Barnabas, whose name means "son of encouragement," was a man who gave encouragement and consolation to his friends, becoming one of the most respected persons in the church in Jerusalem. Barnabas was the mentor of the apostle Paul. He encouraged … Read more

Nothing tastes as good as a freshly laid, 2-3 minute, soft-cooked egg. Our family calls them "dipping eggs". These beauties take well to a sliver of toast or an English muffin. We are really spoiled! Because we live near a … Read more

"It only makes sense, that from the air, one would be seen as a full circle," claimed my husband, after a few moments' assessment of what we had seen. I know he's right, but if we hadn't actually experienced seeing … Read more

When we travel by plane on an overseas flight, I go prepared with blinders to keep out the light of the overhead video, and a pair of earplugs to cut down on the internal noise of voices in conversation, and … Read more

I love playing games — nothing too physical — with my wife. I delight in being daft — manipulating words — with anyone silly enough to be around when I am in the mood. As I get older, this tends … Read more

One day recently, after I'd missed my bus at the mall, I ended up waiting for the next bus with a 95-year-old woman, who was on her way to buy groceries by herself. She hadn't been out of the house … Read more

I work as a pre-school teacher within a nursery, and spend most of my time with children aged two-and-a-half to four years. Part of every day is spent giving hugs and cuddles when the children need them, whether it is … Read more

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a little rabbit named Hasi. It was bright yellow, and its fur was as soft as a cotton ball. Hasi lived with a little girl, who loved it very much. … Read more

One of the greatest needs for human beings is to be trusted. One of the things human beings need to do most is to trust God. Knowing how important it is to be trusted, why do we find it so … Read more

He doesn't have temper tantrums. Screaming and yelling are unknown to him. He is a very mild-mannered little boy. Yet there, in the middle of the mall, he threw himself to the floor, flailed his arms and legs, and screamed, … Read more

My supervising professor was furious. I had written a paper on the now defunct Organization of African Unity (O.A.U.) without referring to its accompanying charter. She concluded by stating that I had to write the paper again, and, this time, … Read more

I recently began a new teaching series in which our class is walking through the Gospels, in an effort to draw nearer to Christ by closely examining His life and teachings. As I prepared the lesson for the fifth and … Read more

I had never been part of a drama before, but when our pastor pleaded for more men to participate in the Easter play, I couldn't say no. After months of set building, rehearsal, and preparing all the special effects necessary … Read more

If you have done any hiking or work in the woods, you may have used a canteen. I can remember once working at putting up tents at a Scout camp, when I got so dry that I do not think … Read more

Journeying in different parts of the world, one can look in awe at many different kinds of trees. Out on the west coast of North America grow the great California redwoods — trees that have been there for hundreds of … Read more

A number of years ago the volunteer co-ordinator at our local hospital asked me if I could spend some time with "Anna" (name changed) — a palliative care patient. Shortly before my first visit, the doctor had told her that … Read more

One day this winter, I looked out the window, only to see the huge mounds of snow — snow that had not only fallen, but had been piled high by the snowplow. The day was sunny and cold when I … Read more

Great excitement filled the air: the parade was coming. The little Mexican village of Ajijic on the shores of Lake Chapala was in an excited buzz. We were sitting at a roadside cafe, looking out on the local square with … Read more

As a student of international law here in the Netherlands, I have some days that are less busy than others, with free hours to work and earn some cash. One job I particularly like is cleaning a busy lawyer's house. … Read more

Being in my kitchen is sheer pleasure! Over the years, cooking and baking have provided many enjoyable hours. My favourite thing to bake is bread. I love the fragrance of a loaf of wheat bread baking in the oven. Without … Read more

A number of years ago, my youngest son wanted to wrestle. His older brother wrestled, and he just naturally fell into the sport. Actually, he became pretty good. Problem: there was no Junior High coach. I knew very little about … Read more

A woman sits, blank eyes staring at a wall. She is unaware of the people who love her, or who brought her to this place. Her mind is confused, asking the same questions, over and over again: "Where am I?" … Read more

It was the second day of the summer season for the Polar Bear Express, running from Cochrane, Ontario, Canada, through the Arctic Watershed to Moosonee and Moose Island at the mouth of James Bay. A young man, a professional hockey … Read more

The snow just won't quit this year. The drifts in our little town are as high as an elephant's eye. Since we are retired, we can plan our days according to the weather. Still, some are bound by work and … Read more

One day I decided to have some kippers — smoked herrings. I cooked them in the microwave, then ate them with satisfaction, and washed up. I had made the kitchen smell of smoked fish, so I decided to put a … Read more

My grandson, Tim, is nine. He often spends part of his school vacations with me, so I was delighted when he asked if he might visit during his mid-winter break. Tim's parents, however, warned me to prepare for battle, as … Read more

Sitting alone in the quiet of my room, I had just picked up a devotional book, one that I had never intended to read. You might think this odd, but as I sat and looked out the window at the … Read more

Approximately one year ago, I made a decision to donate half of my waitress's gratuities to our church in order to help pay off our church building's mortgage. This was over and above my regular financial donation of ten percent. … Read more

Making mistakes has always been part of my life. No matter how hard I try to be perfect, some type of little "blunder" is going to surface. I struggle over a manuscript trying to correct the errors. Just when the … Read more

Thank goodness I finally found my other mitten. The washing machine had tucked it safely into the leg of my jogging pants. Finally a complete pair! Number one mitten had disappeared, but I had saved number two! These white mittens … Read more