On top of an old wooden box telephone hanging on the wall in Mother Rowe's veranda, a robin built her nest. She faithfully set on the eggs and hatched all four. When the babies were just two days old, tragedy struck. A cat got the mother …( read more )

I hobbled along, sore of foot, determined to make it around the block in good time. Just past the bend, I came upon a most bewildering sight. Stopping and startled, I tried to make sense of what was happening in front of me. A tall, older …( read more )

My husband John and I farmed for many years. Each summer, we grew a huge garden. We had a small greenhouse to start some vegetables early. I loved to be out in the garden to weed and watch things grow. Seeds were planted and patience was …( read more )

Have you ever thought about how many "firsts" that we all experience in a lifetime? Some of those firsts we don't remember at all: our first breath, first step, first birthday, first tooth … . But the years tumble along, and we begin to …( read more )

When God suggested that we move, I wanted a house that was new. After all, I had suggested to God, "This is what You should want for us, right?" God heard, but had different, better plans. It is an older bungalow with an attic which has …( read more )

The Indonesian archipelago consists of 17,508 islands, of which about 6,000 are inhabited. For about 300 years, these islands were called the Dutch East Indies. First mention of the Dutch being there was around 1595. In 1800, it became a …( read more )

An inheritance is something passed down from parents to their children or other persons named in their will. As a child of my parents, I inherited their cottage when they passed away. When my husband and I retired, almost twenty years ago, …( read more )

When we lived in England, we resided in a pleasant town just south of London. One Friday evening, we were away to London for a show, and on Saturday morning, I saw that there was a broken window in the door of the back entrance to the …( read more )

Once in a while, I enjoy doing a word puzzle to enhance my vocabulary and concentration skills. The goal of one particular game was to find as many words as possible within the phrase, REMEMBER YOUR VALENTINE. It is believed that these …( read more )

Throughout our married years, as times and people came and went, our Thanksgivings consisted of hosting parents, relatives, friends, university students, and then, our adult children and little grandkids. However, as time moved on, …( read more )

Some days, I'm in a lot of pain. It seems that my whole body aches. Other days, it's like the pain moves from one place to another. It might be my legs or my feet or my knees or my hands. Oh, the joys of getting older and having arthritis! …( read more )

There are some folk who don't believe in Jesus because they don't want to, and they easily find reasons not to. There are others who would really like to believe, if only they had assurance that the gospel is believable. There are many …( read more )

Last Sunday at worship, the sermon dealt with the changing times and the closing of so many churches. It made me feel so sad, for I see the changes all around me. What can I do? What does Jesus intend for our future as a Christian body — …( read more )

With curiosity, I watched an interesting video showing the work of a street evangelist. Most people walked right by him, paying no attention at all. He was asking the question, "Are we good people?" There were a few who stopped to listen. …( read more )

As I drove along the road, there was a very large truck in front of me. As the truck moved along, I noticed that as it went by, grass and branches danced and swayed, dirt made little whirlwinds, and sometimes, garbage flew around. This …( read more )

One day when I was downtown, I saw a young girl I know hugging three guys, and then before she left, I heard them all say, "Love you", and they went their separate ways. I asked my daughter about this, for she knows more about young …( read more )

Jack Patrick was just one of the usual tough, uncouth, young boys of our rough neighbourhood. Like the rest of us, he had a command of bad language and his share of bad habits. But Jesus found him and the change was quite evident. He …( read more )

On several occasions over the past twenty-five years, I have made lists of people for whom I wanted the love of God to become real. About ten years ago, I began to walk with God in a ministry of intercessory … (read more)

The foundation of the Christian message is the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord conquered death as He had promised. He was seen by a number of people on several occasions following His resurrection. One such occasion, was on … (read more)

The box is well weathered, but still intact, holding the book in place. I can remember as a child, on occasions when we moved, catching glimpses of this box, only for it to be put away again. It was never … (read more)

Recently, we had a Sunday storm with winds of ninety kilometres per hour. Rain fell steadily, making slick the ice-covered church steps and parking lot. Because of the wind, I found it difficult even to stand without being blown sideways … (read more)

There are many sets of "Commandments". As a hunter safety training instructor, I teach the "Ten Commandments of Hunter Safety" to every class, and strongly recommend compliance. Then, there are the "Safety Patrol Commandments" which we taught student Crossing Guards, … (read more)

Our congregation has recently begun the building of a new church. I pass by almost once a day. I have watched the land being stripped and brought to a grade level needed for construction. I know that this is part … (read more)

Recently, while I was reading a article on the Internet, the following title caught my eye: "Planet Earth: Birds of Paradise". When I clicked on the link, it was a video showing 42 different species of birds that are found … (read more)

When I was a child, we made a big deal out of Mother's birthday. Since it was always celebrated in September, we would usually make a card or a bookmark for our mother during recess or art class at school. … (read more)

We have all seen the signs and read the flyers offering "free" gifts. Our son recently read a sign outside a bank, which said, "Open a bank account and receive a free iPod." This was of interest to him, as … (read more)

I recently came across the path and life of another person who seems to have no family, who is not able to drive, and who is suffering from medical problems. This person is in their home, except for one trip … (read more)

My grandson spent last summer in the Navy Reserve. At the end of the training, his family and I went to the graduating ceremony. When we arrived, we asked for him by his first name, and no one knew whom … (read more)

In my green salad days (when I was young and inexperienced!), I couldn't understand why everyone didn't eagerly anticipate the Christmas season as much as I did. That is, until I had my own difficult season of mourning. When surrounded … (read more)

As a boy, I worked summers on my aunt and uncle's pig farm. Every week, I pumped out the sewage pit running the length of the pig barn with the "honey wagon". One particular day, I backed up to the … (read more)

Genealogical research is booming, now that DNA testing has arrived. I have researched one of my family lines back to the seventeenth century, but am now at a standstill to determine which of two people, who lived at that time, … (read more)

I don't know why she wanted to print her name so many times. Perhaps it was because of the pride that she had in her in accomplishment, but, when our daughter was five, she printed her name on everything within … (read more)

As the Christmas season approaches, my mind is consumed with the buying of gifts, especially for my children and grandchildren. I desire to give each of them a gift that conveys how much I love them — gifts that will … (read more)