One day, we received a newsletter from a Christian organization, and much to my surprise, there was a Christmas postage stamp on it. This year's Canadian Christmas stamp has a simple line drawing of an angel blowing a trumpet over a …( read more )

The festival of Sol Invictus, the "Unconquered Sun", on December 25th, was a time when the sun god, Sol, patron of Roman soldiers, was feted. It was a celebration inaugurated by Emperor Aurelian in 274 AD. Houses were decorated with …( read more )

I live in Nova Scotia, and to be precise, I live on the eastern shore, which is dotted with small fishing villages. The architecture here is often just a tad different from what most people are used to: we have a large number of widow's …( read more )

As the harvest was gathered in this fall, many of us discussed our gardens — their successes and their failures. As we did so, I was delighted to discover that where certain vegetables had failed throughout town, all of our plantings had …( read more )

I wonder, if we knew where Jesus was going to be one day, somewhere in our community, would we leave everything we were doing and run ahead to that place to greet Him? Would we look forward to seeing Him in person to listen to His …( read more )

When my brother was young, he would be the one to check the family before we went away on a holiday. "Did you unplug the iron?" he would say to our mother. "Is the stove off?" We could go once he was satisfied that nothing was left …( read more )

"You have a very short frenum," the dentist announced as she removed her hands from my mouth. "A what?" "A frenum. It's the piece of soft tissue that runs in a thin vertical line between the lips and the gums. I have a long one, which …( read more )

On November 21, 2015, I experienced another first. Firsts are important. On this day, two of my cousins brought a mahogany china cabinet to our home. The reason that it was a first is not because it's the first one that I've ever owned …( read more )

Have you ever been plagued over questions that you wished you had asked when you had the chance? Questions like: What do you mean? Why is that necessary? When is it finished? How …? Where …? Who …? Et cetera. You later realized that …( read more )

As I have written before, I am not a quilter, but I can derive pleasure by proxy as I admire the finished products of expert quilters. As I was admiring a favourite quilt the other day, I began …( read more )

The multi-coloured refraction of sun through water droplets is called a rainbow. People with the heart of a child want to find and touch the end of the rainbow, and if they are lucky, to find the pot of gold at its end. If they chase …( read more )

I saw an advertisement recently on a recycling website for a television sofa where the spelling was out of place. It read, "Loves Eating". They had put the space after the "s" instead of before! A simple mistake to make, but it made me …( read more )

It was there, lying upside down on the ground. I stopped to check it out. It was a bird's nest. Earlier in the summer, my daughter had pointed it out to me. High up in the pine, it was home to a robin and her fledglings. Now that fall …( read more )

In the Peanuts comic strip, Linus has his security blanket. Over a 35-year period, he experienced a love/hate relationship with this well-worn blanket. After all, it had been a part of his life from the very beginning. The blanket gave …( read more )

I well remember gazing at the black and white television screen, watching the careful, steady steps of Commander Neil Armstrong moving down the ladder of the Apollo lunar module to step onto the silvery powder surface of the moon on July …( read more )

Extravagant beyond imagination was all that ran through my mind. George Vanderbilt created Biltmore in 1895 for family and friends as an escape from everyday life. His descendants still own this magnificent display of wealth that rests …( read more )

In the church where I worship, we have a humble man living out his retirement years with his wife of 38 years. Roger sings special music on some Sundays. He composes songs that tell his story and witness for his Saviour. It is an …( read more )

Sixty years ago, I was with a major accounting firm and was responsible for the auditing of a large Canadian retail chain. Spending several months each year at their main store, I had an office there and frequently rode in one of the …( read more )

My friend told me the other day about reading a devotional from another provider that referred to failing health quality as "the dwindles". We have had cases of the dwindles, but we just didn't know what to call them, when we felt gloomy, …( read more )

My father's parents divorced in the 1930s. Grandma Smith was forty-seven when she had Dad, the youngest of seven. Throughout his boyhood, whenever visitors were expected, it was his job to beg for food in the neighbourhood. He could not …( read more )

I'm anticipating that sharing my friend's dream will boost your faith as it does mine. She said: In my dream, I was lying down. A swarm of bees hovered six inches over my entire body. One bee stung my foot, and I jerked. My reaction …( read more )

I put my mitts down for a matter of seconds while I was working on the deck. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied Simon, my five-month-old dachshund, nip one and take off with it. Oh, well, I thought. I could see the direction that he …( read more )

Earlier this year, the government of Peru mandated that all group homes for children and youth be closed. The officials wanted at-risk children to be placed with family or friends. A non-profit organization, New Hope Peru, immediately …( read more )

I was slow in getting out of bed, shuffling my feet towards the kettle. I had a headache. With the kettle warming up, my youngest daughter demanded that I make her a packed lunch for her to consume. I was not at my best, and I was left …( read more )

I knew that it was there, but I couldn't see it. When a new or full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to the earth, it is called a supermoon. The last one for 2021 occurred on June 24th. Once before, when this happened, I …( read more )

Authors cannot agree on whether writer's block is real or a myth. We all struggle with our words sometimes, though. Not long ago, my church assigned me to write a series of devotionals based on the lectionary readings for the season. I …( read more )

I woke on the wrong side of the bed. I had a headache, and had been aroused by its pounding rather than by my alarm. As I reluctantly climbed out of bed, my dog, Scout, bounced around, happy to be awake and alive, and soon to be fed! Her …( read more )

Have you ever noticed a sparrow, or other bird, fluffing its feathers in a sprinkler or during a light rain? Birds spend a lot of time preening, but the amount of time and effort that they put into bathing and dusting indicates how …( read more )

Have you someone in your life who is angry and resentful, who really knows how to bug you, who knows your weaknesses and how to exploit them, who pushes your buttons? I have certainly worked with such people in my career; one individual …( read more )

In yesterday's devotional, I described my incorrect conclusion about the absence of a fellow resident. In further discussion with Valerie, we were both amazed at the rest of the story. …( read more )