On two separate occasions recently, I was asked to help a friend and a family member prepare for their driver's licence renewal for individuals aged eighty and over. Due to the inevitable changes in our bodies as we age — our vision, … Read more

One rainy night in our university days, my then-fiancé and his friend were accompanying me home from the library, where the three of us had been studying. I was walking quickly on the sidewalk with my umbrella, and the two of them were on … Read more

I remember a dream that I had when my oldest son was nine. He and I and two angels dressed in white were standing in heaven beside a giant Bible, taller than we were. The pages of the Bible had fallen open to these words: In the dream, I … Read more

There is a dog door into my front porch so that the dogs can come in to get out of the wet and cold. I also have a large, comfortable dog shelter on my front deck where they may take refuge in a storm. Yet, when I am away for the day, … Read more

When I take my horse, Frank, out for a buggy ride or a walk with my two-year-old granddaughter perched in the saddle, my goat, Marshall, has a habit. He climbs atop his jungle gym, and standing on the platform, he waits and watches for … Read more

Something happened, and this potential devotional was stored a few years ago in "My Documents" on my computer, and was just re-discovered now. Perhaps it was for such a time as this! An upsetting experience happened in the local Anglican … Read more

An unusual piece of art hangs on my downstairs hall wall. It's an Afghan War Rug designed with army tanks, AK-47s, explosions, grenades, helicopters, and a map of Afghanistan. Understandably, most people prefer not to display such … Read more

The summer of 2018 is bringing a severe drought to southern Ontario, Canada. Farmers are expressing their concerns about the possibility that there is going to be a partial, if not total crop failure of the various types of grains which … Read more

Presently, I have the children on holiday with me. I ask their help to enable me not to become snowed under with mess and noise. "Good luck!" I hear in the distance! As a retired teacher and old parent, I know that redirection, … Read more

Sold at 1.7 million dollars, the 114-year-old artifact rested peacefully in a glass case. While on vacation in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA, my wife and I visited the Titanic Museum. No pictures or videos were allowed except in one room: … Read more

"My head is full of broken bottles" is an old Glaswegian saying from Scotland that I sometimes experience and express. To me, it means that I can't really concentrate on what I need to do and that my focus is all out of whack. It usually … Read more

"Egypt Declares State of Emergency, as Attacks Undercut Promise of Security" – New York Times, April 9, 2017 As you may have gathered from some of my writings, I spent a considerable amount of time in the Middle East. Later I travelled to … Read more

My father was a horticulturist, at least when it came to his fig tree; it was the focal point in the centre of our backyard. Dad would always be watching to see signs of life when the first green leaf would appear. He would spring into … Read more

My Bible fell apart. It was at the Bible discussion that I lead at the local Long Term Care Centre. I opened it to the passage that we were looking at that morning, and about half an inch of pages, still stuck together, fell out. The … Read more

Today marks the one-hundredth anniversary of the Armenian genocide, an event that occurred during the Ottoman Empire. It was on this date, April 24th, 1915, that several thousand Armenian intellectuals in Turkey were rounded up, arrested, … Read more

Have you ever taken the time to watch the clouds roll by as you are lying on your back on the soft green grass or sitting in a comfortable chair? I have. The free encyclopedia, Wikipedia, says that a cloud is a visible mass of liquid … Read more

During the late 'sixties when I was a musician and singer in a band, I received many requests for the tune, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the song characterized the attitudes of a youth generation of … Read more

It seems that this winter has brought storms and weather in severity that some places haven't seen before, or for many years. The Great Lakes in North America contain one-fifth of the world's fresh water. For the first time in decades, … Read more

I admit it! I love to watch the Olympics! Call me an Olympic junkie. Today, watching the opening ceremonies, I am soaking it all in. I wonder what it is about the Olympics — summer or winter — that draws me in. From an early age, I have … Read more

For over twenty years, I have delivered one of the two free community newspapers in our town. They were both originally published three times a week, but that has recently been cut to two editions, undoubtedly because of diminishing … Read more

Recently, I went to the local bike shop to see about handlebar tape for my bike. I have been using hockey tape on them, but over time, it seems to get sticky, so I decided to see what the bike shop sold. I didn't let on that I had been … Read more

A friend sent me a hilarious online video . It featured a retriever-type dog with a stick. The dog was almost wild with anticipation as he kept grabbing the stick and dropping it at the feet of a man sitting on a bench. The bench warmer … Read more

At the end of the month of March, the television showed Japan with its cherry trees in flower. After celebrating the beauty, people sat down below the trees, and the reporter affirmed that the show lasts only one and a … Read more

When asked about your future plans, have you ever used this reply: "Well, nothing's set in stone"? This is the equivalent of saying, "Not yet. But I have some ideas." Or "I've started to make arrangements, but there's still a … Read more

If someone gave you three minutes to get out of your house before it was to blow up, burn down, or otherwise disappear forever — what would you take with you? Never mind about your family, pets, plants, or anything … Read more

I was given a gift in a bowl, which, due to the conversation at the time of the giving of the gift, I thought to be a gift of homemade cookies. So, I lifted the lid just a touch, saw … Read more

One fall, I decided to plant some tulip bulbs in my front garden. The winter came and went. Finally spring arrived. At the beginning of spring, I went out to look at the garden soil, in anticipation, hoping to see … Read more

In recent weeks, the residents of my town, Mission, British Columbia, Canada, were very proud that one of our own, Carly Rae Jepsen, had made it into the top three in the Canadian Idol singing competition on Canadian television. I … Read more

There's a song that our band, Glenfinnan, sings called "The Water is Wide". It's all about unrequited love, and in one of the verses, the singer woefully expresses the tragedy of being unloved with the words, "But love grows old, … Read more

Years ago when I was just a kid, my brother had a way of "getting to me". He'd sing a song just slightly under his breath, the words to which went like this: After the ball was over, Mary … Read more

The wind blew and the trees swayed as a harbinger of the coming storm. The sky grew dark and the clouds rolled in to unleash a heavy snowstorm. Within a few minutes there was an inch of snow on the … Read more

Sometimes my mind comes to a screeching halt, and I spend time thinking about a word or two. It never fails that God shows me volumes just through a word. For instance, I believe God reveals Himself and His love … Read more

I am shocked but still I remain fully able to react. Through this internal mechanism, over which I have no control, I seem to be able to borrow from tomorrow's resources that which I need today to meet the present … Read more