My granddaughters love to play hide-and-go-seek. They will spend hours at it, if I am willing to play with them. When it is my turn to seek them out, I discover their hiding spots quickly. When it is my turn to hide, however, it often … Read more

I fought the lump growing in my throat. Susie and I had been friends for almost thirty years. Although our lives had taken us in different directions — she settled in the same town that she had grown up in while I left the state for … Read more

I went to see Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One the other day. The special effects and stunts were entertaining, but what struck me was the message of a film that isn't advertised for a Christian audience: the fight between … Read more

The past three years have been like no other period of my life. As a younger person, I worked full-time while also juggling care of my home and family. I have been deeply involved in church and community work over the years. I also love … Read more

The heavy weight of the immense snows that we have had this winter has brought destruction upon many of the region's trees: limbs have been snapped off, huge trees have been felled. Others have been bent so low by their icy burden that … Read more

My childhood memories of Christmas evoke the delicious shiver of anticipation as I lay in bed on Christmas Eve whispering to myself, "I can't wait until it's morning! I can't wait!" Though our family joyously celebrated Christmas, … Read more

It's the season. He's the reason. It's that time of year again when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Born in a lowly stable. Heralded by a host of angels. Worshipped by shepherds and wise men. A tiny baby. A … Read more

In addition to quilting, I've also enjoyed trying a variety of crafts. Some become part of my hobbies, others are never tried again. The other day, I was feeling guilty about the time that I spend on these craft activities, until I … Read more

At two degrees north of the Arctic Circle, in Inuvik, Canada, the sun sets for the last time below the horizon in early December. After nearly 30 days of darkness, the return of the sun is celebrated around January 6th at the annual Inuvik … Read more

Yesterday, the power was out in the area where we live. The outage lasted four hours, and because we'd been given prior warning, we were prepared. It was a dark and rainy day. Even expecting and knowing the power to be off, I don't know … Read more

I learned to text, only to discover that the cell phone fancied itself a prophet. This is called predictive texting. Whenever I punched in a letter, it finished the word for me. Thus, I sent messages full of words like "spzxq". The last … Read more

I have always loved parties. As a child, nothing excited me more than a little piece of paper that said, Come to my birthday party. Nothing much has changed in that respect — I still love get-togethers. I have had more than my share of … Read more

It seemed as though my well had run dry regarding devotional material, because I have only so many experiences to draw from. But I had an email today from a sister in Christ. After commenting on one of my devotionals, she wrote, "I pray … Read more

The images flickering on the television of devastation and death following earthquakes in Haiti and Chile have brought so many personal memories flooding to the fore: my husband's first awareness of terminal illness, the struggle at home to provide quality … Read more

Years ago, when I was a seminary student, I spent a whole semester as an assistant at a church in a deprived area. It was a very humbling experience, for it taught me how much faith people can have, even … Read more

On Monday morning, I took our seven-year-old car to the dealer for a "Drive Clean" test, which is a requirement every two years in Ontario prior to renewal of our vehicle permit. This test was first implemented in Toronto — … Read more

His words echo as clearly across the years as if it were yesterday. Our school principal was a giant of a man physically, besides being the pastor of the local Baptist Church. He was in the school system long before … Read more

Most of my time in ministry has been in small rural churches. Our churches were wonderful, energetic, vibrant places, which often struggled against the reality that we were in rural or remote areas where the population was declining. Despite this, … Read more

Our friend, Glenn, always delights us with stories of when he was working as a crane operator in a foundry. He used to work in the high overhead crane up in the rafters in the foundry building, moving metal around. … Read more

I live near Palm Springs, California, USA. Every year during the fall, we see beautiful groupings of snow geese arriving, after what must be a physically exhausting flight. As they gracefully wend their way in formation to springs and lakes … Read more

When our daughter was around three years of age, we went to the annual family reunion. I am sure that, to her, all were strangers, and she was a little shy of all the attention she was receiving, for we … Read more

It was the second day of the summer season for the Polar Bear Express, running from Cochrane, Ontario, Canada, through the Arctic Watershed to Moosonee and Moose Island at the mouth of James Bay. A young man, a professional hockey … Read more

Here is a prayer that is eternal in its truth and a prayer that will see us through many of the dark days: God grant me the serenity to accept what cannot change, the courage to change what should be … Read more