Being a Scottish preacher in American churches can be quite novel at times. For some reason, folks like to listen to my Scots accent because they find it to be quite lyrical. I used to think that this was a great thing and relished each … Read more

Over many years of pastoral ministry, I saw some dedicated people who were always present for Sunday worship and church programs. They were totally immersed in the life, work, and ministries of the congregation, and it seemed as though … Read more

Over many years of being a pastor, one of the saddest things about ministry that I experienced was the number of people who took their faith for granted and attended church infrequently. No matter how hard that I tried to encourage them … Read more

As I write this, there are wars raging in various places. The ones most heard and talked about are in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. Dozens if not hundreds of people are being killed every day in the attacks. Meanwhile, so many people are … Read more

I wonder, if we knew where Jesus was going to be one day, somewhere in our community, would we leave everything we were doing and run ahead to that place to greet Him? Would we look forward to seeing Him in person to listen to His … Read more

Recently, I had to take my year-old collie, Kayley, to Whitehorse, Yukon, for her rabies and booster vaccines. Kayley gets very anxious travelling in the truck, and the two-hour trip each way is especially difficult for her. In light of … Read more

I've suffered from depression for as long as I can remember. Sometimes, it gets so bad that I have to take medicine; at other times, I manage to get through on my own willpower and strength. It's not something that we who suffer from it … Read more

There's a lot of fear and uncertainty in our world today. You can hardly pick up a newspaper or watch television news without hearing about terrorist bombs, gas attacks, and civilian deaths all over the globe. Those of us who were born in … Read more

Recently, I met a person on the main street who offered to sell me a treasure map. He said, "I have marked the letter X where this treasure is located in the St. Lawrence River. You will be a very rich man if you buy this treasure map from … Read more

The world-wide, ever-increasing pace of life in general — encouraged by the onset of technical advances which allow for immediate access and interaction with others through a simple phone device — is drastically changing our lives. … Read more

When I began in ministry many years ago, I quickly realized that I didn't have enough love for all the people in my congregations. I cried out to God for His love. It was then that I experienced an overwhelming flood of loving care for the … Read more

I was once asked to take a leadership position in the housing co-operative where I live. I was worried that it would be too much for me. A friend offered to share the job. Having someone to talk things over with and to share the work took … Read more

I haven't been making much progress with my weight loss lately, so I prayed (again!) for God's help. He reminded me (again!) to consider the passage where unbelief hindered Christ's ability to do miracles in his home town of Nazareth. … Read more

I took the month of December off from my Bible study commitments at the Meaford Long Term Care Centre. The only thing that I did was to lead a worship service there on Christmas morning. My wife, as she has always done for ten years now, … Read more

I had often read and been told that as we get older, we need less sleep. I did not find this to be true. What I did discover is that though I was sleeping less, I was no less tired. And when I am tired, I struggle with feeling cross, … Read more

Have you noticed how noisy the world around us seems to be these days? Most of us have the television or a radio on almost all the time. We see people with cellphones, ipods, walkman radios. We seem to crave … Read more

This morning, I awoke with a song ringing through my head, and it is still ringing in my ears. It is speaking to me with force, as in a few weeks, my friend and I will actually be walking where … Read more

When we tell someone to look up, we are encouraging them to have a positive attitude, boosting their morale, and reminding them not to give up when the going gets rough. We look up to read the road signs to … Read more

What kind of faith do you have? Is it personal, kept to yourself as private, or is it relational, shared with others? This is a very good question, for therein lies a great burden on my heart. As we keep … Read more

In Australia, autumn has ended, though there are still heaps of colourful, crinkly, dry leaves for me to crunch and kick around in my garden. Due to loving family help, I joy that roses are pruned, spring-flowering bulbs are planted, … Read more

I've only once shaken the dust off my feet where I felt I wasn't welcome. It took place many years ago while I was still a student minister in Glasgow, Scotland. My brother-in-law, Billy, went to buy some record albums … Read more

When I was old enough to use the stove unattended, I went wild with "experimental" dishes. Today, they'd seem pretty tame, but my meat-and-potatoes Dad saw every one of them as disastrous. He refused to eat things like pork and … Read more

The little girl in me could hardly believe it. In fact, she really didn't, until she landed on the soil, sniffed the air, heard the voices, and saw the sites of the Holy Land. I knew that Israel existed. I … Read more

I had calculated sufficient time to drive the distance to my friend's house for a party. What I hadn't considered was roadblocks. I spent considerable time manoeuvring around two of them. The party was almost over when I arrived. This … Read more

On the way home from an evening at the Air Canada Centre in nearby Toronto, where I had attended a revival meeting, I found myself sitting rather quietly on a loaded bus. You might wonder why or even how a … Read more

When a world-famous cookbook author's name came up in conversation, I mentioned how much I used and enjoyed her recipes. "Oh, posh," said one lady sarcastically. "She only lives over on the third line." The implication was clear. To that … Read more

An article I was reading said, "Jet fighters take off land and are stored on deck." "How peculiar," I thought. "That doesn't make sense." Then I stopped to reconsider. My knowledge of such ships is limited, but I do know … Read more

We were on our way back to the hotel room after a long day at the conference. Our roommate scurried down the hall, way ahead of the rest of us. "Hadn't we better catch up to her?" I asked. "What … Read more

As a bit of an "over-achiever", I have a tendency to cram my schedule too full. All it takes for me to go into "overload" mode is for there to be a funeral during an already busy schedule. Then when … Read more

I volunteer at a food bank, sponsored by local churches and by freewill donations from businesses, organizations, and individuals in our community. It is satisfying and humbling to help these people who are temporarily in need. As I bag groceries, … Read more

I like living in an area where there is a lot of open territory. I enjoy camping and hiking a great deal. I saw in the paper one weekend recently that the Arctic Survival Training School recommended items to have … Read more

Several years ago, I was considered one of the Sandwich Generation. My husband and I both worked and volunteered; my parents, living in another community, were older and not in good health, requiring me to visit them frequently; our children … Read more

My husband is on the road a lot, and when he must make a long, quick trip, I try to arrange to go with him to assist in the driving. So it was this week. There is always a two … Read more