Two years ago, in April 2018, a troubled young man drove a van erratically down Yonge Street in Toronto, Canada. He veered on and off the sidewalk, killing ten people and seriously injuring fourteen others. It was a terrible occurrence …( read more )

Here's a riddle for those of you familiar with church tradition: How are cake recipes and church bulletins alike? You'd likely agree that both list ingredients to be assembled and enjoyed. But did you remember the fire? Yes: They both …( read more )

God rarely opened His storehouse of snow in the place I lived at six years of age. But snow had been predicted for Christmas. I pressed my nose against the small window and watched in anticipation as the white snowflakes began to fall …( read more )

For a few years, American atheists promoted a "Christmas" message: "Keep the merry, dump the myth." This jarring promotion showed a picture of a laughing Santa, next to the suffering face of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns. It is quite …( read more )

The reflection of blue lights flashed in my rear-view mirror. Embarrassed, I pulled over. "Ma'am, can you explain why you were speeding?" "Officer, I wasn't paying attention." When I got home, I looked up the potential consequences: a …( read more )

While reading this verse, the picture of a transfer switch suddenly popped into my mind! A transfer switch is mounted near the electricity panel in a building that has a generator for backup power. The switch is a safety device which …( read more )

Our house burned to the ground when I was a young teenager. At that time, clear across town, the city was planning to build a highway through a fancier neighbourhood, which meant tearing down every house that stood in its way. With our …( read more )

He lay almost motionless — a Superman tattoo on his arm. My brother-in-law often kidded that he was Superman. And he had been. He survived things that had killed many people. Though a young man, several heart attacks had damaged his …( read more )

On Valentine's Day, like many others, I will wear something red. For a special date, a woman might wear that little black dress and pearls, or other "glad rags" (party clothes). In this world, fashions come and go. Sadly, modesty …( read more )

I recently wrote a devotional about our foster child in the Philippines. She's a principal now and is in charge of several schools. We keep in touch through Facebook, and she often posts pictures of the schools, which are usually in old …( read more )

My late Scottish mother-in-law taught me this song. We always got a chuckle out of it when she sang it, especially because she had false teeth. Last night there was murder at the fish shop A wee dug stole a haddie bone A big dug tried tae …( read more )

My grandparents were wonderful people, and they had thirteen children! When I was a child, they lived within walking distance, and every day, I loved going to their house. They always found time for me and always made me feel so loved …( read more )

In my spirit, I heard it as plain as day: "Cheryl, I know thee well." It didn't seem like an accusation, but it was a statement that went straight to my soul and pierced me deeply. I have never forgotten it! I had been 30 years of age …( read more )

For two decades, my wife and I led the weekly Young Adult Class (14-19) at our church. The first weekend in February, we would have a retreat at an inviting resort. We always had a guest leader who would journey with us to enjoy a weekend …( read more )

In my garden, there are several beds of perennials. Each bed has a different name in order to identify it when I am describing a location to my husband. Apart from the obvious, like the Iris Bed and the Hosta Garden, there are the …( read more )

As I'm driving down a nearby street, I see two young girls playing croquet in their front yard. It's a simple game involving a wooden ball, a wooden mallet, and some wire hoops. The goal is to get the ball through the hoops in the right …( read more )

Recently, we had a church picnic planned for a Sunday afternoon at a local conservation area. The weather forecast for the entire weekend wasn't good. Saturday was dull all day. The forecast for Sunday didn't look much better. Early …( read more )

Sometimes, the things that we see deeply affect us. It may be a tragic news report on the television, or a picture posted online of some disaster far away. It could be the hurt that we see in a loved one's eyes, or real disappointment in …( read more )

Death. Funerals. They're both a part of what I experience as a full-time vocational minister. I don't enjoy either of them, but they come with the territory. Death comes to the young, the old, and all ages in between. Comforting those who …( read more )

A story passed down from 1916 in our family is of my grandfather yelling to my grandmother, in a frantic moment when their farm house was on fire with no hope of it being saved, "If you go into that house one more time, I'll not go in. Our …( read more )

"Left" versus "right" — these two ideological sides are splitting apart our world with increasing intensity. I find this unsettling. Perhaps it's because there's no actual midpoint, no fixed place where a plumb line of truth can rest and …( read more )

What? Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing a broken piece of pottery using gold, platinum, or silver mixed with lacquer. I learned about it on the Internet. Rather than throw away a treasured and precious possession, something that …( 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 )

I am going through some health struggles, which can affect me both emotionally and spiritually. It often means that I don't deal with other people very well, especially if I feel ignored, misunderstood, mistreated, rejected, or alone. When …( read more )

Our eighth grandchild is due in the next week or so, and though he or she already has a place in our hearts and in our family, thus far, the baby doesn't have a name. Hundreds of names have been deemed unsuitable. Our name is our …( read more )

It was only 4:45 a.m., but I was up and out in the backyard trimming back rampant wild roses. As I clipped away, I was glad to be able to make good use of the daylight hours, as I know that here in the north, the darkness will soon be upon …( read more )

A favourite hymn of mine is The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended, and the fourth verse never fails to move me: The sun that bids us rest is waking Our brethren 'neath the western sky, And hour by hour fresh lips are making Thy wondrous …( read more )

It kept returning — that pesky little spider! The creature was free to explore the wide world of nature during the outdoor worship service. Yet it preferred my notes — the very spot from where I was preaching. Finally, after several …( read more )

My wife loves the challenge of doing jigsaw puzzles. She handpicks each piece and ponderingly places it somewhere on the board. The individual piece may fit, or she may set it nearby for an eventual link to some other piece of the puzzle. …( read more )

Early on Easter morning, I was out walking with our dog, a morning ritual that I have come to enjoy as much as she does. It was a beautiful morning, sunny and cold, and we were out very early, so we were able to watch the sun rise on our …( read more )

Every Remembrance Day (or Veterans Day), I am deeply touched as members of our little community take turns placing wreaths of remembrance at the base of our town's cenotaph. Each wreath represents a different era: a war which has been …( read more )

The area where I work is dotted with large lots and homes. There aren't many fences, but there are a lot of dogs that all remain on their property as we walk by. Recently, I was on a walk with a lady that I support, and three dogs were …( read more )

I am fairly busy as a musician, and every year, it seems that I am always booked on the weekend when our friend, Walter, has his bluegrass festival that we want to attend. This year, we let the band know well ahead that we were not going …( read more )