Never having given much thought to the nearby resort area of the Chincoteague and Assateague Islands of Virginia, I finally visited these places of special beauty and charm. Wondering how I had overlooked such wonderful spots so close to home, … (read more)

I am not a lover of winter, but there is something special about the first snow. For me, though, it takes a real effort to see this, as I grumble about lost ice-scrapers and snowbrushes. (It never ceases to amaze … (read more)

A few months ago, after an exceedingly deep and meaningful repentance, I put myself on the strictest diet ever. The main reason and priority goal was to bring my blood sugar levels down to a healthier and more consistent standard. … (read more)

When I retrieved a sweet potato from my storage bin in the kitchen, there were shoots of new growth protruding from all over it. "No good for food," I said. "I paid more for that potato in the market than … (read more)

Recently, when I became ill, I was sent off to hospital post haste. I knew I was in big trouble, so like any sensible, childlike Christian, I cried out to God to help me. Upon occasion, God gives me a … (read more)

A mother dog and eight puppies! You've got to be kidding! That's all we need: nine more dogs to look after. Penny had been discovered in a junk yard under an abandoned vehicle. Workers from the Humane Society had to … (read more)

"Red" was the horse we used at the rodeos to run in competition racing. Once the race was over and he left the track, he behaved himself, going down the main street of our small town. But as soon as … (read more)

Having written devotional messages over the past eleven years, I have been blessed in so many ways, especially through the people I have expressed my love of God to and with, and the encouragement they have been to me and, … (read more)

[David Vuckson was raised in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, where he attended First Presbyterian Church. Eventually, he drifted away from home and from his faith. He moved to the west coast where he pursued his profession — tuning pianos — not … (read more)

Throughout my school life, I heard consistently from my teacher's words to my mother, "Rosemary is a little above average." I was never considered bright or gifted, just "a little above average". Apart from English and Religious Instruction, my top-of-the-class … (read more)

Having a great love for music, as a youth, I desired to play the piano. Not being especially talented, however, I never advanced beyond the elementary level. Yet amazingly, God orchestrated a plan so that I would one day marry … (read more)

As a school bus driver, knowing and obeying road signs is especially important. I have held the lives of many young children in my hands as I traversed the roads from their homes to school and back day by day. … (read more)

I can remember when I was at college walking down the street with a few of my friends. We had just taken an exam, and we were all carrying on. I guess we were relieved to have finished the test … (read more)

I have been very ill recently, and there is no doubt that God has been, and is, with me through this experience, traumatic though it has been. I had become jaundiced and infected, very ill, and was admitted to hospital. … (read more)

My friend's untimely death left her family with dozens of conflicting emotions. Several issues had divided them in one way or another. Now confronted with her unexpected death, they found themselves unable to say, "I am sorry. I love you. … (read more)

Every Sunday morning in our church, we have a time in the service when the little ones run up to the front of the sanctuary before they are sent off to children's church. The children's leader meets them on the … (read more)

When the weather becomes severe, my hands are always plagued with extremely painful cracks. No matter how much I moisturize or what type of lotion I use, my hands suffer every winter. Some of the liquid skin medications help alleviate … (read more)

One of the expressions — quotations in my little treasure box, which I open at my daily devotion time — reads: "Life's pain is inevitable, but misery is optional." Yes, God never takes away the free choices we have each … (read more)

My horse, Mabel, was the answer for a small boy's broken heart and cry for comfort. Little did I realize, the night I sold her, what a significant role she would play in the small lad's life. Oh, of course, … (read more)

I don't know what I did that was so wrong, but the headmaster at my elementary school didn't like me. I must have been impertinent or had gotten into trouble for something. When a substitute teacher came to look after … (read more)

While walking through a dark passage of my life, a deeply stressful time with a lot of uncertainty, many years ago, God personally spoke to me through the words of today's verse in Psalm 18. These words filled my heart … (read more)

When asked to give my testimony, I thought it was just to tell about my past, as a story. I was partially correct, but not entirely. As I sat back to write, the thought which came to me was that … (read more)

Positive thinking! The idea is associated with an American teacher and theologian named Norman Vincent Peale, but it is actually a much older concept. While today's verse was written by Paul, Jesus was very much a positive thinker. For example, … (read more)

I very seldom watch a movie more than once. There is one film, however, that I watch several times each year. I never get tired of this story, and each time I see and hear it, I know and enjoy … (read more)

A fascinating creature — the pangolin — lives in most parts of Africa. Its small head, thick body, long tapering tail, and four short legs give it the appearance of a miniature bridge. It is covered with large, overlapping brown … (read more)

Like many children, I was bullied at school by several people who loved to intimidate me on a daily basis. They would bump into me on the soccer field and trip me up deliberately, or they would gang up on … (read more)

Because our friend died without a will, his earthly family is in a mess. Lawyers, distant relatives, and the government are making decisions about his meagre estate and even his family. While he loved and protected them throughout his life, … (read more)

We live in a fine log house. The original part of the house is constructed from very large logs. It is solid, firm, and really quite amazing. Over the years, however, an addition was built onto the original structure. The … (read more)

How do I boast about my weaknesses like this verse says? Now that I am in my seventies, there is all too much physical weakness to drag me down; let me count the ways! But, no, I will keep the … (read more)

Barnabas is one of my favourite people in the Bible. He always seemed to do the right thing at the right time. When his Christian community needed money to survive, he sold his property and helped to sustain them. When … (read more)

While praying and meditating on some of my written plans for this year, I hear the desire in my prayers and thoughts to get things right, and in the right sequence of priority: God's priorities, not mine. The more "grown-up" … (read more)