Once a challenge, technology has almost relegated them to the annals of history. Mastering a road atlas is taxing. The more territory it covers, the less detail there is present and the more jumbled the highways, interstates, and cities … Read more

As I was doing some running along a lake path, I decided to do some off-leash training with my small dog, Miss Daisy. This is a path that often has a lot of runners, walkers, dogs, and even the occasional horse. There is a pretty wide … Read more

I remember saying those words to someone quite some time ago: "Let go and move on." In other words, let go of your past and start afresh. Sometimes, words are easier said than done, and sometimes, it is very hard to let go of the past. … Read more

Not long ago, my sister and I had a lot of fun using the photo booth software on her Mac computer. This program allowed us to take pictures with special effects that can turn our faces into the most ridiculous-looking images. Our photos … Read more

We've been hearing alarming reports on the disappearance of honeybees around the world. Bees leave their hives, never to return. It's called colony collapse disorder. The hives cannot be sustained in the absence of worker bees, and … Read more

It's been too long a time since I have heard a great testimony of faith. Presbyterians tend to be introverted, academic people, so getting church members to testify is like trying to draw blood from a stone. It's not that these people … Read more

It did not take long to seek for help for my toothache. I was able to put up with the increasing pain for only a day. A phone call was quickly made and an appointment set for dental evaluation. I was yelping in pain when I was told that … Read more

The cost to produce the penny is higher than the actual penny is worth. This is what the Canadian government concluded earlier this year when they decided that the penny would be phased out. They let us know that as of March 2013, the … Read more

From May until September each year, my husband keeps a hummingbird feeder outside our east-facing window. One of the delights of summer is the wondrous pleasure of watching the daily dance of "hummers" as they swoop, dip, sip, reverse, and … Read more

Recently, while dining out with some friends and acquaintances, one person at our table began a tirade about the food that had been presented that evening, using Christ's name in vain. This has happened on more than one occasion, so I … Read more

I wasn't at all happy when I discovered that I couldn't read the words on a page any more, no matter how long my arm was. I was even less happy when I had to purchase my first pair of reading glasses. And I was even more unhappy when I … Read more

Often, as my day unfolds, I have a hymn ringing through my soul, both the music and the words. It usually is a hymn that I have known since childhood. "Breathe on me, breath of God" is with me today, and I wonder what God is trying to … Read more

Every so often, we read about Christians being persecuted or killed for their faith — sometimes individuals, sometimes groups of people as they worship. I read one time that more Christians were killed for their faith during the 20th … Read more

I am attempting to grow Red Lion Amaryllis plants from seed. I hope to be rewarded eventually with a vivid red flower as big as my hand, which blooms after four years during Christmastide. I thought that it would be a challenge to … Read more

I've noticed in recent years that many kids are carrying backpacks to school, which look like they are a real burden to them. Some of them look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, as they trudge along the street. Interestingly enough, … Read more

I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the final report. The tale had grown, and the details were altered. You've probably played the game. Everyone sits in a circle, and the first person tells something to the next individual. The story … Read more

As I looked out my window this morning, I noticed a large, dark cloud looming behind the big evergreen tree on the front lawn. As I continued to look at the cloud, it became evident that the whole cloud had a glowing outline — something … Read more

In springtime, the birds in my area compete for nesting sites in my carport or in the rhododendron bush beside my house. Because my windows look directly into each place, I am afforded a bird's eye view of the goings-on. In no time at … Read more

I have a group of friends — seven of us — who met in Grade 9 and have remained friends since then. We started getting together at Christmastime every year, and went to each other's weddings. (Some of us were in each others' wedding … Read more

As kids' camps are preparing for the onslaught of the many campers they will minister to this summer, there is always apprehension and doubt. Will the camps be full? Will we get all the counsellors we need? Will we raise all the required … Read more

I love to watch the birds on a windy day, for the wind both challenges and supports them. When they are flying against the wind, sometimes it appears that they are not moving at all but caught, suspended in the air, beating their little … Read more

"How do you do it?" my friend stammered. "How do you go out and talk to them? I hate it. I don't know their names, and I hate crowds." (So that's why she was hiding in the broom closet.) After I explained that the guests probably felt the … Read more

Recently, I have been sharing my devotional writings with the people at work. I have had people ask me, "How you do it?" "Where do the ideas come from?" "How long does it take to write one?" "Can you write one about this or about that?" or … Read more

The huge baobab tree still stands strong beside the road to my grandmother's village. It has been an amazing landmark all these years. There are no road signs, traffic lights, or street names on the way to my village back in Africa. … Read more

"Tell me what your escape routes were," Rev. David Robertson asked his United Church congregation in High River, Alberta, Canada, to begin an impromptu worship service last Sunday. Just over a week earlier, on June 21, 13,000 residents … Read more

While I was growing up in a small town in the western part of Washington State, USA, walking was the rule; there was hardly a time when the car was removed from the garage. Even as a child, I walked on my own with confidence, not afraid … Read more

The Bible is rich with stories featuring angels. They are depicted as celestial ministering spirits. For example in the Old Testament we can read: In a discourse about little children Jesus is quoted as saying: Hamza Hassan from Saudi … Read more

As I was looking for some information about something the other day on the Internet, I kept landing on a site that was a couple of years old. I knew that there was a more current website, but the search engine couldn't seem to find it for … Read more

From 1967 to 1970, we lived in Vienna, Austria, and we had a minister friend who travelled to many countries in Europe to bring the gospel to different people, mostly behind the then Iron Curtain. On one such trip, on his way home, … Read more

In the late springtime, I found myself outdoors in the early morning, enjoying the quiet part of my day before entering into the business of Saturday. My family and weekend house guests were still fast asleep indoors, soon to wake. As I … Read more

Canada Day, July 1 last year, was a scorcher, and the temperature was still up, well into the evening. It wasn't quite dark yet, but the rhythmic booms signalled that backyard fireworks displays were already underway. I stood on the … Read more