"Come, look at this," my wife said. Gardening is in my blood. I suppose that I inherited it from my two grandfathers who farmed. When spring comes, I want to plunge my fingers and hands into the dirt and plant vegetables and flowers. … Read more

I stopped into a local fast-food restaurant for a late lunch. The teenager who took my order was obviously a new employee who was still being trained. When my food appeared, he stuffed it into a paper bag. I was waiting at a nearby table, … Read more

Many years ago on the farm, we had chickens for eggs to sell to the neighbouring farms and African Guinea Fowl to grow for meat. This African bird has all brown meat. I was usually able to find a Guinea hen's nest, and I would wait … Read more

I have termites! Or rather, my house does. When I asked a neighbour to check something that needed repair, he gave me the bad news. Treatment is needed to rid my house of these pests. I live in a park model — a recreational vehicle that … Read more

We have a wooden deck behind half of our house. It is a place where we can sit when the weather is good. It is about three feet (one metre) off the ground, with four steps at one end to take us down to the lawn, the vegetable garden, the … Read more

The title for this devotional might seem strange. I believe, however, that we can occasionally use a reminder to be ordinary. That's not so easy, after all. The soul instinctively craves to rise above ordinariness, lest we merge into a … Read more

When I was a child living on a farm in southern Ontario, we had no electricity or running water. We also had two wood stoves. There were no chimney sweeps, so father cleaned the chimney, but our mother and we kids cleaned the stovepipes. … Read more

This spring, we were able to install a Toyo stove — a small oil furnace — in our home. This new addition meant that during the shoulder seasons, spring and fall, instead of trying to regulate the wood stove, as the temperatures vary so … Read more

Many years ago, we bought a brand new car. Before we did this, I had owned three used cars, and we thought that it would be nice to have a new one. We looked around at different types, but we ended up buying a new model of the same car … Read more

One Friday, a work colleague spoke to me regarding a stray dog which she had found on the grounds of her church the previous Sunday. I thought, Perhaps the dog was left by the owner who didn't want to care for it. The colleague was … Read more

In the spring and early summer, my homing pigeons sit on eggs and have young ones. I have had pigeons for many years now, and every year, I marvel again at the wonder of how they look after their young ones. Homing pigeons are amazing … Read more

Jesus never hesitated to pronounce scathing indictments against those who were pushing people away from God — like the leaders who burdened consciences with endless "shoulds" and "ought-tos". In spite of Jesus' sharp words, Christianity has retained this very bent, … Read more

"El Shaddai", the lovely song recorded by singer Amy Grant, inspired my study of the Hebrew names of God. In the course of my research, I gained new insight into the profound nature of "El Shaddai", which means "God Almighty". The … Read more

When I was a bride, a friend and I both received copper-bottomed cookware as wedding presents. When I visited in her home, the bright copper bottoms hanging above her stove were the focal point of her kitchen. They were still … Read more

I watched the little toddler as he fell over a toy in his path, making a bruise on his leg. For a few moments, his cries touched everyone in the room. Through his tears, he spotted his mother and ran … Read more

When my children were growing up, the church we attended had a points system. There was a medal for three months' perfect attendance, another for six months' perfect attendance, and at the end of the year, a third medal and … Read more

We have been doing some house renovations recently — both inside and outside. The outside is all done now, but the inside is just beginning. There is some drywall work done but a lot more to do. We are taking … Read more

Shopping for a birthday gift for my eleven-year-old grandson started me thinking about my own childhood. Back then we made fun out of simple things. I remember that when my cousins came to visit, we often played school. As we … Read more

As I was cleaning windows last week, I realized anew that cleaning only one side would not complete the job. When I first began, I thought that only the outside really needed doing. Yet as I wiped away the film … Read more

Yesterday, we began talking about our image of God. We're all used to thinking of God as "Our Father, who art in heaven". We may not be quite so familiar with the images of God being like a mother, as … Read more

Jesus is teaching here that it's important to practice the latter which is "law — justice, mercy and faithfulness" without neglecting the former, which is tithing, or giving a tenth. Jesus Himself, in the New Testament, is telling us to … Read more