I recently bought a .22 calibre rifle at a yard sale so I could do some target practising. The rifle looked pretty good and it was not a bad price. I went to the rifle range to do some shooting. … Read more

It seems that the older I get, the more funerals I attend. And while all of them are different to some extent, they all seem to have one thing in common: sometime prior to or during the service, the organist … Read more

The thought came to me of an example of a driving force to go home. It is not very pleasant, but it exemplifies the message. I observed a dog, someone's pet, crossing the road for the last time. He darted … Read more

Not long ago, I started running in the mornings with one of my neighbours. To my surprise, this has proven to be as much a spiritual exercise as a physical exercise, as each morning during our run we share with … Read more

God must love rainbows: He made so many of them. I've seen rainbows in soap bubbles, in seashells and on fish scales, in puddles of oily water, and often displayed in great glory across the rain-washed sky. But a better … Read more

I am not quite the baseball fan or follower that my father is, but I do enjoy a good game every now and then, and like to follow some of major league baseball's better hitters. I became quite engulfed in … Read more

While thumbing through a magazine recently, I came across these words above a picture of a white bear: "On the remote north-western coast of British Columbia, one in ten black bears is born a Spirit Bear. Today, their ancient rainforest … Read more

Last fall, I was able to get out hunting once again, which I enjoyed a great deal, but I did have a close call while I was out there. My father-in-law and I were setting up camp. One thing we … Read more

"We admitted we were powerless over the effects of our separation from God — that our lives had become unmanageable." Some time ago, I was asked to do a study on the 12-step programme and the related scriptures. The step … Read more

The dedication involved in participating in an Olympics event or an "Ironman" competition is incredible. A friend who participated in the "Ironman Canada" race in Penticton, British Columbia, trained all winter, spending unimaginable hours swimming, cycling and running unbelievable distances. … Read more

The last weekend in August, our family was vacationing in the Okanagan Valley, in British Columbia. We did not know that the gruelling "Ironman Canada" swim-bicycle-run triathlon was being held at Penticton, but because my sister-in-law had come to encourage … Read more

The amazing come-from-behind gold medal win by Simon Whitfield in the first Olympic men's triathlon event last Saturday was a real thrill for millions around the world, especially for Canadians! Probably the closest I will ever come to an Olympic-style … Read more

But how can people call for help if they don't know whom to trust? And how can they know whom to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody … Read more

My wife and I love Mexican food, and one of the local restaurants routinely places discount coupons in the newspaper. Out of habit, I keep one of these coupons in my car, just in case the sudden urge to "eat … Read more

Today, I am remembering back to last March when I was sitting in a lovely little room in California watching the film, Fly Away Home. My companion was a dear little lady, sharp as a whip mentally, but unable to … Read more

On the last weekend of June, I was in front of a ham radio set, listening to the babble of Morse code dots and dashes in my earphones. Each June, amateur radio operators in Canada and the United States stage … Read more

Mounted above the license plates on the front of our cars are two little black objects — about an inch high and two inches long — that slightly resemble the sightings on a rifle. The end facing forward is flat … Read more

It amazes me whenever I stop and give serious thought to the people who were called by God to do the extraordinary tasks in the Bible. First, there come to mind the inner circle of Jesus' followers: Peter, James and … Read more

After explaining to my six-year old son how a soldier gets ready for the battlefield, I told him that, in the same manner, God has called us to be prepared each moment. Then I showed him a picture of a … Read more

The early bird gets the worm. Early to bed, early to rise — makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Common proverbs such as these are meant to encourage us to get up early in the morning to start our … Read more

Over the period July 23, 2000, to August 20, 2000, I was away from my usual work station, taking a holiday. The place for my break was Kabale, my birthplace, in Uganda. As I arrived in this small town, I … Read more

Last summer I taught at our annual Vacation Bible School at church. One day while playing recreational games on the church lawn, one of our children stumbled across a nest of wild bunnies in a hole. The children, as well … Read more

Our son turned twelve and, at his request, we decided to register him for hockey for the first time. He desperately needed to learn how to skate effectively, so we had registered him in a hockey camp. When we got … Read more

I remember a time when our children were quite young. We were praying together. Our daughter, who was about three and couldn't speak (having been born profoundly deaf), was mumbling something that was not understandable. Our son, who was five, … Read more

Schools here in Canada are beginning a new term of classes. I am reminded that here in Ontario, "the rules" forbid Christians to gather for any religious participation inside public school buildings, unless a separate room can be made available … Read more

As each of our children graduated and left to further their education, well-meaning family and friends phoned to ask how I was doing, how I was handling it. The calls often threw me off guard, for it (meaning the moving … Read more

I can hardly wait for the Olympic Games to begin, because there's something very special about the Olympics to me. In fact, I've often dreamed of winning a gold medal, and then receiving the honour of standing on that platform … Read more

We've been making a lot of trips to the local dump lately. We're replacing our old deck. The wood is really rotten. As soon as the trailer is full, we drive to the dump and get rid of it. Really … Read more

The other day I was looking at my "dog tags", which I got when I enlisted in the U.S. Navy. On the tags are my name, service number, religious preference and blood type. As I looked at them I noticed … Read more

Why is it that when two Christians meet, perhaps for the first time, within five minutes they are chatting to each other as if they have been friends for years? It is because they have certain things in common. They … Read more