When I collected my mail today, I found a greeting card that I had mailed weeks ago, returned to me marked "Return to Sender". It surprised me because the address I had mailed it to was the address given to … Read more

While reading Psalm 136 to my autistic son, I could not help notice the surprised look on his face. At that moment, I realized how pleasantly this psalm must have resonated in his mind with the constant repetition of the … Read more

Prayer is one of the most remarkable privileges of the indwelling Spirit. Through prayer, we breathe with the breath of God's Spirit. We exhale impure air — such as our complaints, our honest confessions, and our disturbing thoughts. In prayer, … Read more

As season leads to season, one year after another, comes the season of Christmas, heralded by Advent, when we sing: Prepare the royal highway; The King of kings is near! Let ev'ry hill and valley A level road appear! Then … Read more

My friend says that she's figured out the answer to her weight problem. The label on her shampoo promises "extra volume and body". Jokingly, (I trust!) she says that instead she will start using Dawn dish soap in the shower, … Read more

"It's what's on the inside that counts." How many times have I heard that saying and even uttered it myself? It's normally reserved for those who don't measure up to society's definition of beautiful, so we comfort people by telling … Read more

Each year, our town hosts a formal English tea on the Tarahne, an historical boat from the gold rush era. Both my daughter and I pitch in to help with the baking, preparation of savouries, and serving for this special … Read more

As there were for the apostle Paul, there are still so many pressing and perplexing troubles. We see our personal problems, family problems, church problems, community problems, regional problems, national problems, world problems. How can we handle it all? We … Read more

It began as a good day, those many years ago. Behind the steering wheel of my brother's car, I was about to have my first lesson in learning to drive. Beside me in the passenger side sat my brother and … Read more

I love seeing the moon and the stars in the night sky, but I guess that I'm going to miss them in eternity. This verse from Revelation makes it quite clear that night and darkness will have no place in … Read more

For many years, scientists have been trying to establish the missing link in the so-called evolutionary process from ape to human form. Some have laid claim to finding the link, only to be proven wrong and even deceptive, such as … Read more

Uprooted again! Two years ago, I was hoping that I would not have to make another move in this life or look for a place to spend my late years and eventides. During these two years, I have been thankful … Read more

A recent trip to the grocery store found me in the cereal aisle. There was cereal from one end of the aisle to the other. There was cereal that could be made hot, cereal to be eaten cold, cereal shaped … Read more

The book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, indicates that one way a shepherd tends sheep is to place pesticide on the animals to prevent parasites and insects. Sheep may worry to death or experience disease from such sources. W. … Read more

Time is a commodity that we never seem to have enough of. Regardless of what stage of life we are in — even in the retirement stage — we manage to get involved in many activities that fill up our … Read more

The quiet of early morning was broken suddenly by numerous loud distress calls from robins at the back of our house. The usual calm of their early morning routine — feeding, bathing, and teaching their young — had been disturbed … Read more

Many years ago, the morning that my daughter found her rabbit, George, hunched up, staring reproachfully at his frozen water bottle, was the day winter officially began in our home. George, a Netherland Dwarf, had the temperament of a mini … Read more

In 155 A. D., Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (Izmir, in modern Turkey), entered the arena. Before an angry, bloodthirsty crowd, the proconsul tried to persuade him to renounce his faith in Christ at the age of 86: But when the … Read more

Recently, I have been part of a program of severely restricted water consumption in the community where I live. This situation has been in progress for several weeks. We were advised that a bacterium, which had invaded our water supply, … Read more

Jesus never hesitated to pronounce scathing indictments against those who were pushing people away from God — like the leaders who burdened consciences with endless "shoulds" and "ought-tos". In spite of Jesus' sharp words, Christianity has retained this very bent, … Read more

Footprints in the Sand is a popular poem that recounts the story of a person walking on the beach with the Lord. As life scenes flashed before them, they noticed how only one set of footprints were visible during the … Read more

I have always fancied antique cars. But once I had handed off to my son my beloved 1940 McLaughlin Buick and sold the 1960 Dodge Phoenix, I began to collect model cars. Those became too expensive, so I settled for … Read more

We don't like to think about unpleasant things — like pain. We want to be positive in our thoughts; however, pain is real and must be dealt with. How often do we experience pain? Many of us live with it … Read more

Like most churches, it's stewardship season in our congregation. For six weeks, we are all supposed to focus upon what we give to God through the local church. Each Sunday, church members give testimonies about why they support the congregation … Read more

I have recently watched a few television shows about dying or death and what happens afterwards, ranging from the secular Dr. Oz to the spiritual 700 Club. We are all interested in it, even though we say that we don't … Read more

I have been given odds and ends of colourful yarn to knit special dolls. My senior hands don't hold the needles as they should or make the rows as neatly as they could be. Nevertheless, I enjoy creating dolls — … Read more

How exciting! We normally never win anything, yet our name had been drawn. We beamed as we were handed a beautifully-wrapped prize. Others quickly gathered round pressing us to discover its contents. Ooohhhs and aaahhhs soon accompanied the article we … Read more

In February 1997, a month after my father's passing, my brothers and I, living in different parts of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, each received a letter from a third cousin once removed (as my mother would say) of my … Read more

Just over seven months ago, I embarked on living a healthier lifestyle. With this has come a loss of seventy pounds and a much healthier me. Though the journey has been at hard at times, it has also been very … Read more

A bad experience in early childhood taught me that I didn't want to arrive at any gathering too early. This desire to arrive later has also gotten me into embarrassing experiences. Somewhere between being first and last, awake and asleep, … Read more