I just received news that a dear Christian lady who went to our church years ago was soon to be taken off life support and was expected to die. Surgery went well, but a blood clot caused a massive stroke that left her in a coma. Since she … Read more

I met a friend unexpectedly, and I asked what he was up to. The answer? "Just killing time." He wasn't the first person to answer in such a way … we are all guilty of killing time! It's a common enough saying, but it struck me in a … Read more

Seventy years ago today, I entered this life. The expectation at that time was that a good and long life would span 70 years, and maybe, just maybe, I might see 80. Her majesty was just beginning her reign, acceding to the throne on … Read more

"Do not postpone for the future what you so greatly need in the present." (attributed to Hudson Taylor) Her vintage dishes showed little wear. Of course! She had considered them too precious for everyday use, so she carefully preserved … Read more

Humour is an important, positive aspect of our life. We are created in God's image. Hence, it is logical that God must have a great sense of humour! When we humans make a great discovery, I can imagine God smiling and thinking, "Well, … Read more

Although I have almost completed fourscore and six years, some of you reading this will be even further along than I am on the runway of life. However, most of you will have more time before you take off and "fly away". When shopping at … Read more

As I write this title, I feel like putting a question mark to cap it off: Fear Of The Future? Really? Does a Christian really need to fear the future? Fear is in the air these days, with conspiracy theorists questioning the earth's … Read more

This past Christmas, my family gave me a beautiful grandfather clock. It stands tall in the foyer and is the first piece of furniture that guests notice when they enter our home. The hourly chimes are delicate; they gently remind me … Read more

Last year during Lent, a friend of mine who sometimes attends church complained that the pastor's sermons contained too much about God and Jesus and sin, and not enough that's "uplifting". Actually, I think I get that — because many of … Read more

It's official! The new princess in Britain has been named as Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. News media around the world, as well as newspapers all over the globe, had been busy speculating on what the new baby would be named. Personally, I'm … Read more

Another year has come and gone, and it seems that the older I get, the faster the time seems to fly by. A week is like a day, and a year is like a month. When I arose this morning, I looked forward to leisurely taking down all my … Read more

On New Year's Eve, people will ring in the new year in different ways. In some countries, there will be fireworks; in others, there will be public celebrations in city squares or parks; and there will be family gatherings in private homes. … Read more

In a way, my role as minister of music is like following a recipe. Each week, many of us do our part in gathering and preparing the ingredients for the worship service. True, this preparatory work can be quite satisfying in itself, in the … Read more

"I never have time to read my Bible or pray." There is never enough time. You know it and I know it. And the older we get, the faster the time seems to go. It might have something to do … Read more

Jesus never hesitated to pronounce scathing indictments against those who were pushing people away from God — like the leaders who burdened consciences with endless "shoulds" and "ought-tos". In spite of Jesus' sharp words, Christianity has retained this very bent, … Read more

Amid the honking and clamour of a downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, traffic jam, my car screeched to a halt. In front of me, bumper stickers plastered over the back of a battered red pickup shouted, "He who dies with the … Read more

Besides looking at old family photos, I sometimes enjoy listening to the voices recorded on an old fashioned reel-to-reel tape player. These familiar voices of my past brought back many childhood memories I had since forgotten. I heard a six-year-old … Read more

This past summer, I was treated to a cruise, which is something I had never done before. One early morning as we slipped into port, I noticed the sign that was a warning to all the boats in the harbour. … Read more

In our town, in our province, in our country, summer is the time to repair the side roads, the streets, the highways. During wintertime, it cannot be done. So the construction is in full strength during the summer months. It … Read more

When we are young, we can't seem to wait to grow up and be adults. On looking back, though, we see that life goes by so fast. As youths, we were not wise enough to recognize just how short life … Read more

When we were young, we couldn't wait to grow up and be adults. On looking back, we now see that life goes by so fast. At the time, though, we were not wise enough to recognize just how short life … Read more

Looking through a collection of cross-stitching books today, I found a prayer that inspired me. I began thinking about how God uses our creativity to touch others and bring glory to himself, even when we are no longer living in … Read more

My friend called from the hospital, "Ivie, I've just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer." We talked for a few minutes, and she said, "I want you to come see me. I want to talk to you." She and I had … Read more

After retirement, my husband and I started going to Florida for the winter months. Within a few years, we started to wonder about our home in the north, in comparison to the one we had in the south. The one … Read more

As a genealogy enthusiast, I spend a lot of time in cemeteries and among old records. I can't help noticing how much longer people are living today. Many of our ancestors died before the age of 65. We are being … Read more

Some time back, I took up the habit of keeping a spiritual journal or diary. One of my recent journal entries was about living in the present moment. It seems to me that our western culture is so addicted to … Read more

On my wall is a little poster of that famous bear, Pooh, and his friend Piglet. The words accompanying the notorious twosome are these: Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking … Read more

"Good morning … large double, double?" "Hi, you'd like a medium with cream and an apple fritter?" "Good morning, medium hot chocolate and a raspberry muffin?" By now, you've probably guessed that I work in a well-known doughnut shop. Customers … Read more

I stared at the greeting I had just typed into the e-mail message, "God morning!" What it should have read was, "Good morning!" After I completed my e-mail message and sent it to my friend, I contemplated the mis-spelling. It … Read more

I can hardly pick up a computer publication these days without seeing another doom-and-gloom story about the Y2K problem. That's the problem where older systems use two numerals for the year in dates, and can't handle the rollover to the … Read more

On a recent trip to the north-eastern part of our province of British Columbia, Canada, the farther north we travelled, the more I was saddened to see what seemed to be a high number of fatal accident memorials beside the … Read more

I love to see the dew drops glisten as they cling to the bare branches of my birch tree. Love the way the water whooshes up around the wheels of a car driving in the rain. Love to walk out … Read more

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would … Read more