Listening to recent discussions about an acceptable minimum wage, I remembered how fortunate that I was to have received good training from godly parents using principles based on the Bible. I was born during the Great Depression before …( read more )

Nothing warms my heart more than watching our youth pastor gathering his flock at the front of our church for story time and prayer. The platform comes to life with the flutter of waving hands signalling their parents until they have made …( read more )

Once upon a time, I taught chemistry in a particular high school, and — glory to God — I was a vessel through which many of the high school children received Jesus. On a certain day, one of my female students opened up to me and …( read more )

Timber country — a land of dust, mud, and torrential rains — was not a place for lovely, flat, satin ballerina slippers. But oh! how this young girl's heart longed for a pair. As I read Anna Pavlova's biography, I pirouetted alongside …( read more )

Recently, I had to take my year-old collie, Kayley, to Whitehorse, Yukon, for her rabies and booster vaccines. Kayley gets very anxious travelling in the truck, and the two-hour trip each way is especially difficult for her. In light of …( read more )

Yesterday, I was sitting on my walker in front of a store before heading back home. A skinny, disheveled man was there before me, pacing. "Why aren't they open yet?" he fumed. Ah! So, this was why God had nudged me to wait. I smiled at …( read more )

As I strap on my neck brace, I think about the comfort and support that it provides. It's lightweight, made of foam rubber, and covered with a cut-off sock to keep it clean. I have minor neck problems that are aggravated by sitting for …( read more )

Recently, I was overjoyed by a lovely surprise visit from my grandson and his wife, both RCMP officers, who drove a long distance to come by with their 11-month-old baby daughter. As we were in conversation, the baby was crawling on the …( read more )

In the early days of the Internet, there was a handwritten letter in my mailbox. I hadn't seen anyone put it there, but I opened it without much thought. Then, like an icy deluge, its words poured over me, accusing, condemning, judging — …( read more )

Sometimes, it takes only one prayer to make the difference. When I gave birth to our first child, a nurse cheerily informed my husband — relegated to the waiting room — that he had a little girl. She then went off shift, and he …( read more )

When this comforting verse was emailed to me, it came illustrated with a charming picture of a medieval castle set in a forested landscape. It readily conveyed the image of a strong, protecting God. Yet centuries ago, this was possibly …( read more )

A lot of healing has gone on over the years. Like many of my fellow Christians with a history, I rejoice in not being the person I once was. However, like the Incredible Hulk, I am not likeable when I am angry. Fortunately, my wife is …( read more )

For about ten years, in both eyes, I have had glaucoma, a disease which increases pressure in the eye, and which, if left untreated, can cause total blindness. Mine was kept under control with eye drops at bedtime every day. However, a …( read more )

One of the highlights of life in my residence is the annual Christmas party for the children of the staff. Everything is geared for fun and laughter. To see the youngsters enjoying themselves is a great tonic for the residents, all of whom …( read more )

I opened the door and let the dogs out at 6:30 a.m., the same as any other morning. As I was coming back into the house, however, I noticed through the living room window that the livestock were going berserk in the corral. At the same …( read more )

A grandmother purchased a book designed to introduce teen-aged readers to Jesus Christ. After reading it herself, she mailed it to her adolescent grandson for his birthday. About a week later, she received a letter from the lad thanking …( read more )

It is so easy to become anxious and worried about current events when we listen to the radio or watch the news on television. When we look around us, we can also see wrong being done, and become fearful when such injustices are being …( 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 )

What is happening on our planet? Wildfires are raging in one part of our world, devastating hurricanes and tornadoes are destroying buildings and lives in other parts of our planet, and protests and an impending war are headlining the …( read more )

Yes, it's true, it's God's battle, but there is a "but"! No, I am not trying to rewrite the Bible — but there is a "but"! At our children's drama camp, the story was based on the Old Testament biblical book of Esther. Our particular …( read more )

Lately, I have been disturbed time and time again by phone calls and e-mails that are in the category of an unnecessary nuisance. The caller offers a service, like cleaning ducts. (I live on the seventh floor, which should say it all.) …( read more )

Due to dysfunction, disrespect, and violent behaviour, the police had to be called to remove a young adult family member from our home. Although the problem has existed for several years, it has recently escalated to the point where …( read more )

As the dogs and I watched the horizon, patiently waiting for the sun to rise sufficiently for us to go for our walk, I silently counted the days until December 21st, the shortest day of the year, signifying that on the morrow the darkness …( read more )

Either today or next Sunday, many Christians around the globe will observe the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. This practice not only comforts those who are suffering, but it unites believers worldwide in taking a …( read more )

As I was perusing an article in my monthly health magazine, I was astonished to read that 500 to 1000 species of bacteria inhabit our intestines, and that equates to roughly 100 trillion micro-organisms, all prepared to defend our bodies …( read more )

Jesus taught that obedience and answered prayer are related: Obedience is a word that is known to everyone, whether they are Christian or not. It is a word that we learn from an early age. Parents teach obedience to their small children; …( read more )

At least thirty years ago, a group of seven of us were finishing a two-year course in becoming Bible teachers. Our assignment that week seemed overly simple: Pick out a chapter or a portion of one, and prepare to read it aloud at the next …( read more )

I have been delivering the news for a long time now. For the last five and a half years, I have compiled, edited, and published The Whisper, our local town paper. But it all began with my first job at the age of twelve. My brother and …( read more )

A few years ago, I was employed by the Salvation Army as a bail supervisor. My work entailed receiving, by court order, individuals who required weekly appointments at our office, and reminding the bail clients of their conditions of …( read more )

The sound of the rain began as a welcome, gentle trickle, bouncing off the maroon-coloured leaves of the bushes just outside of our porch. I sat protected from the rain, and watched as the rain rapidly grew into a ferocious downpour, …( read more )

Some chuckled, while others appeared confused. "Stinking thinking leads to nasty actions." I said it in a ninth-grade Bible class when the subject came up while studying the believer's armour — particularly the helmet of salvation. And it …( read more )

Many years ago, I saw a war film, Full Metal Jacket, about a group of infantrymen during the Vietnam War. The scene I remember most vividly, which has stuck with me over the years, opened with the men returning to base camp from leave. …( read more )

It is sad to say, but many times, I have found myself questioning our Lord. Usually this occurs during times when I feel like I can no longer go on with a problem, or I don't understand the struggles or heavy burdens someone else is …( read more )