There were at least three that I determined I would not compromise. Convictions are beliefs that I think are important enough to stand by, regardless of the temptation to do otherwise. I fashioned three early in life: I wouldn't cheat, I … Read more

Computers and I get along to a point. The trouble begins, however, when I don't know how or where to find something within a specific program. As most of my readers probably know, computers have lots of hidden features, but unless I know … Read more

In the late afternoon of October 10, 2013, my husband Ernie went to live in heaven –- and I went to live in another country — a country called Grief. No one wants to visit this country, let alone live there. I had no idea that the move … Read more

Your friend is murdered. You are the one who ends up in prison. Everything seems hopeless. At the last minute, someone invites you to follow him. You find yourself outside the prison walls. You rush to tell your friends. This is a … Read more

A few weeks ago, my husband and I saw two adorable fledglings in our neighbour's back yard. Their nest was built on top of a ladder that was located under his grapevine trellis. While we were admiring the baby birds, two robins, not far … Read more

Have you ever had "something inside" nudge you to do something, or have you ever driven your familiar route home but "something inside" insisted that you take another route? Or, have you, while driving your car, changed the station on your … Read more

Some time ago, our oldest daughter, her husband, and their five-year-old granddaughter visited us for a few days. They live far away, and we had not see our great-granddaughter since she was a baby, and they had not yet seen our new … Read more

On the wall above my computer is a large, framed picture that I embroidered. Its title is "White Pine", but I call it "The Widow". Centred in the near end of a narrow lane, a great, elderly, grayish-green pine tree stands alone, brittle … Read more

One day as I was coming home from grocery shopping with the help of my walker, I noticed time and again how the wheels got stuck and almost tripped me headlong over the walker. It took great skill to get over the curbs and even the tiniest … Read more

We took in this middle-aged dog, which, for the purposes of this devotional, shall be called Mr. X, about four years ago, when nobody else wanted him. He was an incessant barker, a fervent car-chaser and a malicious cat-attacker, but … Read more

He was the principal's son, but I wasn't making much headway teaching him history. I was in my fourth year of teaching at a local private school when the board of directors hired a new headmaster who had a son travelling through the … Read more

Last night, I was listening to the late news, and it was all doom and gloom: wars, devastating floods, murders. Why did I bother to listen to all of this upsetting stuff just before bedtime? I turned to a channel where I knew a good … Read more

Do you remember the last time you made a vow or promised someone to do something, and then later, found out that, for some strange reason, the promise that you made had not been fulfilled? The other day, I made a couple of vows as well: … Read more

Caregivers are some of the most undervalued people that we can ever encounter. Over the past twenty-five years, I've seen many caregivers who look after their spouses, their parents, or their special needs children, and I have marvelled … Read more

Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, gave him sound advice in Exodus 18:17-24. The basic thought goes something like this: The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Share the work load. Select capable people, then teach and show … Read more

On Mother's Day, we had a guest preacher in our church, and partway into her message, she mentioned that not all children have good mothers, and then she added, or good fathers either. This statement came as a kind of a shock to me, … Read more

I am in the middle of a very interesting general-interest course on the life cycle of stars. To simplify and condense the subject, the current theory is that stars are formed within clouds of stellar gases, the detritus of dead stars. … Read more

We had been trying to get satellite television for five years. Several knowledgeable people had spent much time seeking to locate the signal for our dish, but failure always ensued. We even decided to move the dish and purchased a large … Read more

I can't help but notice all the banners flying around on cars for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. As the matches begin today, the stadiums will be filled with people waving banners in support of their country's team. Coincidentally, … Read more

The other week, my husband and I attended the funeral service of his dear departed sister, who was also a mother, a sister-in-law, an aunt, and a grandmother. Her life affected two generations, and each generation mourned her differently. … Read more

I decided to crochet small blankets and donate them to the Women and Children's Crisis Centre. I intended to make them by doing granny squares, as I knew the pattern off by heart. Pastel wool and crochet hook in hand, I began to make … Read more

I have a friend who reads the last chapter first when she starts a new book. She has always been a very inquisitive person, enjoying the process of analyzing how the story and characters are developed along the way. Knowing how the story … Read more

When I was a young person, the tradition as I remember it was that the emphasis of our faith was mostly on God. The minister preached a lot from the Old Testament, and in the Christian school that I attended, we loved the stories from the … Read more

Imagine one spring morning looking out the window onto a bed of radiant, yellow daffodils. As you gaze, you sense the vibrant blooms drawing you. With an inviting power, they transport you into a state of hope and joy. They cheer you up! … Read more

It was another windy day. I was coming back home on the sunny side of the street to get to my building. As I came around a corner, the wind picked up to gusts over 70 kilometres per hour, whirling debris around. Before my unbelieving … Read more

We spotted them along the side of the roadway. They were year-old cubs. Their mother was nowhere in sight. There were two of them, and as they saw the van, they both began to run. One of them headed deep into the scrub. The other ran and … Read more

I remember well one day when my husband and I were travelling up the inside passage on the west coast of Canada from Vancouver towards the border of Alaska, and my husband discovered that our boat could sail only forward. Try as he might … Read more

At 186,000 kilometres, my car is starting to make funny noises. It seems that my car is more in the garage being repaired than it is at home. I faithfully have the oil changed every 5,000 kilometres, and the motor is still in good … Read more

I don't remember one word of the sermon on Philippians 1:26, but this phrase caught my attention: "May your joy in Christ overflow on account of me." Wait a minute! Our presence should be making others happy? Oh-oh! Then I found that it … Read more

Many years ago, my mom tried to teach a class how to knit. Ten others learned to knit from her, but I didn't. The reason for this is that everyone else, including my mom, was right-handed, and I was the only left-handed person in the … Read more