Seventy years ago today, I entered this life. The expectation at that time was that a good and long life would span 70 years, and maybe, just maybe, I might see 80. Her majesty was just beginning her reign, acceding to the throne on … Read more
Search Results for: "John 11:"
Who Is He?
The phone rang. When I answered, a deep, intimidating male voice informed me that I was in serious trouble with respect to my income tax. The voice continued saying that the police were now on their way to arrest me, and that my best … Read more
Reclaiming That Easter Bunny
I'll never forget one Easter morning in my childhood. My dad carried our pet rabbit into the house and let it roam freely on the breakfast table. We siblings gleefully watched our cuddly pet hop amongst bowls of coloured eggs. That was … Read more
How To Live
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about " How To Die ", so I thought that I should also write about "How To Live". My first suggestion on how to live is to do everything that we can to communicate with others, even when we are told that we … Read more
One Big Reunion
As we turned out of the parking lot, I knew that it would be the last time. Both of my paternal grandparents' sides of the family had annual family reunions, but my family rarely attended. I barely knew many of those who did — people … Read more
The Tear's Majestic Beauty
I recently asked my two great-grandsons, "Why did God give us tears?" The three-year-old answered, "Because we're crying", and the six-year-old said, "Hmmm, I got it! Because when we're sad we can't just make a noise. We have to make a … Read more
I Know How You Feel
Tragedy had struck. What could I say? As a minister, I've watched people endure their share of tragedy. A husband whose wife decided to drive drunk, leading to the death of their small child. A father whose daughter was innocently riding … Read more
The Power Of Darkness
When my husband and I began to travel by boat up the inside passage on the west coast of Canada, there was one stipulation that I made, and that was that we would never travel at night. However, there was one occasion when we were … Read more
My Mind Is Made Up
During this past Easter season, there were a number of movies on television which those who make up the schedules felt were appropriate for the season — movies such as The Robe, The King of kings and Easter Parade — just to mention … Read more
Life Goes On
From January 1967 until December 1970, we lived in Vienna, Austria. At that time, Vienna had two major-league soccer teams, one near to where we lived and the other not too far away. Quite often on a Saturday afternoon, our young son and … Read more
The Resurrection And The Life
Recently, my family went to see the movie "Risen", a film which uniquely depicts the resurrection through the point of view of an unbeliever. As in a detective story, Clavius, a high-ranking Roman official, is put in charge of solving the … Read more
Jesus Wept
"I can't go to visit people when someone close to them has died." Sometimes, the person who utters words like these might fear crying when visiting sorrowing people. Yet, we can remember that God is with us to teach us how to weep with … Read more
A Celebration Of Life
The brilliant mix of reds, oranges, and yellows silhouetted against the blue background of the sky almost takes my breath away. Our heavenly Father, the Great Artist, has splashed a panorama of colours across the canvas of His creation, … Read more
The Gift Of Giving
I have knitted a few sweaters, socks, and such for family and friends to open as Christmas presents. I am a steady customer at the wool shop, and while shopping, I meet other grandmothers selecting wool for baby shawls, afghans, … Read more
A Beloved Disciple
I recently participated in a fascinating, in-depth Bible study that examined the identity of the obscure figure in the fourth gospel referred to four times as "the disciple whom Jesus loved". This intriguing research has been an invaluable source of … Read more
Striving To Stay In The Light
Do you ever start reading something, convinced that you know the main thought or plot and/or how it is going to end up? I do, on occasion, and am sometimes correct. Not so, however, with Julie Bowles' devotional on May … Read more
Jesus Wept
Memorizing Bible verses was a requirement in my home as a child, and saying a verse at bedtime was a ritual. Some nights I was proud to impress others with my knowledge of long verses, but on the nights I … Read more
Lord, Teach Us How To Cry
The passing of my dad caused me to look back on my youth, and brought back memories of my mother, a strong woman who never cried. Being close to her, I thought crying was a sign of weakness, and I, … Read more
Why Do Tears Come?
On May 19, 2001, I received a telephone call to tell me that my friend, Patrick, had just passed away. I had last talked on the telephone with Patrick exactly a week before, and he had assured me that, though … Read more
God In All Things
A gang of guys from church were doing a yard clean-up for an elderly lady in our congregation. In her front yard were some of those massive oak trees seen in the deep south — those that spread their branches … Read more
A Christian's Death
I recently attended two funeral services. They had several things in common: both were for elderly people who had died after long illnesses; both individuals were parents of people with whom I work. There the similarities end. One person was … Read more
Jesus Is The Answer; What Is Your Question?
On a certain Tuesday evening a while ago, I attended a training session for our church's faith visitation programme. In that session, the minister threw out a phrase that was quite simple but has truly captivated my thoughts. One of … Read more
Anyone For Grief Management?
Do you know what I heard on the radio last week? An ad for a local funeral chapel, totally serious and in painfully good taste. "When your loved one dies, come and see us about our new Grief Management Program." … Read more