Driving home from our Presbytery meeting the other day, our group pulled up behind a car with a pumpkin windsock flapping about on the end of its radio antenna. Obviously, the driver was celebrating autumn. A little further on, we … (read more)

During the first week of Advent last year, friends passed along to me a couple of e-mail messages that made me think for a bit. The first one was titled 50 Good Reasons Why Jesus is Better than Santa Claus. … (read more)

It is a very wet and windy day near the end of October. I have just finished the draft of the Christmas Eve service and bulletin. You may think me mad for having this done so far ahead. I do … (read more)

I hate waiting in line. Get me in a long line and I am not a happy camper. You can bet that whatever line I am in will go slowly. I am one of those people who can always choose … (read more)

The other weekend, my son and I were shopping at the Target store for a birthday present for my wife. She wanted a pedometer so she could keep track of how many miles she walked each day for exercise. We … (read more)

For some months now, my grandson, who earlier underwent surgery to remove a tumour on his brain, has been living with me. The recovery has sometimes been difficult. Last week, a series of problems in my own life left me … (read more)

I had a fire drill the other day, so I looked at the torch that we have for evening use. I checked the battery by placing my tongue across the terminals to see if it would give me the expected … (read more)

While there is joy in receiving, there is greater joy in giving. We are all taught to say "thank you" when we receive something, but what about saying "thank you" when we give something away? And who else is there … (read more)

The hardest job I ever had was managing my father's cotton gin. That fall three decades ago, when I returned home from overseas military service, he said, "Son, I'm tending to the harvest. You'll have to learn to operate the … (read more)

The security light under our bedroom window on the outside of our home had seen better days. The wiring was pretty well shot and one of the brackets had rusted away, so last year we had it replaced with a … (read more)

As we continue to reflect on the devastating events of September 11, much has been said in an attempt to understand those men who were willing to give their lives to commit such terrible acts of violence and hatred. Probably … (read more)

Accompanied by my mid-morning cup of tea, I started to eat my lunch early. As I opened up my chocolate mousse, brown, homogeneous, indifferent, and resolute in its container, it seemed to look back, unimpressed at me. Many years ago, … (read more)

"Ah, the freshness of a fall day: the beauty of God's handiwork of nature, the falling leaves, the crisp winds, the small whitecaps on the waters of Mahone Bay." These were my thoughts as I made my way to my … (read more)

A "No smoking, except in designated areas" sign catches my eye, as I look around the waiting room of the car dealership. I have finally brought my car in for a lube, oil, and filter change. This is a recommended … (read more)

Have you, like me, ever read these words and found yourself in every verse? Have you ever been the seed sown along the path, and let confusion or doubt about some detail of Christian doctrine rob you of joy and … (read more)

I have always been a neat person. I like things to be put in their place. If you want to spin me up, then mess up a room. When I get home from work, I like to sit down and … (read more)

I have always loved clouds. As a child, I would lie on my back in the grass, gaze into the heavens, and watch the cloud parade. How many wonderful things my imagination was able to see there: a whole series … (read more)

"Square Head!" "Nazi Lover!" "Kraut!" I still remember those hurtful words, thrown like darts, towards me, many years ago. My parents, my brother, and I immigrated from Germany to Canada in 1957, leaving behind friends, relatives, and many memories, some … (read more)

On my wall is a little poster of that famous bear, Pooh, and his friend Piglet. The words accompanying the notorious twosome are these: Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking … (read more)

At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we stand in silence to remember. We wear the poppies to help us to remember and to help honour those who gave their lives for us, for our … (read more)

At this time of year, I often think of November 11, 1994, when my husband and I were travelling in Belgium. "Overcast," I wrote in my diary. "This morning we decided to go to the Remembrance service in Ypr

I am fortunate to live in one of the staging areas and flyways for the Canada and Snow Geese. These beautiful birds collect by the thousands in the grain fields and on the many lakes in this area of the … (read more)

Anyone who has experienced bringing a new baby home knows the excitement generated amongst family and friends. Baby showers abound. People pop in to take a peek at the precious, new, little life. They want to hold them, cradle them, … (read more)

Today was a perfect Nova Scotia day. The leaves were golden, scarlet and every fall colour. The sun was strong, causing long low shafts of light — God's creation. We decided to drive to Lunenburg. We passed the three churches … (read more)

One late summer's day, it took me ages to get home because traffic was stalled along the way, on account of the local air show. The "Snowbirds", a precision team of fliers from the Royal Canadian Air Force, were swooping … (read more)

Recently, the day that I had been dreading for three months arrived: the day when my mentor and friend, the Area Minister under whom I have been working for the past fourteen years, moved out-of-state to take another job. I … (read more)

At an intersection near my home there is a box holding, I suppose, electrical connections for the traffic lights. On this someone has written the word MENE. Every time I pass by, I wonder if the writer knows that this … (read more)

It was perfect weather on Halloween night this year. Cold weather, rain, and/or wind often spoil the children's fun, but not this year. "Trick or treat" resounded from door to door. All who knocked or rang the doorbell received candy. … (read more)

I have always been careful to be honest with my eldest daughter and she respects this bond of trust we have, even when the answers are not what she may desire. Lately, she is growing in leaps and bounds, even … (read more)

As a result of the events that have taken place in the world over the last six weeks, I have been thinking quite a bit about leadership. What makes a leader? What draws us to a leader? In this country, … (read more)