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

As we walk through the store aisles, the girls scan the rows for all the latest toys arriving for the Christmas season. Their anticipation of what lies ahead in a few more weeks is piqued high with excitement. They are waiting — waiting … Read more

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? I'm not sure about myself. When I read the definition set out in the following paragraph, I first think that I must be an introvert. But when I read on, I conclude that I am an extrovert. Typically, … Read more

Recently, a fellow resident shared her story. In 1989, Dorothy's husband of 42 years suddenly died from a massive heart attack, just two weeks before they were to leave on a planned cruise. Her son, John, who lived nearby, was very … Read more

Some made promises, but I doubted that they'd keep them. No middle-schooler wants to be uprooted and moved hundreds of miles from his friends — but that's what happened when Dad decided to pastor a church in Jackson, Tennessee, USA. … Read more

Our trip was going well until everything went sideways. The road in front of us was straight and the traffic light. All of a sudden, our small travel trailer began fishtailing back and forth, my husband fighting valiantly to control the … Read more

In most of the emails that I have sent out to friends or strangers during this time when the COVID-19 virus has been rampaging in the world, I have requested that people pray to God for success for scientists who are striving to develop … Read more

"Have you heard about …?" is a sentence more and more people start conversations with lately, especially after listening to the news of the day. It's like they were all saddled up to ride with the fabled Four Horsemen of Alcoholics … Read more

My brother, who lives in our cabin, is the gardener in our family. So, when he went to Mexico in the fall, he asked me to start the spring seedlings so that they would be ready for him to plant when he got back in May. *Oh my, what a … Read more

A few years ago, several churches in my area participated in the Finding the Hope campaign. Dozens of Christian volunteers went door to door and blitzed the whole city with a small booklet about salvation and an invitation to church, … Read more

For those darkest hours of the night when I am too tired to see anything clearly, I keep a small night light burning in the kitchen to guide my steps. At that time of night, I'm half sleep walking. Sometimes, I feel like that during … Read more

I had gone around the neighbourhood as usual handing out some of my devotionals. Many took them, saying, "Thank you." A few said a bold "No!" That's how it was when a young lady told me "No". I still had the copy out in my hand when I saw … Read more

"The third day He rose again from the dead." – The Apostles' Creed I had been thinking about going to Egypt, off and on, for well over 50 years. It was one of the places that I wanted to learn about and see. On the first of October, … Read more

One of my goats developed the ailment called pink eye. This necessitated putting drops into her eye to clear it up. Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong! Every medicinal episode developed into a dreaded wrestling match. Even when she was tied … Read more

I'm not sure how I came so often to sit beside my grandmother when we had family gatherings. But I remember that sometimes, she'd just quietly beckon me toward herself. Now Grandma always had handwork in her fingers as she sat in her … Read more

Fourteen years ago, my wife, Pauline Hitchcock, wrote a devotional around this text. We had travelled to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, to see the burnt ruins of St. John's Church which had been destroyed at Halloween. We saw a shaft … 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

Last winter, my daughter and I set out for one of our mother/daughter days. She wanted to get some pictures of some of the local waterfalls that were completely frozen over. We had a lovely morning; she got some great pictures; and we … Read more

Today is Ascension Day, a Christian holy day to which not much attention is given here in North America. Most calendars don't even make note of it. However, in most of Europe, it is an actual holiday, a day off from work, and some … Read more

Leo was a 20-year-old student from France who came to my hometown of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, in order to complete his second year of a business program. He stayed with my family for much of his six-month Canadian visit, fitting … Read more

When I am out walking with the pack, I find it both interesting and comforting to see how the dogs naturally split up. Some always walk ahead of me, some always walk behind me, and some always walk beside me. Behind, beside, ahead, they … Read more

Hubby used to say that I was the queen of tape because I seal every parcel as tightly as possible. The other day, after the clerk weighed my items, I found a couple of areas uncovered. I bought tape and added more to the item. Finally, I … Read more

Recently on quiet summer mornings as I walked our country valley road, I was aware of sounds made by creatures and machines that I could not see. I heard engine noises from jets and propeller-driven aircraft. Truck and car tires hummed, … Read more

On October 21st, 1999, we were in Jerusalem with a group of Christian brothers and sisters. We looked at a number of tourist attractions in the morning and had a chance to do some shopping, and after lunch, we went to see the Garden Tomb. … Read more

One morning, our devotional was from Deuteronomy 32, the passage where Moses was talking to the people about some of the things which had happened to them in their past, and the following verse spoke to my heart: A while ago, I read a … Read more

While I was growing up in a small town in the western part of Washington State, USA, walking was the rule; there was hardly a time when the car was removed from the garage. Even as a child, I walked on my own with confidence, not afraid … Read more

More than ten years ago, I went with a touring group to Israel. As we rode in the morning sunshine in an open-decked boat on Lake Galilee, we met a similar boat. In the picture I snapped, that boat appears to glide on clear, blue glass, so … Read more

Every time I go to our gym, I start out on the stationary bicycle. It's not just a boring bicycle ride; it's like watching me bicycling along, passing other cyclists — like a video game with 30 different tours and topography from real … Read more

It was late afternoon as I gazed out the car window and watched the changing scenery. An enormous, thick, grey cloud deck loomed over the countryside. My eyes travelled across its bleak underbelly, searching for its end, but found none. … Read more

My identification with this account of Jesus and the disciples at the Sea of Galilee is very keen. I love everything about fishing, and I can really understand that they had been out all night and caught nothing. Although I … Read more

"A rose between two thorns!" You've heard this expression; but have you ever applied it to our Christian calling? Jesus did. In effect, He called His followers to be a sweet aroma in the midst of prickly evil. This is … Read more

Have you ever felt like a bird, flying through the air with the wings of an eagle, so strong, so fast, so high? As I look out of my front window, I can see an "eagle tree", stretching up so … Read more

Not too long ago, my uncle passed away. He had been suffering from Parkinson's disease and dementia for a few years, but it was the last week of his life on this earth that was very hard for his family. … Read more