I'm old enough to remember hearing popular radio program announcers say things like "Don't touch that dial" and "Stay tuned" and "Tune in again next time" that would keep the attention of the listeners during station breaks. I was … Read more

Throughout my time in the church, I spent most of my service in children's ministries. I cuddled the babies, sang to 3-year-olds, and taught Bible lessons in Sunday school and children's church. I remember teaching the words and movements … Read more

Some time ago, a reader of the PresbyCan devotional responded this way to a devotional of mine that had appeared: "Thanks for continuing to put the world back together, one inspired thought at a time." As I read her words, God really … Read more

White, puffy clouds billowed like fluffy mounds of whipped cream at my feet. At my feet? Yes, I was looking down on the banks of clouds from my window seat in the airplane. Seeing fluffy white clouds below with brilliant blue sky above is … Read more

One fall day, just before Thanksgiving, my husband and I were driving by a large organic food market. It was lunch time, and we were getting hungry. "Look! People are sitting outside with plates of food. Maybe we could get something at … Read more

Hallelujah! Today is my birthday! First, I wish to thank God for His steadfast love towards me and my family in all these years. However, a few days back, when I sat down for a quick review of my journey thus far, one truth was impressed … Read more

Each spring, the melting snow and ice upstream cause the Ottawa River to rise to a roaring torrent, crashing over the Chaudiere Falls near Ottawa and Gatineau, Canada, barrelling on its way to meet the St. Lawrence River, and eventually, … Read more

My dad has dementia. He started to wander and get violent in mid-November 2019. There were two trips to the emergency room in three days, admission to the hospital for twelve days, and then admission into a nursing home. During this … Read more

It was time to trade in our car for a newer model. We asked God to lead us to the right vehicle. An online search finally produced a 2014 sport utility vehicle (SUV) that looked promising. The dealer said that it was at a lot in a nearby … Read more

A policeman came to my door, asking, "Are you the wife of Richard DeShaw?" I said, "Dick! Never Richard!" Right then, an old Irish joke suddenly popped into my mind: An insensitive cop asks a woman, "Are you the Widow Brown?" … Read more

When my husband and I visited one of the Caribbean islands, our plane landed in the evening. Along with other arrivals, we were met and shuttled to the resort where we had reservations, paid in advance. After checking in and being shown … Read more

"Many car owners just don't listen to their cars. If they did, they could prevent a lot of damage." This was said by an experienced mechanic. He's convinced that if owners paid more attention to their vehicle sounds, they'd be quicker to … Read more

A few years ago, several churches in my area participated in the Finding the Hope campaign. Dozens of Christian volunteers went door to door and blitzed the whole city with a small booklet about salvation and an invitation to church, … Read more

I try to attend worship on Sundays in two different churches: one at 9:30 a.m., where I sing in the choir, and another at 11:00 a.m. I had been asked to sing at the second service. During my daily devotions, I read about living water. … Read more

This past winter, our family decided to renovate the kitchen in the cabin at our waterfront property on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. We had to rip out the old cupboards and wallboard, trash the old rusty range, roll up the … Read more

"He was trying to stop Jesus!" My mind was jolted by that remark in a recent sermon. It was not about a wicked person, but about a godly prophet: John the Baptist. Peter also tried to stop Jesus — twice! Obviously, well-meaning … Read more

It happened suddenly. In my den, I stepped away from my ironing board and lost my balance. Mid-air, I dreaded injuring my already-compromised hip. Almost at the floor, the seat of my pants caught on a plastic projection sticking out from … Read more

I have noticed that more and more people are carrying a water bottle with them at all times, when they are walking or jogging, driving the car, in church, and at sports events. We are often reminded that water is good for us, even when … Read more

Recently, I wrote a devotional about how concerned I had been about a little black squirrel sitting alone all day on a bare branch in the drizzling rain. I couldn't get it out of my mind, and I kept wondering why its mate had deserted … Read more

I have a number of hobbies which occupy my limited free time. One of them is doing needlepoint pictures. During the winter evenings, I will work on those, quite often while watching some television, or just in the quiet of the room. It is … Read more

After an extremely cold winter, I was happy to set free into the wild several ladybugs that had taken up residence in my home. A friend suggested that I get rid of them, but instead, I kept them in a plastic storage box and gave them food … Read more

I spent a total of over eight months living in a camp in the desert of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman. This included the Christmas season and the change of the year from 1965 to 1966. There were about forty of us living in a camp, and … Read more

A few Sundays ago, our minister asked us to think about (and share if we so chose) a God moment that we'd had at some point in our lives. I wasn't sure at first what she meant, but fortunately she went on to explain that for this purpose, … Read more

This morning, The Trail is alive with sights and sounds to delight the senses. Goldenrod and purple asters line either side, intermingling with patches of Queen Anne's lace, swaying in the gentle breeze. Monarch butterflies circle and … Read more

I often take the bus to the other side of the city, and during the hour that it takes to get there and back, I notice some reconstruction taking place. On the roads and streets, there are excavators digging up water mains, machines … Read more

When I was a young boy, my grandfather often took me to Ninth Street in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, popularly known as The Italian Market. Vendors would openly sell meat, poultry, fish, fruit, vegetables, and especially … Read more

Several days ago, my wife and I watched a 2004 movie entitled, Mary Of Nazareth: With Jesus From Birth To Death. A particular scene caught my attention as being amusing as well as anecdotal. However, the implications of the story are … Read more

We took in this middle-aged dog, which, for the purposes of this devotional, shall be called Mr. X, about four years ago, when nobody else wanted him. He was an incessant barker, a fervent car-chaser and a malicious cat-attacker, but … Read more

Years ago when I was first married, I made a large poster-like sign of today's verses and proudly hung it above a common staircase wall leading up to our second-floor apartment. I was in love, and I was going to spread it everywhere. Each … Read more

I host a weekly lectionary Bible study. Our study is truly ecumenical, with four Presbyterians, one Baptist, one Gospel Church member, and, until just a couple of months ago, one Anglican, a lady whom I will call Susan. She was a recent … Read more

I remember saying those words to someone quite some time ago: "Let go and move on." In other words, let go of your past and start afresh. Sometimes, words are easier said than done, and sometimes, it is very hard to let go of the past. … Read more

One of the three-year-olds in a parent-tot drop-in that I run has been going through a very cute stage. Whenever she is asked something which either she doesn't have the answer for or else she would rather not give the answer to, she … Read more

It all started when my friend invited me to visit her. She worked in the school at Ulukhaktok, a tiny Inuit village in the Land of the Midnight Sun. She thought that I might have the opportunity of teaching some classes and ministering in … Read more