Years ago, I used to watch a show called "My world and welcome to it", starring William Windom, one of my favourite American actors. Windom played a cartoonist called John Monroe, and the storylines of each show were crafted around … Read more
Archive for August, 2011
Who Is My Neighbour?
Recently, my husband and I travelled to Washington, D.C., U.S.A., to visit the Holocaust Memorial Museum. Although I have seen documentaries about the horrific events which took place in Nazi Germany over sixty years ago, they cannot compare to seeing … Read more
Light And Darkness
I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder — SAD. I am a different person on a sunny day than I am on a dull dreary day. I never cease to be amazed at how I can change so quickly on a … Read more
Criminal Activity
Two years after we were married, my husband took a second job as a social worker. His main duty was to supervise teens and plan activities at a teen centre. Despite well-meaning programs, the teens still got into trouble. Sometimes, … Read more
Various Parts – One Head
The human body is made for the eyes, and the eyes are made for the body. One without the other would not function fully. My old body is feeling its age. The ribs and hips and joints are having an … Read more
InsignificAnt
Ants scurry along their pathways, busy working, collecting, and storing. They're so tiny as to be insignificant to us, and yet beyond the frantic busyness that we human beings see, we tend to overlook that their one main purpose in … Read more
Fireflies
Fireflies showed up around here in mid-June. A friend from Texas calls them lightning bugs. The insects possess light-emitting organs. The nocturnal winged adult beetles emit a soft intermittent light from the abdomen to aid in mate selection. The larval … Read more
Free Indeed!
"We're emancipated; we're liberated; we're in control, don't worry." These confident utterances are arising from young adolescent girls trying to console worried adults, according to a Maclean's magazine article, "Outraged Moms, Trashy Daughters" (August 16, 2010). The article expresses a … Read more
Taking The Shortcut
Shortcuts are not always the best course. My brother, children, and I were day hiking in Panthertown Valley near Brevard, North Carolina. The map of the area, while perhaps legible to an experienced map reader, left a lot to be … Read more
When Life Hands Us Lemons
My almost-two-year-old great-nephew, Levi, is a curious tot. Knowing that, it was only natural for him to reach for a slice of the lemons that the waitress had put on the table. Immediately, several adult hands reached out to stop … Read more
Intervention
"Don't be judgmental!" "Only God can judge!" "You Christians are always judging others." If I had a dollar for every time that I've heard or read that somewhere, then I'd be a rich person today. People want to live their … Read more
Encryption
For most of my life, I have found the subject of languages a fascinating field of study. So, as a hobby, I try to learn a few new words in various languages. I also recently joined an online stenography class … Read more
The Law Of Undulation
I am part of a group of men at my church studying the entertaining yet profound fictional Christian classic, The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis. These "letters" are those of a senior devil, Screwtape, instructing a junior demon, Wormwood, … Read more
Sufficient Grace
Last fall, I failed to see a tool left on the ground by a workman. Why had I missed seeing that tool? Some time before, I had noticed straight lines becoming wavy. Before long, when I looked at a person, … Read more
Two Worlds
I spend my physical time in two different worlds: home and work; and my friends and neighbours know at a whiff which world I have just come from. Why? Because when I am working at home out in the barn … Read more
The Silent Witness
I often hear from Christians that they are satisfied to be just a silent witness. But is that enough? Let's listen in on a court case involving the questioning of a witness. Clerk: Mr. Jones, please take the Bible in … Read more
Rules For New Life
I enjoy housework, a clean house, and orderly cupboards. Then I know where things are. Long ago someone needed my help when moving into a smaller apartment. I bagged fifteen large garbage bags full of trash before even starting the … Read more
What A Wonderful World
It was a beautiful morning. Indeed, it was the first warm and sunny day of the year — March 18, 2003, unlike the March we had this year. It was also my day off, so after dropping my son and … Read more
Choose Wisely
I began my day, as I always do, reading my Bible, praying for family and friends, enjoying the view from my sunroom, and watching the birds at the feeders. All of a sudden, my eye caught a bright flash of … Read more
The Sacred Place Of Solitude
"I cherish the sacred place of solitude … an abyss opening up in the center of my soul." – Peter Feldmeier Have you ever found yourself utterly alone — perhaps through rejection or exclusion, or simply through exhaustion from doing … Read more
Sin's Thoroughness
Yeast rolls are a sumptuous delight when served piping hot. In fact, when served at a restaurant, I could make my meal on them and would almost choose them instead of a high-quality steak. There is just something about the … Read more
Ministry Of Parties
We have a Fellowship Team at our church, which has sometimes jovially been called "the Ministry of Parties" because of all the social events that the team organizes. To some people, it may appear that way, but I know the … Read more
The Strength Of My Heart
Several months ago, I developed a state of extreme fatigue. No matter how many naps I took, I was always tired. It turned out that I had pneumonia. This fact was a blessing in disguise, since it led to the … Read more
The Normalcy Bias
According to Wikipedia, the expression "normalcy bias" refers to a mental state in which people underestimate or ignore the obvious signs of a coming crisis simply because it has never happened before. This reasoning can be applied to the attitudes … Read more
Well-Placed Hope
In the winter, the cold and snow cause the attendance at our small church to dwindle to a handful, but in the summer, when the "snowbirds" return, so does our attendance. Nevertheless, our Congregational Life Committee has been searching for … Read more
Words Of Comfort
Not too long ago, I wrote about my husband having a mini-stroke during surgery on his carotid artery. I was overwhelmed at the e-mail responses I received. To see such tremendous support from writers and readers alike brought a thankful … Read more
Seeing God
Every eye in the congregation was transfixed by the light. The altar's peace candle had melted down, igniting the puddle of wax at its base, instantaneously transforming the flickering flame into a leaping, dancing passion. How timely, I mused, as … Read more
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