The other night, I had been crying for several minutes, totally depressed and sad about my friend, Susan, moving away, back to Ontario, 2,600 miles away. Then, I decided to pick up a devotional book which this same friend had borrowed … Read more

A while ago, my dad was very ill; he couldn't even walk, and I saw him wet himself while trying to reach the restroom. I had never seen him in such a vulnerable circumstance before, and I felt weakness just descend on me. It was so sudden, … Read more

Going through ups and downs in my convalescence from burnout and depression has been a stressful time for me. When my circumstances start to change and I experience growing pains, it can affect my ability to see the situation for what it … Read more

I have a problem with joy. It's supposed to be a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and since I have believed in Jesus Christ, I have the Holy Spirit within me. So, I should feel His joy, right? You guessed it: I don't. Or do I? Maybe I'm … Read more

As an enthusiast of art and architectural history, I have enjoyed over the years visiting many early American churches. The buildings were made of either stone or fine wood. My fascination with old houses of worship grew stronger after I … Read more

I have kept a diary since 1962. It started out as a record of the daily progress of my pipeline construction in northern British Columbia, Canada, including the movement of people and equipment, records of meetings with owners and … Read more

When I was a little girl, we headed to the Smokey Mountains in October to enjoy the beauty of the trees in their fall dresses. I quickly discovered how much fun it was to wave at the people who sat … Read more

Why is there so little joy in many Christians when Scripture portrays joy as a vital ingredient for life? Jesus was eager that His followers be filled with joy. Paul was too. He said: For Paul, joy was vital because … Read more

Years ago, when I was a child, my mother had an old typewriter with little round keys. We had to throw the carriage over manually. As years went on, I owned an electric typewriter. It was so much faster, and … Read more

Many of us Christians, at one time or another, have resorted to Bible roulette. We have flipped through the pages of the Bible, stopped randomly on a page, let our finger fall on a passage, and have read what God has to say to us. Like … Read more

Along my way to work one recent day, I rejoiced in God as my Saviour. I was happy. Maybe it was because I love my wife and family? Maybe it was because I have a long-awaited holiday around the corner … Read more

I have been writing devotionals for a few years now. It all started rather innocently. I was subscribed to the Presbyterian Church in Canada's Daily devotional which I read every day. At the end of each devotional, there is a … Read more

Have we lost our joy? Or is it hiding deep within? We have all had our joyful times and our share of down times. What must we do to find joy once again? What joy it brings when my little … Read more

This summer, on one weekend, we went camping in the mountains. The further we went into the wilderness, the more I wondered if we had made a good choice to camp there. The road was rough, the way was desolate, … Read more

For years, we have had robins in our neighbourhood. We love to hear them sing first thing in the morning. In northern Alberta, that starts about 4:00 a.m. when dawn is breaking. They are so happy a new day has … Read more

I was up late last night, because I wanted to fix and clean a camera lens. Today, I am totally exhausted. My eyes are tired, and I have not had enough sleep. To add insult to injury, I did not … Read more

How should we be led to worship God? In today's passage from the book of Nehemiah, we are told of the thirsting of the people for the word of God. In our churches today, do we have that same thirsting … Read more

The other night, I had been crying for several minutes, totally depressed and sad about my friend, Susan, moving away, back to Ontario, 2600 miles away. Then I decided to pick up a devotional book which this same friend had … Read more