Christmas has been over for over a month, but I've just taken the cards off the bricks of my fireplace. The little wooden letters that spell out "Noel" will finally join the rest of the decorations. The padded felt that … Read more

One thing I have struggled with in my life has been the fear of rejection. I just never wanted to face rejection. When I was in high school, I never had a date, because I was afraid of being rejected. … Read more

Shortly after we were married, my wife matter-of-factly announced that she intended to give 10{8395b6ce96fcf25a14d80edc3b65c36a8995b6c1ba5f8c16ac11d8adaa79f35b} of her salary to the church. My first reaction was "Whoa, let's not be too hasty about this!" After all, we had just bought a … Read more

A piece of mail sits unopened on my desk. I know it is a card to wish us a "Happy Anniversary". It is from a friend, and it has come early to ensure it is here on the correct date, … Read more

When I was younger, I often remember walking downtown in San Antonio, Texas, hearing people standing outside on the corner sidewalk with a bullhorn calling all to repentance and to turn our lives to God. I remember thinking that this … Read more

When I moved to Alaska, one thing I noticed was that there are not many lawns which are taken care of. I like a nice lawn, because I like to go out and enjoy it in the summertime. But up … Read more

It is snowing again today. Each white flake that is falling is intricately different from every other. Each one is a perfectly designed work of art. The snowflakes remind me of how God has created each one of us very … Read more

Some time ago, I saw something in the Daily "Our Readers Respond" section that read like this: "I am currently working with a family that just lost their young mother. Her father keeps asking, 'Why?' I have to tell him … Read more

It was baptismal Sunday in our church. Belonging to a traditional church where infant baptism is the practice, there were three children of varying stages of infancy brought to the Lord that day. Following the celebration of baptism, the parents … Read more

I do not like to admit it a whole lot, but I do enjoy baking. One thing I have learned through mistakes is that the ingredients for a cake must be added correctly. There is a reason why the measurement … Read more

The little church at the top of our hill often has a saying on its outside board that really grabs my attention. My mind loves playing with puns or changing things around, and so I have an affinity for those … Read more

The town I live in is called "Broken Arrow". This name was derived from a group of Indians that came from a community in Alabama called, in their language, "Broken Arrow", where there was a luxuriant growth of reeds for … Read more

A month ago, before Christmas, our family settled into a restaurant for supper. The children tried to convince us to let them have a soft drink with their meals. We would not let them order a soft drink. Supper arrived, … Read more

Curling is a favourite sport for many in Canada during the winter months. It is a game that provides exercise and challenge, and is an opportunity to socialize and make friends. One of the key things in curling is to … Read more

When I was a very young girl, I used to go through the cedar chest and look at the drawings that my father did. As a young person he was taking up an apprenticeship to be a lithographer. This was … Read more

It's Sunday and I hesitate to leave the comfort of my bed. I push the snooze button on the alarm and drift back off to sleep. Minutes later, the alarm goes off again, and I drag myself out of bed … Read more

I remember once, when I was about 11 or 12 years old, carrying a long aluminum extension ladder with my father. We had to walk quite a distance, and while aluminum is a lightweight metal, everything is relative. That ladder … Read more

Upon entering the hospital to first see our granddaughter before her surgery on a brain tumor, we met with a young men who was going on talking about the surgeon who had operated on his daughter the past day. Referring … Read more

Last summer I kept my three granddaughters, ages 6, 8 and 8. After a very hard day of heavy work, I fell into my chair and told the girls they could eat cereal for supper. They said: "Grandma, we will … Read more

When my son was born, he had a lazy eye. As he got older, the eye got worse, because he was not using the eye. When we took him to the doctor we were told that if nothing were done … Read more

With the new millennium at hand, I have thought about doing something — like losing a few unwanted pounds. I have been on numerous diets in the past, only to realize at the end that short-term diets do not work … Read more

Just ten days ago, we watched television coverage of New Year's Eve celebrations. The television networks marked this historic event by providing images from every continent on the globe. People could be heard shouting "Happy New Year" in many countries … Read more

There is a young gentleman who, for over ten years, has stopped by to chat at whatever volunteer booth I may be "manning". He's very friendly and helpful and often stays for up to half an hour. I've always been … Read more

Although some people have indicated they have had enough of Y2K, I can't pass up the opportunity to pass on some significant observations about the way the New Year was celebrated. First of all, I was awe-struck by the way … Read more

In my home, my wood burning stove is located on the upstairs level. This is great to keep the upstairs of the house heated, but the downstairs does not get any of the warmth which is put off by the … Read more

My job requires me to be in contact with people who live and work all over the globe. The other day I spoke with a most amazing professional woman in Cote D'Ivoire (formerly known as the Ivory Coast). She said … Read more

So often as Christians we tend to struggle with determining God's direction and expectations for our lives. We often have willing hearts and the desire to serve God, but somehow just cannot determine what it is that God would have … Read more

Today I looked through my closet for something decent to wear for a casual lunch date with a friend. Could I find something nice? Maybe there's an outfit just a little fresher than my usual stay-at-home, mother-of-pre-schooler, working "uniform" of … Read more

At my place of employment, we must have a fence around our site for security reasons. There is a gate that is about ten feet wide, where a person can enter in their vehicle. The motor that was opening this … Read more

A number of years ago, I attended many "success motivation" lectures. They taught that for every negative thought we had or accepted, we needed three positive ones to offset our thinking and keep our minds in balance (for success). I … Read more

I remember at the beginning of a New Year, we used to sing "Standing at the portal of the opening year." Well, I never thought I would reach this one: the opening of the year 2000! Wow! I made it. … Read more