I will never forget the Christmas Eve service that I attended on December 24th, 1989. That year, it was decided that a significant portrayal of the Christmas story would be presented complete with wise men, shepherds, Joseph and Mary, and … Read more
Search Results for: "1 Corinthians 13:"
Shattered Heart
I watched as if it were rolling in slow motion — or it could have been me moving in slow motion. I stretched my hand forward as it rolled to the floor — shattering. My heart skipped a beat. My favourite coffee mug lay in pieces on the … Read more
Watch Where You Are Going
Recently, I've become acquainted with a woman who is rapidly losing her eyesight. She once had full sight, but as the years have advanced, her vision has declined, until now all that she can perceive is brightness and shadow. Her white … Read more
Glorious Hard Times
Pregnant with our last child, I begged my husband to stop sending the Unwed Mother Worker from her job with Children's Aid to visit me whenever she was near the tiny village where we lived temporarily. My husband was her boss, so she had … Read more
The Quad Ride
On Labour Day weekend, we went for a two-and-a-half-hour ride on our quads (four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles) — and what a ride it was! Donning jackets, wind pants, gloves, boots, and helmets, we mounted our quads and away we went. My … Read more
Welcome Mat
Over the years, you have probably walked over many welcome mats at people's front doors. You may even have one of your own. The mat serves a practical purpose: to clean our footwear. But if it has on it the word "Welcome", it makes a … Read more
Playing Church
When I was five and my brother was four, we'd play church. We dressed up just like the grownups. My brother was the minister, and I was the organist. He'd stand on the kitchen table with a book in his hands (often upside-down) and preach … Read more
A Better Way
After three summers in my 34-foot fifth wheel, you'd think that I'd have figured out what works best and where to put everything, but this year, I discovered several ways to improve both the use and function of space. I replaced the couch … Read more
Now I Know In Part
Having recently retired from being a Professor of Biology, I find the transition strange. No longer Professor, I am Professor Emeritus, and have the privilege of carrying on what I have been doing over the last couple of decades: on the … Read more
The Economy Or The Deluxe Package?
What do car washes and love have in common? This isn't a joke; it's to get us thinking. Obviously, both improve life: of vehicles, or of people. But that's not what I had in mind that day when I stood at the carwash mulling over the … Read more
Selfie Prayers
I like to look at Facebook several times a day. Because my family is so far away in Scotland, it gives me the opportunity to see what they're doing and to comment on their exploits. I am able to keep in touch with them in a remarkable way … Read more
Encounters With God
It's that time of year again: time to go through drawers and closets, sorting out, downsizing, and organizing. It's something that I like to do about this time each year, before the good weather comes when I would rather be outside … Read more
Lost And Found
Recently, I lost my wedding ring. For over 43 years, it had seldom been off my finger, but at the end of that day, I looked at my hand and felt my stomach knot. Having already been evacuated once this summer by a forest fire, I had spent … Read more
The Spare Chair
I bought a spare chair a while ago. It sits in a corner of my kitchen, and for the most part, it doesn't do a lot. It came with a lovely, handwoven, green chair pad, which the cats really enjoy lounging on. I do stand upon it at times to … Read more
The Examination
Now that the starter plants have been transferred to the outside garden beds, I stop amidst my morning chores to pop over and examine them. I check to see if each plant looks healthy and has enough moist soil around it. If not, then I do … Read more
Listening To Others
The Samaritans are a national organization in the United Kingdom, whose 20,000 volunteers listen. Every six seconds, day or night, someone contacts them. They help callers talk through their concerns, worries, and troubles. Many years … Read more
Walking Into The Light
Some years ago, I checked in at a high-rise hotel, and was instructed by the hotel clerk how to find my room. I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the floor to which I had been directed. When the door opened, I stepped … Read more
The Marriage Verse
During a Bible study class, I learned that some of the older women had asked for and received a verse from God for their wedding, a verse that sustained them through the ups and downs of married life. I had thought that the "Love is…" … Read more
Delayed Gratification
After a half mile and a 400-foot elevation increase, I was huffing and puffing. My only relief was knowing that I'd soon be travelling in the opposite direction. My wife, middle brother, and I were on a four-day trip to the mountains for … Read more
By Their Fruit
What does this mean? We could use it in many contexts. I was sitting, sipping my tea, and reflecting on an older movie that I have in my entertainment library, starring James Garner and Larry Fishburne, called "Decoration Day". It is the … Read more
The Greatest Gift
One day when I was downtown, I saw a young girl I know hugging three guys, and then before she left, I heard them all say, "Love you", and they went their separate ways. I asked my daughter about this, for she knows more about young … Read more
Alzheimer's
Many of us know what a scourge Alzheimer's disease is. While cancer in its various forms seems to dominate the attention of our aging congregation right now, we have also had our share of Alzheimer's and dementia victims. The despair, … Read more
Love, Corinthians-Style
Years ago when I was first married, I made a large poster-like sign of today's verses and proudly hung it above a common staircase wall leading up to our second-floor apartment. I was in love, and I was going to spread it everywhere. Each … Read more
Laser Surgery And Relationships
Recently, one of my daughters had to have laser surgery to fix some retinal problems. It so happened that on the same weekend we went to visit her, another one of my daughters and I unfortunately had a "snafu": a euphemism for a … Read more
Past, Present, Future
Materialism, or fixation on earthly possessions, is one of mankind's strongest temptations. During the past several months, with the help of friends, I have been going through a process of scaling down my personal belongings. My part in … Read more
Do They Know It's Christmas?
In 1984, Sir Bob Geldof and Midge Ure wrote a song titled Do They Know It's Christmas? to raise money for the people of Ethiopia who were in dire need due to the famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Many musicians gathered together … Read more