Whew, finally, the last piece! I just finished a puzzle that was started at Thanksgiving during the five days while my kids were here. We all worked on it, but I will have to admit they did the hard parts that didn't make sense, like the … Read more

We had just finished trimming the goats' hooves and removing burrs from their coats when I noticed that my horse Frank had a large burr in his tail. As I took the shears to cut it free, I realized that it wasn't just one burr; his whole … Read more

The other day, I was thinking about the various places that my husband and I have celebrated Christmas. We were a blended family. Through most of our marriage, our children were adults who lived quite a distance away, so we often … Read more

I dislike how damnable labels get attached to people. It can harm their reputation. Yet, in Scripture we see that damnable label, "prostitute", attached to a woman named Rahab — five times! We're given no insight into her conduct. She … Read more

A childhood memory that has left a permanent imprint on my heart is my father and mother pulling me in my wooden sled through the town streets to purchase our yearly Christmas tree from the downtown Boy Scout lot. As I peered out from … Read more

Every Wednesday night, I help with the children's program at church. It's a motley group: the pastor's three kids, four from a blended unchurched family with children from several families, five from a church-attending family but who are … Read more

December is the last month of the year, but it is a busy month. We put up decorations, wreaths, lights (inside and out), Christmas trees, villages, and so on. Many do extra baking. We shop for perfect gifts for family and friends. Shopping … Read more

How do we get our names? All of us have a name, usually given to us by our parents, but sometimes changed for various reasons, such as in marriage. Why was I given my names? Vincent is my first name, but I hope my parents weren't … Read more

Before I met Jesus, the giver of all good and perfect gifts, I knew of Santa Claus. The smell of warm oatmeal cookies filled the air to trigger my first and only memory of leaving cookies on a little dish for Santa Claus. I was anxious … Read more

Last year, COVID-19 restrictions made life tough for all of us. Here in Alberta, Canada, we couldn't get together for Christmas with our family as usual. Our visits were limited to brief encounters outside as my husband and I delivered … Read more