There are times in our lives when we need a piece of scripture to lift us up. In such times very often we can't find the particular piece of scripture that we think meets our personal needs. Flipping through the … Read more

When I was a boy, I felt rebellious whenever my parents would "order" me to do something. Being a somewhat "wilful" child, a mountainous "resistance" rose within me at the sound of a command. Then there were those other times … Read more

I use the computer programme "Works" as my scratch pad. I record the words of my devotional and I save them in a file. In that sense, you could say the programme "Works", works for me. There are a lot … Read more

As many of you know, my brother was recently in the hospital. He had fallen into a coma, and things did not look too good. My brother was born blind, and had retarded growth. He has always suffered from seizures … Read more

Jesus talks about selling all we own to enter the kingdom of God in today's scripture. Juan Carlos Ortiz tells a modern-day version of this Parable of the Pearl in his book The Disciple. Imagine with Ortiz the transaction between … Read more

This has been a year for me where I have started to accomplish things that I have wanted to do for a long time but never seemed to have the opportunity to do so before. It may be because my … Read more

Some time ago, we had a garage sale at our church. Just before that event, I was rummaging through some stuff that I had packed away, and also some stuff that I was giving to the local Salvation Army. As … Read more

One of the coffee cups I have in my office is a white one. I like to drink coffee at work, so my cup gets some good use. I am also lazy because I do not like to wash my … Read more

No other nation throughout the Bible, and perhaps throughout history, did God bless more than He did Israel. No other nation was witness to so many acts of God, so many miracles, or so many times of redemption. Yet they … Read more

In the spring of the year as we travel along a country road, the first thing I notice breaking the soil is the corn. It comes up and covers the fields with something that looks like grass. Spring turns to … Read more

At the age of six, when the truth about Father Christmas became apparent, I turned crimson with embarrassment. I had been taken in, shown to be gullible. From that moment forward, I began to consider all such deceits, foisted on … Read more

The two verses following today's scripture continue with the Lord giving his disciples the Lord's Prayer. Who among us can honestly say that their minds have never wandered during prayer? There are times when we have so much on our … Read more

Our mothers all give us advice when we are growing up. We do not always listen to these instructions, but some of them seem relevant to us. If this is the case, we decide to follow our mother's advice. If … Read more

I suppose each of us has had days when it doesn't matter what we try to do: it always turns out wrong. I had one such day not too long ago. I was working on something and it just wasn't … Read more

I enjoy having a garden during the summer. I enjoy growing things, and I love the taste of fresh vegetables, which are sometimes hard to get here in Alaska. I really like fresh tomatoes, so I try to take very … Read more

Have you ever sent a card or a letter to someone and included a scripture in it? I have, and I have also received help and encouragement from cards or letters that had a scripture for me to read and … Read more

Seventy years after the birthday it was written to celebrate, I discovered a hand-written letter from a father to his son at college in 1929. Congratulations to you from your Mother and the other members of the family upon the … Read more

For most of my adult life I have looked upon superstitious people with profound contempt. After I became a Christian, I sought to change this inappropriate attitude, but occasionally I fall into the old habit. I know an intelligent and … Read more

Almost two years ago, our nine-year-old Stephanie read a scripture reading during the worship service. It was a long reading taken from Exodus 4:1-17. That September Sunday, the church was full. Stephanie walked up to the lectern so that she … Read more

In spiritual Twelve Step Recovery programmes, Step 11 states that we "sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to … Read more

We have a darling black cocker spaniel, which has always been obedient and willing to please everyone. She is every visitor's friend. But now Mini is old and has gone deaf. She no longer comes bounding at my call. It's … Read more

I was out walking one day when I noticed a bright yellow kite caught up in a tree. The string was missing. Two weeks later, despite greater than average rainfall and several windy days, the kite had not moved at … Read more

I work in a modern office cubicle: four dull walls. But the cubicle has no roof, and I can hear the conversations of everyone around. This can be both interesting and distracting but sometimes it is riveting… Voice 1: "How … Read more

Recently I went to a church to attend a funeral service. We, being the ones in attendance for the funeral service, were early. It was raining outside, so we proceeded to enter the front doors and waited in the foyer. … Read more

How many of us have not been exactly where the author of Ecclesiastes found himself in verse 17? He was hating life. Why? Because he hated his job, the work that was done under the sun. He felt that his … Read more

The first two verses of Psalm 12 sound as if the psalmist David were living and writing this today. We live in a world that has turned nearly all of its focus away from God and onto themselves. We live … Read more

On the flat prairies of Saskatchewan, it is common to see shelterbelts of trees around farmyards. Trees add beauty but are also functional. They provide protection from the wind. Trees often serve as shelter for our friends the birds. Tonight … Read more

What is a good bet? Despite the Presbyterian stance being "unalterably against gambling in all its forms", many churches use draws and bingos to raise money. A friend suggested that I might organize such an event to be a positive … Read more

When I first encountered the Presbyterian stance on gambling, I was "gob-smacked" — a Yorkshireman's term for "very surprised". Having never had a problem with gambling, it had always seemed to me a benign activity. My lotto ticket never even … Read more

When I started my new job, last September first, I was given three keys. One is a key to our building, a second is the key to the offices, and a third is a storage room key. After the first … Read more