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

When my youngest son, Joseph, was 17, he wrapped Christmas gifts and placed one under the tree for me. It was wrapped in camouflage gift wrap with matching duct tape. He even made sure that he used a gift tag with a deer on it. Pure boy! … Read more

We all are given a name. Sometimes, it has a significant meaning; sometimes, nicknames are used, but always it is our own. I was given the name Vincent, but normally I am addressed by the abbreviation, Vince. Early on, however, I learned … Read more

I keep a box of mementoes in a drawer. Every so often, it is good to look at poems or wise sayings that teach the grace of God in our lives. But I carry one of those keepsakes in my Bible: a ticket for a gondola ride. In 1997, John and I … Read more

God sometimes shows up in the strangest ways to provide for us. One Christmas week in 1980, He did just that, and it was a Christmas that my family has never forgotten. For a number of years, dad struggled with God's call to be a … Read more

When we toured Israel as a group, our faith was reinforced as our experienced leader, a Christian minister, many times supplemented our Jordanian guide's orations of what we were seeing by telling us of further connections between these … Read more

Recently, I have been dealing with a difficult financial situation. It's not health-related, but nonetheless daunting. By nature, I tend to take matters into my own hands and have occasionally lived to regret it. This time, I simply put my … 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

Do you secretly wrestle with a gnawing sense of insignificance, feeling like you don't matter much? The sense of meaninglessness is a common form of suffering today. That's why, for a moment, I'd like to shine the spotlight on Joseph in … Read more

I had decided that I would begin Advent by reading the book of Matthew. Of course, like several other books of the Bible, it included the dreaded family tree. Ho hum, what a bore. I was tempted to skip this part until the Spirit nudged … Read more

I learned to text, only to discover that the cell phone fancied itself a prophet. This is called predictive texting. Whenever I punched in a letter, it finished the word for me. Thus, I sent messages full of words like "spzxq". The last … Read more

One day, I was studying Psalm 121, and as I do quite often, I checked my Dutch and German Bibles. I noticed that in those two languages, there is only one word for shade or shadow, the emphasis being on shadow. That made me think more … Read more

Despite delays in waiting for medical procedures, my legs have recovered sufficiently that I feel strong enough to walk down The Trail again. As I write, it is the first day of fall, and absolutely gorgeous! The sights! The sounds! The … Read more

Sometimes I feel like I'm auditioning for a comedy show as I stamp my feet to create vibrations, wave my arms like a windmill, and shout as loudly as I can. Yes, having three very elderly canines in the house which are all at one stage or … Read more

Who is Azor? Who are we? Who am I? Why am I here, and what am I supposed to accomplish while in this earthly body?

Have you ever wondered why God put all those begots in the Bible? And have you had trouble reading through all the begots? … Read more

I walked on air, it seemed. I felt expanded, extended, moving in sunlight that was more than real. Never before had I experienced such elation. I was alone out on the sidewalk by the hospital after visiting the newborn in her crib and … 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

In our second year of marriage, my husband and I discovered that we were going to have a child. Despite there being no angelic announcement, that was a truly joyful occasion. We expectantly counted the days until our firstborn would … Read more

The various jobs which I have held throughout my lifetime have taught me many things, but one of the most important is to keep a paper trail. A paper trail is evidence of where we have been, what we have … Read more

Recently, I watched a National Geographic television special on the conception and birth of human beings, dogs, elephants, and dolphins. As I watched, I wondered how anyone could be aware of the amazing miracles of conception and birth, and the … Read more

Those childhood days seem long ago, as I recall with some nostalgia the Sunday School concerts in that little white-frame church nestled near the Chippewa River in Ontario, Canada. One particular evening, we had prepared to celebrate the birth of … Read more

It had been a long day. It commenced at 3:30 a.m. when I was called into the jail and was just ending now at 5:30 p.m. Ending was not exactly the right word, however, as my daughter had taken over … Read more

Last year while shopping at a local thrift store, I was surprised to find a Christmas Bible study book with the odd title, Christmas from the Back Side, written by J. Ellsworth Kalas, a professor who teaches where my son … Read more

While on the PCCWeb Daily Devotional tour of central Europe and the Oberammergau Passion Play at this time last year, we purchased a "Heidi" doll for our younger granddaughter, Caraline, and a "no name" (but wearing the traditional folk dress … Read more

My hometown has become a medical centre for the southwestern part of the state in which I live. In fact, the medical profession is the largest business in our area, creating jobs and bringing outsiders in. People from other areas … Read more