One morning, I opened the jars of spices — cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger — to make gingerbread. Inhaling carefully, I closed my eyes as I tried to visualize God's purpose for His creation of spice-bearing plants and trees … Read more

When we retired and moved to our present home in Sauble Beach, Ontario, Canada, I became very interested in photography and took plenty of pictures of the beautiful sunsets in this area, many of which are now framed and hanging in our … Read more

In recent months, I have started eating an apple each evening. As I thought about this delightful experience, a Google search broadened my knowledge. Though the forbidden fruit of Eden in the Book of Genesis is not identified, popular … Read more

Are you ever amazed or surprised at what light reveals to your human eye? There is a small glass prism that sits on my kitchen windowsill. Sometimes, when the afternoon sunlight hits the prism just right, the bending of the light … Read more

In the early days of the horseless carriage, a plank road was built through the deserts of Imperial County, California, USA. Thousands of planks were laid horizontally in an attempt to access that most difficult part of a commerce route … Read more

Although I've read the Old Testament multiple times, I didn't fully internalize how relevant it is, both to my walk with God and to my understanding of the many ways that it points to Christ. This summer, I'm in a Bible study that focuses … Read more

I can remember times when our family, either while camping or sitting on the long porch at the side of the house, would thrill at the first star each night. In our childlike innocence, we thought that God was turning on the stars one at a … Read more

I love living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, a corner of the United States that enjoys four full seasons. I emphasize four seasons because there are varying lengths and kinds of seasons around the globe. When God created the … Read more

When two people say "I do" in church, something miraculous happens. They spiritually merge into one flesh. Way back when we were married, we had no clue what that simple declaration would do inside our souls and throughout our lives. On … Read more

I am sitting here by my big window, watching dawn bear its daily message. Today, it rises pinkly, turning to crimson with streaks of purples and blues in the morning sky. Every sunrise is unique in God's hands, designed as a useful … Read more

Earlier this past year, I finished reading the Bible from first to last again. Now I have finished patting myself on the back for that accomplishment, and I have had long enough away from the more organized system of reading His Word to … Read more

"If these blueberries could talk, what would they say?" asked my 13-year-old granddaughter as we busily picked. With insightful imagination, she answered her own question: "They'd say, 'Pick me!' wouldn't they?" Her answer provided an … Read more

My dad showed me his favourite place along the coastal logging road. Tiger lilies banked the roadway, waving their brilliant orange petals with contrasting black spots. Stands of redwood and fir trees canopied everything else. He pointed … Read more

"Mommy, my kitty is so soft!" exclaimed the child as he gently stroked his cat. "Honey, you're worshipping God — because you're enjoying what He made!" responded his mother. Through witnessing that brief interaction in my friend's … Read more

The movement caught my eye. I was getting out of my friend's car to go to our Bible study and was looking down to see where I could safely place my feet. It had been a long winter, and everything seemed so dull and grey and lifeless. … Read more

Isn't it interesting that God created light before He created the sun and the moon? Nothing can live without light. Plants need light to turn green, and they produce the oxygen that we need to breathe. We can't grow without light. Have … Read more

I was sitting beneath a tree one hot day, when a big, old porcupine plodded past. He carried an extra burden: a load of old leaves impaled on his spiky back. For a moment, I felt sorry for him. But here was the culprit that had chewed on … Read more

So far in this whole year of our Lord, 2016, my wife and I have travelled to many towns and villages in our area to lead in worship in our Presbyterian churches. Some were without a minister, and in others, the pastor was on leave or on … Read more

I grew up in a family where dad regularly berated things that he felt threatened his Christian lifestyle. Theatres were places where curse words were said or sexual scenes displayed. They must be avoided. Not until much later in life did … Read more

The pace of activity has picked up tremendously at Arcadia Gardens. It all started with the daily hammering of wooden spikes in the courtyard. These preparations begin annually in October, as the property is transformed into formations … Read more

It's that time of year again: winter — the time when I experience the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which I wrote about in a previous devotional: Light And Darkness . This year, I am trying faithfully to use my light … Read more

Time is a constituent of life. We cannot stop it or reverse it. From the creation narrative surrounding today's verse, it is clear that time is good and God-ordained. A part of this time experience is seasons. God has given punctuation … Read more

It's one of those days. I am sitting in front of the monitor, a blank page staring at me, my fingers on the keyboard ready to tap those keys, but my mind is blank. As my eyes wander towards the window to my right, it is dark outside, and … Read more

During the week between this past Christmas and New Year's, two white, pea-size eggs were carefully deposited in a nest the dimensions of an enlarged, thumb-sized thimble. The nest had been painstakingly constructed from spider webs and … Read more

It was in the late 1940s. My father was the pastor of a small Armenian Brethren congregation in Detroit, Michigan, USA. As my father arose from his chair to start his sermon by the reading of Scripture, he opened his Bible and in Armenian … Read more

I like to sing just as much as I like to garden, so my plans for the summer were to be singing in the garden. However, when the talents were being handed out for singing and gardening, I was lined up for knitting and reading. According to … Read more

One Saturday morning, a group of like-minded friends decided to attend a session with a colour analyst to "get our colours done". The most well-known approach to analyzing personal colouring is "seasonal" colour analysis, which places … Read more

Tundra, Glacier, and Juneau sit atop a white, furry rug tucked into an old-fashioned, red baby sleigh. These beautiful Inuit babies, all snug in their beaded, fur-trimmed parkas, pants, and boots, look and feel just like the real thing, … Read more

Taking my usual health walk one day, I took a rest on a park bench before continuing my effort. So it was that the tiniest of tiny bugs flew to rest on my knee. With my poor vision, how I … Read more

For the first time in years, I've planted some seeds in a box and am hoping to grow perennial flowers that I enjoy. The plants are nasturtiums and lupines. They are quite different kinds of plants. The nasturtium is a … Read more

Living near a lake has a four-season benefit, if people want to brave the two not-so-nice seasons. Last spring, my mom and my aunt decided to take a coffee to the lake and watch the ice fishermen bring in the … Read more

The stars have been God's masterpiece for centuries. They have always thrilled me, especially on a beautiful starry night. One night, years ago, we were at Camp Douglas on such a night. We just had to get the campers up … Read more

When I was in graduate school, I was part of a group that modelled a certain technique to the class using a fish bowl exercise. How it worked was that a group of six of us plus the professor sat … Read more