Our church has a group of volunteers — the men's work crew — who meet at the church every Wednesday morning from September to June to do odd jobs and minor repairs around the church building. Over the years, they have saved the church …( read more )

Years ago, my uncle walked from his workshop — the behind-the-hedge kitchen piece of the former old farmhouse — then he came out across the grassy house yard and into the kitchen of the newer house. He held out his hammer to me. He knew …( 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 )

I awoke on Saturday night close to 12:00 a.m. with sharp pain in a tooth. After forcing aspirin chips into a tiny cavity that I had previously not known existed, I slept until 6:00 a.m. when pain awoke me. More aspirin chips got me active …( read more )

As I sat lazily sipping my morning coffee, a sudden movement outside my large bay window caught my eye. There was a little black squirrel, scampering down the trunk of a large tree and across the patches of grass showing through the …( 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 )

Every year, our families participated in a "Secret Santa" event. Into a bowl, we would put folded pieces of paper with our names on them, and each person would draw a name for the next Christmas. They would then buy a gift for that person …( read more )

Several years ago, I received the following anecdote from a clergyman and saved it: There is a monastery whose members gather around a new candidate and ask, "Why do you want to join?" Candidates may say things like "I am seeking peace", …( read more )

Have you come to a point in your life as a Christian where you feel that you can give no more to the Lord's work? You feel spent. You've given and given, but not enough is given back to replenish you. More is expected from you — in time, …( read more )

It is a beautiful evening. The sky is painted with brush strokes of deep purple and orange, with splashes of pink throughout the expanse. The waves create a melodious chant, as they gently kiss the shoreline. The wind is warm as it blows …( read more )

Although my dear mother's given name wasn't Grace, my father called her Gracie because of the way her brain worked. Her thought processes reminded him of Gracie Allen from the old George Burns and Gracie Allen radio show. In that show, …( read more )

Our backyard with its many trees is a heaven for squirrels. I enjoy watching the squirrels frolic high up in the black walnut branches. I imagine the squirrel's view from high up in the trees. From there, the neighbourhood dogs are of no …( read more )

Recently, we celebrated my daughter's birthday, and, of course, gifts were given as part of the festivities. This set me thinking about how my daughter would use the gifts that she received. If my daughter accepted the gifts and put them …( read more )

Last summer, I purchased a silk flower arrangement at a garage sale. The various flowers were arranged in a beautiful earthenware vase, and I couldn't help but stare at it. I brought it home and set it on my coffee table. That weekend, my …( read more )

I've been reading a lot about grace lately, and the more I read, the more I realize how amazing God's grace really is. G – God's R – Riches A – At C – Christ's E – Expense Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that will cleanse and pardon …( read more )

I wonder if, like me, you are vertically challenged. I used to be five feet two inches, not the tallest in the world — and me with six-foot brothers and a mother who was five feet eight inches. Now in my old age, I have shrunk to just …( read more )

Dead people don't move … or do they? I've also heard that dead people don't tell tales. But maybe they do. Because of my upbringing and my profession, I've seen more than my share of dead people. As a pastor, my father performed …( read more )

I surely love the song, "Wonderful grace of Jesus"; the music alone fills me with joy and gladness. But understanding God's grace is not easy, for it takes honesty: it's not me that shines through what I do today, but God does, for …( read more )

My brother is five years my elder. Later in life, five years doesn't seem like much of an age difference, but when one is young, it's quite a difference. When I was young and going through the changes and growing that take place in a young …( read more )

In my local social circle, I am often with Christians, but I have family and friends who are not Christians. It's difficult for me to explain to those non-believers that my "religion" is not like others such as Buddhism or Judaism. It's …( read more )

Ah, it's Christmas movie time once again, and how I love the collection we have compiled over the years: comedies, dramas, and musicals — so many, in fact, that we can watch a different one almost every evening during the Advent season. …( read more )

The Californian Gold Rush of 1849 is surfacing again, though in a reduced form. It pales in comparison to the real thing in the mid-1800s, when prospectors sometimes just bent down and plucked nuggets of gold off the dirt. It is more than …( read more )

Oscar Wilde said, "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." I, on the other hand, didn't care too much what others thought when I was struggling through …( read more )

Recently, during a time of reflection regarding the Christmas tree, I read a very interesting study entitled, God's Christmas Tree, written by J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M. The premise of the study is that although some may question 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 )

It fell to my lot to grow up near a church which we attended on a regular basis. All my siblings and I went from the beginners' department to the Bible class by passing the Scripture examinations. I had three teachers in the Bible class, …( read more )

Over the years, there have been a lot of different clichés that everyone likes to use. One I've noticed lately is "It's all good" — which got me to thinking about what the Bible says is good. (All quotations are from the NKJV.) – It is …( read more )

I walked on air, it seemed. I felt expanded, extended, moving in sunlight that was more than real. Never before had I experienced such elation. I was alone out on the sidewalk by the hospital after visiting the newborn in her crib and …( read more )

Among my treasures I have a letter.

The letter is from a lady who was the young wife of a student minister. I was a very young teacher when I received it, and had been home for a weekend or two when the young couple was ministering in …( read more )

A twelve-year-old boy I will call Joey was transferred into our school able to read only a dozen or so words. His speech and language were like that of a much younger child. From an early age, this red-blond lad … (read more)

A recent bike ride took me into new territory, but not so new that I hadn't been over it before. I had driven in the car that way many times, but had never ridden my bike. As I rode along, … (read more)

On an outing, my husband always manages to end up at a Christian bookstore, not that he is looking for something particular, but in browsing around, he never leaves the store empty-handed. On this particular day, I was the one … (read more)

Many years ago, I heard a preacher present a riveting sermon on the sufferings of Jesus Christ, beginning with His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, through His trial, scourging, and ultimate suffering and death on the cross by crucifixion. … (read more)