I have a friend who is the sole caregiver for her 106-year-old mother. Her mother has some clarity of mind and can manage some of her own personal issues, but nevertheless requires quite a bit of care and cannot be left alone. In addition, … Read more
Search Results for: "1 Thessalonians 5:"
Elated To Deflated
As I begin each day, I try to keep this passage at the forefront of my mind. I admit that on some days, I am better at this than on others. On this particular day, I had made the last payment on my car, and all the paperwork was done. I … Read more
The Responsibility
Agnes is very old for a goat. Yet, she has done a wonderful job acting as foster mom to our five adopted goat kids. I have very much enjoyed watching her mothering skills and how the kids have responded by trusting her and obeying. As of … Read more
Betrayed Or Blessed?
When tragedy strikes, I've heard people ask, "How could a loving God do that?" He is all powerful, but for reasons beyond our understanding, He allows horrible things to happen, and through the experience, "God is able to bless you … Read more
Light Shining In Darkness
Being a writer, I have learned that it is vital to have a pen and a pad of paper or some sort of audio recording device readily available to save thoughts and ideas that come to mind. This is especially true at night. Very often in the … Read more
Small Things
In the small mountain community where I live during the summer, there are hundreds of children who don't have adequate food at home. In response, two faithful young women founded Backpack Snacks. On Friday, each of the identified … Read more
The Two Houses
My neighbour recently dropped by for a visit. She had never been over to our place, even though we lived across the street from one another. As she and her little boy walked up our driveway, she was astounded at the amount of light that … Read more
Good Noise
Who would have thought that I would welcome the pounding and thudding up on my roof? Yet, at last, the long-anticipated and dreaded day had arrived! Our condo association board had been preparing us for several months for this reality. It … Read more
Everyone Has A Story
There is a couple in my church who appear to have the perfect life. Their most common expression is a smile. They both teach Sunday School, and they share their Christian witness often. Their Facebook posts feature happy events and their … Read more
The Promise
With the support of my Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Evans, the church, and my parents, I felt that I was being called to become a missionary. God's Spirit encouraged me to share my love for Him as I sang His praises both in and out of the … Read more
Songs In The Heart
In January, I told how God spoke to me through others' devotionals. I've recently realized that He's speaking to me in a different way — through hymns that pop into my mind in random moments. At … Read more
The Spirit's Surprises
Authors cannot agree on whether writer's block is real or a myth. We all struggle with our words sometimes, though. Not long ago, my church assigned me to write a series of devotionals based on the lectionary readings for the season. I … Read more
Cultivating Joy
I woke on the wrong side of the bed. I had a headache, and had been aroused by its pounding rather than by my alarm. As I reluctantly climbed out of bed, my dog, Scout, bounced around, happy to be awake and alive, and soon to be fed! Her … Read more
Out Of A Clear Blue Sky
In May, I had some correspondence with one of the contributors to these PresbyCan Daily Devotionals, in which we commented on the fact that our small pets or animals can fall prey to a predator at any time. This made me think of the time … Read more
Investing Wisely
At some point in our lives, many of us will invest money for our retirement. Those of us who are retired may be drawing an additional source of income from the investments that we made when we were younger. Some, however, may have seen … Read more
Thankful In All Circumstances
Recently, I came across the story of Martin Rinkart, a Lutheran minister, who came to the German city of Eilenburg in 1637 near the beginning of the Thirty Years' War. Because the city was walled, it became overcrowded with refugees from … Read more
Unexpected
We live our lives with certain expectations, so it is always a surprise when the unexpected happens. In 1959, we were in the United Kingdom for three weeks. During that time, we spent a day trying to find the resting place of my wife's … Read more
Hidden Blessings
Have you ever seen blessings in disguise in your life? You know, those things which — at the time — seemed to be inconveniences or obstacles, but later proved to be for the very best? Sometimes, these stumbling blocks are just … Read more
Wait On The Lord
The day after Labour Day, my wife and I were returning from a lovely weekend away at our family cabin. Unfortunately, we were rear-ended in the rush-hour traffic, and the grey 2012 Toyota Matrix that I loved was written off as a total … Read more
Thanksgiving
"Thank You, Lord, for whoever invented electric blankets." I sigh in pleasure as I slip into the warm bed. "Thank You, Lord, for whoever invented Excedrin®." It's the perfect pill for a pounding headache. "Thank You, Lord, for my … Read more
Thanks At Thanksgiving
Thanking God in every circumstance is challenging — some might say impossible. I'm a nostalgic kind of guy. In my mind's eye, I can imagine myself sitting at a table with the early Pilgrims and their Indian neighbours who had shown them … Read more
Radical Gratitude, Fleas, And Nazis
During World War II, Corrie ten Boom's family sheltered many Jews who were fleeing the Nazis. The Nazi police seized Corrie, her sister Betsie, and their father. They ended up in a concentration camp, all the while holding firmly to the … Read more
A Thief In The Night
There are rules for living in the city, just as there are rules for living in the country. For instance, city dwellers keep their doors locked. When we moved from the city to a farm where our nearest neighbour was a ten-minute walk from … Read more
But Do You?
What do you think of worship? Or maybe the question should be, "Do you think about worship at all?" There are many passages in the Bible that speak to the different facets of worship. Some focus on the aspect of praise, others on the idea … Read more
A Time For Giving Thanks
The national holiday for giving thanks in the United States of America is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This custom stems from the three-day thanksgiving feast held in the autumn of 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag … Read more
Recognizing Danger
One morning in late August, my wife discovered a big clump of wasps or bees on a branch of the cedar tree near the flower garden behind our house. She called me to have a look at it, and I thought that it was a nest being built by wasps. … Read more