While we were at church on Sunday morning, August 31, 1986, a Piper Cherokee nearby collided with the stabilizers of Aeroméxico Flight 498. The small private plane crashed in an empty school playground in Cerritos, California, USA; all … Read more

Ruby is an Irish Setter. Setters are tall dogs with long legs. At five months of age, some days, Ruby's long legs cause her a great deal of trouble. She careens around corners, ending up on her side with four lanky legs flying out in … Read more

Three weeks after my knee surgery (see Blessings From Pain) I returned to the doctor, ready to be rid of the rigid leg brace. Its three metal bars dug into my leg and I was sure that my skin … Read more

There is balance to a life of faith. Our Reformed ancestors sought to re-establish such a balance centuries ago as they placed emphasis on "faith" and not so much on "works", so much so that Martin Luther called the book of James "an … Read more

In 1989, my husband Marcelo was offered an electronics engineering position, and we moved from Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, to Arizona. During our first winter here, we chuckled when we saw people dressed in winter coats, gloves, … Read more

My husband and I certainly didn't think that it was an opportunity for great joy when our car wouldn't start. For once, we were in the car at exactly 6:00 a.m., ready to head home from a recent holiday, a day's drive from New Denver, … Read more

"Oh look!" I exclaimed. "What's that juvenile robin doing back at the nest?" We had watched it fledge three weeks earlier, and fledglings aren't supposed to return. Yet this one did. The reason soon became obvious: Papa was there, and … Read more

I just have to share with you a traumatic occurrence in my life! I had put off shopping for clothes for many months, but the sales were great, so I picked out a few things and went into the dressing room. When I began to undress, I noticed … Read more

The Tarahne is an historical boat in dry dock on the shores of Atlin Lake in the town of Atlin, British Columbia, Canada. Once upon a time, she sailed upon the waters of the lake, full of tourists, and being useful as she delivered goods … Read more

There is a couple in my church who appear to have the perfect life. Their most common expression is a smile. They both teach Sunday School, and they share their Christian witness often. Their Facebook posts feature happy events and their … Read more

The nightstand clock confirmed that it was 2 a.m., yet sleep was nowhere in sight. Completely exhausted, I found myself resorting to counting imaginary sheep. One, two, … ninety-eight, ninety-nine. Then, just before reaching one … Read more

Spider webs festoon the front of my house, draping themselves over the porch railing, making airy paths between the house and the porch roof, even arching across from the porch to the patio furniture. No, it's not a haunted house — it's … Read more

One day, I was coming from church on a Sunday afternoon and the rain was falling. I tried to stop several taxis, but to no avail. Everyone was trying to find shelter from the rain, and no driver was ready to drive in that weather. I tried … Read more

No one has penned the "if only" conundrum more appropriately than poet Robert Frost in the selection, "The Road Not Taken": Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And … Read more

"My goodness, you walk your dog a lot!" My neighbour was walking his black Labrador for the third or fourth time that day. "It's a good way to get my steps in," he explained. "Getting my steps in" seems to be the current exercise craze. … Read more

The humungous concrete trough begged us to place our parched toes in its tantalizing coolness. Life on the farm was different every day. My cousin and I could find more adventures to take than we had time for. On this one day, we sat … Read more

My granddaughter was busy playing with a Play-Doh™ ice cream sundae machine, which she had received as a gift. I could tell that she was getting frustrated with one aspect of the toy, so I went over to see if she needed help. She said … Read more

Today, I'd like to spotlight those little annoyances which subtly chew holes in our orderly lives. Perhaps, it's yet another telemarketer or an insensitive remark. These may not feel like a big deal, or they may trouble us greatly. … Read more

Have you ever had one of those days? Well, I had one today. It all started when I had to remove a sheet of plywood and screw it back onto a wall. The sheet came off easily, but lining all the screw holes up to put it back on was more … Read more

It seems that our world has become submerged in a pandemic of scientific theories, all promising hope for an unrelenting virus. How many of those theories have been proven? That's a big question! Only rigorous testing through time and … Read more

Naaman almost missed his only chance of getting healed of an incurable ailment because of his inability to obey a simple commandment. Thank God for Naaman's servant who did not relent in talking sense into his master to obey by washing in … Read more

My husband has a moderate-to-severe hearing loss and wears hearing aids. At first, they were the basic kind. As we drove in the car, he would complain, "You're talking to the windshield. I can't hear you." I would get impatient with this … Read more

My little granddaughter sometimes has a problem coordinating what she is thinking about doing with what her limbs are actually doing. Right now, the struggle appears when I am trying to help her get her boots or her jacket on. She will put … Read more

While working in a large technical library, I so often felt great satisfaction when admiring full library shelves after checking in books and filling the shelves with the returned books. The appearance was so satisfying! Looking so neat … Read more

As I have written elsewhere , I have a yearly dialogue with the tax department. Year-on-year, they seem unable to join up the dots between our income and their rules. This year was no different. In COVID-19 times, it was more troublesome … Read more

Historic Molly Butler Lodge and Restaurant is in Greer, Arizona, USA. At 8,356 feet in elevation, it's a refreshing retreat from the ferocious Arizona heat. Established in 1910 by pioneer Molly Butler in the wilds of the White Mountains, … Read more

When I met my first Amish family, I discovered that they take seriously Paul's message: They deliberately focus on the way that they live. They are concerned to keep their children safe from the influences of modern society, so they … Read more

According to Wikipedia , "The pandemic … caused the largest and worst civil unrest in the United States history since King assassination riots in 1968." Protests in Canada have also been widespread. Besides activities that "bite and … Read more

Everything that we say or do communicates what we want others to know about us. Sometimes, we do this by the clothes that we wear. When I wear a bright green shirt, the comments that I receive indicate that I am bringing happiness to my … Read more

A dear friend once told me that a butterfly can still take to the air even if it had lost 75 percent of its wingspan. What a miracle, and yet society would most likely categorize such a disfigured insect as being disabled. Surely, our … Read more

Whenever I pray, for the times when I remember, I always say, "Lord, help me to bridle my tongue today," because words are powerful and are incapable of being retracted after they are said. I also discovered that presidents and other … Read more

We had just finally found a place to rent, a former karate studio over a downtown business with a beat-up wreck of a kitchen that looked unusable. Moving in that night, I fed the children and put them to bed before retiring ourselves. … Read more

My brother lives in the Ottawa Valley, by a lake nicknamed the Lake of Storms. Often choppy, the wind can whip the water into high waves and whitecaps quickly. All wise boaters know when to go ashore! This pales, though, in comparison to … Read more