Today at church, the minister called for the servers to come forward to prepare communion for the congregation. Often these moments of ceremony are formal, even sombre in tone — the last remnants of ritual in our modern services. Today, …( read more )

One day, I was looking on YouTube for an anthem that my wife needed to learn for a church service in which she was invited to sing with the choir. While I was listening to it, during a clarinet solo, I heard some small children giggling …( 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 )

One of my great pleasures in life is reading, but guilt sneaks in whenever I sit down to imbibe in a gluttony of chapters. "A waste of time," whispers the little voice in my head. "You must vacuum, dust, write something, or cook a meal …( read more )

This passage is familiar to most of us who went to Sunday school. It is taught to children to instill in them the importance of children to both our heavenly Father and to Jesus. To me this passage is akin to learning the alphabet… just …( read more )

Do you ever find that, after thinking about a person or subject for the first time in months, the same name or word soon comes to your attention once more? I call this a God-instance rather than a coincidence. God is telling us to pay …( read more )

He was in his early fifties, mentally challenged, and he fell in love. Oh, it was so beautiful to see! His friend, Marjorie, hung onto his arm like she would never let go of him. It brought tears to my eyes to see this adult man and woman …( read more )

Dalton's mother tells me that he rises at 6 a.m. on Sunday mornings, and then awakens his whole family for church. She says, "He loves going to church, and can't wait to get there." At the first notes the pianist plays, Dalton jumps to …( read more )

The Bible makes it clear: God has a special place in His heart for the poor, and we should, too. When I see the terrible situation of refugees in tents in the rain and mud, far from home, I wonder, what can I do? How can I be a blessing? …( read more )

My mare, Mama had a crippled front leg when I bought her. How it happened, I don't know. For many years, she wore a leg brace, which was helpful in keeping her comfortable and mobile. One morning, however, we looked out to the corral and …( read more )

My mother did not live to see any of her grandchildren get married. She was a wonderful grandmother and she would have loved to have seen her grandchildren enter into holy matrimony, but it was not to be. During the last years of her …( read more )

A person that I knew was raised in a non-Christian home. In a polite way, her father was openly anti-church and anti-faith, and that was the way that she was raised. She was not antagonistic; she just did not bother. But late in life, …( read more )

Sadly, I have lost both mum and dad in recent months, and all now I have to speak into their absence are the memories and pictures taken. I remember a time when we were caravanning. We were sited on the bottom edge of a field far enough …( read more )

With what glory and holy innocence Father blesses each one of His children! That includes you and me. Recently, I heard the pure, pealing bells of loving sanctification fill a busy barbershop, revealing and heralding our Lord's loving, …( read more )

Every once in a while, we are confronted with statements that question whether the stories in the Bible accurately describe those events or whether they even happened, so many years ago. Many of those events are ones on which our Christian …( read more )

When my youngest daughter was approximately two and a half years old, she would climb to the top of the stairs and yell, "Catch me, daddy!" and jump, having the faith and the assurance that indeed her daddy would catch her. Now that my …( read more )

My friend and I had quite a conversation the other day. I remember her saying, "There is absolutely no way that I am going to do this! No way!" To which, without thinking, I replied, "Ya way!" What I meant to say was "Yes way!" We both …( read more )

She walked into the room and said, "Dad, I just asked Jesus into my heart," then turned and left. I was excited and confused — excited about her decision but confused over how she came to such a conclusion. She had heard me preach about …( read more )

"Take this to your mother to hold in her hands," the little girl said. This little girl stood out at the front of a group of much taller children who had just come into our inner-city mission. I was surprised to see her again so soon. …( read more )

When I was a child, my mother worked at the church we attended. Sometimes, I would go to work with her. I would usually stay in the office and play with the toys I had brought or look through the cupboards at the cool things, like boxes of …( read more )

Years ago, we were giving a large party in our home in Scotland. My wife had put a great deal of effort into preparation, wanting the party to be a big success (which it was). Halfway through the evening, our … (read more)

On first reading, we might assume that what stood in the way of this young man's spiritual growth was his wealth, but the truth of this story extends far beyond money to issues that affect all of us, rich or … (read more)

I was delighted to discover that an obscure cable television channel is showing reruns of one of my favorite old shows, Mission: Impossible. From the unique theme song to the plan and the payoff, I was always on the edge … (read more)

Some stories stick with us forever. During my first year at university, a Religious Studies professor shared one with our class, and it has stuck with me ever since. The story takes place during a Special Olympics track meet. From … (read more)

One fine autumn day a few years ago, the wife of one of our church elders was going about her household activities when her attention was drawn to the persistent bawling of a cow in the neighbouring field. What on … (read more)

Our society is obsessed with trying to be perfect. People look for the perfect career, the perfect partner, and the perfect house. We struggle, strive, and get stressed out trying to reach that perfection. We purchase the latest gadgets to … (read more)

Recently, I was struggling with life. I was overwhelmed with the things that were happening to me. All I could see was darkness. There seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, the tunnel was … (read more)

One day recently at our church, we had a guest speaker who represented Gospel for Asia Missions. He showed us a video of a young missionary named Joseph who was trying to tell the people about the Lord. The people … (read more)

When I was six, my mother asked me to feed the chickens while she made supper. As soon as she asked me, my heart began to thump wildly. Although I was capable of feeding the chickens, I was afraid to … (read more)

On a Christian programme, Bruce Marchiano, a Christian speaker and a Hollywood actor, stressed the importance of prayer for the entertainment world. "This starry world, which has a strong influence on our children and society, goes unmentioned in our prayers," … (read more)

The other morning, my three-year-old daughter said something that, to her, was so simple, but which was truly quite profound. As she lay in bed with her mother, out of the blue, she said, "You know, mommy, I put carpet … (read more)

A few weeks ago I had a marvellous "mountain-top" experience that I would like to share with you for your encouragement. I was discouraged and I prayed, "God, please encourage me and send me a sign. I need it." So … (read more)

Last Sunday, as we entered the church, I was handed a copy of the order of service. In fumbling with about six pages, two inserts fell onto the floor under the pew ahead of me. Doesn't this sound familiar? As … (read more)