The tree was a gift from my parents when we bought our first house 17 years ago. It was a mountain-ash that fit into their vehicle to be brought to us. The tree has grown substantially over the years to a present height of about 25 feet. … Read more

Never in my life have I had an immediate example of the truth of this Scripture — at least not until today. Recently, I was given a birthday gift called "The 30-Day Praise Challenge" by Becky Harling. I committed to this challenge and … Read more

I've been known to miss what I focus on — even when it's a large target. I had always hunted deer with dogs and a shotgun: I would stand on the side of the road or the edge of the woods and wait for the dogs to run the deer to me … and … Read more

As a former coin collector, I have always had a fascination with gold, which is one of our most precious metals. There are several YouTube videos on the Internet that show the painstaking refinement process by which all the dross and … Read more

Some time ago, one of the regular contributors to these PresbyCan Daily devotionals wrote about the joining of two churches in the town where she lives. In the devotional, Sacred Cows , she commented on the fact that some of the … Read more

I am fairly busy as a musician, and every year, it seems that I am always booked on the weekend when our friend, Walter, has his bluegrass festival that we want to attend. This year, we let the band know well ahead that we were not going … Read more

It was brand new, and what a vibrant colour! I was so pleased and couldn't wait to wear it, although afterwards, I wished that I hadn't. It happened as I was walking down the driveway to feed the horses. The exuberant pup, dashing about … Read more

Soon after moving into Arcadia Gardens, one of the activities that caught my attention was the steady line of walkers that were heading to the chandeliered dining room. I followed behind with my walker and was led to a table where I had … Read more

A talking snake story? How can anyone believe that ancient myth about a snake who once talked to Eve, saying, "God knows that when you eat of [the fruit] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil"? … Read more

Some of my favourite devotionals are written by missionaries who share testimonies of people from all over the world. One message, in particular, stands out in my mind: the story of an individual from South Africa who has Downs syndrome. … Read more

It was during the winter, when we had accumulated a lot of snow on the roof, that I noticed a leak in the room where my computer was set up. I called our handyman right away to come and shovel our roof. After he was finished, I noticed … Read more

On a recent Sunday, I attended church for the first time in a month. I had been sick with high blood pressure and in the hospital. Now I am back to normal, just feeling very weak. But that Sunday was way beyond my control. Besides … Read more

This rebuke of Peter, whom Jesus had previously called a "rock", is one of His sayings that has stood out for me. One recent early morning, it came in very handy. My wife became ill several months ago, and I brought her to the hospital. … Read more

We all suffer from troubled hearts and minds at times. We worry about our families and friends; we are sometimes anxious about our health or work; we are even concerned about our churches and communities, as well as the world that we live … Read more

He had called me to come before, but never like this. The first time I came was as a fisherman. My brother and I were cleaning our nets when He came strolling along the beach. He invited me to leave my nets and way of life and fish for … Read more

On author Robin Lee Hatcher's Facebook page, she posted a photo that showed sunflowers that her husband had planted alongside their house. What grabbed my attention was that they grew almost to the eavestrough, but one yellow sunflower … Read more

A person that I knew was raised in a non-Christian home. In a polite way, her father was openly anti-church and anti-faith, and that was the way that she was raised. She was not antagonistic; she just did not bother. But late in life, … Read more

I have been working hard to beautify my property. Gardening in the north is difficult because there really isn't what you would call soil. Rocks and something resembling dirt are abundant, but not soil. Thus, I have been planting flowers … Read more

My brother is five years my elder. Later in life, five years doesn't seem like much of an age difference, but when one is young, it's quite a difference. When I was young and going through the changes and growing that take place in a young … Read more

Here's a question for ladies (and men, too): What if we were required to dispose of every piece of fake jewellery in our homes and keep only what is solid gold or pure gem? What would remain? Probably very little. But here's the real … Read more

It's one of those days. I am sitting in front of the monitor, a blank page staring at me, my fingers on the keyboard ready to tap those keys, but my mind is blank. As my eyes wander towards the window to my right, it is dark outside, and … Read more

Many times, guests who visit our home for the first time are amused by a sign near the entrance of our subdivision which reads, "Land of Pleasant Living". Some individuals, like my husband, think that it's a wonderful title, but others, … Read more

These last few weeks have shown me what tremendous human weakness amounts to. Being an elderly senior, and just getting over a critical illness, shows me what serious weakness can be like. I have never felt so weak and useless as I recover … Read more

Like most pastors, I'm often jokingly told that our jobs are easy because we work only one day a week. Usually, I laugh along with the person, who thinks that this is exceedingly funny, but within my heart, I'm actually weeping for myself … Read more

"Is there a Richard Adam Reilly in the car?" With those words, the Customs and Border Protection Officer cast a pall over the car. Under sunny skies which promised pleasant driving, my wife and I had journeyed with my eldest son and our … Read more

During the last few days of August and the first week of September 2015, we have seen dozens of reports of refugees from Syria and Iraq escaping their war-torn countries. We have seen them trying to cross the sea from Turkey to Greece and … Read more

There are many times when people are invited to attend certain functions, receptions, family reunions, weddings, etc. But not often do we get invited to come to a certain church. During my pipeline construction years, we lived in a … Read more

I was once asked to take a leadership position in the housing co-operative where I live. I was worried that it would be too much for me. A friend offered to share the job. Having someone to talk things over with and to share the work took … Read more

I have an electric toothbrush, which does a fantastic job of cleaning my teeth and keeping my gums healthy, and all it takes is two two-minute brushings per day. Who could ask for more? And yet, some days, those two minutes seem to … Read more

Those familiar with stage performance know the term "upstaging". This occurs when a performer pulls the audience's attention toward him or herself while the main focus is elsewhere: An actor stands in front of the one speaking; another … Read more