When a friend of mine was evacuated from his home and town due to wildfire, I asked him if he had taken all his important legal papers, identification, and medical files with him. He told me that he had not. He had simply left quickly. My … Read more

Depression and anxiety are mental health disorders, and millions of people throughout the world suffer from them. They do not discriminate or show favouritism, and there is no shame in admitting to having a mental health condition. We … Read more

When people say that they are hostage to something, it means that they are being involuntarily controlled by some outside influence. Sometimes, I feel like I'm being held hostage by forces over which I have no control. The recreational … Read more

At the age of 12, I was attending a youth service at our church when an event took place that literally changed my life. My three friends and I were sitting in the back seat. When the sermon was over, one of them looked at me and said, … Read more

One of my windows faced the main street, and I could see the foot traffic that passed by. Parents waited with their children for the school bus, and apartment residents waited for a taxi, Uber, or the city bus. A very thin young man with … Read more

Recently, I listened to a BBC radio programme called The Life Scientific with guest interviewee Professor Sir Michael Berry, a physicist, born in 1941, who reviewed his life's work with … Read more

As children, my brother and I had been excitedly anticipating a circus in town. It was a hot summer's day, and finally, we arrived at the fairgrounds in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada, where we grew up. The two of us lined up by … Read more

One evening, as we were all going inside for the night, one of the baby goats let out a loud wail. My daughter went to investigate. Mulan, one of our young kids, was trapped on a bench in the barn. Mulan's left hoof and ankle had slipped … Read more

When John and I married, the dog on the farm was named Sharp. Sharp would do things to make farming easier for us, like fetching the cows and herding the pigs. He was a good watchdog and would sound the alarm when necessary. One day when … Read more

Growing in Christ has been lovely and exhilarating for me. As time has passed, I have found myself always bringing words of Scripture into my everyday confabulations with friends and family. One day, someone said to me, "Why do you always … Read more

During this time of social distancing, of staying at home, and of home schooling, I've been watching all kinds of suggestions on social media as to how to keep children entertained at home, while maintaining their education. Many of the … Read more

A lady I once worked with was complaining that her muffins never turned out. I shared that I had a no-fail recipe and would bring it in to work for her. She was quite pleased. I did take the recipe in, and she asked me if it was … Read more

"A baby who has been left alone is being held down at the police station," said the message on our phone. My husband, the social worker on duty, asked if I'd go along with him as backup. When we got to the station, he went off to find … Read more

My Thursday evening Bible group is studying the Book of Revelation. Recently, we discussed the incredible actions of the angelic being in chapter ten. While this messenger is identified as a "mighty angel", some believe that the amazing … Read more

When I began in ministry many years ago, I quickly realized that I didn't have enough love for all the people in my congregations. I cried out to God for His love. It was then that I experienced an overwhelming flood of loving care for the … Read more

After five years, I was finally able to expand my corral. It is now almost twice as large, and the horses and goats love it. With the expansion came a second gate, making access to the paddock so much easier. Frank, my gelding, however, … Read more

There are a lot of For Dummies books available. We have a few of them around our house: – Guitar for Dummies – Digital Photography for Dummies – Scrapbooking for Dummies – GPS for Dummies – PCs for Dummies I must say that … Read more

"How do you do it?" my friend stammered. "How do you go out and talk to them? I hate it. I don't know their names, and I hate crowds." (So that's why she was hiding in the broom closet.) After I explained that the guests probably felt the … Read more

One of the three-year-olds in a parent-tot drop-in that I run has been going through a very cute stage. Whenever she is asked something which either she doesn't have the answer for or else she would rather not give the answer to, she … Read more

I have recently watched a few television shows about dying or death and what happens afterwards, ranging from the secular Dr. Oz to the spiritual 700 Club. We are all interested in it, even though we say that we don't … Read more

With the increasing threats to security all around the world, a passport has become a very important item to have. Most countries will deny entry by air, sea, or land, unless one has a valid passport. Since my passport was … Read more

Initially in my early church life, I'd be most uncomfortable when anyone preached on the above Scripture. I didn't believe that I could attain to Jesus' love for every Christian in and outside my church. No, not me! Oh, my, … Read more

These days, it seems that we need passwords to access so many things. Online shopping requires one. Our bank machines require one. In fact, so many things require passwords that keeping track of them all nearly drives me nuts. Passwords … Read more

Okay, so I have succumbed to using shortcuts when texting. Yes, I even miss the occasional comma or period in my texting. It has taken me a long time to use some of the shortcuts. BTW, by the way, I … Read more

Prince, my collie, loved playing with sticks. He was forever carrying one around in his mouth and was also forever trying to bring the stick inside through the dog door. No matter how many times he tried, however, he could … Read more

A number of years ago while attending a course, I was confronted with the assignment of writing out a testimony about my life as a Christian, and telling when I was saved. I began to write my testimony, but when I came to the question … Read more

I was attempting to finish my poster on time for December when I thought of looking for something to illuminate the topic of "Christmas". I went to a source for clip art. Guess what! I found only one "Christmas" image … Read more

I had a very disconcerting moment recently. I left my home to pick up the current catalogues of a major retailer, and on leaving my car, I tucked my keys into my waistband and proceeded into the store. There, I … Read more

My car needed to go in for some scheduled warranty work. I usually keep my car tidy, but after a winter of snow and cold, it needed a little more care to tidy it up. After taking the time to … Read more

This year as I planned my Christmas gift for my daughter and her children, I was reminded of the conversation I had with a lady several years ago. "Anna" knew her long battle with cancer was nearly over, and as … Read more

In our area we have a special mailbox for receiving newspapers. It's similar to our regular mailbox, except that it has no door. It is fastened to the pole just below each regular mailbox. My neighbour's newspaper mailbox is broken. … Read more

As we continue to reflect on the devastating events of September 11, much has been said in an attempt to understand those men who were willing to give their lives to commit such terrible acts of violence and hatred. Probably … Read more

Have you ever read a story in a book that you never wanted to end? One time that happened to me. The story had me laughing, crying, amazed and intrigued as I turned the pages. At times, I imagined myself … Read more