I once went to a Halloween party at a church where I attended Sunday School. My brother was supposed to come with me, but he was sick that night, so I asked a friend to come along. He was delighted … Read more

In a state park where we once camped, there were many springs, bubbling out of the mountainside. This water was pristine, cool, and refreshing. If we had no containers, we cupped our hands together and drank from them. This spring … Read more

The other day, a vehicle drove down our street, full of people. None was talking with the others. Instead, each person was having a "private" conversation on his cell phone! What? For a solid thirty minutes? No cell phone ringing? … Read more

I do a lot of reading, a lot of listening, a lot of watching television, and, sometimes, a lot of talking. I like to say nice things to people, and I like for them to say nice things to me. … Read more

I must admit it shocked me a little. I couldn't help but think of all the money and space required to keep up such a hobby. Then of course there are the sore feet derived from heels too high for … Read more

"The problem will go away in a few days," I reassured myself, as I squinted to see the music that I was trying to play for the morning service. But by Monday morning when I took the dog for a … Read more

In the book of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher wrote about time — how there is a time for everything. I thought about how we often measure our lives by time. We beat time; we are pressed for time; we make up … Read more

We were into the tenth day of a heat wave and drought moving through our area. My flowers were parched and drooping, desperate for water. Those that had been watered the evening before were again in need of a drink. … Read more

You've probably heard this verse before. It's a great favourite at funerals, that sacred time when our loved ones are entrusted into God's everlasting care. It's a remarkable piece of Scripture, and over the many years that I have been … Read more

My Granny and Grandpa lived on the same street for more than forty years. A beautiful, shady maple tree grew on city property right in front of the house. After Gramps passed away, Granny began to focus all her attention … Read more

Recently, my daughter and I were having a mother/daughter chat. As we talked, we started remembering some of the more challenging episodes in our lives: her leaving home for the first year of university, and searching for her first job. … Read more

Today, students — most of them — are glowing with pride and bouncing with excitement, as they have been online to find out their results. All the nervous energy, now expended, has been suddenly washed over by the jubilation of … Read more

I'm embarrassed to admit that I was recently stopped for speeding. After looking over the necessary papers, the police officer asked me if I had ever had a speeding ticket before. I told him that I had had one other … Read more

I watched them jockey for position along the highway. The tractor-trailer driver needed to move to the centre lane because the bridges were too low where he was. However, the much smaller gravel truck just wouldn't move over. When the … Read more

As a child, I remember watching in fascination when Mr. Jones, the local grocer, weighed items on his scales. He explained that the weight on one side was a pound. When he piled enough potatoes on the opposite side and … Read more

Whew! This verse sure brings back memories. I have been on every low calorie, fat-free, carbohydrate-light diet ever written. (I even wrote some of them!) Each became my personal bondage, my personal jail cell. Like the Israelites, I became a … Read more

After last year's crop of tomatoes, which didn't amount to very much, I decided to change the soil. Early in the spring I removed much of the topsoil and replaced it with new. Now, it is necessary to understand that … Read more

Leah, our choir director's little girl, is a bouncy four-year-old with long blond curls and plenty of energy. One Sunday morning recently, I couldn't help but smile as I, from my position in the choir loft, watched her bound up … Read more

Before I came to pastor in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, I had been a part-time chaplain, as well as a full-time parish minister, at a local hospital in Scotland. I used to go around my assigned wards — cardiac, oncology, and … Read more

Throughout my working life, my family and I lived in a number of different locations across Canada, and for a time lived in a west coast community which owed its existence to the fishing industry. Virtually everyone in the community … Read more

"Inheritance" is a word that has come to mind often over the past few days while my grandchildren have been visiting. One day I discovered that I was mentally cataloguing the children's physical attributes as well as the natural talents … Read more

It was Thanksgiving, but I was having a hard time finding something for which to be thankful. It hadn't been a good year, and, as a child of nine, I was struggling with the fact that we had to move … Read more

There is demolition going on just a few streets away from my view of the Cotswold countryside where I work. Workers are pulling down an office block. It is being ripped apart by a huge machine with an enormous set … Read more

Any who have driven north from Orillia, Ontario, Canada, on Highway 11 may remember that when the road was widened, there was a spectacular rock cut through which the new road wound. High on either side of the road, the … Read more

Looking out of the window onto the backyard, I observed the birds filling up on the seeds that were scattered on the late summer grasses. Their appointed season here in the north was just about up, and the time of … Read more

My mother was schizophrenic, and she suffered from that mental condition for 25 years. It was a torturous illness, and a terrifying experience for all of my family. I remember that most kids in our subdivision went off joyfully to … Read more

One of my favourite decorative items is a colourful basket of artificial fruit, now on a table on the sun porch. Through the years, it has been used in different areas. Many times, when preparing for a yard sale, I've … Read more

Our neighbours have a lovely log house on the river. Unfortunately, they are situated in a spot where the river curves, and, over the past few years, a lot of erosion has taken place in the spring when the river … Read more

I can remember years ago going to a restaurant with one of my Irish friends who had a touch of the blarney. When the waitress came to take our order, she asked him what he would like. He lyrically answered, … Read more

In talking back and forth with reference to writing a devotional, the subject came up, "What makes it sparkle? What catches our attention?" The conclusion that we two contributors came to was that the message is best when it comes … Read more

Has anyone ever written you a song? I had one written for me as a graduating gift from theological school. The song, called "Shout it Down", is about the mysterious encounter that Joshua has with a man before his attack … Read more