Michael was angry at grace and God. But he hadn't always been. He once loved going to church — not that he had a choice. His parents made sure that he was there every time the doors opened. At a young age, he accepted Christ as his … Read more

In the autumn, we managed to clear some of our financial liabilities for the house. This has enabled us, for the first time in a number of years, to have some financial headroom. So, I took Caroline out to visit the local jewellers to buy … Read more

When I take the dogs walking through the woods, Earl, my cat, often joins us. He walks along very nicely for awhile, but then he scampers off into the underbrush and begins meowing, beckoning the dogs to leave the trail and follow him. … Read more

Quite recently, I visited my leader from the church who was quite sick. You must know that I wasn't aware that the sickness was something severe until I saw him looking quite wasted. I also didn't know that he would die the next day. I … Read more

"Now where could I have put that key?" I wondered. I discovered that my house key was not on the hook where I customarily keep it. I didn't panic, but I whispered, "Lord, I don't know where my key is, and it really is important that I … Read more

At the age of twelve, swimming in the river was the best of fun! This particular day was no exception. After hours in the water with my long hair still damp, I climbed into bed, pulled up the covers, and fell asleep. A wet touch on my … Read more

I hugged my daughter yesterday for the first time in over three months. It was a long hug! We have always hugged whenever we say goodbye, and it has felt strange not being able to do that for all that time. You could say that we are a … Read more

Last fall, my brother, Jim, got such a good laugh. He was outside and witnessed three of the dogs playing tag. Denver was in the lead, with Sunny and Kayley trying to catch him. As he is much larger, stronger, and faster than the two … Read more

In the 1970s and 1980s, it was quite common for growing corporations to promote and relocate their executives. Having an ambitious nature, my husband chose to climb that corporate ladder more than thirty times. Unfortunately, the more … Read more

I walked down the road to visit a neighbour, but she was not home. As I turned to leave, the young woman next door hurried towards me, visibly upset. She was carrying her two-week-old premature baby. She had left her four-year-old son to … Read more

Late Saturday morning, my daughter, Hannah, called, asking, "Mom, does Dad have a metal detector?" Her husband had been doing yard work. While throwing branches into the scrub pile, he heard a clinking sound. He looked down at his left … Read more

It was just a few days before Christmas. "We need to go and buy a turkey," one said to the other. "I thought I saw a turkey in our freezer," said the other. Sure enough, deep down in the freezer, there was a turkey. And it had a date on … Read more

I cannot function before my morning coffee, so when the phone rang early one day a month ago, awakening me from sleep, I was groggy and confused. It was my youngest niece speaking quickly and with great excitement. "You know those rings … Read more

Theologians have long debated how we humans can have true freedom of choice when our sovereign, omnipotent God is in control of everything and has the power to do anything. The principle is that God wants us to accept His unconditional … Read more

This is a verse that I particularly like to share when I am mentoring prisoners by mail through Crossroads Prison Ministries. I mark the Bible lessons that they send me, and then, I write each of them an encouraging letter. It seems to me … Read more

For decades now, I have always had a pocket knife in the left-hand pocket of my trousers. In my work pants, I have a regular-sized pocket knife to work in the garden, or to do minor repairs in the house or in my little workshop. In my … Read more

Lost and found boxes never cease to amaze me. Scarves, hats, gloves, mittens, jackets, bathing suits, swim towels, umbrellas, and baseball gloves are some of the items that I've seen in these boxes in different locations. Such an … Read more

Although I usually park my sport utility vehicle parallel to the garage, on this day, I parked further away from the garage than normal. Hopping out of the vehicle, to the left of my foot, I noticed a glimmer of gold — my ankle bracelet, … Read more

The story of the prodigal son is well entrenched in our faith community. You know how it goes: From time to time, we hear of that age-old story in our contemporary families. However, we get some good news, as Jesus' story does a … Read more

One morning, I bravely asked God to do something, anything, that would distinctly stir my heart. God answered my prayer later that day. It seems worth sharing: I was driving in the countryside, and my attention was captured by two horses. … Read more

Twenty people in our little town were searching. Two hours had passed. The bush was thick. The paths were many. The chill of night crept closer. Would the elderly gentleman who had wandered away from his home be found in time? … Read more

From the youngest age, all children love to be told stories. We enjoy hearing them, whether they are the invention of our talented parents or they're read from the ever-popular children's books. There are still many children around the … Read more

Last November, a group of us went to see a live stage show called "Wingfield Lost and Found", written by Dan Needles and starring Rod Beattie. The story is about a stockbroker turned hobby farmer, Walt Wingfield. There are eight or ten … Read more

Little ones sometimes get their shoes on the wrong toes, but eventually, they figure it out. We should expect that. After all, they are new to the foot business. However, try to explain how a woman of reasonably advanced years (not overly … Read more

Our daughter, who is deaf, has a special way with animals. She's had a variety of pets over the years: hamsters, ferrets, a rabbit, several dogs and cats, and two horses. While she was working on a horse farm, two stray cats were dumped … Read more

Have you ever lost something that was very important to you? I have. I used to wear a small gold ring on my right pinky finger. If my hands experienced cold, my fingers usually reduced in size, and my gold ring would fall off my little … Read more

I share my office at work with the ambulance crew. One day, the crew's chief misplaced a radio. She searched and searched but it was nowhere to be found. Yet still, she couldn't rest, even though there were other radios available. Why? … Read more

My first job was in a Christian organization. Even though I didn't know the Lord, I worked at this agency for nine years. It was here that I met my husband to be, and we were married at the church across the road. The man I married had … Read more

In the midst of mundane happenings and basic, routine, everyday tasks, some days turn out to be extraordinary. So it was when I walked to a nearby store and the only thing occupying my mind was the item that I needed from that particular … Read more

The cost to produce the penny is higher than the actual penny is worth. This is what the Canadian government concluded earlier this year when they decided that the penny would be phased out. They let us know that as of March 2013, the … Read more

This past February, my son and I drove to Ohio to adopt a new "furever" friend. Elliot is a "Velcro" critter who gives new meaning to the phrase "dogging my heels". Everywhere I go, and I mean everywhere, he is right at my heels, often … Read more

We have a lost and found in our church office. It's a box full of coffee mugs, glasses, umbrellas, books, and jackets. Every now and then, we place the box out in the welcome area to see if anyone claims the items. After a couple of … Read more

"Just run away, Forrest." Jenny gave Forrest Gump this advice when he faced unpleasant situations. And I've done it. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, "I shot an arrow into the air, it fell to earth, I knew not where." And I've done that, … Read more