I watched anxiety darken her face. Where would the money come from? Our family budget has taken a severe hit over the last five years. Recently, we struggled through a summer without the income my wife was receiving from keeping an … Read more

A small apartment is my home now, and the many tiny gifts given to me over the years decoratively enhance my room. There are some angel figurines, pictures, and Bible verses around that make my simple existence comfortable and content. I … Read more

Lucy, our old goat, and Mama, our old horse, have one thing in common: they suffer from arthritis. What they don't have in common is their attitude about their medication. Lucy accepts the apples dipped in the powdered medication with … Read more

Not long ago, a friend and I were discussing the term "born again". I mentioned how the image presented in today's Scripture has helped me personally to define this experience. I picture the Word of God as a seed, which by the power of … Read more

"God willing": I used to say those two words all the time. Whenever I talked to someone on the telephone, and, at the end, I said, "See you soon," I would add those two words: "God willing." It seemed that whenever I set up a future … Read more

In many places, the Bible tells us about prayer; there are too many to begin to mention even a few of them. But to be honest, I find that prayer becomes such a ritualistic activity at times. We pray before meals; some do it after, as … Read more

The life of a superhero is one that we are all familiar with, whether from books, television, or movies. What stands out most about superheroes is their invincibility. No matter how far they fall or whatever they run into, they have the … Read more

The small tent can be set up by one, but it is much easier to erect with two people. I have a one-man tent. Two people can sleep in it, and have, but I have to like the other person extremely well to invite them in. If two use it, they … Read more

A huge pine tree, shaped like a sling shot, stood in our front yard. Its shape was both a curiosity and a marvel. One afternoon, however, after we had experienced a heavy, late spring snowfall, I noticed that one side of the sling shot … Read more

Two years ago my left hip broke, and it has not healed well. I have to use a walker. Many people have helped me wheel groceries to my car and put them in the trunk. Teenaged boys at church have lifted my walker into the back seat of my … Read more

It has been quite a few years since I became aware of a much-needed change in my life. When I think back to how I behaved and treated some people, I am conscious of how much I have changed since I first accepted Jesus to be my Lord and the … Read more

I love my dog Sparky very much, but sometimes, he nearly drives me crazy with his endless barking. He seems to bark at anything that moves: people, squirrels, cars, anything. Half the time, when I look outside, I don't see what he is … Read more

Recently, in the Sunday school class that I teach, we were discussing the parable of the Good Samaritan. It's probably the best-known story that Jesus ever told, so, throughout the class, the participants offered their personal ideas and … Read more

For the past few weeks, I have felt the Lord speaking to me on the subject of having a tender heart. At first, I didn't understand what this meant, so I have been praying and searching the Scriptures to help me figure this out. Along the … Read more

As a guard at the local Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment, I see many types of people in cells. Some are quiet and reserved and sleep their time away. Others are loud, rude, and obnoxious, while still others display anxiety, … Read more

As we pulled into the parking lot, we were mesmerized by the mammoth beast lying before us. But there was nothing we could do but mount it. Enormous logs dotted the mountainside. My brother and I were on a two-day backpacking trip on the … Read more

Have you ever had one of those days when everything you do seems to go wrong and you end up feeling frazzled with too many things on your plate? You feel like throwing everything up in the air and running away. I have. My day started by … Read more

After His resurrection, Jesus showed Himself to His followers on several occasions. One of those was at the Sea of Galilee, after they had caught no fish all the previous night. This story reminded me of the time when I worked in the … Read more

A few months ago, at the first meeting of our Bible study group focused on the Gospel of John, I learned the context of the book. Jewish-Christians in Rome before 90 A.D. were shunned by both their synagogue and their extended families. … Read more

In the last nine months, two of my dogs have been attacked by a large, vicious, bully of a dog in our neighbourhood. One of the dogs, Sam, our little seven-pound Yorkie, came within a quarter of an inch of losing his life from one of … Read more

My first job was in a Christian organization. Even though I didn't know the Lord, I worked at this agency for nine years. It was here that I met my husband to be, and we were married at the church across the road. The man I married had … Read more

Many of us know what a scourge Alzheimer's disease is. While cancer in its various forms seems to dominate the attention of our aging congregation right now, we have also had our share of Alzheimer's and dementia victims. The despair, … Read more

The other day, I was searching the Internet for lyrics to a song, and I came across a song entitled Do something, written by Matthew West, an American contemporary Christian musician and songwriter. In his song, Matthew questions God as … Read more

How could anyone cheat an elderly person? And simply to pad their pocket. I was working my first job at an exterminating company — not my idea of the ideal job but all that was available at the moment, and it was paying my bills. Shortly … Read more

Caring for God's creatures is, for me, a privilege and a wondrous and enlightening experience. As I mentioned recently, however, it is not always fun or easy, as it requires much diligence and hard work in regard to cleaning up after the … Read more

When we returned home from our southern holiday this winter, our two houseplants were totally bare of leaves, and we held some doubt as to whether they were still alive. One of the plants I have had for fourteen years and another like it … Read more

On May 5th, the people in the Netherlands will remember that 69 years ago, the Second World War, or at least the five-year occupation, ended. There will be flags out everywhere. There will be a number of veterans from Canada present as … Read more

It was during our regular Sunday service, while taking part in the breaking of bread and sharing the cup of the new covenant, that I thought about the words community, commune, and communion. Each word begins with "commun" but ends … Read more

A man carries a heavy box into his garage, places it on the floor, and begins to assemble the lawnmower contained inside. His wife comes to watch. "Honey, you seem to be having some trouble," his wife observes. "No, I'm doing okay, … Read more

The cross and the guillotine have some things in common: they were both cruel methods of execution. The guillotine was used by Germans and perfected by a French doctor, who hoped to make the beheading of a condemned person more efficient … Read more

People have always had a need to communicate with each other. Various ways of communicating have been used, such as smoke signals, carrier pigeons, post, pony express, telegraph, telephone, radio, and television. In the late twentieth … Read more