As I write this, there are wars raging in various places. The ones most heard and talked about are in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. Dozens if not hundreds of people are being killed every day in the attacks. Meanwhile, so many people are … Read more

Many years ago, I began my first full-time teaching job with high hopes that I would be able to use and enjoy my gift of learning languages easily. My new assignment in the far north of British Columbia, Canada, was a tall order for a new … Read more

As a teenager I gave my life to Christ, not fully understanding what it meant, but I wanted to take a stand for something very important that I believed in, so I took that step. What followed were twists and turns to my mostly … Read more

No doubt you recall the hymn, "What a Friend we have in Jesus". Just typing out these words has me humming the tune. It always seemed like such a happy, upbeat song, especially for children. Not so! I looked up the background of the hymn … Read more

One of my daily tasks is to empty out the washing machine. I wipe around the flexible rubber seal that connects the washing machine drum and door. During the wash cycle, grease and crud sticks to the rubber over the course of a family's … Read more

Recently, one of our leaders led the church community's "all-age spot". She held up a piece of string as a visual aid and asked some children to come up and help her to hold it as a representation of time. They stretched it out across the … Read more

Our fingers can be very useful parts of our body. Winston Churchill, and many others since, displayed two fingers shaped like a "V" to indicate victory. It is common to show our fingers across our chest or forehead as a salute. Sometimes, … Read more

I have had a tough time lately — full-on aggravation. Prior to the purchase of our puppy, Daisy, our money was waylaid when we were scammed by a fraudulent advertisement. A fine for my speeding resulted in a mistaken 90-month ban from … Read more

I recall the beginning of the first day in that new home as though it were yesterday. On that gorgeous fall day, I had no idea that a new chapter of my life was opening and would become one of my favourites. Knowing how isolating … Read more

Throughout life, situations often occur when one person makes an offer to another. If we want to make a deal, we usually try to encourage the person with whom we are dealing to accept the offer, because it is necessary for the deal to be … Read more

My friend sat in her living room and watched as a small Downy Woodpecker flew towards the netting that she had put into place in front of the window, intended to keep birds from hitting it. Instead of coming short of the barrier and … Read more

Although age is a privilege that many poor souls are denied, age is certainly not kind in numerous ways. Pain, critical health issues, and loss of loved ones come along, uninvited, to hinder our lives and deny us peace — so much so, that … Read more

Virtually all of us have engaged in big questions related to COVID-19 vaccines: Should I? When? Where? How? What can I expect?" Along the way, we've encountered an abundance of guidance: "Book here!" "Go there!" When I went for my jab, I … Read more

I wrote awhile back about calling 911 for a woman lying in the grass beside a parking lot, with all that she owned in the world scattered around her. When the firemen arrived and saw the woman on … Read more

The last year has been a productive time for me. I have managed to fulfil many of the tick boxes mentally listed, partly because I have had the family at home to embolden me to keep going, just knowing that they are around to call if I … Read more

Someone said, It isn't the load that wears us down. It's the way that we carry it. They might've added, It's the fact that we carry it, at all. I was in the job market for many, many years, under-qualified, as I worked to support … Read more

God is omnipotent. It always amazes me that He has chosen to allow us mere mortals to choose to obey Him, even though He has the power to make us do so. From the start, He has given us a command but leaves us the choice. In the early … Read more

When John and I married, I moved from the city to the farm. Being so close to God's handiwork in nature, I learned life's lessons by observation and experience. John's grandparents had homesteaded the farm on Manitoulin Island in northern … Read more

The Greek word for anxiety is "merimna" which means to be distracted or divided, to fall apart or to be split into pieces. It is a good description of something that we all experience when life hits us hard. One day, everything seems to … Read more

When I looked at the Old Testament Psalm 23, I realized that those ancient words of David would be very reassuring and valuable to us in our present circumstances. The sole purpose of a shepherd is to look after all of the sheep under … Read more

I try to get my little granddaughters out for a walk every day. The fresh air is good for all of us. It is also a great time to exercise my dogs. In the winter, however, it is quite difficult, as the paths are covered with snow, which is … Read more

A member of our church called me one day in September to ask if I could help her. She was born in the Netherlands and followed her Canadian soldier fiancé to Canada shortly after the war. They married and had five children. Her husband … Read more

At the beginning of May, I called a former Managing Director of the pipeline engineering firm for whom I worked to congratulate him on his 94th birthday. In my early years with the company, I worked for him, and later, with him. The two of … Read more

Often in these days of old age, with pains and lack of sleep, I may decide to have a stay-in-my-pyjamas day. Of course, that is just the day when someone will drop by. One day, my daughter happened to drop in on one of her quick visits. I … Read more

During Lent, I was studying some of the events leading up to and including the death of Jesus on the cross, and, in particular, the passages in the book of Matthew where the authorities and other people were mocking Jesus. "Even the … Read more

My friend's husband, recently fitted with hearing aids, came through the storage house door, calling with urgency, "Honey, there are birds chirping in my ears. We best call the doctor." Taken aback, his wife said, "Let's go outside and … Read more

Excessive information has become a plague. That occurred to me one day after receiving a ticket for unintentionally violating a "No Parking 2 to 6 A.M." bylaw. If there was a sign somewhere, I missed it amidst the plethora of signs on the … Read more

As a long-time pastoral care volunteer at the local Long Term Care Facility, I have had occasion to comfort residents who were having a tough time coping, either mentally, physically, or spiritually, which I have always done to the best of … Read more

I'm susceptible to guilt trips. The more I care about people and issues, the more vulnerable I am. I hear a multitude of voices urging me to do something. It's too much, and I feel badly for failing so many people. The pile-up of guilt … Read more

My girlfriend served up these words to me about her boss the other day at lunch: He called for magic but I was out of practice. In order to meet the short-time turnaround deadline I have to use a little flimflammery and deceive him with … Read more

A buzzing blur zoomed toward the hummingbird feeder outside our kitchen window. Wings beating about 52 times per second, the ruby-throated hummingbird hovered near the food site, snatching only short sips of the sweetened water. Hover and … Read more

Are you discouraged, or have you ever been? I like the way that Jesus encourages John the Baptist, who is languishing in a dungeon beneath King Herod's palace. He gives a message to John's disciples which will restore John's confidence … Read more

Lying in bed in the hospital recently for days, fighting pneumonia and enduring night sweats and other miseries, I was feeling so in need of a cleansing shower. As I was attached to machines and very weak, I could not make my way down the … Read more