During the period between 2003 and 2004, I spent a considerable amount of time researching and writing the history of Presbyterians here in Meaford, Ontario, Canada, from 1854 to 2004. I found the names of the thirty ministers and student …( 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 )

It's that SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) time of the year again! I don't like the dark, and I'm longing for the days when they get longer again. I've been using my light therapy lamp since the beginning of November. It's become part of …( read more )

For some peculiar reason, I kept missing my destination. I couldn't understand why. I had often driven to that property, which was nearly impossible to miss. Yet that day, I failed to see it — repeatedly. Finally, I realized that it was …( read more )

For those darkest hours of the night when I am too tired to see anything clearly, I keep a small night light burning in the kitchen to guide my steps. At that time of night, I'm half sleep walking. Sometimes, I feel like that during …( read more )

A church in Canada that I used to be associated with became known as the "immigrant church" because the elders decided to assist people from other nations. In these countries, those we helped could routinely be sent to "re-education …( read more )

Every Wednesday during Lent, the church where I attend offers a soup lunch and Bible study. Last week was my turn to provide and serve the soup. Although not a huge task, making soup from scratch can take a bit of time and preparation. I …( read more )

One morning in late August, my wife discovered a big clump of wasps or bees on a branch of the cedar tree near the flower garden behind our house. She called me to have a look at it, and I thought that it was a nest being built by wasps. …( read more )

When my husband and I began to travel by boat up the inside passage on the west coast of Canada, there was one stipulation that I made, and that was that we would never travel at night. However, there was one occasion when we were …( read more )

In our area, this past winter seemed like a long time coming, but once it started, it seemed that it would never stop. During the month of February, we had very little snow, but bitterly cold winds with low temperatures to match. Many of …( read more )

Can you imagine anyone risking their life for the sake of a selfie (a self-portrait using one's cell phone)? It happens, and that's why "Selfie-Free Zone" signs are posted in various areas of the world. Some spots are especially appealing …( read more )

Advent begins tomorrow, November 29th, in this year of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2015. One of the features of Advent in many churches is an Advent wreath, with a candle lit on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. No thanks to …( read more )

It's that time of year again: winter — the time when I experience the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which I wrote about in a previous devotional: Light And Darkness . This year, I am trying faithfully to use my light …( read more )

On author Robin Lee Hatcher's Facebook page, she posted a photo that showed sunflowers that her husband had planted alongside their house. What grabbed my attention was that they grew almost to the eavestrough, but one yellow sunflower …( read more )

As a young adult who was fond of long hair, I noticed that, with few exceptions, many female movie stars had shortened hair styles. I recall the 1970 movie, Love story: Actress Ali MacGraw revived the trend of long hair in the film …( read more )

Sparky and I have not been to The Trail for a couple of weeks, so as we enter through the narrow opening in the tall grasses, I am astounded at the changes that meet my eyes. We are instantly engulfed in a maelstrom of whirling leaves, …( read more )

My mother and I always joke about our cat, Simba, having servants. He seems to think that he is entitled to having everyone in the house "wait on him". This comes from the old joke about dogs having owners and cats having servants. When …( read more )

Throughout my ministry, Christmas Eve was always a high point of the year, and some years, I put a lot of effort into developing a themed script, illustrated with projected slides. After the children portrayed the nativity story, we would …( read more )

Last year, during the Lenten season, our pastor played a song in church called Watch the Lamb by Ray Boltz. This song is a beautiful depiction of the scene portrayed in today's Scripture. Not much is known about Simon of Cyrene except …( read more )

Let's read again the account of Christ at Gethsemane just before His arrest, but this time, watch the words "nevertheless" and "but". Luke and Mark also recount Christ's "nevertheless … but" prayer. In our English Bibles, two different …( read more )

My coffee maker is winking at me! Honestly: on and off, on and off goes the little red light. It's actually telling me that the machine needs cleaning, but what it isn't recognizing is that I have cleaned it — … (read more)

I began my day, as I always do, reading my Bible, praying for family and friends, enjoying the view from my sunroom, and watching the birds at the feeders. All of a sudden, my eye caught a bright flash of … (read more)

I recently participated in a fascinating, in-depth Bible study that examined the identity of the obscure figure in the fourth gospel referred to four times as "the disciple whom Jesus loved". This intriguing research has been an invaluable source of … (read more)

Current events in Israel remind me of an old cartoon I saved depicting modern day news in the language of Scripture. While the cartoon makes light of the serious ongoing conflict in the Middle East, it clearly demonstrates how little … (read more)

I was bullied at elementary school by an ugly-looking kid who just loved to terrorize me. I hated going to school because I knew that at some point in the day, he was going to get in my face and … (read more)

Have you ever imagined our Saviour being in communion with the Father and yet at a loss for the right words to pray? The words of Jesus in today's scripture, "What shall I say?" demonstrate the inner conflict and struggle … (read more)

This is one of my favourite verses from the Bible, because it encapsulates the work of the church. Congregations can get caught up in building programs, financial campaigns, and missional projects, but in the end, if no one comes to … (read more)

Like many Christians, I have attended many retreats, conferences, conventions, and revival rallies. Generally, before and during the gatherings, there's a great anticipation, excitement, and expectation of the wonderful life-changing preaching, teachings, and spiritual happenings to come. From the first … (read more)

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He did so, riding upon a donkey — a young colt. The little donkey took him through the throngs of people crowding the city. Many were thrilled to see Him and acknowledge Him for who … (read more)

As much as I'd like to be a "ray of sunshine" or "a babbling brook" all the time in my Christian walk, I must confess that I have my periods of darkness. During these "dark nights of the soul", I've … (read more)

When my sister and her friends invited me to go horseback riding, I asked for a gentle horse, and then took my position, last on the trail. Suddenly, my mount took off, and we passed everyone at full gallop. I … (read more)

I well remember watching the clock as a child. The times I remember the most are those when Mom was baking cookies or a cake. Mother would tell us it would be another five minutes before the cookies were done. … (read more)

A friend of mine used to talk about a quotation from Chapter 20 of "The Catcher In The Rye" by J.D. Salinger: "Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody." The implication of the speaker, Holden Caulfield, is that flowers are … (read more)