When I was a young parent, I made a rule that my children hold my hand when crossing streets or in crowded places. I wanted to make sure that they were safe or that they didn't wander away. I've often seen children just automatically … Read more

Tragedy struck here on the morning of June 27! All four baby robins had suddenly vanished from the nest. We had been video-monitoring their progress every day. They were just nine days old. We turned on the camera in time to see Mama … Read more

Whoo—who-who—whoo "Terry! Wake up! I hear the owl!" I had been hearing this sound every night from inside our cabin at Camp Loma de Vida, in south Texas, USA, during the winter months this year. We had never actually pin-pointed its … Read more

As I was walking around Murrayhill Lake near my home one fine summer morning, I spotted something lying on the park bench ahead of me. As I got closer, I saw that it was a small New Testament with a note, tied up with a festive ribbon. I … Read more

Winter isn't my favourite season. Although it's very beautiful after a snowfall — a winter wonderland, as they say — I don't like it when the wind blows and visibility becomes almost nil, especially if we have to travel somewhere. We … Read more

While reading this verse, the picture of a transfer switch suddenly popped into my mind! A transfer switch is mounted near the electricity panel in a building that has a generator for backup power. The switch is a safety device which … Read more

Each time we remembered one particular fellow whose inheritance of landed properties was unjustly taken away, the pains came like birth pangs. But his family chose the path of peace, allowed the sleeping dog to lie, and took solace in the … Read more

When I was pregnant with our first child, Jared, I read an article explaining that after babies are born, they recognize voices that they'd heard while in the womb. So for the next nine months, my husband Bob and I would talk to him, pray … Read more

An inheritance is something passed down from parents to their children or other persons named in their will. As a child of my parents, I inherited their cottage when they passed away. When my husband and I retired, almost twenty years ago, … Read more

As those who journey in the kingdom of God, we can rejoice that God is with us always. So, when I wake up in the morning, I say, "Morning, Lord!" (or something similar) and pour out my mind upon Him with my thoughts for the day. Those who … Read more

Just recently, I received an email from a well-known Christian establishment. The email subject read, "Slightly Imperfect Gift Sale". The items had minor chips or scratches that caused them to fall short of perfection. It got me to … Read more

One of my favourite Appalachian songs, which was recorded by Johnny Cash years ago, is called Wayfaring Stranger. It's a beautiful hymn with a haunting mountain melody. I love the plain, simple lyrics which express faith in terms of our … Read more

The other day as I was sitting in my recliner, reading, I saw the sun's rays pierce through the array of trees outside my living room window, resembling a glowing, illuminated cross. Special moments like these bring to mind thankfulness. … Read more

Today's devotional title may remind you of a bad dream: the nightmarish experience of losing control. What I have in mind is no dream. It's the actual world that we experience: the horrifying absence of brakes on sinful desire — like … Read more

I'll never forget the "Holy Room" in my childhood house. We didn't call it that, but that's how it got treated. Although holy means sacred and consecrated, it also means set apart and separate from common use. This is the definition that … Read more

Shortly after seven o'clock each morning, I take our dogs for a walk. One day this past weekend, one of my sisters, who was staying the weekend, joined me. That was fun for all of us: she and I enjoyed watching our animals, and they … Read more

An atheist friend once remarked to me that Christianity is destructive because it produces passivity. Yet a cursory glance at the achievements of strong believers down the centuries easily proves otherwise. Nevertheless, my friend raises a … Read more

When my daughter and her husband picked up their kitten from the animal shelter, they were informed that the two-week-old foundling would likely die soon. Undeterred by these foreboding words, they lovingly named their black and white … Read more

At my birthday party recently, I wanted to read Scripture, and looking for a verse about hope and the future, I found this one: What a wonderful birthday present from Jesus: new birth and an inheritance that can never perish! I could not … Read more

As a former coin collector, I have always had a fascination with gold, which is one of our most precious metals. There are several YouTube videos on the Internet that show the painstaking refinement process by which all the dross and … Read more

I am fairly busy as a musician, and every year, it seems that I am always booked on the weekend when our friend, Walter, has his bluegrass festival that we want to attend. This year, we let the band know well ahead that we were not going … Read more

Snowflakes drifted slowly down from above, all shapes and sizes. I remembered from a long-ago science class that supposedly no two snowflakes are the same. Since I have not examined all the snowflakes in the past, and I really doubt that I … Read more

As I write, I'm thinking of a friend who is travelling to many parts of the Holy Land, places some of us only read about in the Bible. I thought, *How exciting it would be to visit the town of Christ's birth so close to the Christmas … Read more

Imagine everyone living in perfect peace and harmony. During the 1990s, our autistic son was fascinated by a television show called Barney and Friends. Barney was a talking, teaching, dancing, singing purple dinosaur who captured the … Read more

The Californian Gold Rush of 1849 is surfacing again, though in a reduced form. It pales in comparison to the real thing in the mid-1800s, when prospectors sometimes just bent down and plucked nuggets of gold off the dirt. It is more than … Read more

Not long ago, a friend and I were discussing the term "born again". I mentioned how the image presented in today's Scripture has helped me personally to define this experience. I picture the Word of God as a seed, which by the power of … Read more

Last summer, I read an interesting Bible study based on the book of Jeremiah. The article mentioned a fascinating 1986 archaeological find: four artifacts known as bullae, small lumps of hardened clay that were once used as seals on … Read more

It was a dreary, windy, and cloudy day as some of us went for a long walk to "Gerry's Point". Gerry was one of the friends with whom we had gone camping on Manitoulin Island and who had passed away. One day a few years before, as he went … Read more

Prime Time Ladies, a group of women from our church, along with friends, come together on the third Tuesday of each month to have lunch and listen to a speaker. To date, we have had many different speakers from various organizations and … Read more

My friend and I had quite a conversation the other day. I remember her saying, "There is absolutely no way that I am going to do this! No way!" To which, without thinking, I replied, "Ya way!" What I meant to say was "Yes way!" We both … Read more

One morning this past summer, during our morning walk, my wife and I stopped for a break at our usual bistro. It was a beautiful morning, and we decided to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine. Sitting at a nearby table was a group of three … Read more

I was alone in a big shed, and suddenly, I saw a fire beginning to smoulder in a pile of scrap materials on the floor. I ran to the phone and dialed 911. The phone was dead. I tried again. … Read more

Have you ever received an inheritance from someone? Several institutions and family members received an inheritance from my mother-in-law after she passed on last year. I am sure that these financial windfalls have proven to be great blessings to all … Read more