In the olden days, when we were expecting a child, we did not know in advance what gender our child was to be. There were no ultrasounds, no CT scans. We just waited until the child was born. These days, parents can find out quite soon. …( read more )

Did you notice the hidden miracle here? It's the conception of new life within Mary's womb. This, I say, is Advent's hidden miracle! Nobody witnessed this amazing overshadowing of the Spirit, not even Mary. Yet, what followed would be …( read more )

It happened overnight: a seasonal change ushered in by a thick blanket of snow obliterating all remnants of autumn. That was early November. Yet, I felt myself launched into the mood for Christmas — with the rich reds, twinkling lights, …( read more )

I recently upgraded my vehicle from a 2014 Terrain to a 2017 Terrain. I now had to sell my 2014 vehicle. I mentioned it to my neighbour, and right away, she said that she was interested. Thinking that it needed only brakes, I committed to …( read more )

One Christmas, my 16-year-old sister got pregnant by her boyfriend. I was a year younger, and neither of us had the slightest idea how such a thing could happen. No one had ever told us anything, and we had no friends who might share …( read more )

I was hired on a short-term contract to catalog a prison library in a federal penitentiary with an inmate crew to help me. The men lived in the cell block that my husband guarded. "Anything that you tell me will go straight to him," I …( read more )

The formation of life is surely a miracle beyond comprehension. It begins with a speck so small that it is invisible to the naked eye. Yet it contains a vast treasury of DNA coding: the coding of destiny which determines what the tiny dot …( read more )

After years of childhood pain, I didn't love Christmas. I identified with the sentiments of Blue Christmas. I sat in darkness, spending time on a website called "Christmas Misery". I had plenty of memories of sorrow and loss to keep me …( read more )

A grandmother purchased a book designed to introduce teen-aged readers to Jesus Christ. After reading it herself, she mailed it to her adolescent grandson for his birthday. About a week later, she received a letter from the lad thanking …( read more )

In November of 2011, I was told that the aortic pig valve in my heart, which had been placed there in 1993, was leaking badly and had to be replaced. Even though it had lasted much longer than I had been told to expect, it still came as a …( read more )

The extravagance of British royalty fascinates me. Yet sometimes, I wonder, Why bother? This pageantry is just a remnant of the past. It's not the real thing; monarchs no longer rule. Yet royal traditions can preserve values like …( read more )

One Christmas season, our church's Celebration Choir was introduced to a song entitled, "Mary, Did You Know?" which became very popular in both the spiritual and secular worlds. The words were written by Mark Lowry in 1984 as part of the …( read more )

Few verses reach me as deeply and as often as this one today. Most of us in the rich "first world" countries are well fed, but God says that the rich may well be sent away empty. Ouch, that hurts, for unavoidably, though we are not as …( read more )

During the last number of years, I have visited a considerable number of elderly people, and most of them seem to want to talk about their life's experiences. I knew one gentleman who told me a great many stories about how things were in …( read more )

Reflecting on today's Scriptures, I thought about my early upbringing in the Roman Catholic Church. I was taught to genuflect or bow the knee as a sign of reverence, as if Christ were physically present inside the sanctuary. Although …( read more )

Have you ever felt so confused, afraid, or alone that you desperately needed to talk to someone, but no one would understand? Then you can probably identify with Mary after this visit from the angel. Women who have given birth could …( read more )

As Christmas approaches, I keep hearing these admonitions to children: "Have you been good or bad?" "If you are not good, Santa Claus will not come." The children quickly get the message, "I have to be good or I won't get that toy or …( read more )

Twice a month for a great number of years now, I have been leading a Bible discussion at the local Long Term Care Centre. On special occasions such as Christmas, New Year's, and Good Friday, I lead a worship service there as well. My wife …( read more )

My mother had the gift of telling us about real-life developments as they unfolded. She kept us spellbound with vivid details, even when the story took several years to reach its secretly hoped-for, but still-unexpected climax. One such …( read more )

I am enthralled with Mary's song recorded in Luke 1:46-55. It's not what I'd expect from a young teen who finds herself pregnant — it's more like the utterances of a seasoned prophet! Here, Mary expresses her personal joy in the style of …( read more )

I started to read the New Testament while walking on my treadmill five days each week. Some passages about Jesus being the light of hope in a dark world caught my eye and made me think of an event which happened a few years ago. One of …( read more )

Ever since I was a youngster on the platform in our one-room, country school, along with about twelve children of varied ages and grades, I have enjoyed Christmas pageants. At the age of ten or eleven, I was the chosen angel Gabriel, and …( read more )

"I have a present for you," Izzie called out from the living room of our country home. And on most occasions, I just call out and say, "I will be right there." However, this time, my auntie antenna was up, for I had had a shoebox with a …( read more )

Last fall, my husband and I joined a Messianic fellowship at one of the members' homes to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkoth. In their backyard, we sat in booths which were constructed according to God's Word. …( read more )

A generation is defined as the length of time when children are ready to take the place of their parents, often 30 years. So in my life of 83 years, I have seen three generations in the world — three generations of memories. Each …( read more )

When my father was close to the end of his life here on earth in 1987, I spent a lot of time with him, and he told me many stories. He was born in 1900, and he went to work when he was twelve. He told me about the time when the first car …( read more )

Last Christmas, I found myself lingering over one particular verse in Luke's nativity account: Here I see a pattern which I believe is worth imitating. Interestingly, this verse is situated in the middle of a narrative about the …( read more )

Growing up in an Italian neighbourhood named Tacony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, during Christmastime was festive for a young boy. The Roman Catholic Church was steeped in customs, especially during the Advent season. These …( read more )

One of God's greatest gifts to us is the gift of music and songs. Here are some quotes about the power of music: "Where words fail, music speaks." – Hans Christian Andersen "Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly …( read more )

In a little town in north-eastern Pennsylvania, USA, my wife and I were expecting and preparing for the birth of our firstborn child, Joseph. One day in the fourth month of her pregnancy, Lori said, "The baby is active; go ahead and feel …( read more )

How often we have prayed for something good, like the salvation of a loved one, firmly believing that our prayers would be answered. Have we not been told that "nothing is impossible for God"? (Luke 1:37 CEV) And yet, like Peter, we, …( read more )

During Advent season, I sometimes enjoy listening to the lovely plainsong music of Gregorian chants. One song in particular is known as the "Magnificat", Mary's wonderful hymn of praise recorded in Luke 1:46-55. In this lovely piece, …( read more )

A couple of years ago during Advent, I became fascinated with the angels in the Christmas story. It's no accident that angels have become a popular Christmas decoration. Here is a summary of what I found in the scriptural reports of angels …( read more )