There is a tree not far from the covered patio behind my parents' house. For years, my mother has taken bread and other food, torn it into small pieces, and thrown it out off the patio. In the morning, there … Read more

Some time ago, my wife and I visited her sister, who lives alone in another province. When we visit, we like to do odd jobs to help her out. This time, I replaced the "Razor Only" outlets in her bathrooms … Read more

We live in a western town where several nationally-known artists live. Consequently, we take several magazines devoted to western art. One article was about John Nieto, an acclaimed Spanish/Indian artist, who suffered a stroke in 2002 which affected his speech … Read more

This afternoon, hubby and I plan on watching the John Wayne movie we taped late last night. We don't do midnight anymore. VCRs and DVDs allow us to set our own schedule and view favourites at our leisure. Thanks to … Read more

When I was a young girl and fussing as to how I looked before I would go out, my mother always reminded me that it was what was on the inside that counted. She would say to me, "The world … Read more

I have a paper route — so that I will get outside and get some exercise and fresh air five days a week. Some of my grandchildren have paper routes as well: two children in a family of four. The … Read more

A friend of mine sang with a barber shop quartet in his younger days. He is always talking about the "fifth voice". "What is the fifth voice?" I asked Bob one day. "When four voices blend together, a unified sound … Read more

Like other diabetics, in order to keep the symptoms of diabetes under control in my body, many are the foods I no longer eat. My diet and shopping consists of "yes" versus "no" foods. In my heart and mind, they … Read more

As a child, I always enjoyed looking up at the moon. I could see it clearly from my bedroom window, and sometimes, I would stay up late into the wee small hours of the morning, enjoying its shape, movement, and … Read more

As I was coming around the bend in our street from walking my son to school, I could see the front window of our house. The sheer curtains in the living room were astir. I saw a collie's head peek … Read more

A few weeks ago, I heard a sermon in which the congregation was asked if anyone felt that people could ever lose the saltiness of their faith. As I sat quietly in my pew, my immediate reaction was, "Yes!". Although … Read more

Okay, so I have succumbed to using shortcuts when texting. Yes, I even miss the occasional comma or period in my texting. It has taken me a long time to use some of the shortcuts. BTW, by the way, I … Read more

I was having a "down day". As I walked to my dad's house in the rain that Monday, I felt forlorn. Life, of late, had not been particularly kind. My mom had passed away several months earlier, and I was … Read more

It started out with a tickle in my throat. I immediately mixed some salt and warm water and began gargling. But by the following morning, I had a headache, a sore throat, plugged ears, and a runny nose, and in … Read more

I recently participated in a fascinating, in-depth Bible study that examined the identity of the obscure figure in the fourth gospel referred to four times as "the disciple whom Jesus loved". This intriguing research has been an invaluable source of … Read more

Have you ever tried to do something, and no matter what you do, it just doesn't happen the way it should? That is because God has created us to excel in at least one thing, and we just get by … Read more

What a glorious day: Wednesday, October 13th, 2010! To watch the Chilean men come out of the bowels of the earth alive, well, and so charismatic was a blessing too great for words. God answered the prayers of the men … Read more

As I write this, the whole world is watching a miracle. The Chilean miners, who have been trapped underground for 69 days, are beginning to surface, and our whole planet is rejoicing. It's a remarkable feat and a wonderful testimony … Read more

Our Lord's love is portrayed to us over and over again, first in His Word and then by the preaching of the Word, and it is also demonstrated to us in our everyday lives through our friends, loved ones, and … Read more

Recently, just out of the blue, one of my grandsons said to me, "Grandma, did you know that God answers prayers in three ways?" I was interested in his answer to that question, so my ears perked right up, and … Read more

This morning's commute to work was the usual rush and traffic mess. Weaving in and out of trucks is not something that I enjoy, and being pressurized from the driver behind to speed up is something that I loathe. The … Read more

I have been thinking on today's Scripture verse for some time. I read, searched the Scriptures, and thought long and hard about how faith can sustain us at every stage of life. I drew closer to God, learned more of … Read more

In Australia, autumn has ended, though there are still heaps of colourful, crinkly, dry leaves for me to crunch and kick around in my garden. Due to loving family help, I joy that roses are pruned, spring-flowering bulbs are planted, … Read more

We once had a Sheltie, named Tammy, whose timidity kept her from enjoying life outside the safety of our home. Our solution to this problem was to yoke her with a young puppy named Pepper, whose gregarious nature was infectious. … Read more

I once lived in one of the most beautiful areas in southern Ontario. It was filled with tall, ancient oak trees, and the property had a huge garden. I was still of school age and thought that this was wonderful, … Read more

With maps and computers and cellular telephone applications, finding our way has become increasingly easy. We hardly ever see anyone stopping another person on the street to ask directions. We are getting quite good at navigating ourselves from one place … Read more

Whenever I read articles urging me to meditate, my instant reaction is to ask questions. For me, meditation conjures up images of people practising yoga, or saffron-robed monks who spin prayer wheels in oriental temples. Similarly, some Christian teachers confuse … Read more

One of the hardest things in my life has been seeing a "For Sale" sign on our church property, especially since I was a part of the organizational process. Our liturgical congregation was drowning in mortgage debt, and the few … Read more

Current events in Israel remind me of an old cartoon I saved depicting modern day news in the language of Scripture. While the cartoon makes light of the serious ongoing conflict in the Middle East, it clearly demonstrates how little … Read more

Don't you just love cleaning house? Our street is under construction. It doesn't matter how often I dust, it is still very dusty in the house. Now you know why I started with the question that I did. Dust. That … Read more

Here in Britain, we have herring gulls. They have a piercing, laughing call that instantly evokes in me a sense of the seaside. Recent years have modified that image experienced as a child. One day, as a male herring gull … Read more