Many years ago, I worked for a pipeline construction company. We built oil and gas pipelines in many provinces in Canada as well as in several states in the USA. We lived in a house trailer or mobile home, and the office that I worked in … Read more

These days, we live in a society that is so litigious — "unreasonably prone to go to law to settle disputes". No matter the cause, whenever anything bad happens to someone, the first thought is often, "Who is to blame for this misfortune? … Read more

Years ago, we had a tradition of enjoying a good roast beef dinner after worship on Sunday. To minimize Sunday work, the vegetables would be prepared on Saturday evening. The roast would be put in the oven before we left for church, and … Read more

I recently saw a video online called The Atheist Delusion , featuring interviews by Ray Comfort. Most of those interviewed were young people who claimed to be atheists; in their teen years, they failed to see believable evidence for the … Read more

Being a C.E.O. meant that my husband worked 9-10 hours per weekday, spent 79 percent of his weekend days on conference calls, and went on numerous out-of-country business trips. Between his demanding career and my feeling like a single … Read more

When John and I married, I moved from the city to the farm. Being so close to God's handiwork in nature, I learned life's lessons by observation and experience. John's grandparents had homesteaded the farm on Manitoulin Island in northern … Read more

Recently, I had to take my year-old collie, Kayley, to Whitehorse, Yukon, for her rabies and booster vaccines. Kayley gets very anxious travelling in the truck, and the two-hour trip each way is especially difficult for her. In light of … Read more

Recently, I explored a long-abandoned rural shack, the early home of a friend's parents. Inside, beneath the dusty rubble, we discovered boxes of clothes untouched for 50 years, mostly well-protected from the elements. I giggled with … Read more

The late Muhammed Ali made a striking statement about the heart in 1978: "The personality of a person, the ways of a person, the thoughts, the deeds and the actions, it's all based around the heart. For what is a man? A man is his heart." … Read more

I find myself inundated with voices these days. The newsfeed is 24/7, full of stories of pandemic, civil and racial unrest, political bickering and threats, and the plight of refugees. Even if I turn the radio and television off, there are … Read more

Sometimes, chickens leave behind more than eggs and meat. My maternal grandmother had a dozen or so chickens wandering around her yard. At night, she enclosed them in a small pen, complete with a coop. There, they slept and laid eggs. … Read more

I was hosting a seniors' cable show with others, awhile back. Someone had asked an elderly gospel quartet to come down and be interviewed. They were called The Old Hims, since that was mostly what they sang. The four men had a great … Read more

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time … Read more

Our society bombards us with advertising for every imaginable need and want. When we order from online companies, we receive non-stop advertising from those enterprises. Our smartphones notify us about everything. We can strap on activity … Read more

"Sharon, look, there's a nail in my tire." My sister, Bonnie, pointed to the sharp end poking out of her rear tire. We had stopped at a store before a trip to the mountains. She dropped me off at the door, then parked the car. Thinking … Read more

As our economy slowly re-opens following the COVID-19 pandemic, after months of shopping restrictions and the availability of essential services only, there will be all sorts of promotions to attract buyers into brick-and-mortar shops. I … Read more

During my working career, for a period of about ten years, I travelled considerably. We were stationed in Europe at that time, and I flew to many different countries. When checking in at each airport, I would be told to which gate to go, … Read more

When I was a young, ten-year-old boy, we packed up the car, filled the roof-top carrier, and headed 32 miles north of North Bay, Ontario, Canada, to go on a fishing vacation at a place called Beaverland Camp on the Martin River. The first … Read more

I was startled when I opened an email and found a striking picture of the devil talking to Jesus. "With COVID-19, I have closed your churches!" the devil gloated. And the response from Jesus? "Wrong! I have opened one in every home!" I … Read more

Recently, I stood on my fifth-floor balcony and watched a gentleman clean my windows, hanging by a rope. When he had finished my windows, he eased the clamp on the rope and safely lowered himself to the next floor. As I watched, I … Read more

My dog Sophie is such a joy. When we are walking the trails with my granddaughters in the double stroller, the dogs know that there is always one path that we never take, as it is inaccessible with the carriage. It is a trail that the … Read more

Like me, you might be somewhat disappointed with recent television offerings, filled with unwholesome deprivation, gratuitous violence, and calls for revenge. So, I was recently encouraged by an eight-episode Internet show called SGN ( … Read more

One particular day, when I was feeling riddled with shame for something that I had done before my salvation, a dear friend warned me, saying, "Lois, every time you doubt whether God would love and forgive you, it's as though you have taken … Read more

In August 2017, my husband of 54+ years, my sister Kathy, and I were thoroughly enjoying a trip by recreational vehicle (RV) along the Alaska Highway in northern British Columbia, Canada. God's splendour was amazing with the scenery of … Read more

I hugged my daughter yesterday for the first time in over three months. It was a long hug! We have always hugged whenever we say goodbye, and it has felt strange not being able to do that for all that time. You could say that we are a … Read more

When I was much younger in the faith, studying the Bible was a huge challenge for me. I would pick up my Bible, try to read through a chapter and memorize a verse, yet nothing would sink into my head or penetrate my spirit. Before long, I … Read more

He pulled up a chair, sat down beside me, and raised his left arm in the air. Our church hosted its first Craft Fair. A good number of vendors signed up, set up, and enjoyed interacting with customers — along with selling them products. … Read more

As our pandemic lingers, people naturally yearn for former freedoms — including public worship. Mixed feelings abound over such matters. Restless tension grows between restraints and freedoms. As in any polarized situation, we can easily … Read more

At my father's mill, a channel ran between the upper log storage pond and the lower pond, where logs could be poled and floated to be sawed. The channel was used only for that simple purpose, and it worked effectively. Periodically, the … Read more

Recently, I've been thinking about the blessings that have come out of the self-isolation due to the current lockdown. For one thing, I have been grateful to God for the gift of time to improve the PresbyCan website. In early May, I began … Read more

According to Wikipedia , "The pandemic … caused the largest and worst civil unrest in the United States history since King assassination riots in 1968." Protests in Canada have also been widespread. Besides activities that "bite and … Read more