As those of you who now live, have lived, or have travelled in Europe will know, there are many castles and fortresses there, having been built many centuries ago. Some are well maintained and open to the public, while others are in ruins. … Read more
Archive for October, 2013
River Of Pleasure
In the midst of mundane happenings and basic, routine, everyday tasks, some days turn out to be extraordinary. So it was when I walked to a nearby store and the only thing occupying my mind was the item that I needed from that particular … Read more
The Prescription
For many years, I have taken a prescription drug for a minor health problem. As long as I follow the instructions on the label, reading and doing what it says, the medication keeps me active and healthy. Likewise as Christians, in … Read more
The Bumblebee
It is truly amazing how inspiration comes along in order to create a story or, in my case, a devotional. My friend, Ann, called me the other day to share with me the behaviour of a confused bumblebee. She told me that she was watching a … Read more
What's Mine Is …
His nickname was "Double T", but I knew him better by what snuggled in his pocket each Sunday morning: a single dollar bill. Double T was a kind man, well-known in the community, well-liked in the area, a faithful church attendee, and a … Read more
Out Of The Earth
Last summer, I read an interesting Bible study based on the book of Jeremiah. The article mentioned a fascinating 1986 archaeological find: four artifacts known as bullae, small lumps of hardened clay that were once used as seals on … Read more
Clowning Around
Every year during the months of December and January, the circus used to put on their winter performances in my hometown of Glasgow, Scotland. It was a great treat, and although our family could not afford it every year, we usually went … Read more
Our Heavenly Beekeeper
Have you ever thought of God as our heavenly beekeeper? I never did — until I had a visit with a beekeeper. I'll never forget that day, sitting with the beekeeper in his home and hearing him talk about his bees. He owns a few hundred … Read more
Wonderful Delayed Answer
A number of years ago, my wife's mother, in her eighties, was hospitalized for observation for a variety of concerns. While she was there, a retired pastor she was related to, but whom she detested, came to visit her. I heard her say under … Read more
A Light On Our Path
The city of Muscat, in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, was still a very biblical-looking place when I lived and worked there in 1965-1966. On the east side is the Gulf of Oman, and in all other directions is the vast Arabian desert. The … Read more
Spectrum Of Colour
One Saturday morning, a group of like-minded friends decided to attend a session with a colour analyst to "get our colours done". The most well-known approach to analyzing personal colouring is "seasonal" colour analysis, which places … Read more
Temptations And Choices
Soft music was playing in the background as I was writing in my journal. It had been a while since my last entry. Again, my writing had been put on the back burner, and I found myself wanting to get back into writing and meditation again. … Read more
And Because We Prayed
It all started with a prayer. In the quiet of the night, he prayed, "Lord, please use me in some way to reach out to my new friends and neighbours." Little did he know that God had already begun to answer his prayer one and a half months … Read more
In His Time
As I was walking along the trail with my dog, I was deep in thought. For a long time, I had been praying about speaking to a close friend of mine about the need to accept Jesus in her life. I knew that it would be tricky because she was … Read more
The Offering
I had often read and been told that as we get older, we need less sleep. I did not find this to be true. What I did discover is that though I was sleeping less, I was no less tired. And when I am tired, I struggle with feeling cross, … Read more
Expectant Waiting
Waiting can be exhausting! I've been doing what feels like an endless amount of waiting. Maybe you have as well. My waiting has been due to a time of extended recovery as a result of a near-fatal motorcycle accident two and half years … Read more
Different Is Okay
A part of me was like any other normal teenager — I wanted to fit in. Clothing brand was important. Levis. Children with parents who cared at all about their child's reputation made sure that they wore them. Cut back on the groceries and … Read more
Simple Prayer
My husband works for himself doing renovations. He loves his work as it gives him great pleasure to see the happy faces of the people whose homes he works in. He also has an amazing ability to speak Jesus into their lives. Sometimes, it is … Read more
The Cards Of Life
One of my favourite pastimes is playing a game of cards called euchre. My husband and I try to play every week with two other ladies. There are times when we lose, and then there are times when we win. One night recently, I lost a few … Read more
The Missing Piece
Occasionally, my daughter volunteers her time at a particular nursing home in our area. She enjoys interacting with some of the residents and getting to know a little about their lives. One man likes putting together large jigsaw puzzles … Read more
A Therapy Dog On Duty
I have a Shi-Tzu dog named Daisy Mae who is also a therapy dog for St. John's Ambulance. We go into the local nursing home every Thursday and visit with the residents there. She just loves to bring joy to these older folks. They also seem … Read more
Of Rocket Stoves And Asking Why
I am now the proud owner of a rocket stove: a high-efficiency, wood-burning, outdoor cooking stove designed to be used for camping or emergencies. I never really wanted a rocket stove. In fact, I had never even heard of one. The day … Read more
Establishing Priorities
When my career in education (now in its fifty-first year) began to move towards administration, I enrolled in a course called "In the Vice-Principal's Chair". It was an event on Thursday evening and all day Friday. On Thursday evening, … Read more
Rocks, Tree Stumps, And Crevices
It was a dreary, windy, and cloudy day as some of us went for a long walk to "Gerry's Point". Gerry was one of the friends with whom we had gone camping on Manitoulin Island and who had passed away. One day a few years before, as he went … Read more
Spider Webs
In the early fall, one thing that I always notice as I'm delivering the community newspaper on my route is the abundance of spider webs. It seems that the tiny creatures sense the onset of winter and prepare by working assiduously to … Read more
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