I enjoy toast for breakfast. Peanut butter and jam is my favourite morning fare on bread, and has been for years. It's good to know that peanut butter, in moderation, is good for you — protein, right? I love a sandwich for lunch, but in …( read more )

When I think back on my childhood, I remember playing all kinds of games with neighbourhood children, like baseball, British Bulldog, and Red Rover. Many of the games began with choosing sides. I can still remember the agony of waiting …( read more )

Are you packing and getting ready to leave home, or facing a big change in your life with a lot of uncertainty? I know something of what you are going through, because I am, too. I was supposed to be moving, but now I am told that this is …( read more )

Last fall, a friend gave me a flourishing dipladenia plant, a beautiful flowering vine. She was reluctant to abandon it outside, but she had no space indoors. My living room already houses several plants, but how could I refuse those …( read more )

When death may be just around the corner, even encouragement from a stranger is appreciated. Sam's heart was barely functioning, and many of his vital organs were being affected. He'd been on the transplant list for quite some time, but …( read more )

I needed a computer technician to fix my Internet security software. Watching him go from screen to screen, from page to page, with writings and numbers and codes for what to do next, I was taken by all the technology before me and the …( read more )

The more that I read this beautiful story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man, the more that I believe that real healing begins with forgiveness. As a pastor for over thirty years, I have been with and cared for many people in times of …( read more )

"He was trying to stop Jesus!" My mind was jolted by that remark in a recent sermon. It was not about a wicked person, but about a godly prophet: John the Baptist. Peter also tried to stop Jesus — twice! Obviously, well-meaning …( read more )

Not too long ago, I joined a weight loss class. I finally accepted the fact that I needed help, and that I could not lose the weight on my own. To date, I've lost thirty-seven pounds, and I have gone down two dress sizes. I have also lost …( read more )

It happened suddenly. In my den, I stepped away from my ironing board and lost my balance. Mid-air, I dreaded injuring my already-compromised hip. Almost at the floor, the seat of my pants caught on a plastic projection sticking out from …( read more )

I have always had a challenge understanding the idea of "infinity". Even as a child in science and math class, I had difficulty grasping infinite time or infinite space. So, too, with the love of God: I've heard many ministers and Sunday …( read more )

As a father of four, it warms my heart to see new life, especially newborn babies, because they tug at my own memories at the core of my being. But online photographs of twins born last December sent a pang of sorrow through my heart …( read more )

There is nothing much more relaxing than watching a group of young lambs frolicking around in the sun on a warm spring day. Sheep are mentioned many times in Scripture, and they can provide us with many spiritual applications. When we …( read more )

This past Christmas, my family gave me a beautiful grandfather clock. It stands tall in the foyer and is the first piece of furniture that guests notice when they enter our home. The hourly chimes are delicate; they gently remind me …( read more )

A friend and I were having an email conversation not too long ago and found ourselves sharing about family members with whom we desire to have better and deeper relationships. Due to circumstances beyond the control of us and them, …( read more )

The week before Christmas, one of my sons dropped by to make some adjustments to my computer. It was a quick visit without much conversation. But on his way out, he turned around and said to me, "There were three terrorist attacks today, …( read more )

As I walked along with my dog, Sparky, during the January thaw, I couldn't help but notice how dirty the street was. Apparently, a lot of people do not bother to pick up after their dogs, and that angers me. There is absolutely no excuse …( read more )

One morning, while I was driving east past our university, the rising sun was at that perfect position to blind my vision. The visor could not help, and neither did my sunglasses. As I kept driving and becoming quite concerned, one of …( read more )

Have you ever done something that you were ashamed of and felt that you could never be forgiven for? Like most people, I suspect, I have been guilty of things that I'd hate to admit to. Not everyone has come from a loving, nurturing home, …( read more )

Before Christmas, my husband and I were in England when the big news was the rail strike. England enjoys a complex network of both surface and underground trains. They interconnect like a giant spider web: a maze of tunnels, escalators, …( read more )

One text message can change the course of a life. She really didn't want to come to church that Sunday night. After all, they were just showing the movie, God's Not Dead. But her husband wanted to come, so she obliged. Near the end of …( read more )

Have you ever been asked that poignant question? One day on my way home from elementary school, a girl asked me that. Not being one of the more popular kids in town, I immediately became defensive and replied, "Are you afraid of your …( read more )

I firmly believe in the concept of the priesthood of all believers, that all Christians have direct access to God. This also means that all Christians are given a specific calling from Christ to do His work in their own community. His …( read more )

Recently, I took some neighbour kids to the pool. The six-year-old twins showed absolutely no fear in the water, especially because they've trusted a few adults to hold them and teach them. I was super-excited to see their joy for …( read more )

The sun's rays illuminated the freshly fallen snow outside my living room window. Thousands and thousands of miniature diamonds glistened in the sun. There's nothing like freshly fallen snow. It is pure white, soft, and fluffy as it falls …( read more )

The Samaritans are a national organization in the United Kingdom, whose 20,000 volunteers listen. Every six seconds, day or night, someone contacts them. They help callers talk through their concerns, worries, and troubles. Many years …( read more )

I live in the country, on the outskirts of a village of about 1,300 people. Our house is on a main road leading into the village, and although there are street lights in the village, they end just before our house. When I take the dogs …( read more )

My wife Ruth and I farmed on the shores of Kagawong Lake on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada. We had the privilege of raising sheep for a number of years. Since then, we have also had the privilege of doing short-term mission work in …( read more )