Many years ago on the farm, we had chickens for eggs to sell to the neighbouring farms and African Guinea Fowl to grow for meat. This African bird has all brown meat. I was usually able to find a Guinea hen's nest, and I would wait … Read more

I was watching an episode of the game show, Jeopardy, when Dr. Sanjay Gupta was the guest host. One question was about the famous hymn, "Rock of Ages", written by Augustus Toplady (1740-1778). Rock of ages, cleft for me, Let me hide … Read more

I have resurrected my fanny pack, a small leather pouch with several zippered pockets, which belts around my waist. Within it, I now carry a bear banger to frighten off bears. The device looks a lot like a fountain pen. At one end, it has … Read more

Although this verse applies to worship, I even apply it to my kitchen cupboards! They must look orderly! That's why I remove certain food products from their bulky, messy packaging and store the contents in glass jars, displaying them in … Read more

When I look back over God's hand in my life, a time when I was in charge of a hostel for runaways in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, comes up. The police brought me two teenage girls, who knotted bed sheets while I was doing something … Read more

In Douglas Adam's 1982 novel, "Life, the Universe and Everything", he describes how a spacecraft managed to land in the outfield of a cricket match without being seen, because the spacecraft had switched on its own invisibility field … Read more

Are you ever amazed or surprised at what light reveals to your human eye? There is a small glass prism that sits on my kitchen windowsill. Sometimes, when the afternoon sunlight hits the prism just right, the bending of the light … Read more

Who knew that one compact disc (CD) could change the entire service? Our music leader was off for the day. My wife had spent hours putting music together, meeting with the sound technicians, and practicing with the praise team. Sunday … Read more

I felt like Elijah as I stood in the yard of my mountain home early in June 2021. "God, I see that little cloud. I know that You can use it to bring us rain. We need it so badly." Arizona had been in a drought for several years; the … Read more

Back in the day, I was raised under the tutelage and provision of God, in the pioneer spirit, acknowledging that God provides, and we were self-sufficient people within that framework. It was a family tradition to show love and save money … Read more

When I was thirteen, our family visited Czechoslovakia, but I developed pneumonia after a lingering cold. Treatment there in those days was cautious: bed rest and penicillin shots. I was in bed for a month! I had never met any of my … Read more

Have you ever had one of those days? Well, I had one today. It all started when I had to remove a sheet of plywood and screw it back onto a wall. The sheet came off easily, but lining all the screw holes up to put it back on was more … Read more

I will be the first person to admit that I am not a good gardener! I'm just not good with plants. I've been known to kill perfectly hardy house plants. At home, I am relegated to weeding and watering the garden, which is probably just as … Read more

I grew up in a small town, and even though I have lived in a big city most of my life, I still claim Mossyrock, Washington, USA, as my hometown. There were 32 of us in my high school graduating class, and none of us would be too … Read more

Throughout my many years in ministry, I've recognized that the invisibility of God is a problem for some people. Because He cannot be seen in person, they refuse to accept His existence. They think that if He were to turn up one day and … Read more

Tickly feelings on my fingers awakened me from my snooze in the recliner. I opened my eyes to see beady eyes glaring up at me. It was a wee mouse scampering onto my hand. In reflecting back, I'm less amazed by the little creature's … Read more

In the five years since we moved to our house, I have pruned, dug up trees, and replanted or planted anew bushes, plants, and trees. I am not an inborn gardener — unlike my mum who was — but I must have gleaned something from helping … Read more

At the start of the pandemic, much caught us by surprise. The stores ran out of any and every kind of sanitizer; there was no PPE to be found. Did we even know what PPE was? We were told not to "speak moistly", to wear a mask, and to … Read more

I knew that I was leaving, but I had a job to do. A textile mill wasn't on my list of places to work when I moved to Greenwood, South Carolina, USA, in the early 1980s. Greenwood was a textile city with mills scattered all over the town … Read more

As much as I look forward to the return of rain after the heat of summer. I dread it at the same time, as I hate the mess of mud. With the dogs and small children running about, there always seems to be an overabundance of it. Take the … Read more

We all enjoy receiving gifts and gifting others. Gifts can be given or received at any time of the year, and when we give or receive them from the heart, they are very special. A few days ago, my husband and I watched our great grandson … Read more

Our youngest son, Nick, invited his parents on an annual family hike. His family likes to hike to waterfalls, and they have found new waterfalls to explore for the past several years. The hike has to be in the easy-to-moderate category to … Read more

Years ago, after I had injured my ankle, I went to the doctor's office to pick up my new ankle brace. After receiving it, I took it back to my car to try on. I was quite discouraged when I realized that I had been given the wrong size of … Read more

Some memories of summer camp days linger — long, warm days at what was then known as Gracefield Presbyterian Centre, near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. As camp counselors, we always planned games for our young campers. One was a group race, … Read more

In the early days of the horseless carriage, a plank road was built through the deserts of Imperial County, California, USA. Thousands of planks were laid horizontally in an attempt to access that most difficult part of a commerce route … Read more

When I celebrate communion at the church, one of the main areas on which I focus comes when the celebrant says: "O Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us." It is one of the most meaningful points in the … Read more

For the umpteenth time, I found myself inwardly crying out, "O Lord, please help me. I don't know how to do this, and I need Your help." My husband Lynn suffered a major stroke in 2010 and was left with a weakened left side and little use … Read more

My father loved the Lord. Everyone who knew him or met him, knew it. Everywhere he went, he spoke about how Jesus loves us and came to save us. He also loved to sing. He sang everywhere — choruses, hymns, and little songs that he made … Read more

Dee, our 56-year-old daughter, entered the COVID-19 situation already in crisis because her husband of 31 years had died in September 2019, just before the virus began to spread devastation around the world. When COVID-19 lockdowns began, … Read more

Only Almighty God, His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit, and all that is in heaven are holy. On earth, His people should act in ways that are holy and treat God with reverence and respect. The use of the word "holy" as an … Read more