The day dawned sunny and bright. Though it was still chilly, it was a perfect Saturday morning to walk the three-quarters of a mile to my favourite coffee shop. Though seating is still limited because of COVID-19 restrictions, morning is … Read more

This has always been one of my favourite Bible verses. However, Paul says nothing about when all things will work together for good. I recently received an e-mail that emphasized this fact for me. It read, "It's wonderful how God … Read more

I have been preoccupied with the purchase of a replacement car, as the current one has now done 92,000 miles. During the initial process of putting my toe in the water, I cried out to God, firstly, to find what I thought was the right … Read more

I have a screen saver on my computer that shows a lake with wildflowers and trees. This setting was the lake behind our house for fifteen years. It was wonderful to hear the loons calling every day through six summers. I used to watch the … Read more

When I was young, I was lonely, despite being one of four children close in age. My sisters read romance comic books and snuck makeup. Unsupervised, I invented games in that small mountain mining town in northern Washington state, USA. … Read more

Feelings don't always mirror reality. Frank had hit bottom. He couldn't imagine losing any more than he had already lost. His roller-coaster ride began with his wife's confession of unfaithfulness. He'd had his suspicions, and he had … Read more

Did you know that PresbyCan is celebrating a milestone anniversary today? The Daily Devotional marks 25 years in operation on May 25. What is now distributed to thousands of subscribers worldwide had its start with the idea of an … Read more

With a fifth child on the way and in need of more space, we bravely knocked on the door of a big, old house. My husband and I had just heard that the owners were thinking of selling. That day, we began our very own "It's a Wonderful Life" … Read more

During the long winter months when we had so much snow here in northern Canada that we were forced to stay indoors most of the time, my four-year-old granddaughter decided that we should do science experiments. Once she had decided on … Read more

Having grown up on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, I'm somewhat familiar with ocean tides. Sometimes, we could swim easily, but other times, we had to walk a long way to reach the edge of the water. In 1972, my husband and I … Read more

When I was younger in the faith, I recall God starting to teach me about the person of the Holy Spirit. On weekends, I would locate a public school close to my house and find an open, shaded place devoid of distractions. Then, I would sit … Read more

It was nothing much really, yet it left an indelible imprint on my mind. I had been resting quietly in my easy chair by the window, submitted to my heavenly calling to "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10a NIV). Suddenly, a … Read more

For many years while we lived overseas, I did not have the chance to have a vegetable garden, but when we refocused — not retired — we had a good-sized garden behind the house. Since we downsized to a bungalow in town, I have had a … Read more

One summer when my two young sons spent time with their grandparents, a mystery presented itself. Their grandmother was a kind, loving, and self-controlled woman, but anyone can be pushed too far. She had prepared a large straw hat with a … Read more

The other morning, I was reading in Mark, and when I came across this verse, it got me thinking. What would I ask for? Would I be so bold? Then, more questions came flooding into my mind. Do any of these questions come to mind? If … Read more

The other day when I took the dogs for their early morning walk, the fog was thick. I could barely see across the street, and I was even worried that oncoming traffic might not see me or my four-footed friends. But by the time we were on … Read more

I was visiting a member of my congregation when she said, "Let's have coffee." A few minutes later, we were savouring coffee with cheese and crackers. I looked at the cup and asked her where the mug had come from and what it meant. The … Read more

Perhaps you've occasionally been rebuked with these words: "You just need to have more faith!" Years ago, I received that rebuke. I knew that it was meant to boost my faith effort. But instead, I felt guilty for not believing hard enough; … Read more

One of our daughters lives in the state of Michigan, USA, some 800 km from where we live. For many years, we went there twice a year, in the spring and in the autumn. Going there and coming back, we always went about halfway, stayed … Read more

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? I'm not sure about myself. When I read the definition set out in the following paragraph, I first think that I must be an introvert. But when I read on, I conclude that I am an extrovert. Typically, … Read more

My little granddaughter sometimes has a problem coordinating what she is thinking about doing with what her limbs are actually doing. Right now, the struggle appears when I am trying to help her get her boots or her jacket on. She will put … Read more

For the first two weeks of my life, I was not called Alice, my present name. My parents were trying out the name Helen. They must not have been sure about it, because there was no definite mention of a name in the early letters to my … Read more

When I was young, I had determined to be the perfect mother, but that was before encountering the unfamiliar subway system in Toronto, Canada, with my two children, aged three and four. It was Monday. The day before, I'd heard a study of … Read more

Tom Hallman, Jr. is a storyteller. More specifically, he is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The Oregonian, our state's largest newspaper. He specializes in warm-hearted, thoughtful, human-interest stories. As a long-time subscriber … Read more

As I made a cup of tea to start the process of waking up, this song jumped into my brain: Nothing's too incy-wincy for His care Nothing's too big, big, big for His power Nothing's too teeny-weeny for His care. – Doug Horley I wrote … Read more

One day, I spoke at length with an elderly man, who told me of his long career in the Canadian civil service. It had been years since his retirement, yet his memory was sharp as he recounted the departments in which he had served, the … Read more

When I was young, our family lived next door to brothers who had a gorgeous apple tree in their yard. The apples looked so good and juicy, and we all wished that we could have one. There were five sisters in my family at this time. A … Read more

The guest pastor read his chosen Scripture. The words sounded eerily familiar. It was like I'd read it an hour previously. And then it hit me — they were included in that day's readings in my daily Bible reading plan. I know for certain … Read more

Both were named Mike, both were good friends, and both had vastly different influences on me. I met the first Mike when I was 15. My dad had been called as pastor of the church where Mike and his family attended. I was in the rebellious … Read more

When as a teenaged girl I became a representative for Christ, I was lightly teased by non-Christian schoolmates. They thought that I was strange. I didn't fit in with the kids who didn't have or didn't want Jesus as their Saviour. When I … Read more

My husband and I moved from Canada to the Azores in September 2020. We had lived in the same house since our wedding day on October 4, 1996. I couldn't take everything, of course, so I gave much away to a downtown ministry, to neighbours, … Read more