In my yard, there are three bushes: one is a snowball bush, and two are azaleas. The snowball bush has been there for three years and has beautiful green leaves. It looks so pretty and healthy, but it never puts … Read more

Recently, I went to a women's retreat. One of the exercises was to take a particular seven-verse Scripture passage and to meditate on those verses. The valuable lesson that I learned, and will never forget, was not about what the … Read more

Creating table decorations for various events at my local church is something I really enjoy doing. My interest in the plants of the Bible and their symbolism helps me to create a hidden message and provide an element of surprise. … Read more

The hymn, "For all the saints who from their labours rest", echoes through my head as I write this. Have you experienced the saints of old around you, before you, even following you — a heavenly host of those who … Read more

One day, when we all get to heaven, we're going to meet people from the past, as well as the future, because in eternity, past, present, and future come together. Some people may come up to us and say, "Thank … Read more

In John 18:35, Pilate asked Jesus about his crime, but Jesus takes the conversation in a different direction. I grew up in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, during Prime Minister John Diefenbaker's time. In his later years, Diefenbaker often attended … Read more

When I was a child and we would go about seven or eight miles to visit some friends, I thought it took forever to arrive at their home. We travelled via a country gravel road, so my dad never drove … Read more

I am sure you have heard the following phrases in one form or another: – Big boys don't cry. – Big girls don't cry. – Oh, you're fine. Just dust yourself off and wipe away the tears. Sadly, with such … Read more

Have you tried using one of those new sponges to erase difficult stains and marks from walls, floors, and other surfaces? These sponges easily remove stains that previously could not be removed. It is so simple and easy to do … Read more

It was Rear Admiral Grace Hopper who coined the phrase, "It's better to ask for forgiveness afterwards than to wait for permission." She also initiated the term "computer bug" after literally finding a bug in one of the navy's large … Read more

Recently, my wife went into hospital to have an operation under a general anaesthetic. After the operation, I was allowed to sit with her in a tiny cubicle. There she lay, semi-conscious, aware of my presence, but unable to speak. … Read more

We had an unbelievably long winter last year with record amounts of snow. From the first snowfall till the snow was mostly melted was six long months. We also had seven feet of snow last year — the most we … Read more

Each Sunday morning, our pastor invites all the children to come to the front of the church for the children's time. There, they have a brief lesson on some biblical story, and the pastor leads the children as they pray … Read more

Have you ever gone to a restaurant which features a menu with pictures of some of the food offered? Pictures of food seem to draw our eyes to them, and in some cases, they influence our decisions about what we … Read more

"So much to do; so little time to do it in." Do you ever have the feeling that time is running out and all the things that you have planned are never going to be accomplished? I guess I'm at … Read more

In response to one of my recent devotionals which followed that of a fellow long-time contributor, she wrote "It's been a long time since we were back to back." She was referring to our early days of contributing devotionals. Ten … Read more

I have been a witness to some extraordinary moves of God in my lifetime, but, as I said, they were extraordinary. Like many, I live, bound up in life's issues day-to-day, coping with the curve balls that speed my way. … Read more

In the recovery program at our church, we emphasize the definition of insanity as doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. When I thought about it, I realized the truth of it. Reckless, careless drivers … Read more

Recently, after spending a day with our boys, we were sitting and talking with them, when my husband noticed the sunlight reflecting off the water onto the trees, and he pointed it out to us. When we focussed our eyes … Read more

I visited an old friend this morning. I shared some happy memories with him and even shed a few tears. I talked quietly with him and fondly remembered some of the things that we did in church. I thanked him … Read more

As always, I started walking when the sun first lightened the horizon. This daily routine provides time to meditate and to recite poetry. A favourite quotation from Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin In The Sun, came to mind: Child, when … Read more

We live in a world where fear seems to be the motivator! Terrorism, bomb threats, super bugs — the list goes on. We are bombarded with fears in the news, the Internet, and the newspapers. No wonder there are days … Read more

At the gym where I exercise, there is a white board where inspiring messages are written. One of those messages recently read, "You are what you do!" It meant that if we exercise and eat properly, we will be healthy … Read more

My mother had a clock that had to be wound every twenty-four hours to keep it running. As long as she was faithful, it kept accurate time. Her life was programmed by that timepiece. The last chore of her work-filled … Read more

I studied Aramaic for a year at seminary. It's a bit like biblical Hebrew, but not quite as lyrical or refined. It was fascinating to me to read the old language because scholars believed that Jesus Himself actually spoke Aramaic. … Read more

The telephone rang, and when I answered, the little voice said, "Grand da da, I just wanted to let you know that me, mamma, brother, and Casey [the dog] are going for a walk. If you get scared, you can … Read more

One wintery day, I drove to a nearby shopping mall and was dismayed that sand had not been spread in the parking lot. I gingerly attempted to pull into a vacant space but my car was doing what it wanted … Read more

In northern Alberta, Canada, we had an unusually long winter this past year. From the first snowfall until it was all melted was six long months. In March, one of my little grandsons said wearily, "I think winter is going … Read more

Our granddaughter has now started Grade 10 in secondary school. During 1991, she experienced a whole year of chemotherapy. The end result, after praying that the tumour would not grow, was that it actually shrank from the size of a … Read more

When I was in fifth grade, or Primary 7 as we called it back in Scotland, a Bible exhibition came to Glasgow. I think it was run by the Philadelphian Bible Society in Britain. It was fascinating because many of … Read more