My mother had been injured as a result of a stupid and senseless crime. A young man who had worked at our family contracting company had attacked my mother with a broken brick in her office. His reasons are not … (read more)

This morning, as I made my bed, I was reminded of a friend that I met twenty years ago. At the time, we were both stay-at-home mothers, and our friendship blossomed as we went on our morning walks through the … (read more)

Recently, I was reflecting on a crisis in my life, and I came to realize the truth. Being separated from God can feel like being trapped in a cave which is so dark that nothing can be seen. You grope … (read more)

Pushing off from shore, and rowing to the other side of the lake, I could see a rugged piece of land that rose out of the water like a cliff, from where I could look down into the crystal clear … (read more)

She was full of thoughts and prayers for friends, family, the community, even the world, but then she stubbed her toe on the dresser. She yearned to give food to the hungry at the food bank, donate some clothing to … (read more)

What a mess of mismatched morsels! In front of her was food of every description brought to Evangel Hall (an inner city mission in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) all to provide a little something to satisfy the hunger of those who … (read more)

Have you ever felt so lonely, sad, and depressed with the direction that your life was taking you, that you were unable to pray? Today is like that for me. All I am capable of doing is saying, "This too … (read more)

When I was a teenager, the music director at our local church asked me to sing a solo for a Sunday morning service. We didn't have a big congregation, so it shouldn't have been a problem, but it was. When … (read more)

Last year, our church honoured our pastor, Dr. John Williamson, with a surprise luncheon, cards, and gifts. He has been the pastor of our church for 25 years, and, during these years, has given us his love, and has faithfully … (read more)

The date was June 15, 2001, the time was 0900 hours, the place was JFK International Airport in New York. I had travelled from Johannesburg to New York aboard South African Airways for much of the previous night, and I … (read more)

I completed three levels of spreadsheet and database design in 2002, through continuing education at my local college. I am not all that quick at keyboarding, especially when it comes to navigating. A student next to me tried to be … (read more)

A young high school student came to me one day and said, "I don't know what to expect when I get to school. I am just entering high school and I'm scared." Further inquiry led me to ask him what … (read more)

For most of my adult life, I've had difficulty solving problems which fall under a category I jokingly call the "Three M's": mathematics, mechanics, and manual labour. Perhaps it is one of those problems psychologists refer to as right-brain versus … (read more)

I was up late last night, because I wanted to fix and clean a camera lens. Today, I am totally exhausted. My eyes are tired, and I have not had enough sleep. To add insult to injury, I did not … (read more)

With the arrival of summer, thoughts and plans turn towards camp for thousands of youngsters and their parents. Such was the topic on a recent talk show: how to find the perfect camp for your kids, how to handle homesickness, … (read more)

When travelling through the Rocky Mountains in the spring, I scribbled some words in my "pigpen", a small notebook I carry with me. This book contains tiny scribbles and scraps of notes that I revisit later, and, if I'm fortunate, … (read more)

If my friend, Jim, had had any sense, he would have said "no" when I first asked him if he wanted to make some extra money helping me wash down sidewalks, stairs, and walls at one of the students' apartment … (read more)

Once I needed a job. I asked God to lead me to the right one. All doors seemed to be closed at the time, except the medical records department at our local hospital, which I did not want. After weeks … (read more)

One rainy Saturday afternoon, I brought myself to travel a distance to visit a gentleman I had known for years, who was now in a nursing home. I should not have left it so late in the day, as the … (read more)

Recently, on our way home after delivering a sermon tape to a member of our congregation who was ill, my husband brought our car to an abrupt halt. On looking up, I saw an elegant deer standing directly in front … (read more)

I have been busy lately — doing — so, although things have been stressful and protracted, I thought I was fine. Then Sunday arrived as a wake-up call. My body, mind, and spirit came to a complete stop; the spirit-o-meter … (read more)

I ask the children what I would need to make a body. It varies with the group. Some think of the easy things — like legs, hands, eyes, etc. Others come up with more detail — blood, brain, heart, skin, … (read more)

I've been fortunate in that my travels have allowed me to visit a number of places of natural beauty in this great land. But on a recent visit to Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada, I was alarmed by the number … (read more)

As soon as I saw the little creature staring at me, I knew I was gone. Cute as a button, white as could be, with a little streak of black on its head, it was mewing. My heart ached as … (read more)

When my boys were growing up, we lived in the country. They had to depend on my transporting them to places of entertainment. They knew also that I had lots of responsibilities at home that came before taking them swimming, … (read more)

I have always enjoyed watching birds. In the winter, we feed birds that are native to our area all year long, and a few species that travel here from the north to spend the cold months in our "warmer" temperatures. … (read more)

I was out weeding the flowerbed, and observed how much grass was growing there. Looking around the lawn and finding bare places, I was puzzled, and wondered why the grass grew where I didn't want it, and yet, out in … (read more)

Parking around the university is tight, so I prefer to use the residential streets. As the occupants go to work (at about the time I arrive to start), they leave spaces. Later, the students arrive, and fill in all the … (read more)

Statistics Canada recently came out with the results of a survey on religious affiliation, in which it reported that 16{8395b6ce96fcf25a14d80edc3b65c36a8995b6c1ba5f8c16ac11d8adaa79f35b} of Canadians do not belong to any religion at all. When I heard this on the radio, while I was … (read more)

The other morning, my three-year-old daughter said something that, to her, was so simple, but which was truly quite profound. As she lay in bed with her mother, out of the blue, she said, "You know, mommy, I put carpet … (read more)

Many years ago, my family and I were vacationing in the North Georgia Mountains at Vogel State Park. A church service for the campers was held on Sunday on the veranda of the pavilion. It extended out over a mountain … (read more)