"Tag" has come to mean many things over the years. Items are tagged with graffiti. People are tagged for speeding, with wins/losses in sports, and now in pictures online. But when I was growing up the only "tag" I cared about was our … Read more

Since there is so much violence around, we may have worried feelings about terrifying things happening today. I could be apprehended and treated violently or taken to a dangerous spot where anything could happen. Here in my hometown, I … Read more

A friend of mine called to let me know that her young grandchild, whom they had been worried about, was just diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Along with the diagnosis came training for both parents and child. Amidst the training, it was … Read more

One night, I found myself awake, obsessing over a troubling situation. When I realized what was going on in my mind, I told myself, "That is not where I live!" and I turned to Psalm 84. My Father's presence: that's where I'd rather be. … Read more

I'm looking at an old photograph on my church desk. It's a picture of my mom in her early twenties. She has black, raven-coloured hair, large, beautiful eyes, and a lovely smile. She's wearing pearl earrings as well as a decorative Isle … Read more

Five senses are great, but it's wonderful when the sixth works as well. I enjoy all of my senses. Recently, my eye doctor told me that I was a candidate for glaucoma. Fortunately, the cornea specialist said that it wasn't as bad as it … Read more

This beautiful verse was written in calligraphy and appeared in a frame on the wall of an old Anglican church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. For several years, I played the organ for Sunday evening services at that church. It was a small … Read more

I have a number of hobbies which occupy my limited free time. One of them is doing needlepoint pictures. During the winter evenings, I will work on those, quite often while watching some television, or just in the quiet of the room. It is … Read more

There's no magic in numbers, but the number 40 keeps coming back as if there were something special about it. The writer of Genesis says that Noah endured rain for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses twice spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mount … Read more

June Heale wrote the following in the PresbyCan Daily devotional of January 12, 2016, titled " Vertically Challenged? ": I wonder if, like me, you are vertically challenged. I used to be five feet two inches, not the tallest in the … Read more

Do you feel it? It seems that there is a new wave of the Holy Spirit blowing through our churches. There is a restlessness growing within our pews, an uneasiness, a feeling of excitement stirring from within. The Christian community today … Read more

After my wife's death, a friend of her mother telephoned to offer her condolences. Among other things, she told me about being ambushed. This is when something happens that brings back memories. I follow a blog called Spitalfields Life … Read more

We have had two wolf packs in town this winter. One of them has been residing in a popular walking area, which has caused concern, to say the least. So far, six dogs have been killed by these hungry predators, and I don't want any of my … Read more

When my editor sent me a reminder of my writing obligations, he added this line. "I'd be happy to hear from you." "Happy to hear from you": What a wonderful comment to hear. It got me wondering how often I say it to others. I thought of … Read more

We sat in a small group and talked about appointments and disappointments. When I have an appointment, someone has agreed to meet me at a certain time, or I've agreed to meet them. Disappointment is the difference between my expectations … Read more

I've been thinking of Valentine's Day and how the heart is a symbol of love. Our church has a breakfast on the first Monday of the month, and I usually try to have some kind of related treat if there is a special day in that month. And so, … Read more

I have an electric cooker (or stove) with a tough, translucent black glass surface to protect the cooker elements from the saucepans. When the electricity is turned off at the switch, the red glow fades, but the heat generated by the … Read more

Recently, I participated in a wonderful funeral service. That may sound weird, but it turned out to be a joyous celebration of a life lived well. The person concerned was a very gentle, humble, kind man, who touched the hearts and lives … Read more

From reading the Daily devotionals, I have come to the conclusion that some of the authors and probably a great number of the readers are people of advanced years. I am one of them. I have done a variety of tasks in the churches that we … Read more

Many of us grew up in religious traditions that did not participate in Ash Wednesday services. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the forty days of Lent. Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox, and other … Read more

When someone talks about God, do you envision Him as an old man with a long white beard, looking down from heaven and surveying the earth and its inhabitants? Or do you see God as an invisible force, unattainable and unreachable? … Read more

I have sometimes been confronted with this accusation: "You only believe in God because your parents ground it into your head when you were young." The implication is that our parents taught us their beliefs, and we have quietly accepted … Read more

Sophie, my two-year-old retriever, is always finding things to pick up and chew on or eat during our daily walks. I, in turn, am always telling her to leave it, which she does for the moment. Once I am not looking, however, she does a … Read more

The dream seemed so real. Brilliant light flooded bright green trees and verdant grass. In the open air, a table covered with white linen stretched into eternity. Each place setting of fine bone china, crystal goblets, and shining, gold … Read more

I can see a how a grieving person could be drawn into the false comfort of turning to a medium or a spiritist. Like a moth to the flame, some might seek out such a "practitioner" to try to re-connect desperately with the dear departed. … Read more

Camping in the mountains without one is a disaster. When my brother, daughter, and I backpacked in the mountains, our goal was for our packs to be as light as possible. Among the things that I chose to leave out, a flashlight wasn't one … Read more

My youngest son was born about a week after my ordination; at the end of this summer, he will be legally able to vote! I look in the mirror and see grey starting to creep into my hair, and I realize that I'm no longer a "child", except to … Read more

Fifty years ago, I spent eight months in the desert, some twenty miles from Muscat in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman. We lived in a camp, about sixty of us, single status. How well I remember going for long walks every day after work in … Read more

Approximately eight years ago, my father passed away. My mother, who lived two houses down from our place, did not want to stay by herself any longer. She asked us whether we would consider moving in with her if she found a place with a … Read more