I was in the process of preparing dinner when the phone rang. Usually I am good at multi-tasking. So I continued to prepare the potato salad while talking on the phone. I was almost done the potato salad at the … Read more

Recently at the airport, I saw such a beautiful picture. A young lady was pacing back and forth, waiting for the arrival of the aircraft. When it was announced that the passengers would soon be entering the terminal, she stood … Read more

Driving along the road, I glanced in the rear-view mirror just for a second, and when my eyes came back onto the road, I found myself drifting over into the next lane of traffic. With a quick manoeuvre, I was … Read more

When a world-famous cookbook author's name came up in conversation, I mentioned how much I used and enjoyed her recipes. "Oh, posh," said one lady sarcastically. "She only lives over on the third line." The implication was clear. To that … Read more

I live at present in a gated collection of flats and houses. One of the downsides of having a designated parking space is that there is no choice of where to park the car. The space we have is situated … Read more

Looking through a collection of cross-stitching books today, I found a prayer that inspired me. I began thinking about how God uses our creativity to touch others and bring glory to himself, even when we are no longer living in … Read more

Most little children love to be held and hugged. As a mother and grandmother, I have noticed over the years, though, that there comes a time (usually during the teen years) that we don't want to be hugged any more. … Read more

Bill was in his late seventies when I met him. He had been a fisherman all of his life, save for the war years, when he and his four brothers served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean aboard minesweeping vessels. He … Read more

It has now been three years since we decided to sell the Florida home we lived in during the long Ontario winters. We had inherited it, and it had come completely furnished. When the sale was finalized, the buyer had … Read more

Recently while I was in hospital for a surgery, though the stay was only three days, it was a stressful time for me. I am a person who likes to be able to see outside a lot, and the Lord … Read more

Years of sewing left me with a wealth of scraps. Quilting sounded like a good idea, and the first one completed went to one of my children. He has been going through a challenging time lately; thus I called it … Read more

"Don't be anxious and don't worry." This was God's Word delivered by my daughter. In conversation with her about the pending sale of our house and the purchase of one in another province, I clearly conveyed how concerned I was. … Read more

We were calmly waiting for our appointment when the lights flickered. One of the secretaries gasped out, "Oh no, I was working on an article!" The other laughed and replied, "You didn't save it, did you!" I so understood … Read more

This year we had a big ant hill in our back alley. Those little ants fascinate me. As I watched them, it seemed to me that they were just running every which way, back and forth, with no purpose. I … Read more

I can remember when all stores were closed on Sundays. Even gas stations had hours late Saturday evening and early Monday morning but were closed on Sundays. There was a store in Toronto that even closed all its show windows … Read more

A small century-old abandoned church was tucked in a corner of a field, partially surrounded by a barbed-wire fence. There was no road leading to it, no welcoming signs, yet I felt drawn to it. Although its grey metal roof … Read more

With seven in our family, Saturday was a big washing day for my mother. There were a couple of things that I liked to do to help her. She washed all the clothes in the big kitchen sink, and it … Read more

Having upgraded my computer to Windows XP, I purchased a new digital flat-screen monitor. I like it, as it gives me much more space on my desk to place a book or paper from which I wish to copy. I … Read more

When our children were small, we never made a point of keeping communication open. Often when they would ask questions, we would hush them up for one reason or another. So by the time they were teenagers and we needed … Read more

God expects us to make good decisions, but we must be watchful, slow down, and think things through in this fast-paced world. I remember that the very first time my sister and I went to England on a holiday, we … Read more

I was looking at an old photo, taken in the fall some years ago, showing our family walking down a country road amid a blaze of coloured leaves. It brought back pleasant memories of days now gone by. A photo, … Read more

When my children were growing up, we lived on a farm, and we did not have a whole lot of things, but what we did have was a lot of love — and for that we were very thankful One … Read more

Over the years, I have received many gifts: at my birthday, at Christmas, and at other times. Some were expensive; all made my life a little happier, at least for a while. It occurred to me the other day that … Read more

When my children came down for breakfast, cheerfully singing a little tune, I cried out, "Sing before breakfast and cry before noon!" After all, I had learned that from my mom and my granny, so it must be a true … Read more

When I worked in medical records, an efficiency expert was brought into the department to streamline the assembling of the medical records. He pointed out each step, emphasizing the importance of each person's contribution and their role in the total … Read more

I once grew an apple tree from seed in my apartment in Glasgow. The bay windows in the living room faced south, so this tree flourished. I was very proud of it and even took it to the Maybole manse … Read more

I was driving down the Interstate and had an arterial venial malformation — a leak in my brain — and as a result, within fifteen seconds, I was totally unconscious. The end result was two brain surgeries and six years … Read more

What do an English-speaking grandma and a little girl who only speaks Spanish have in common? Not long ago, I would have answered, "Not very much." This summer, however, I found the courage to step outside my comfort zone … Read more

We recently took a trip in a hot air balloon. After a few missed starts due to weather, the perfect day arrived. I was expecting us to rise from the earth in a gush of heat and power which would … Read more

On the first Sunday of each month we celebrate communion in our church. On a recent occasion, I sat looking over the small crowd gathered for worship and thought how our congregation avoided this service. I felt disheartened. I had … Read more

October is here again, and riotous colours pour across the Ontario landscape. The trees are sporting every variety of red, auburn, gold, and green. These, of course, are the expected shades of fall in these parts. Around the corner from … Read more