Outside the window they stand: the single white rose and the half-dead tree. The tree was planted two years ago, as was the rose bush. For some reason, early this year the tree bloomed profusely, but then started to die. … Read more

I like living in an area where there is a lot of open territory. I enjoy camping and hiking a great deal. I saw in the paper one weekend recently that the Arctic Survival Training School recommended items to have … Read more

Mike, Stanley, Steve and I were truly good friends. Not only did we attend the same local congregation and participate in all the church's activities, but when there was any free time, we were sure to be found together on … Read more

A couple of years ago I got new glasses — invisible bifocals. At first, I thought they were great because I could read with my glasses on. (I'd had to take my glasses off to read for some time.) After … Read more

I awakened one day to find I was developing a cold. I wasn't feeling the best, but our granddaughter was coming to visit, so I pried myself from the comfort of my bed and got ready for her visit. I … Read more

The Lord never ceases to amaze me how good and loving and kind He is. His compassion never fails. Today's scripture says, "And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Even in the hard … Read more

We had been away and were to be home for a very short time before leaving again. Our house insurance was to expire while we were away, so it was imperative that it be renewed before leaving again. Off and … Read more

Several weeks ago, in Walkerton, Ontario, there was a tragic outbreak of e-coli poisoning in the drinking water. Several people — young and old — died, and many more were very sick. Since that time, the residents have had either … Read more

The stream now has a song to sing, the pasture's clothed in green; Sprightly calves kick up their heels, Restored to a harmonic scene. But before the summer storm began the stream had lost its song; the pining calves languished … Read more

Not long ago I found myself standing with a family suffering many adverse trials. The whole world seemed to be crashing in around them. The last straw came when I received a phone call and was told of the death … Read more

It is easy to write about something that I have experienced personally, but much harder to write about someone who is dying of AIDS. Last night, I had a dream. In my dream, I found out that I had contracted … Read more

Some time ago, I was blessed enough to attend a wonderful weekend retreat. The speakers were moving, the choir infectious, and, as for the women who attended — well, they were inspiring. The love of God was shining so brightly … Read more

Lately, I have noticed something that I have been doing that I do not like all that much. I have been placing my son second to my own agenda. With the nice weather in Alaska, we try to get out … Read more

Recently, as my daughter was driving to work, she came across three baby Canada geese on the road. Their mother had been hit by a car. She, being the animal lover she is, didn't have the heart to leave them … Read more

One morning last month as I was watching the television news, there was an item concerning the troubles in Ireland, caused by the Protestants asserting their right to march in celebration of past battles won. There was videotape shown of … Read more

While I was in the service, I went through some anti-terrorist training. One phase of this training included serving on a five-person team which would be assigned to track down a security breach on a ship. Once we had found … Read more

There's a signpost my dog likes to stop at on our daily walk. She sniffs around the post, the grass, and the big rock nearby, as dogs are prone to do. Sometimes, usually on weekends, there will be a penny … Read more

It was a gorgeous summer raspberry-picking day! My daughter and I packed up our containers and motored away. Disappointment awaited, however, as the patch had been almost picked out. Still, we had travelled a fair distance to our destination, so … Read more

I recently had the tremendous privilege of attending a performance of a new oratorio, written by Victor Davies, entitled "Revelation". As the music proceeded to a modern working of "Worthy is the Lamb" and other versions of the words so … Read more

One of the joys of family camping is trying to fit four camping cots into a tent eleven feet square. This year I discovered that our tent with four cots is filled to capacity with little or no room to … Read more

I'm one of those people who like to have everything in order. I make lists for everything; hardly a day goes by that I don't make a list. Lately, I've been realizing that lists help me to think I'm in … Read more

Some time ago, I led my Sunday School class in a study on spiritual gifts. It was just as much of a learning experience for me as it was for my class. There were spiritual gifts we discussed that I … Read more

The editor of the Daily sent out a message to all writers just to point out what makes a good devotional. I read it and I know exactly what he is saying: "Keep it simple." For instance, people who work … Read more

[Editor's note: Today's author hails from New Brunswick, Canada, but is spending the summer in the USA as a student youth pastor. – JTH] I was watching one of the teens from my youth group run at the first state … Read more