon have been checked off his life’s “to do” list. His motto is, “Life is an adventure!” In the summer of 2012 Mike’s first book was released. Love That Lasts-52 Insights for Couples is a collection of insights that first appeared as weekly posts on the FamilyLife Canada website. The book is now available in English and French.
Lessons from a Three Year Old: Don’t get your clothes wet!
Prevent struggling to obey God: Take our online interactive study on “Listening to God” and receive personalized replies from one of our mentors. I was backpacking and camping with some friends and my 3 year old grandson joined us. We were setting up camp at a beautiful lake in the mountains. As I was working [...] Read More >
50/50?
Wednesday July 25, 2012 When our children were little they would often protest, “That’s not fair!” I’m sure I said it when I was a kid. My kind and gentle parental response was… “Life is not fair. In fact you would not like it if it was totally fair.” An adult version of the same [...] Read More >
A Boy’s Mysterious Gift… A Man’s Reflection
I looked at the gift. It was SO different than the others under the tree. With it’s careful wrapping and ribbon tied into a bow. A beautiful rich red paper had been chosen and it was much larger than the rest. Yet something was missing, there was no name. I couldn’t ask whose it was; [...] Read More >
A Good Friday Story
Take today’s next step: Share this video about Good Friday on your Facebook wall. “God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we [...] Read More >
A Life Tarnished and Out of Tune!
Do you need a touch from the Master’s hand? We can pray for you. Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT. Life’s lessons can come from unexpected places… I like thrift stores. I normally go to look for books but once in a while something else [...] Read More >
A Little Margin Please!
May 8, 2013 Richard Swenson, in his book Margin defines margin as “the gap between rest and exhaustion, the space between breathing freely and suffocating.” Swenson explains, “If we are overloaded we have no margin. Threshold points are not easily measurable and are also different for different people in different circumstances. Options are as attractive [...] Read More >
A Parent’s Reflection on Our Daughter’s Suicide Attempt
A perfect storm of disappointing circumstances took our daughter to the hospital for a suicide attempt, for part one of this story, click here. I’ve reflected on this event many times and have come to some conclusions as a parent… Parents are not mind readers. Yes we need to attempt to stay connected, observe, ask [...] Read More >
A Toddler in Traffic…
Wednesday August 1, 2012 I could not believe my eyes; a toddler riding a tricycle on a busy street! Pulling my car over as quickly as I could, I guided the little guy off the street to the sidewalk. I did not see an adult anywhere. I asked his name and where he lived, but [...] Read More >
Aligning Yourself with the Right Markers
Looking for some solid guideposts? Take our study Golden Nuggets from Philippians to learn how to live in a construction zone and where to find lights in a dark world. “So we fix our eyes not on what’s seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is [...] Read More >
Appreciation!
Appreciation is received by the soul like rain after a drought!!! It is so life giving. Appreciation is also a significant motivator. Much in life is taken for granted. A simple thank you or acknowledgement goes a long way to encourage a weary heart. What do you appreciate about the people around you? Tell Them. [...] Read More >