"I will go, Father," said the Son. "The cost will be great," the Father replied. "You must give your life…" "It will be worth it to redeem those we love who are imprisoned by the enemy. There is no other … Read more

Yesterday morning, when I woke up, bright sun greeted me. Gradually through the morning hours, however, the skies became leaden gray and by 12:30, snow began drifting down. As predicted by our weather forecaster, by 1:00, snow was sluicing down. … Read more

I am writing this on February 6th, and, after many days of warmish weather, we've wakened to a dusting of snow on our Lotus Land lawns on Vancouver Island. It is crisp and cold with a few flurried snowflakes scattering … Read more

When I was tidying up the other day, I came across a postcard I received last summer from a friend who was vacationing in Scotland. The picture was of a young boy shepherding a flock of sheep. As I looked … Read more

Have you ever found yourself entangled in an argument and realized that you could not even remember what had started the argument? Or have you ever found yourself just arguing for the sake of arguing, or playing the "devil's advocate", … Read more

"Go ahead and set down son! Make yourself miserable." (Basil Owen Gary, 1912-1998) The above quotation from my grandfather still resounds loud and painfully clear when I find myself anxious, emotionally flat, or thinking negatively. He was a remarkable man … Read more

Back in the days when pudding wasn't instant — when it was made from scratch by mixing sugar, eggs, milk and/or cream, and flavouring, and we actually cooked it — the words "The pudding's burned!" were a common occurrence. Contrary … Read more

Cancer! A word I never wanted to hear addressed to me in matter of fact tones as if I heard it every day. Disbelief shrouded me, screaming aloud "No it wouldn't be" … "it couldn't be" … "it shouldn't be" … Read more

The other day I was talking to someone from my old hometown. This person mentioned the name of a teacher who had recently passed away. When I heard the name, I remembered only one thing about my year in that … Read more

There is what I would call a thin but firm line between the confidence we show, and pride. When someone offers a complement, saying how well we did some thing, how do we react or feel inside? When I complete … Read more

Last fall marked my five-year-old daughter's second year playing soccer. Her abilities improved significantly over the previous year when she preferred to hold hands with a couple of little friends, chatting as they moved up and down the field, the … Read more

Sometimes I need to read something twice. I don't know why, exactly; there isn't really one overall reason. Sometimes my mind may not be focusing completely on what I'm reading. Sometimes there may be a word or two I need … Read more

This year we brought our computer with us to Florida, and I left all my backup files behind. These were mostly devotional topics I was planning to work on. While we were trying to set up our server and get … Read more

God knows us, but do we know Him? God loves us. God loves you. God loves me. We sang it when we were little children: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." But have we … Read more

"Men, do you remember how it used to be? Wouldn't you like to rekindle that romantic flame again? Then surprise her with a Valentine getaway at …" The woman's voice from the car's radio encouraged me to call to ensure … Read more

Valentine's Day was one of excitement and anticipation back in my elementary school days. We worked on building little paper baskets or boxes for the collection of valentines from our classmates. At home we'd choose the perfect valentine for the … Read more

The snow in our backyard is quite deep. Our two dogs have worn a path all the way around the edge of the yard and across the middle of the yard. The other day when I looked out the window … Read more

My husband and I had the privilege of celebrating Christmas and the New Year with both of our daughters. My oldest daughter, Christine, entered into a lifelong vocation called "motherhood" just over a year ago, and my husband and I … Read more

Very often when I contribute a devotional, I use something from my personal experiences. This time, I would like to share something in a little different way, something that touched my heart, and, in that way, it is personal. It … Read more

When I have read about missing children, I have always wondered how it could happen. Then I was faced with a possible answer. Our family had gone to a mall for an antique show, and the mall was pretty crowded. … Read more

While preparing a Sunday School lesson recently, I came across an analogy that has stuck in my mind, and I share it, hoping that perhaps it will stick in the minds of others as well. Our lesson centred around the … Read more

About seven months ago, a dear friend of ours lost his battle with cancer. During his illness, he and his wife lost their house and all of their life savings, because he could not work and she was not working … Read more

Recently a family member exclaimed that our bathroom scales were broken. My response was an incredulous "Really?!" "Yes", was the answer, "I have to step on the scale three different times to get the correct weight!" Funny how it only … Read more

Silence So loud it shatters the quietness surrounding me I can feel my heart beating in my throat I can hear him breathing Unspoken words Silence Unforgiveness sits on the throne A silent tear slowly trickles down my cheek I … Read more

When we returned south for the winter, we attempted to start up our golf cart. It operates on six batteries, which were replaced about five years ago. Each year when we return, we wonder, "Will the batteries take a charge?" … Read more

Recently I have started to take my son ice-skating. I used to skate when I was younger, so it is nice to get back out on the ice. It is also fun teaching my son how to skate. After we … Read more

Some of us need reminding about things, especially when it comes to praying for others. It's easy to remember our own needs over those of others, and especially over those who are not so close to home. Recently, my husband … Read more

Have you ever dreamed of finding a gold mine or an oil well on your property? Or have you looked at a rainbow and wished that the story were true about a pot of gold being found at the end … Read more