I have spent the last eleven months working on a healthier me; I have incorporated many new habits into my life. The biggest change so far is that I have lost 85 pounds. It has been difficult at times, to … Read more

My daughter gave me a beautiful picture of a mother holding her baby as she looked out the window. Under the picture it said, "Mother, I will love you forever." It reminded me of how newborn babies are so tiny … Read more

One Sunday morning, just after I arrived at church, a young lady came in and sat in a pew near the front. I saw that she was deeply troubled, and so I approached her. Apparently that morning, she felt the … Read more

A loud disagreement transpiring between a mother and her young son grabbed my attention as I hustled across the parking lot. On second glance, it was clear that this child had special needs, and his mother's patience had been stretched … Read more

I could feel the anger rising within me. I was trying very hard to keep my mouth closed, to stop spewing out those angry, constrained words that were slowly rising from the pit of my stomach, trying desperately to escape … Read more

Last year, upon learning the fascinating ancestral background of my friend Parise Arakelian, I became interested in discovering more about the Armenian people — their culture, religious history, and beautiful land, including Mount Ararat, where it is believed that Noah's … Read more

Each year on the 24th of April, a remembrance day is held around the world to commemorate the genocide of over one million Armenians in 1915 because of their refusal to deny Jesus Christ and worship Allah. An Armenian who … Read more

Earlier today, I was trying very hard to concentrate on reading my Bible passages for the day. But there was a black squirrel outside in the garden, racing up and down the trees, loudly admonishing and directing protest at some … Read more

When I first read the Anne of Avonlea books, I galloped through them. Would the ever-faithful Gilbert finally break through Anne's reserve? However, as I re-read them, I sense that the author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, must have experienced a sharp … Read more

They were experiencing a long night of the soul. God's touch seemed to vanish. It was 1992. A father had died, health problems were rampant, and he was burned out after nineteen years of pastoring. His church was entering the … Read more

A 100-kilometre-per-hour wind seemed like a lot more on my seventh-floor balcony when I struggled to get out to remedy a situation that had the two chairs on the balcony in the gusting wind. One was securely tied into the … Read more

My identification with this account of Jesus and the disciples at the Sea of Galilee is very keen. I love everything about fishing, and I can really understand that they had been out all night and caught nothing. Although I … Read more

Several times a day, I reach for a pair of reading glasses. I keep five pairs handy in different places where I am likely to want to thread a needle or read fine print. The lenses in my reading glasses … Read more

A few years ago, my daughter spent many hours training to run in the New York Marathon. The act of running and completing the run symbolized to her a great personal victory in that she had set a goal, put … Read more

I have long loved shoes known as clogs. They were a saving grace to me over forty years ago when I was expecting our first child and stood on cement floors for most of the day at work — and … Read more

I love spring! Where we live, we are surrounded by trees, and it is amazing to watch the leaves come out. Over the last few days, the trees have changed from bare to almost-filled with green leaves again. We are … Read more

One morning, a very good friend and I were driving to a destination in his mother's extremely slick Camaro. My buddy was borrowing his mother's vehicle until he had the funds to purchase his own, so he was taking special … Read more

Each of us will face the stark certainty in the last day, the last hour, the last second of our lives — that there is nothing else remaining — just us and God. A few of us may be destined … Read more

How easy it is for us to chafe under the circumstances that we consider to be hindrances from enjoying a full and free life: poor health, unemployment, a bad marital situation, financial setbacks, unbelieving children, and so on. But consider … Read more

As a child, I got myself into all kinds of mischief, and each time my parents disciplined me, they also gave me a second chance to learn from my mistakes. I do not think that they kept a record of … Read more

Remember how much fun it was to hunt for those brightly coloured Easter eggs when we were kids? I do. And every Easter, I still marvel at the beautiful colours and designs that transform the lowly egg into something spectacular. … Read more

On Easter morning in 1981, our clock radio came on about four o'clock, and a woman's voice said, "Let His joy fill your heart like a springtime sun." I quickly turned off the radio and offered some undesirable comments as … Read more

There is something glorious about a sunrise. Like everything else in this world, God made it for our pleasure. I cannot begin to describe the breathtaking beauty of the colours and patterns some mornings as they dance and radiate across … Read more

"Daddy, how much do you love me?" I would ask when Daddy would be leaving for work. He would stretch his arms out as wide as a six-foot-six-inch man could stretch and say, "I love you this much!" Then I … Read more

For centuries, people have written about the cross, attempting to find words to describe the physical experience and the spiritual significance of the occasion. There are no words! Nevertheless, the determined, inferior mind of the human being continues to try … Read more

Standing at a distance from the cross, I found myself in a group of three women who were gazing at the man who was hanging there for His sin of blasphemy, as ordered by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The … Read more

In my mind and heart, I walked today where Jesus walked. He was moving up the crowded Via Dolorosa, the traditional route to Golgotha, with a heavy cross upon His back. He heard voices exclaim as He passed by, "What … Read more

I don't want to go. I don't want to even think about going. I know it's going to hurt. I don't care about how great it will be for others, I just know that I will suffer. Maybe for a … Read more

In a world with so many different spiritual writings, why should anyone pay special attention to the Bible as a revelation from God? For me, convincing evidence comes from the fact that Isaiah, living 700 years prior to Jesus' time … Read more

In mid-morning of a springtime day, when traffic is lightest, my dog and I saunter along our macadam roadway, getting our exercise. Usually, she has her nose to the ground, scenting out the latest rabbit, but occasionally, she will hear … Read more