I have noticed that many of the writers of the devotionals that we read every day get comfort from the words of Scripture, and I know that many of the rest of us do, too, from passages like "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy … Read more

A landscape architect of my acquaintance envisions outdoor sport and recreation facilities, then draws plans so that others can build what he sees as possible. He supervises construction in the role of project leader while project … Read more

Dad was a master disciplinarian with a large repertoire of manoeuvres. Among them, his favourite: a haircut. I was a baldheaded child, and as I surpass mid-life, I am reliving my childhood. But there was a time when I could grow hair — … Read more

It is nothing short of a miracle when a Christian has an open opportunity to say, "I will pray for you! Do you know Jesus loves you?" One day, I was sitting on a park bench when two young men stopped to share a weed. I got up and went … Read more

Currently, some of our young people are going through the process of confirmation (or church membership). Our youth leader is doing a wonderful job with them, and I'm attending the classes, more as an observer and adviser. As always, when … Read more

One of my favourite programs on television was Touched by an Angel. I enjoyed watching every episode, but it was the last episode, which came in two parts, "I Will Walk With You", that really struck home with me. A short synopsis of the … Read more

Last year on this day, a two-part devotional entitled " A Legacy of Faith " was published to commemorate the Armenian genocide which took place in Turkey during the World War I era. My friend Parise wrote the first part in honour of her … Read more

Many mornings, my husband and I enjoy watching birds come to feed outside our window. Among them, we see doves, moving about gently and quietly. They never harass the smaller birds or fight with each other. They emanate an aura of peace. … Read more

A friend sent me a hilarious online video . It featured a retriever-type dog with a stick. The dog was almost wild with anticipation as he kept grabbing the stick and dropping it at the feet of a man sitting on a bench. The bench warmer … Read more

We were recently at the King's Buffet restaurant with a group of friends. What an assortment of foods — a true feast! There was so much to choose from and too many choices to have something of everything — everything from breakfast items … Read more

In the book What Happens When We Pray For Our Families, Evelyn Christenson described a prayer discipline that she uses at the time of major events in her family. For example, when Christenson learns of a new grandchild, she searches for … Read more

This past February, my son and I drove to Ohio to adopt a new "furever" friend. Elliot is a "Velcro" critter who gives new meaning to the phrase "dogging my heels". Everywhere I go, and I mean everywhere, he is right at my heels, often … Read more

Perhaps she wasn't my first case of puppy love, but she's the first I remember fawning over and daydreaming about. Dad was preaching at a small-town church in low-country South Carolina. I was approaching my teen years — not particularly … Read more

The other night, I got embroiled in another theological tussle on Facebook. This time, it was in the company of a group of Scottish pastors, some of whom I have known for decades. The argument was over whether or not we should continue to … Read more

More than ten years ago, I went with a touring group to Israel. As we rode in the morning sunshine in an open-decked boat on Lake Galilee, we met a similar boat. In the picture I snapped, that boat appears to glide on clear, blue glass, so … Read more

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" is an English-language children's rhyme that was created in Britain before 1872. It was meant to persuade the child victim to ignore the name-calling, to refrain from … Read more

I've never had the patience to do grocery shopping or any other type of shopping much, and in the past, I've left it up to my wife and daughter to do it. However, this attitude changed due to an affliction. Let me explain. A number of … Read more

Don't you just hate it when it appears that evil has won at the game of life? The guilty party gets off on a technicality; the person always causing problems on the board refuses to step down, which leads to the loss of good leaders; the … Read more

I have locks on the doors in my house, both on interior doors that lead to bathrooms and bedrooms and exterior doors that lead to the outside. The only reasons that interior doors are locked are to ensure privacy or to hide a messy room. … Read more

Each April for the past three years, our household has received a picture postcard from the office of the Grey County Weed Inspector. The cards advised of an invasive plant called Wild Chervil that threatens forage crops. The postcards ask … Read more

I host a weekly ecumenical lectionary Bible study. The people who attend are Christians of all stripes, and so are the versions of the holy Bible that they bring with them. We may have four or five versions in use at one time, and we … Read more

"No! I don't want to forgive ______!" he seethed. Sure, he believed in forgiving, but not this person … never. In his book, The Christian Atheist, Craig Groeschel relates that he was bitter after learning that a family friend had … Read more

One doesn't think of old age until we reach 80 or 90; then it hits us. We are getting old. I am old! But can anyone really say that and still have great expectations? Is there any indication in the Bible that the Lord has plans for our old … Read more

Some time ago, my husband served as the pastor of a quaint little church in our home state of Pennsylvania, USA. Often, he spent hours putting together creative sermons using a unique blend of biblical and contemporary language. Although … Read more

We have a lost and found in our church office. It's a box full of coffee mugs, glasses, umbrellas, books, and jackets. Every now and then, we place the box out in the welcome area to see if anyone claims the items. After a couple of … Read more

Over the years, there have been a lot of different clichés that everyone likes to use. One I've noticed lately is "It's all good" — which got me to thinking about what the Bible says is good. (All quotations are from the NKJV.) – It is … Read more

Jesus chose the most unusual, motley crew for His disciples. These were ordinary men whom God used in an extraordinary manner. Among the twelve were fishermen, a tax collector, and a revolutionary. Jesus did not choose kings or princes or … Read more

Do you ever feel like you have no idea where you are going? You plan, prioritize, and schedule your activities, but then still wonder, Where am I really going with all of this? Now, you may be saying, "This is no help at all! I read … Read more

I had wanted a horse ever since I was a child, and now, finally, I had one, but wasn't sure I still wanted one. I had purchased Frank in the fall and had been busy working with him ever since. Throughout the winter, trust was being … Read more

Recently, I watched a fascinating documentary, hosted by the 700 Club, which discussed the biblical and historical record of Jesus' brothers and other family members. The name given to them in the Greek is "desposyni", meaning "the Lord's … Read more