My tablemate and I were discussing how unexpectedly matters seem to develop. She is the aunt of my deceased daughter-in-law, and I first met her over four decades ago. Now, with all the things that have transpired over those many years, we …( read more )

Because of the COVID-19 restrictions, there are many people, like my wife and I, who have not been to church for well over a year now. There are different reasons why people miss going to church. Some miss the fellowship of other …( read more )

Many find the book of Psalms in the Bible to be a source of comfort and encouragement. In fact, it is probably the most widely read book of the Bible. Jesus quoted from the Psalms more often than any other Scripture. The Psalms express …( read more )

The day after I graduated from high school in Nebraska, USA, my family returned "home" to Arkansas where Dad started a new business. While there were family members in Little Rock, there were none of my own friends, and not even any …( read more )

Many of us are wearing masks these days, and there are a lot of different styles and patterns to choose from — ranging from disposable ones to designer looks. Sometimes, it's hard to recognize people when they're wearing their masks. Just …( read more )

The weather in Mexico during the winter months is beautiful. However, storms can come in quickly from the sea. I witnessed one such tropical tempest one evening — the howling wind of the Pacific whipping the palm trees and shredding …( read more )

A few months ago, I had a memorable encounter with a lady who taught me the value of second chances through her act of forgiveness. I had just left a doctor's appointment and decided to pop into a shop that was adjacent to the doctor's …( read more )

Many years ago, I worked for a pipeline construction company. We built oil and gas pipelines in many provinces in Canada as well as in several states in the USA. We lived in a house trailer or mobile home, and the office that I worked in …( read more )

Recently, I heard the following advice from a scientist explaining digestion: Before eating, pause and take a few moments to be thankful. This allows your brain time to signal your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for …( read more )

In the ministry of last things, my friend looked over at her dear, 94-year-old stepmother-in-law, resting comfortably in the living room hospital bed. All had been done to make her cozy and safe. The furniture was in familiar places to …( read more )

Praise God for the gift of music! Singing songs of praise can lift our spirits and fill us with His joy. I love to sing and give glory to God through praise songs and hymns. I play my favourite CDs when we are in the car. Lately, I have …( read more )

Suddenly, without warning, many of us have been given a gift — a gift of time. If we live in an area that has placed us under stay-at-home orders, we may now find ourselves with unexpected time on our hands. A month ago, we were likely …( read more )

I have a habit of listening to, and inviting myself into, other people's conversations. So the other day, as I was making a purchase, I was intrigued by the clerk's comment: "I'm looking for shirt stays." "Shirt stays?" I inquired as I …( read more )

How do we know what we ought to do? Where do our direction and strength come from? A friend once wrote me about how God helps her to know what she ought to do. She experiences His nudging or encouraging when she is making decisions, just …( read more )

One Saturday afternoon, my car suddenly shut down; all the yellow warning lights flashed at me. Conditioned by a similar problem last year with another car, I focused on the battery lights, as I knew that I had just put gas in the …( 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 )

I am fortunate to live in a lovely home where all my needs are met. To serve the various interests of the residents, there are many activities, ranging from Blackjack to Bible study. The residence is privately owned and operated, and is …( read more )

My mother expected her children to stay clean at all times because conditions in a dusty and dirty lumber mill camp environment tried both her patience and her effort. She spent two days washing the week's laundry by hand and hanging it …( read more )

Our church has a group of volunteers — the men's work crew — who meet at the church every Wednesday morning from September to June to do odd jobs and minor repairs around the church building. Over the years, they have saved the church …( read more )

On Valentine's Day, like many others, I will wear something red. For a special date, a woman might wear that little black dress and pearls, or other "glad rags" (party clothes). In this world, fashions come and go. Sadly, modesty …( read more )

There have been times in my life when I have listened to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit, like in the early 1970s when we sponsored our first foster child, Marilou, from the Philippines. I was very faithful in writing letters and sending …( read more )

"What colour is he?" I asked myself. Unable to sleep that stifling night, I got thinking about someone in our mission. Day after day, I saw him working diligently with the maintenance crew. Yet, that night, I could not envision his skin …( read more )

Do you know what it feels like to be unforgiven? Is there some past mistake in your life that you regret but can never fix? Are you carrying a whole dose of guilt because someone else still feels wounded? Are you sometimes sad because you …( read more )

Taking on a group of teenagers who may be teetering between questioning or adopting their religious beliefs would be daunting for many, especially — one would think — for a young, newly married minister. It might have been easier, …( read more )

One of the greatest things about celebrating Thanksgiving is the singing of long-time favourite hymns that keep coming back to us, hymns with words like: "Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things has …( read more )

I had gone around the neighbourhood as usual handing out some of my devotionals. Many took them, saying, "Thank you." A few said a bold "No!" That's how it was when a young lady told me "No". I still had the copy out in my hand when I saw …( read more )

Our backyard with its many trees is a heaven for squirrels. I enjoy watching the squirrels frolic high up in the black walnut branches. I imagine the squirrel's view from high up in the trees. From there, the neighbourhood dogs are of no …( read more )

This week, I heard the roar of the garbage truck, and I realized that I had two blue recycling boxes, which they had emptied, to bring back into the garage. I thought of our other house, before we moved, where every week, the boy next …( read more )

When the children were little ones, on Christmas Eve or just before, my hubby, the kids, and I piled into the car and drove to the Christmas tree lot where we selected a tree, usually from the cheaper ones in the back. We'd haul it home …( read more )

Mom's five-month local hospital stay started with two fractured vertebrae. After some X-rays and MRIs, the doctors decided that she needed to get the fractured vertebrae fixed, so she was transferred to another hospital that was …( read more )

Climbing up onto the stable roof and re-tarring all the rolled asphalt shingling is not my idea of fun. In fact, it's one of the last things that I ever wanted to see on my to-do list. And yet there it was: "tar barn roof". Oh me, oh my! …( read more )

This may sound strange, but for most of my life, I had no idea what a real enemy was like, although in the past year I have been overwhelmed by an enemy. A person consumed with jealousy and discontentment has made it a personal mission to …( read more )

Those familiar with stage performance know the term "upstaging". This occurs when a performer pulls the audience's attention toward him or herself while the main focus is elsewhere: An actor stands in front of the one speaking; another …( read more )