I am privileged to be the Presbyterian member of the Canadian content writing team for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25. One of my tasks was to reflect on the themes for the eight days and give them a Canadian … Read more

In celebration of the birth of a brand-new day and a brand-new year 2022, snowflakes fell from the sky like bright confetti, each one a miraculous reminder of God's love and faithfulness. The footprints of yesterday's sins vanished … 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

My friend was dropping by one morning for a short visit, so I spent a few minutes beforehand tidying up things in preparation. Okay, I may have just been moving a little stack of books and papers from one place to another out of sight, … Read more

Often in these days of old age, with pains and lack of sleep, I may decide to have a stay-in-my-pyjamas day. Of course, that is just the day when someone will drop by. One day, my daughter happened to drop in on one of her quick visits. I … Read more

One of our local churches has a "Blue Christmas" service every year. I haven't yet been able to get to one, but I presume that it is for people who are sad during the holiday. I think that when people are feeling sad, more sadness will … Read more

O Canada! our home and native land, True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The true north, strong and free, From far and wide O Canada, We stand on guard for thee. God keep our land glorious and … Read more

Have you ever done something that you were ashamed of and felt that you could never be forgiven for? Like most people, I suspect, I have been guilty of things that I'd hate to admit to. Not everyone has come from a loving, nurturing home, … Read more

A friend of my wife lost her husband about three years ago to cancer. She has no children, and her remaining relatives are scattered, some nowhere to be found. So we make it a point to occasionally include her for dinner, especially … Read more

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" is an English-language children's rhyme that was created in Britain before 1872. It was meant to persuade the child victim to ignore the name-calling, to refrain from … Read more

"Take it and use it," they said. "Its motor is just about shot." They had purchased a ride-on lawnmower and were offering me their old electric mower. I had just become a homeowner and was happy to accept it. "We'd … Read more

There is a major house renovation going on close to where we live. Actually, it has been in progress for weeks and weeks — new roof, insulation, siding, windows, doors, sunroom, and storage addition — a complete overhaul! I don't … Read more

Whenever I check my e-mail, I see that there are numerous messages of indeterminate nature in the junk box! No matter how often I sweep them away or block them, there are still more to replace them the next time … Read more

When my husband and I were college students, we needed a chesterfield. There was a bargain on sale in Eaton's in Montreal, and the price was good, so we took it. It was a miserable pale brown colour, and I … Read more

We love it when our grandchildren come for a visit. It is especially fun when they come one at a time. Then we can interact with only one, instead of having several clamouring for our attention. When one little grandson was here, we were … Read more

Dion is dead! He was so tiny, so young, so fragile. How did it happen so quickly? Why did it happen? I was saddened. Dion, my Venus Fly Trap, lived in my home for only a few short weeks. When … Read more

Since moving to Alberta where there is more snow (usually) than on Vancouver Island, I have been looking forward to a white Christmas. Like many who were raised in the frozen areas of Canada, I am once again dreaming of … Read more

Days after our visit to a friend's new home, I kept remembering the ways the couple had made us feel welcome. When we arrived, besides the hugs and warm greetings, we noted, cooling on the counter, freshly baked bread, which … Read more

We live in a century farmhouse. The windows on the inside seem to be the originals, with storm windows having been installed on the outer side in the 1950s. Each window is divided in two. Cleaning the eight sides of … Read more

My Dad never got to open his new pressure washer last Christmas. He had a heart attack on Christmas Day, and died of a stroke after open-heart surgery a month afterwards. Much later, my Mom decided to trade in the … Read more

Every time I put a load of laundry into the dryer and remove the filter, I am amazed at the amount of lint that is trapped there. Where does it all come from? The clothes have been washed and washed … Read more

The northern coast of Prince Edward Island, Canada, has made a great impression on me. As we travelled across the province towards the coast, we passed through fields and farmland. We drove along crystal bays and entered forest that threatened … Read more

I sat at my window the other day, watching the snow falling gently to the ground, and enjoying the beauty of the world covered in a blanket of clean, white snow. One of my favourite choruses came to mind: White … Read more

When I moved to Alaska, one thing I noticed was that there are not many lawns which are taken care of. I like a nice lawn, because I like to go out and enjoy it in the summertime. But up … Read more