I have lived in Canada for fifty years, and I still don't enjoy winter. It seems like a waste of time to me because I don't like going outside. I find snow not just dangerous but boring. There it is, every day for months — dismal and …( read more )

My son was banned from every hospital in our area for bribing orderlies to bring in street drugs for him as a patient. "What do we do now?" I asked our family doctor. "Try another town where they don't know him," he said. We drove many …( read more )

Of the multitude of quilts that I've made, only a few have been large: three queen-sized bed quilts for me and one each for my daughter and my son. I'd much rather make a lap quilt or a wall hanging that I can finish in a week or less. …( read more )

I have a good friend, someone whom I can call in the middle of the night, but someone whom I was giving up on, due to her habit of interrupting me when I was trying to talk and talking far too much about herself. I thought about following …( read more )

Sadly, I did it again. I unleashed my tongue when I should have bitten it. As my husband was leaving the house this morning, I made a remark to him that I was immediately sorry for, the moment after I had said it. His remark back to me …( read more )

"Many car owners just don't listen to their cars. If they did, they could prevent a lot of damage." This was said by an experienced mechanic. He's convinced that if owners paid more attention to their vehicle sounds, they'd be quicker to …( read more )

How many of us know couples who always did holidays together or got together for fun nights? Then the unthinkable happens: one of them passes away. We find ourselves feeling awkward when it comes to planning that next holiday or getting …( read more )

A friend shared how she had once asked God to stop sending trials because she couldn't handle any more. She confessed, "God did grant me a trial-free year; but it was a spiritually dry year." She missed the warm presence of the Lord. She …( read more )

O Canada! our home and native land, True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The true north, strong and free, From far and wide O Canada, We stand on guard for thee. God keep our land glorious and …( read more )

My daughter bought me an iPad for Christmas two years ago, and I love its convenience. I use it all the time and keep it close by so that I can text her or respond to emails as necessary. My cat, Duffy, however, seems to get annoyed when …( read more )

My family bought me a personal video recorder, a PVR, for Christmas. I find that I am using it a great deal. The PVR allows me to record television programs and watch them at a later date. It's really great if something I want to watch is …( read more )

My parents were very close, in love all their married lives, and it showed. They also had great faith, and that showed as well. At age 65, my dad was killed. A few weeks after his funeral, I asked my mum how she could keep going. With …( read more )

There is nothing much more relaxing than watching a group of young lambs frolicking around in the sun on a warm spring day. Sheep are mentioned many times in Scripture, and they can provide us with many spiritual applications. When we …( read more )

One day, back from my grocery shopping in the nearby mall, I checked the change that I had received from the cash that I had paid for the groceries. My first look was a sure thing: I had received less change than I was owed. This left me …( read more )

We have all heard of temptation, but have you ever heard of Temptations® cat treats? Recently, I sent away for two of their "Snacky Mice" treat holders as a promotional, one for my cat Sweetheart, and one for her friend. I filled up both …( read more )

One of the places that we visited on our cruise last February and March did not have a large enough harbour to accommodate our ship. So we dropped anchor offshore, and then, people were taken to the shore in small boats. We stayed on …( read more )

My friend attended a gospel convention in the United States and stood in line afterwards to have a word with one of the speakers. As she waited, she noticed a young man approaching her. He was a stranger to her, but he was making eye …( read more )

One Sunday last month, I decided to watch a televised church service that I tune in to occasionally. I enjoy this particular pastor's sermons because they always deal with the challenges of everyday living. What made me listen that …( read more )

Do you feel it? It seems that there is a new wave of the Holy Spirit blowing through our churches. There is a restlessness growing within our pews, an uneasiness, a feeling of excitement stirring from within. The Christian community today …( read more )

Quite a few years ago, a bulletin from our church had a picture of a graphite illustration by Gerald Folkerts, entitled "Self Portrait". The picture so intrigued me that I kept the bulletin all these years; it was dated Good Friday, March …( read more )

The pace of activity has picked up tremendously at Arcadia Gardens. It all started with the daily hammering of wooden spikes in the courtyard. These preparations begin annually in October, as the property is transformed into formations …( read more )

Never in my life have I had an immediate example of the truth of this Scripture — at least not until today. Recently, I was given a birthday gift called "The 30-Day Praise Challenge" by Becky Harling. I committed to this challenge and …( read more )

As a former coin collector, I have always had a fascination with gold, which is one of our most precious metals. There are several YouTube videos on the Internet that show the painstaking refinement process by which all the dross and …( read more )

As of the middle of July, over 32,000 square kilometres of forest had been burning in Canada's summer heat, with the largest wildfires in Saskatchewan. Over 13,000 people had been forced to leave their homes. There is nothing like the …( read more )

A friend of my wife lost her husband about three years ago to cancer. She has no children, and her remaining relatives are scattered, some nowhere to be found. So we make it a point to occasionally include her for dinner, especially …( read more )

On the wall above my computer is a large, framed picture that I embroidered. Its title is "White Pine", but I call it "The Widow". Centred in the near end of a narrow lane, a great, elderly, grayish-green pine tree stands alone, brittle …( read more )

As we pulled into the parking lot, we were mesmerized by the mammoth beast lying before us. But there was nothing we could do but mount it. Enormous logs dotted the mountainside. My brother and I were on a two-day backpacking trip on the …( read more )

The other day, I was searching the Internet for lyrics to a song, and I came across a song entitled Do something, written by Matthew West, an American contemporary Christian musician and songwriter. In his song, Matthew questions God as …( read more )

For many years, I received the customary ashes for Lent without any thought to the biblical basis of this ancient practice. However, when the priest applied the ashes to my forehead in the form of a cross, I was faced with the unpleasant …( read more )

Materialism, or fixation on earthly possessions, is one of mankind's strongest temptations. During the past several months, with the help of friends, I have been going through a process of scaling down my personal belongings. My part in …( read more )

The Spark Sunday School Curriculum lesson plan for preschoolers focused on how the Old Testament story of God providing manna, quail, and water for the children of Israel throughout the forty years they wandered in the desert teaches a …( read more )

I love Christmas. I haven't loved every Christmas in my life, however. The first Christmas four months after my daughter died in a car accident was a bad one. The Christmas before that, after my husband left, that same daughter wept as …( read more )

Our yearly vacation to Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada, the largest fresh water island in the world, could not come soon enough. The island is so welcoming and beautiful. One day as I was walking along the rock formation by the water's …( read more )