Years ago, I put tabs in my Bible, the kind that are attached to the page with clear pieces of plastic that have very sticky — and permanent — glue on them. One piece goes on the front side of the page and the other on the back, so the … Read more

As we were walking along one day, my middle-school-aged grandson picked something up off the ground. "What did you find?" I asked him. "A pull tab. Our school is collecting them," he answered. "They make wheelchairs out of them." I … Read more

"I've got too many bad memories of the holidays, especially Christmas," a friend told me some years ago. "Everybody seems to be having a wonderful time, while I can barely hold it together. What can I do?" She was asking because she … Read more

Perhaps, like me, you periodically wonder why God Almighty takes actions like He does. At this time of the year, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, why did God decide that the best way to show His love for us was to send His Son as … Read more

When my son was little, he and his brother had an Advent calendar for a month before Christmas. Every day, the boys would open a window and see the picture and verse inside — no chocolate in those days! As Christmas approached, they would … 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

Everything that we say or do communicates what we want others to know about us. Sometimes, we do this by the clothes that we wear. When I wear a bright green shirt, the comments that I receive indicate that I am bringing happiness to my … Read more

I didn't go home the Christmas when I was 19, living in a Bible school dormitory in Portland, Oregon, USA. I had a job, and I needed the money. My employer was an elderly woman in an architecturally significant mansion stuffed with … Read more

What is going on here? Do you ever have that feeling when watching the news on television? It seems that everyone is perplexed. Terrorism, natural disasters, weather phenomena, "fake news", and now, in the United States, government … Read more

I am the proud owner of a Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational device for my car. I just punch in an address and it will direct me which way to go. But sometimes, the GPS will take me down roads that I've never driven before, and I … Read more

My collie, Bonnie, and my retriever, Sophie, were born only two months apart. They are now almost four years old, but what a handful they were the first couple of years. Training them to work together was a challenge, until they … Read more

"Judge carefully" … "Do not judge" … "Judge for yourself" … "Stop judging" – the Bible Well, is it okay to judge or not? The above texts aren't helpful, are they? It's no wonder: They're extracted from their contexts! Furthermore, … Read more

Last week, as I was out walking the trails with the dogs, I received the most glorious, unexpected blessing. As we came around a bend in the path, there before me stood the same pine tree that is always rooted at that spot. And yet, … Read more

There is really only one answer: I do palliative care at our local nursing home. I sit with dying patients, both those who are peaceful and those who are frightened. I offer to pray with each of them. If they answer "yes", I pray aloud … Read more

How is it that so often, something happens, and later, as we think it over, we realize that we had a perfect opportunity to talk to someone about Jesus, but we weren't able to think fast enough? To get my needed walking exercise (and get … Read more

My daughter and I really enjoy going to the movies. One of the last ones we attended required us to wear 3D glasses. As the film advanced across the screen, from time to time, I would look over the top of the glasses just to see what … Read more

The quotation, "Knowledge is power", is attributed to Francis Bacon, but the meaning given to it varies from author to author. The phrase often implies that with knowledge or education, one's potential or abilities in life will certainly … Read more

On this day nineteen years ago, the very first PresbyCan Daily Devotional was published on the fledgling, experimental PCCWeb site. But recently, I have been remembering events that God prepared which stretch back much farther than … Read more

When I was five and my brother was four, we would play church together. We'd get all dressed up, just like the grownups did. I was the organist and played my best on the old pump organ. My brother was the preacher. He would stand on the … Read more

The 1977 movie, "Jesus of Nazareth" by Franco Zeffirelli, is my favourite film depicting the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Each time I see it, I am more inspired by the powerful script, music, and images portrayed on … Read more

Recently, my husband and I received news from a friend that her twenty-year-old grandson, Caleb Ryan Ballentine, had passed away. Caleb was born with a disease known as Duchene's Muscular Dystrophy, yet he lived much longer than the … Read more

As people leave their churches and organized religion, what do they put in its place? I am noticing an increasing emphasis on spiritual things today. Even a secular magazine like The Readers Digest has an article this month called "Til … Read more

English was always my favourite subject, though sometimes a teacher or two could be a bit challenging. (Admittedly, we students were probably challenging at times!) Such was one teacher we had in Grade 8. When asked a question, he often … Read more

I love living in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, but I think that my heart will always be in Muskoka, Ontario, where my grandfather's cottage, nicknamed "Birch Haven" has stood since 1933. For as long as I can remember, as soon … Read more

While studying early church history several years ago, I came across one of the most fascinating and inspiring stories of faith, told by Perpetua, a young, newly-converted Christian who was martyred around the year 200 A.D. in Carthage (near modern … Read more

In Australia, autumn has ended, though there are still heaps of colourful, crinkly, dry leaves for me to crunch and kick around in my garden. Due to loving family help, I joy that roses are pruned, spring-flowering bulbs are planted, … Read more

Whenever God does something amazing, it is usually a wonderful surprise, with no one thinking of it beforehand. I had such a faith experience just lately, and I am still marvelling at Jesus' preparations. It was the day of my … Read more

As a youngster, did you ever have fun with one of those old revolving doors? I did — with my brother. After entering an open section of the four-way revolving door, round and round we'd go until the weight of … Read more

The other evening as I was watching the news on television, a clip provided coverage of a very large showing of the latest technological toys soon to come onto the market. The next morning, I heard a report on a … Read more

Over the last year or so, off and on, we have had shrews in the house. We were oblivious to the fact until one day, I saw "something" scurry down the hall into the computer room. I did not have … Read more

If you have any technological items in your house, then I am sure that you, like me, also have many cords that go with them. Over the years, I have spent a lot of time looking for this cord and … Read more

I sat at the computer reading an article about health, and suddenly, I thought, "Could they be talking about me?" The heading of the article read, "No one knows your parents as well as you do, and no one cares … Read more

While doing some work in my garden, I came across some roots, and many worms, just below the surface of the soil. After I was done, I was sitting on the deck, reflecting. I noticed that a bird had come … Read more