On New Year's Eve 2023, 48 per cent of the people who made a resolution said they resolved to improve fitness. These people resolved to be more fit by exercising, … Read more
Archive for December, 2024
The King's Message
Hanging on a wall in our guestroom is an old framed piece of linen on which someone long ago laboriously embroidered: I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown," and … Read more
Twirling And Whirling
I've never been seasick. But recently, I think I can relate. I am reminded of two experiences. The first is when I stood before an impressive and dramatic life-sized display at a museum in Astoria, Oregon, USA. It is of a US Coast Guard … Read more
The Messenger Came With Good News
Is there life after death? Yes! Before Alzheimer's disease robbed my mother Leanora of her memory, my sister and I went to the funeral home with Mom to make funeral arrangements. Looking back today, I have to say that Mom was realistic … Read more
Firsts And Lasts
Life is a never-ending cycle of first and lasts, isn't it! It would seem logical that firsts should occur most frequently in one's younger years, and lasts would come thick and fast toward the end of life. Not so! Both firsts and lasts … Read more
'Twas The Morning After Christmas
In a devotional on April 16, 2024, I told the story of my own conversion through picking up a tract in a mud puddle. It was entitled, "The Power Of A Tract", of which I am totally convinced. The … Read more
The Real Christmas
In 1991, my husband, our three boys, and I were living in the city of Bratislava in post-communist Czechoslovakia. We were working in the new Christian school that we had helped to start. During the school's Christmas break, we looked … Read more
The Lamb And A Plan
Trying to capture and keep all the memories that are actively being made on Christmas Eve is challenging. The flurry of activity goes by so quickly that it is hard to take it all in and lock it away in our hearts and minds. However, one … Read more
Don't Forget The Shepherds
Who would leave the shepherds out of the Christmas story? Not me, that's for sure. You see, I'm one of them. The passage from Luke says there were shepherds in the fields that night, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Think about … Read more
Our Greatest Gift
One of our Christmas traditions is to remember the whole Christmas story as told in Luke 2. Many people will have a creche in their homes, and some people will start by putting out the angels and an empty manger, and then, as Advent … Read more
Determination Delivers
They were our neighbours, and they loved Christmas. The first church I pastored was a small congregation located several miles out in the country. Our next-door neighbours were a retired pastor and his family. Although it was only him, … Read more
A True Story
Luke is careful throughout his gospel to place Jesus in history. That was important back then, because there were so many "mystery" and "fertility" religions which claimed to have miraculous births and gods who died and rose again. So, … Read more
The Perfect Christmas Gift
During the Christmas season, one of my students asked me why we give gifts for Christmas. I explained to her that we give to remember that God gave us the most wonderful, perfect gift. He gave us His only Son, Jesus, because God loves us … Read more
Awaiting The Birth
I received a long-distance call from a friend a while back. She was awaiting news of the birth of her first grandchild, and, lest she be tempted to call and check on the progress every so often, chose to call and talk to me. We managed to … Read more
The Announcement
The grandkids raced to my house, all excited and yelling about the big tree that their dad had just purchased. I discovered that it was a ten-foot-tall, cone-shaped Christmas tree completely encircled by white LED lights with a … Read more
A Christmas Prayer
Lord, maybe what I need this Christmas is a new pair of spiritual eyeglasses, ones that would let me see the hope and trust those ill people had in You, so even if they have died, as we on earth call it, we know they are alive forever in … Read more
Mercy Shown
When my wife yelled, "Come here!" I knew something was wrong. I was napping in my recliner on a Sunday afternoon when she called for help. Since I was only twenty feet from her, I asked, "Can't you just tell me what you want?" But … Read more
The Music Or The Message
Some years ago, my husband and I volunteered as ushers at our local theatre, hoping we could see some interesting shows. We did, but the best by far was Handel's Messiah. Handel originally composed The Messiah for the Easter season in … Read more
Without Charge
Our youngest child, who is five years old, has said for the last week, "I wonder what I'm getting for Christmas?" My reply is, "I wonder, too!" As she spoke those words, I thought, every child across the world is asking the same question. … Read more
The Puzzle
Whew, finally, the last piece! I just finished a puzzle that was started at Thanksgiving during the five days while my kids were here. We all worked on it, but I will have to admit they did the hard parts that didn't make sense, like the … Read more
Blue Christmas
A familiar tune that's heard throughout the Christmas season is Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas". Whether it's Presley's powerful voice, the strings of some instrumental, or the strains of friends pouring out their hearts in song, it is … Read more
All Little People Welcome
Our young son has been responsible for setting out the Fisher-Price Little People Nativity set at Christmastime since he was a toddler. He loved placing the colourful, chunky people and animals in their places within the Christmas story … Read more
An Advent Sunday
We visited a church in Florida on a Sunday morning; it was a busy, friendly church with about forty to fifty in attendance. The congregation was made up mainly of older folk, with a sprinkling of middle-aged ones, and about four families … Read more
Not What We Expected
Recently at a school nearby, I noticed a long line of children walking two-by-two around the perimeter cinder track being led by a teacher. Further back, I noticed more children and more teachers. Curiosity got the better of me and my dog … Read more
The Intention
It was October, and Christmas catalogues had already begun to arrive. When we went to town, my granddaughters were thrilled to notice Christmas displays in the stores. They begged to wander the aisles that sported the latest Christmas … Read more
What Shall I Give Him
Christmas is coming, and as well as signifying and celebrating the birth of Jesus, it is a time of gift giving. We wander the stores for the "right" gift for family, friends, neighbours, and service providers. We want to choose something … Read more
Not One Of Them Is Missing
I love pre-lit Christmas trees! What's not to love? We pull them out of the box, and WOW! — instant light. No untangling strings of lights or wrapping miles of lights round and round the tree. They are always perfectly positioned with … Read more
The Advent Jar
Traditions are those things that we do which reinforce our family's personality and link us with our past and our future. We see these traditions when we come to celebrate Advent and Christmas. It is because of our traditions that we have … Read more
Nativity Reminders
We place several nativity sets in our home, and they range from cute to fancy to wooden to ceramic. I have saved bits and pieces from my mother's set and incorporated them into my own. Therefore, I wound up with multiples of each … Read more
Touchdown Point
Many people, when they hear an aircraft passing overhead, will idly glance up, wondering who is going where, and perhaps wishing they were up there, not down here. Fewer people are aware of the vast electronic radar blanket that covers … Read more
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