In the heart of Maybole, Scotland, there is an old collegiate church, where the ancient kings of Carrick were buried. It's over 800 years old, is in ruins, and is also surrounded by an old cemetery, which is still looked … Read more

I live in permanent gratitude for a message I heard as a little girl in church years ago. By Bible verses and large vivid drawings, it was illustrated what happens when farmers plowing a field keep their eyes to the … Read more

Years ago, when I was in seminary, I was amongst a group of divinity students who had arranged a meeting with shop stewards from the ship builders in Glasgow. The men we met were rugged and coarse, and had spent … Read more

Last Wednesday, I went to a feed store to buy some seeds. By this time in the summer, most garden shops are out of seeds, so I was delighted to get some for a second planting to replenish my salad … Read more

I was in a queue at a set of traffic lights in town. We were stationary, so I looked expectantly towards the red lights in front of me, when a movement in the car in front of me caught my … Read more

Sometimes people can't handle the truth. I know that I hate being criticized, especially when it's true. I get all defensive and begin to fluster. I get angry inside, and I want to go on the offensive, beating down my … Read more

I like to garden — but I don't like pulling weeds. I especially don't like pulling up weed trees that are growing in the middle of a flower bed or vegetable garden. Even more, I detest uprooting volunteer trees that … Read more

The World Health Organization works hard to keep us aware of the latest flu epidemic possibilities. We are cautioned to get the flu shot, wash our hands to a couple of choruses of "Happy Birthday", stay away from crowds, and … Read more

If you've ever seen the movie, Chariots of Fire, you'll know that it's about Great Britain's highly successful 1924 Olympic sprinting team. The movie focuses on two runners, Harold Abrahams from England and Eric Liddell from Scotland. Both won gold … Read more

When my children were small, I found them the most wonderful red tent. It was a little pup tent that had a floor which fit over their mattress like a fitted bottom sheet. The tent zippered up and was just … Read more

"Good night, and God bless you!" was said to my siblings and me every night of our childhood, teens, and adult lives. My parents-in-law said the same to their children, and we did to our children, and they to their … Read more

Mom was a Roman Catholic, so praying to the saints came naturally to her. She had her favourites like St. Monica and St. Theresa, but usually when she was praying for me, especially during my drinking sprees, she would pray … Read more

Bright sunshine flooded the fields as I drove to church. In one, a Holstein calf caught my attention as it gambolled around, testing its legs. Meanwhile, its mother contentedly chewed her cud. In another dandelion-dotted meadow, two colts broke away … Read more

I first looked at page 186 over a half-century ago; now it's my computer's screen saver. For my tenth birthday, Mama gave me a small black Bible and said, "Son, wherever you go, take it with you, and when you're … Read more

When I was growing up, I often heard the term, "the apple of my eye", usually from my grandmother, who used it for all twenty-two of her grandchildren. We don't hear it so much these days, which is a pity, … Read more

As I was reading the Scriptures the other day, I heard the dog door open and someone come in. Sharing my home with eight dogs and five cats, I never know just who that someone may be until they come … Read more

An old martial arts saying was passed around: "If you are going to have to go into a den of rattlesnakes, become a rattlesnake." The rattlesnakes do not prey on each other; they attack others. This is just another way … Read more

When I was at high school, I had a part-time job on an ice cream van. For four nights a week, I used to serve up cones, wafers, and popsicles to families all over the subdivisions where the van travelled. … Read more

With a new baby and a wreck of a house, I have a tendency to be focused on the job to be done: it is easy to do. Consequently, I am task-orientated, with a noticeable sense of satisfaction when a … Read more

The sky was the most elegant blue I have ever seen. Our church building is located just on the edge of our city, surrounded by trees and farmers' fields. As I looked down the road in the distance, I saw … Read more

Recently, I joined Facebook. I really enjoy reading what other people are up to each day and sending them words of encouragement and laughter in the "Comments" section. It's a wonderful way of keeping in contact with friends, both near … Read more

I grew up in a time of peace, not war. I immigrated to my adopted country, and have lived here in war-free peace. In the early days of my renewed Christian life, I came across today's Scripture verse. The phrases … Read more

One winter's evening, I arrived to collect my mother-in-law from where she had arrived at the coach station. I was a few minutes late, so, like a gun dog, I feverishly scanned the horizon for my target. There in the … Read more

I didn't know it at the time, but my name and telephone number were etched onto a wall inside a cell of the local police station. At some point, I must have helped someone in the Scottish town I was … Read more

How many of us like novelty tunes? Novelty tunes are funny songs. They were very popular when I was a teenager. We listened to such tunes as "The Purple People Eater", and "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". … Read more

It was a beautiful spring Saturday morning — not a cloud in the sky. After a long and harsh winter, it was a welcome sight. After collecting a few dried-up leaves and some wayward recycling from the yard, I was … Read more

Years ago, there was a terrible storm which unexpectedly hit the west coast of Scotland late one afternoon. All the fishermen in my parish desperately fought against the wind and waves that threatened to engulf their boats. One by one, … Read more

When we are driving anywhere, whether on a short or a long trip, there are roadside signs and signals revealing important information, instructions, and directions: speed limits, slow, stop, give way, keep left, turn right to such and such, freeway … Read more

My friend was painstakingly peeling cloves of garlic with a huge butcher knife. (Women often use the nearest tool at hand, thinking they are saving time!) "Why do you peel garlic like that?" I asked. "There is a better way." … Read more

There are some things that I really miss about not being in Scotland, even after all of these years. I get homesick for the people, the places, the scenery, and the songs. I long for the accents and traditions, the … Read more