Another Christmas has come and gone. The children were enthralled with the tree and the piles of brightly wrapped gifts beneath it. They couldn't wait to start handing out presents and then to rip into their own as well as to help the … Read more

We were headed to Whitehorse, Yukon, with three dogs and two kids under five. An unexpected snowstorm was making driving very difficult. My daughter, needing to find a rest stop, pulled into one that we have used frequently. I didn't … Read more

Last Christmas, I especially enjoyed the seasonal festivities, with vibrant colours, lights, socials, music, and so forth. It's surely the richest, most enchanting time of the year. Furthermore, the season gives us opportunities to do the … Read more

By their example, my parents and grandparents taught my siblings and me the joy of being cheerful givers at home and in the community. We have great recollections of cheerful giving, not only at Christmas, but all year long. Watching … Read more

To be honest, sometimes, I feel like the work that I do for the Christian church is too much for me to handle. Quite often, there are too many things to do and not enough time to do them. There are church services to prepare for; there … Read more

Have you come to a point in your life as a Christian where you feel that you can give no more to the Lord's work? You feel spent. You've given and given, but not enough is given back to replenish you. More is expected from you — in time, … Read more

In October, Canadians observe Thanksgiving, a celebration of what the Lord has provided during this past growing season. In Jewish tradition, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Ingathering (also called the Festival of Tabernacles) … Read more

Two months ago, I injured my ankle when I tripped over a garden fence in my backyard. To my surprise, it was more serious than I'd first thought. An x-ray revealed that a bone was dislocated, so I needed surgery to repair it. Afterward, … Read more

Sharing the gospel these days is very different from how it was done during the apostle Paul's time. Some people try to encapsulate the whole gospel into a couple of phrases like "love one another" or "do not judge", making it easy to … Read more

I can remember as if it were just yesterday the anticipation of the arrival of the Sears Wish Book. Growing up, we lived in the country, so trips into the larger city were few, especially in the winter. This, I believe, added to the … Read more

She was a shut-in; he was her only son. They were both pessimists. They attended a church I pastored. The mother had been a shut-in for a number of years. The son had suffered a failed marriage some years before and had lived with his … Read more

The latest project that I am working on right now is compiling all my journal entries and transferring them onto a disc, as a sort of memoir for my children. I found one journal entry that I wrote a few years ago that intrigued me: Today, … Read more

Not only do we all love to get gifts, but we also want to be givers of gifts. Gifts come in many forms: cards, flowers, and packages wrapped and unwrapped. Random acts of kindness are also forms of gifts. When … Read more

One year around the 24th of May, my mother-in-law, Rose, prepared a garden and planted seeds which produced tomatoes, strawberries, onions, lettuce, and vegetable marrow. When the time came to pick them, she asked me to help her. I was … Read more

We look forward each year to "Mission Week" at our church. Missionaries come and update us through pictures and reports, giving us intimate glimpses of what it is like to serve in countries fraught with dangers and difficulties, but also … Read more

We own a small holiday trailer that we keep in our driveway during the spring and summer months. That way, it is handy to hook onto and use whenever we choose to do so. Once fall comes, though, we don't … Read more

Several years ago, during the opening of Christmas presents at our house, my son and his wife had bought a very special toy for their son, and they were very excited in anticipation of his opening it. He was only … Read more

This Scripture verse regarding God's indescribable gift has been written on every card my sister has sent or given to me my whole life — not just at Christmas, but on other occasions as well. I have often wondered what … Read more

What to do with the small gift that one has to wrap? Some of the best gifts come in small packages. As our boys grew up, they learned to make many crafts for others and to give them as gifts. … Read more

Living in the centre of Vancouver Island on Canada's west coast gives us pretty moderate temperatures. Although we usually are graced with a snowfall sometime in our winter months, it is what one would call a token snowfall. Our most … Read more

I had wakened with a dry, sore throat, and I questioned myself as to whether I would go to church or stay at home. As I thought about this I asked myself, "Why am I going to church?" For one, … Read more

Recently, while dropping off a couple of bags of coats and clothing at a thrift store that services the homeless and underprivileged, I thought I'd just take a look around, as they always have great things. As I turned away … Read more

I have coloured my hair myself for years. I would go to the store and pick a colour that I thought was closest to my natural hair colour. Then, I decided that I would go to a salon and have … Read more

My youngest child, Tucker, turned four on October 30th, and for the first time, he had a children's birthday party. He decided on a "Thomas the Tank Engine" theme, and since I know how to decorate cakes, I thought I … Read more

She was dressed in shabby clothes, with a blanket across her lap. Her long thin fingers, rough and red from the winter's cold, clutched a small can filled with pencils. Every work day, this lady, perhaps in her thirties, sat … Read more

"Buy something for yourself!" "Depressed? Treat yourself!" "For every 2-3 presents I buy for others, I buy one for myself." "Get a makeover!" "Get what you want this year. Mail your size and colour to us and we will notify … Read more

Our mailboxes overflow at this time of year with pleas to "Give generously". Our telephones and doorbells ring, and we are asked to donate to yet another good cause. Food banks need filling, and toys need collecting for kids who … Read more

We once had a dog that always had to go over the fence! Sarah was never content with the space at hand, even though she had ten acres where she could run and romp and play. At the time, we … Read more

"I can't wait until you see Melody [not her real name] open the present I bought her for Christmas," our friend said. Melody was an only child, and planning for Christmas was an exciting event in my friend's home. On … Read more

One does not have to have kids to know that the concept of sharing is a difficult one for young children to grasp. The words "mine" or "no" usually follow the suggestion to share something with a sibling or playmate. … Read more

When I think of Christmas, I think of giving. God gave His only Son that we might have joy and peace in this life, and in the life to come. I cannot give the same kind of gift that God … Read more

On my first walk out after a week's worth of the 'flu, I was given a most glorious gift. Each home is unique unto itself, both in architectural structure and ground management. Some are surrounded by fences of inanimate material, … Read more

A Christmas gift for a bride-to-be has to be just right. The year was 1948. Jean and I were engaged. Now it was time to get an engagement Christmas present. The choice was easy. It was a cedar-lined hope chest, … Read more