I had always wanted a horse, and our neighbour seemed to have just the right one for me. He was an old, retired pack horse, reliable, friendly, well-mannered, and very, very large. So large, in fact, that when I was in the saddle and he … Read more

He was passionate about his passions, and his dedication resulted in excellence. Dad was devoted to his favourite hobby: woodworking. He could take a raw piece of wood and turn it into anything he wanted … eventually. Since he was a … Read more

Writing devotionals from real-life situations and how they pertain to biblical Scripture in order to inspire and help us to gain a deeper understanding of God's love for us has been a passion of mine for a few years now. It hasn't always … Read more

One year, members of a singles' church group that my son was attending planned to hold a chili contest. A lady from the group volunteered to make some chilli, but no one else was signing up; then, my son asked me to participate. When I … Read more

"Why don't you wash those windows too?" I asked a teenage boy who was washing a storefront window. I was pointing to the filthy windows next door. And they were very dirty, indeed! "I don't get paid for that," the teen responded. "But … Read more

My wife Evelyn likes to use those plug-in air fresheners all over the house. Each month, we buy new ones that smell like southern peaches, mountain air, or fresh fruit blossom. These air fresheners spread a sweet fragrance all over our … Read more

Tundra, Glacier, and Juneau sit atop a white, furry rug tucked into an old-fashioned, red baby sleigh. These beautiful Inuit babies, all snug in their beaded, fur-trimmed parkas, pants, and boots, look and feel just like the real thing, … Read more

As we go about our days, we can miss so many big and little things around us. For the past year, I have been riding my bike past the same abandoned building. As I stopped and spent some time wandering around the outside of the building on … Read more

My daughter gives music lessons. I watch the children come for their lessons with mom or dad, the little feet eagerly stepping in; some come running to the door. I hear the little hands on the keys getting a song together. Whether the … Read more

Recently, the Lord brought to mind my experience of what I called at the time, "The Blessing of Clear Sailing". Beginning in 1999, throughout a 21-month regime of medical treatments requiring many long car rides, we travelled without … Read more

While in a transition period in my career, I chose to transfer from my position in the main operating room to a new aspect of surgical nursing. I was approached by the administrator of the Same Day Surgery Unit. She was inquiring if I knew … Read more

Have you ever seen a double rainbow? I have. I have seen many rainbows in my lifetime, but only two double rainbows on two separate occasions. There are seven separate colours in a rainbow. Although it can be difficult to always see all … Read more

With numerous dogs running about the place, I also have numerous water bowls spread about, and these numerous dogs, drinking from their numerous bowls, often leave numerous muddy footprints on the floor with all their slurping and … Read more

There it was, just ahead of me on the sidewalk: a familiar, bright yellow dandelion, the harbinger of spring, growing out of a narrow crack in the concrete pavement. Somehow, a lone seed from the previous year had landed in the crack and … Read more

I received an e-mail recently called Church Services in the Near Future, which described a service where everything took place through iPads, tablets, smartphones, and Kindle Bibles. The sermon came by download, the offering was given … Read more

One of the best movies that I ever saw as a child was called Mysterious Island. It was a marvellous adaptation of a book that Jules Verne, the great French science fiction writer, wrote. Verne wrote it as a conclusion of his story of … Read more

We have all been invited to something at one time or another, perhaps a dinner at someone's house, or a party, a barbecue, or a potluck supper. We have been invited to birthday parties and weddings, or to come to church with someone. From … Read more

It fell to my lot to grow up near a church which we attended on a regular basis. All my siblings and I went from the beginners' department to the Bible class by passing the Scripture examinations. I had three teachers in the Bible class, … Read more

I got a scare the other night. I was outside throwing scraps into the chicken yard when I heard the strangest sound. I stopped what I was doing. I listened. I heard it again, and then again. It was coming from the main corral. *What is … Read more

"Why does it matter? It's not hurting anyone but me." I once owned a habit about which I thought the above. I could engage in this practice while driving and not kill anyone. And unless someone were sitting in close proximity to me, my … Read more

A few weeks ago, I discovered a robin's nest which had three blue eggs in it. The nest was located in a tree right in front of my living room window. Not long after I spotted the eggs, there was a baby bird inside; after that, two more … Read more

Many years ago when we had three young children, our family went to Storybook Gardens in London, Ontario, Canada. It was a lot of fun — until my five-year-old son, Jonathan, disappeared. He had been firmly told to stay close by us, but … Read more

The road that I travel to work is going to be widened; this work is scheduled to take seven years. When I heard the time frame, I began to grumble about the inconvenience of it taking so long and being my route to work. I began to do the … Read more

I've tried hard to overcome this failing of mine, but I can't abide ungrateful people. I guess it's because I grew up with so little that I feel the need to thank God for everything each day. When I see people in trouble, experiencing … Read more

This just makes me so mad, I muttered to myself as I hunted in the basket, on the table and through my purse for the car keys. *How many times have I told her not to take the keys out to the car ahead of me without telling me? I am … Read more

Have you ever been in the pit of despair, having lost your way in the fog of self-pity and remorse? The other day, I listened to a friend recall how she felt when lost in the fog of despair and anger. It centered on her son's wedding. I … Read more

On April 30th in the Netherlands, a king was crowned for the first time in 123 years. The last one was Willem III, who was replaced by Queen Emma in 1890, Wilhelmina in 1898, Juliana in 1948, and Beatrix in 1980. After 33 years, she … Read more

Recently, I made a cup of tea in my kitchen. Being English, there is nothing special in that, because I am a frequent visitor to the kettle and my tea caddy. So it was with some surprise that, having switched on the kettle to make a … Read more

During one of my recent, frequent forays into composition, I became situated, not for the first time, in a position whereby I needed to access what I had produced before all my presumed improvements had overwritten it. My dilemma was how … Read more

Spring has finally arrived! And with spring, come the usual jobs of raking leaves from the flower beds, loosening the soil around the new growth and of course, pruning some branches from bushes and trees. In our backyard, wild vine had … Read more