If ever I have encountered a portion of scripture that needed little or no explanation, this is surely it. As one of my favourite ministers would say, "Those words could preach." In the midst of the market turmoil convulsing the … Read more

In October, I started working in a greenhouse. We planted very small plugs of primulas or primroses into larger pots. There were 120,000 of these plants and, needless to say, we were planting for a couple of weeks! Thereafter, I … Read more

I love to bake, and almost always, I have something in the oven or cooling on a rack. My two children have therefore grown up stirring and mixing. We try new recipes, and are always looking for special foods to … Read more

We're not really ever very far from trash. In this affluent part of the world where we can find almost anything we could want in a disposable form, where fast food is served up in containers that later become litter, … Read more

Lenten wilderness! Desert wastes of temptation! Time to be apart. A borderland site caught between two ways of life. Which one will we choose? It's a place to stop on the journey of our lives, a time of trial. Jesus … Read more

As I was listening to some of our Scottish music the other day, I was reminded of the time when our son was about three years old. He was particularly touched by one song we used to listen to. The … Read more

One night recently I needed to deliver a message to someone down the road, and on my way back, I decided to take a detour up through the inside of our subdivision, walking paths long left behind from days when … Read more

My wife and I recently attended a concert given at a local church by combined choirs of local churches and the Oklahoma Baptist Symphony. From where we sat, I could watch the harpist, but noticed that there were times that … Read more

I shall not forget the day when our minister came to our house for lunch. We live close to a golf course, and my husband invited him to bring along his golf clubs. Although my husband does golf, he has … Read more

Want to know God's will for your life? Then answer this question: "What ignites your heart?" Forgotten orphans? Untouched nations? The inner city? Lost friends at school? Heed the fire within! Do you have a passion to sing? — Then … Read more

This past January, a group of college students and adults from our church went to Cite Soliel in Porte au Prince, Haiti, to build houses for two homeless families. Cite Soliel is the worst slum in Haiti, which is the … Read more

On my first walk out after a week's worth of the 'flu, I was given a most glorious gift. Each home is unique unto itself, both in architectural structure and ground management. Some are surrounded by fences of inanimate material, … Read more

I recently received an amaryllis bulb from the ladies of my church. It is the kind of present you have to wait to enjoy. I had one given to me last year, but it was a failure. As I examined … Read more

As I look out my window, it is hard to believe that a month ago southern Ontario's groundhog prognosticator, Wiarton Willy, predicted an early spring. Although our snow has been reduced to a few dirty mounds where the snowplow piled … Read more

Risk taking is taking on something that causes fear and has the possibility of failure. Life holds more excitement and satisfaction when we're willing to expand our comfort zones, try new things, and dare to achieve our dreams. We say … Read more

Joel 2:12-13a – "Yet even now," says the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing." (NRSV) Lent … time of hungering for God for coming … Read more

My dog and I have been exploring new routes for our daily walks. These ones take us along the railroad tracks — not on the tracks — but on a new path paralleling the tracks, made especially for pedestrians and … Read more

When thoughts of something just won't go away, and when they are of good things, we can be pretty sure they are God's desire for us. If we've prayed about it and are still not sure of the answer, we … Read more

My daughter started senior kindergarten last fall. I am a stay-at-home mom and we had decided that a year at home was more important to a four-year-old than a year at school, so we had not sent Bethany to junior … Read more

There is perhaps no more beautiful or personal passage than that of Psalm 139, and I am ever in awe as to the ways in which He directs our pathways when we are open to having Him do so. In … Read more

Have you ever sat at an intersection, when the traffic lights aren't working, watching the policeman directing traffic every which way? Have you sat and watched an orchestra, or bandleader, waving the baton directing the different sections when to play … Read more

For several months now, a constant in my prayer life has been centred around a sermon that our pastor shared. He instructed us to begin praying that God would be the author of our lives and that we would allow … Read more

A few days ago, I went out to purchase lunch. I walked briskly to the restaurant on that cold winter day. While I ate my lunch, I picked up a newspaper that someone had left behind. I noticed that it … Read more

One of the household chores that I avoid doing as long as possible is the ironing. Not that I mind doing it, actually it's just that the idea of it seems so confining. It's not nearly as interesting as some … Read more

Yesterday's devotional was inadvertently repeated today. … Read more

Springtime is recruiting season for the Boy Scouts. Each February and March, Cub Scout dens that are ready to cross over and join the Boy Scouts will visit various Scout troops to check out their programmes, see how the troops … Read more

There's a sign on the side of the road coming into a small town in northwest Florida. It's been there for years, with a simple statement to those who drive by: "Jesus loves you. He's coming soon." Nestled in the … Read more

How often do we see or not see the amber light? We travel through our lives on the go. Referring to traffic lights green, amber and red, are we travelling too fast on the green? When the amber light shows, … Read more

When our now 23-year-old daughter was in grade six, she had a very stark lesson on earthquake preparedness. When she came home from school the day of the lesson, we had to put everything else aside and make up an … Read more

After a recent illness and being "in the house" for about two weeks, I felt well enough to meet a friend for lunch. While returning home, I began to feel the warm rays of sun flooding through the car windows. … Read more

Recently, my five-year-old daughter and I saw a cardinal out our window. That is not unusual, since we put seed out for the birds all winter, but this was the first cardinal we had seen all winter. I said to … Read more