When I was a child, Ivory soap advertisements claimed that its product was 99 and 44/100ths percent pure. I do recall that this soap sloughed the dirt from my hands and feet just fine. Ivory also had the amazing property of floating on … Read more
Archive for June, 2018
Peaceful Coexistence
One hot, humid day in Florida, as I returned from a long walk tired and thirsty, I swung open the front patio gate and discovered that I had a "guard snake" protecting the entrance to my front door. Being a fairly new winter resident, I … Read more
Suffering Produces Perseverance
I have one stronger fingernail. Years ago, when I was vacuuming near my heirloom treadle Singer sewing machine, I decided to lift back its heavy cast iron functioning part and vacuum under it. When I finished and was hinging it down into … Read more
Kindness And Love
I make mistakes constantly. One would think that after living for just over six decades, I would be full of so much wisdom that I would never do anything incorrect again, but the older I get, the more I repeat the same mistakes, even … Read more
God Has A Handle On It
I'm making a folding display frame that will stand up on a table and hold the name tags for recurring clergy meetings. When not in use, it closes up with a clasp, but it needs a carrying handle. So, I went to a thrift shop and bought one … Read more
God's Love At The Outer Edge
It was an ordinary thing to do, to play Jesus loves me on the piano, but the effect wasn't ordinary that day. I was at a drop-in centre where the less fortunate come for lunch and companionship. As usual, I heard heart-wrenching stories … Read more
The Turning Point
As my little spring seedlings began to grow bigger and stronger, preparing for life outside, I began turning them on a regular basis. As they were situated in front of large windows and received full sun much of the day, having these … Read more
Cleaning Windows
I look forward to spring, not only because of the work in my garden, but also for the many household chores involved. In a sudden surge of energy, spring cleaning includes washing blankets and polishing floors, reorganizing closets and … Read more
A Mother's Day Surprise
I've been a mother for 70 years, and Mother's Day this year made me think of the years gone by. Now, all my children are retired and have their own families. There have been times to be proud and, yes, times of difficulty! Growing up was … Read more
Securely Anchored
From May 6th to 12th, we were on a riverboat cruise in the Netherlands. I learned that many ships, especially freighters, which ply the rivers and canals of Europe, have devices, called in Dutch "Spit Palen", which are vertical posts … Read more
Lessons From A Young Child
Several years ago, I learned two profound lessons from a young girl. 1. When you become aware of a problem, always try to figure out how you can help. My wife and I had decided to fly from Toronto to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to visit … Read more
Concentrating Our Vision
In our Bible study group, we were reflecting on the reality of the temptations that we face as we seek to live Christ-centred lives. During the discussion, Ted offered some down-to-earth wisdom: "The birds are going to fly in and out, but … Read more
Being God's Man
Everybody has a father story, and they run the gamut. I grew up in a traditional family. My father was present, supportive, and loving. Many families aren't as fortunate. Some fathers drink to excess, abuse or run around on their wives, … Read more
The Best Medicine
You may remember that a few years ago, there was a plush toy, "Tickle Me Elmo", based on the Muppet character Elmo from the children's television show, Sesame Street. When Elmo's tummy was squeezed, he shook, vibrated, and giggled. … Read more
Being A Christian
I cannot honestly read Paul's second letter to Timothy without reflecting on how his words are relevant for today. The great apostle was forewarning his protégé that things would get a lot worse before they became better. He was telling … Read more
An Attack Of The Heart
I was sitting in the hospital room, watching my husband Kurt sleeping soundly. The last few days had been a nightmare for both him and me. It all started when he came inside our house after doing some raking. He told me that he must have … Read more
The U-Turn
One Sunday morning, I left home having my destination clearly in mind. It was an easy trip, so I used the time to enjoy lovely music and relax — until suddenly, I realized that I was heading the wrong direction — to my old stomping … Read more
What Time Is It?
I have a mantle clock. It's quite old. It needs winding about once a week. Because it chimes the hour, re-setting it is a pain if I forget to wind it and it stops, because I would have to allow all the chimes to cycle. So, when it stops, I … Read more
An Awesome God
Almost two decades ago, a young girl from Zimbabwe won a scholarship to study at a university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This was quite an accomplishment, and she was understandably very excited. However, three weeks before she was … Read more
Always On The Lookout For A Reason To Pray
I don't drive. So, when my husband died, I had to walk or take the bus wherever I went. As I live in the centre of a busy university town, this meant that, suddenly, I was spending time every day surrounded by the people I had ignored … Read more
Flying Low
They popped over the tree tops and whizzed along the top of the field. When I was a young lad, crop dusters were common where there was flat farmland. Fields were planted with cotton, corn, and soybeans. Laws preventing certain chemicals … Read more
The Seedlings
My brother, who lives in our cabin, is the gardener in our family. So, when he went to Mexico in the fall, he asked me to start the spring seedlings so that they would be ready for him to plant when he got back in May. *Oh my, what a … Read more
Worship The King
April 27th, 2018, marked five years since the Dutch prince, Willem Alexander, was crowned King of the Netherlands. We were in Holland at that time, and there were great celebrations in many places. In the town where we were staying, there … Read more
Prompted By Faith
Most church people whom I know try to make the world a better place. They understand their weaknesses and shortcomings; they are aware of their limits and abilities; and they are conscious of their faults and sins. Despite this, they … Read more
Our Heaven-Sent Eyeglasses
It's been said that the disciple John was Jesus' special, favourite disciple. John was "the one Jesus loved", a phrase seen twice in the Gospel of John. I've felt uneasy about that text. Why would John portray himself as Jesus' favourite? … Read more
A High Percentage
One Sunday recently, as our pastor prayed at the start of worship, he asked God to fill each one of us, and to do His transforming work in every part of our lives. As we prayed this, suddenly a thought shot through my mind: "All of me … Read more
Just Trust
Just trust God, and everything will work out for the good. The Porters were college friends with whom we had a common bond: we were both from South Carolina; they also had two small children who were close in age to our two, one of which … Read more
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