A recent trip to the United States took us through some very beautiful country. Some of our travels took us on very long and straight highways, with views of rivers and distant towns. Our favourite part, though, took us off … Read more

My son and his wife were given a small, three-year-old dog, named Melo. My husband and I went over to their house to see the little guy. While we were visiting, I observed Melo lying on the floor, continually watching … Read more

Our membership had moved to their first church building. I became involved in an activity which gave birth to our women's ministry, which in itself contributed to the overall growth of the church. The women began a monthly luncheon, inviting … Read more

Imagine a terrified cat trapped in a tight space — the space between a ceiling and the floor above it. That's exactly where we found our cat one day. Now this is not the contented cat that I wrote about … Read more

It was late afternoon as I gazed out the car window and watched the changing scenery. An enormous, thick, grey cloud deck loomed over the countryside. My eyes travelled across its bleak underbelly, searching for its end, but found none. … Read more

An idle glance at the licence plate on the car stopped ahead of me brought an unexpected message and response. The words I saw on the personalized plate: "BE GLAD". We were in traffic waiting to exit a shopping mall … Read more

I was lying on my bed, listening for the familiar sounds that come before someone falls asleep. I could hear my parents talking, and I was wishing that they would go to sleep already. My room, located off the kitchen … Read more

A very dear friend of mine married recently. She had suffered the gauntlet of loneliness and uncertainty, but during that time, she had totally relied on God's grace and trusted in His will for her life. She had desolate times … Read more

I love soup! Before I retired, I never made my own soup, but now that I am retired, I make it all the time. Every batch of soup that I make is different from the previous batch — a little … Read more

From time to time, I help out a friend who cleans the government offices in our town. One night, I was especially busy as some construction work had just been completed in the building I was cleaning. After emptying the … Read more

I was told that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. However, as a young girl, I was not very domesticated, and the kitchen was an unexplored terrain that I did not desire to explore. That left … Read more

I don't know if Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Prize winner, is a Christian or not. If he isn't, he's putting on a pretty convincing, hard-to-follow act, giving us a fine example. Mr. Liu first came to the notice of the … Read more

The other day, Sophia, my eighteen-month-old daughter, faced up to me. We were stuck between the kitchen sink and the chairs from the kitchen table. I surmised that there was room for only one of us to pass by. The … Read more

Some people never grow up. In my many years of ministry, I've come across sad people who live as if they're still adolescents and take no responsibility for their actions. When things get tough, they ignore the crisis and avoid … Read more

A scarecrow is like a surrogate farmer, erected in a field to guard the crop when the farmer is away. Deceptively similar in appearance to its flesh-and-bone counterpart, it is an adequate deterrent for dim-witted pests. But in truth, it … Read more

I am sure that by today's title, readers are thinking to themselves either "ughh" or "great". I am in the "ughh" camp when it comes to oatmeal. As we were growing up, mom tried all kinds of ways to get … Read more

Loving yourself is a divine law! It is in the great commandment in Scripture. Yet for many of us, a love of self has become synonymous with ungodly selfish pursuits. In Scripture, there are far more references to godly self-love … Read more

There have been a number of tragic encounters of human beings with bears over the years. Consequently, there is a great fear among the populus about even getting close to these creatures. However, I found quite interesting a recent article … Read more

It was Christmas, and the family was gathering at mom's house. My younger brother and his children were visiting from Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA, and my wife and I were driving from the lower part of the state. With … Read more

One year around the 24th of May, my mother-in-law, Rose, prepared a garden and planted seeds which produced tomatoes, strawberries, onions, lettuce, and vegetable marrow. When the time came to pick them, she asked me to help her. I was … Read more

As we walked along the shoreline, the water ebbed and flowed at our feet. To the dismay of Jeff, my better half, I was on the lookout for interesting stones to add to my collection. At first glance, nothing caught … Read more

I am the type of person who can't say "No." If somebody is sick or something else comes up and the person can't fulfill their volunteer position at our church, it is my name that comes to mind. If a … Read more

My father-in-law was a French polisher who handed his craft down to his daughter. Everything that can be varnished or given a brilliant surface in our house has one. He was also a brilliant cabinet-maker who made a beautiful mahogany … Read more

Our words can hurt others, often unintentionally, but they hurt nevertheless. Some years ago, I returned to live for a while in my parental home in England. My mother and I had always had a close relationship, but there were … Read more

As the publisher of our small bi-weekly town paper, I always have a backup plan. I backup my computer documents with a stick. And I backup my computer with a backup computer. I also backup my printer with a backup … Read more

God has blessed each of us with unique gifts. Some of us have great gifts, such as in teaching, healing sickness, or in giving leadership. Other gifts, though less publicly visible, can just as surely bring honour to God. Over … Read more

My husband and I often visit flea markets, yard sales, and "junk" shops, just looking to find something of special interest that someone else has discarded. The old saying, "One man's junk is another man's treasure", takes on a new … Read more

Our children love having toast and bread with jam, and also yogurt, at teatime. The children are presently eighteen months and three-and-a-half years old, respectively, so this has become an entertaining event. When I say entertaining, what I really mean … Read more

I had just finished reading an article in a magazine that dealt with the miracle of healing. I knew the author, and some days later, I wrote to that person and unloaded all the health issues I had been going … Read more

For the first time in years, I've planted some seeds in a box and am hoping to grow perennial flowers that I enjoy. The plants are nasturtiums and lupines. They are quite different kinds of plants. The nasturtium is a … Read more

When spring arrives in upstate New York and the blanket of snow finally recedes, it reveals a landscape of bare trees and matted vegetation. The harsh effects of a punishing winter are evident. But as the weather warms and the … Read more