Early in our lives, we may have heard words like "Mother knows best" or "Father knows best". As we grow up, it is normal that, more and more, we start to feel that we know best. During this time of living with a pandemic, it has … Read more

Watching our babies take their first precarious steps is exhilarating, but emotions run deep when tiptoeing around the delicate topic of aging! If we trusted in Scripture, we would be entering this new era on wings like eagles. Instead, … Read more

As a young teenager, I took music lessons at a local music school. My teacher, a nice young man and a very patient instructor, surprised me one day by venting against Jesus Freaks. Not being committed to my faith and questioning Christian … Read more

She is like a hyperactive octopus. Her arms and hands never cease in their enthusiasm to reach and grab anything and everything in sight. We have nicknamed her Elastigirl, as her arms seem to have an amazing ability to stretch and stretch … Read more

When John and I were married in 1963, we moved into the little house on the farm known as Grandma's house. Grandma had moved into the big house with John's parents a number of years before. One morning, I was surprised to see a small pile … Read more

There was a day when I needed to have my hair cut in a strange land far from home. So, I located a nearby hair salon down the street from where I was staying. When I got there, I met four persons: three mature men, whom I assumed were … Read more

"God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but also on trees and in the flowers and clouds and stars." – Martin Luther I once viewed the Word of God as simply a system of laws and rules to obey. At least, that's what I absorbed … Read more

I stood with a bag of potatoes beside me, a knife in my hand, and what appeared like eternity in front of me. Carpal tunnel surgery had not slowed my wife down much — and I was glad, since she was our cook at church for Wednesday night … Read more

Timber country — a land of dust, mud, and torrential rains — was not a place for lovely, flat, satin ballerina slippers. But oh! how this young girl's heart longed for a pair. As I read Anna Pavlova's biography, I pirouetted alongside … Read more

As I talk to others about their marriages, they say that it is the small things that either keep them together or end the marriage. A few poorly chosen words can make a spouse's mind spiral out of control, and voices can be raised. … Read more

It was just one of those days on the boat. The calm became a stiffening breeze, the breeze became a blow, and the blow just got stronger and stronger. We were in a race on the Bras d'Or Lakes of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, and we … Read more

Some years ago, we were on a "Cities of the Reformation" tour, and we visited Eisleben, Germany, where Martin Luther, the great Reformer, was born on November 10th, 1483, and where he died on February 18th, 1546. We also visited … Read more

I love living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, a corner of the United States that enjoys four full seasons. I emphasize four seasons because there are varying lengths and kinds of seasons around the globe. When God created the … Read more

Timing is everything. This is a common expression that is frequently used, particularly if something has happened that we find favourable. Occasionally, we hear of someone who has been innocently hurt because that person was in the … Read more

I am not a brave person. I have a fear of heights, and though not completely claustrophobic, I avoid confined spaces. I'm not pathologically afraid of snakes and reptiles, but I would always give them a wide berth! I tend to be shy around … Read more

The glorious, unshakable, objective foundation of our being Christians is that God chose you and me to be adopted and share in His inheritance, bound together by God's grace and love in the one body of Christ! The deepest and strongest … Read more

Each year on the farm, we would buy day-old chicks — 150 of them. Three large boxes with fifty female chicks in each would be delivered to the farm by a transport truck. The chicks rode in the cab to keep them from getting a chill. For … Read more

It was such a lovely day, so I decided to take the dogs for a run. I loaded my three-year-old granddaughter into the stroller, gathered up the dogs, and away we went. As we were walking, Ade asked several times if we could go down to the … Read more

The other day, I received two emails from Google. The first one mentioned my privacy features; the second displayed my recent whereabouts on a Google map, as tracked through my cell phone. Both emails required my response — to protect my … Read more

There was a time when I wanted to do a business transaction with a stranger, and this particular deal involved a large amount of money. So, I quickly consulted one of my mentors about my plan, and he said, "Let's ask the Lord about it … Read more

He made a promise to his best friend, but now his friend lay dead on a mountaintop. Davey and Johnny were best buds and had been since they were young. Davey's family farmed while Johnny's came from the upper class. Despite their … Read more

"BE AWARE OF RATTLESNAKES AND POISON IVY!" reads a warning about hiking in the Nez-Perce Clearwater National Forest in Idaho, USA. Such a sign didn't exist when I went skipping ahead of my family on a sunny morning across the ancient … Read more

God knows and created all things, so there are no unchartered waters for Him. In Kauai during 1991, my husband and I learned to use snorkels. It was our first time on a reef, and we paddled along to the shallow reef's edge while watching … Read more

"Oh, God," I sigh, "You must have had so much fun creating our world!" I'm driving to my summer home in the White Mountains of Arizona, USA. The road starts in the heat of the Phoenix, Arizona, desert, winds through wonderful, weird rock … Read more

How do you react to interruptions? Who hasn't experienced a flight delay or cancellation? Or a mechanical problem? Or a traffic jam? Or having to wait in the checkout lane? How about a snow storm when we cannot get to work? How about a … Read more

When I met my first Amish family, I discovered that they take seriously Paul's message: They deliberately focus on the way that they live. They are concerned to keep their children safe from the influences of modern society, so they … Read more

In most of the emails that I have sent out to friends or strangers during this time when the COVID-19 virus has been rampaging in the world, I have requested that people pray to God for success for scientists who are striving to develop … Read more

I hobbled along, sore of foot, determined to make it around the block in good time. Just past the bend, I came upon a most bewildering sight. Stopping and startled, I tried to make sense of what was happening in front of me. A tall, older … Read more

In first grade, I made a plant. Everyone in class did. We placed potting soil into styrofoam cups and tucked tiny seeds beneath the soil. Then we lined up the cups on the counter in the sunlight, and each day, gave the seed a bit of … Read more

This morning, I received a lovely card from someone in my congregation. On the front, it had a picture of a beautifully lit church standing beside a gently flowing stream. Inside was a cheque donated to Erin church, along with one simple … Read more

It is impossible to travel anywhere in Nova Scotia, Canada, without confronting a sign reading "Nova Scotia Strong". Nova Scotia has had to learn to be strong in the first months of 2020. With the rest of the country, we had to respond to … Read more