On a recent trip, I drove from my house in the mountains of Arizona, USA, to a small town about 45 minutes away and considerably higher in altitude. On the way, I noticed a large herd of cattle scattered across a lush meadow, knee deep in … Read more

Simon, my dachshund, is a thief. Every morning and evening after he gobbles up his bowl of food, he races over to an older, very patient dog and helps himself to her food as well. He edges in to the far side of her bowl and begins … Read more

When I attended Bible college in Toronto, Canada, in the 1980s, I had the great privilege of studying under gifted Bible teachers and inspiring preachers from around North America and beyond, who were invited to teach in the college … Read more

My kitten, Earl, has certainly livened up my little household of dogs. He gets into things where the canines would never go, and thus, I am kept on my toes learning to think like a cat. His latest escapade took place in the bathroom as I … Read more

Several of my relatives have discovered that with proper instruction, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is capable of writing poetry, essays — the possibilities are endless. There are articles on how AI is going to impact society, like … Read more

In our fast-paced, ambitious society, we are tempted by the latest thing, the newest product to test drive, and the exclusive access "by invitation only". At times, I feel that my life is static and that I'm really missing out on something … Read more

In the 1980s, my friends and I enjoyed the music of Canadian singer and songwriter Bruce Cockburn. One of my favourite hits of 1985 was People See Through You, perhaps because I thought that one day, justice would be satisfied over cruel … Read more

When we first moved to Arizona, USA, we attended a church that was searching for a new pastor. One fine spring Sunday, a candidate and spouse from Alabama came in view of a call. After the Sunday morning service, they decided to drive … Read more

Thirteen years ago, in the early spring, my husband and I surveyed with satisfaction our recent purchase, a 22-foot travel trailer. After we retired from teaching, we planned to use it to go south, where the winters would be warmer, and to … Read more

During the past number of weeks, I have been struggling through a number of losses. In my head, I think, *How do people without faith cope without the comfort of God? How do people cope without His promise, "Never will I leave you; never … Read more

Recently, I travelled to visit my in-laws. Due to COVID-19, I had never visited their new place. Before I started the five-and-a-half-hour trip, I put their new address into the navigator (GPS) on the dash of my van. The visit was lovely. … Read more

On this Canada Day, I think back to when our family became Canadian citizens. Having come to Canada from Singapore, which, at that time, was a British colony, we were British subjects, so transferring our citizenship to Canada, with its … Read more

Do you like surprises? I posed this question recently in a not-very-significant survey (I asked only three people). I received two responses in the positive and one in the negative. Even the two positive responses were later qualified … Read more

It was there, lying upside down on the ground. I stopped to check it out. It was a bird's nest. Earlier in the summer, my daughter had pointed it out to me. High up in the pine, it was home to a robin and her fledglings. Now that fall … Read more

Our youngest son, Nick, invited his parents on an annual family hike. His family likes to hike to waterfalls, and they have found new waterfalls to explore for the past several years. The hike has to be in the easy-to-moderate category to … Read more

When John and I married, the dog on the farm was named Sharp. Sharp would do things to make farming easier for us, like fetching the cows and herding the pigs. He was a good watchdog and would sound the alarm when necessary. One day when … Read more

Recently, a fellow resident shared her story. In 1989, Dorothy's husband of 42 years suddenly died from a massive heart attack, just two weeks before they were to leave on a planned cruise. Her son, John, who lived nearby, was very … Read more

A few days ago, I had an overpowering desire for a glass of eggnog. Just thinking about the rich, creamy mixture with a hint of nutmeg thrilled my senses. My husband won't drink it, but he searched the local grocery stores for several … Read more

One is three-and-a-half, the other one is one-and-a-half, and they certainly know how to get themselves into a jam. Every day, I hear those little voices calling out, "Grammy, Grammy, come help." One has climbed from the floor to the … Read more

During the 1960s and 1970s while John and I farmed, we also had a heating business servicing all of Manitoulin Island. We were located in the centre of the island, so the distance was pretty well the same for service calls going east or … Read more

Many, many years ago in the Netherlands, before big-box stores and supermarkets, different merchants delivered goods from door to door. On certain days of the week, they would come down the streets to do just that. The milkman came daily, … Read more

We sat on the porch and watched the messengers of mercy come, one after the other. My wife and I were visiting a shut-in couple from our church when the mercy bringers arrived. As we enjoyed the cool fall weather, I watched the front … Read more

In most of the emails that I have sent out to friends or strangers during this time when the COVID-19 virus has been rampaging in the world, I have requested that people pray to God for success for scientists who are striving to develop … Read more

While sitting in my lounge chair for the past several days recuperating from recent surgery, I have been filling in part of my time watching the world go by, gazing out of my large picture window. During this these days, I have been … Read more

I have never mastered the art of ice-skating, so it amazes me to see tiny tots staggering around the rink, somehow keeping their balance on two razor-thin blades. Red cheeks and sparkling eyes are almost hidden under a helmet with a cage … 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

I heard the geese fly over the other morning as they were en route to their southern home. My heart was saddened to hear them go, for it is the forewarning that summer is ending and fall has commenced. With the commencement of autumn, … Read more

To help or not to help, that was the question. He stood at a busy intersection, holding a sign that we couldn't read. Although the town where we live is modest in size, recently we've seen more homeless and indigent people standing on … Read more

Since I was a child, it has been a dream of mine to be a writer. I wrote my first poem at age ten and continued writing throughout my teens. During my university studies, some of my work was published in one of the campus magazines. … Read more

During Lent, I was studying some of the events leading up to and including the death of Jesus on the cross, and, in particular, the passages in the book of Matthew where the authorities and other people were mocking Jesus. "Even the … Read more

We know that Jesus, though God, had to be born human so that He could give His perfect life as the payment for our sins, but I really wonder why Jesus had to die such a horrific death. There were many ways that people died in those days. … Read more

Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same, All may change, but Jesus never — Glory to His name! – Albert B. Simpson It is now 2019, and we have changed our 2018 calendars for new ones. It seems that there are two constants in … Read more

Stop the roller coaster! I want to get off. Since I don't like heights, I've never liked roller coasters. However, one summer at Canada's Wonderland, when our daughter was about six years old, I decided to go on one of the tamer roller … Read more