Bianca, a staff member at my residence, sent me a picture of her baby, Emma, who arrived early in November, 2022. Even though Emma was sleeping only two hours at a time, her mother told me how wonderful she was, and that Emma's father was … Read more

We are not a conventional family, but we are blessed by the gifts that our mother, Rose DeShaw, delivered to us as children. With not a lot of money, we received gifts that helped us to transcend the material world and connect us to our … Read more

My granddaughter was busy playing with a Play-Doh™ ice cream sundae machine, which she had received as a gift. I could tell that she was getting frustrated with one aspect of the toy, so I went over to see if she needed help. She said … Read more

Mary and Joseph were the antithesis of helicopter parents. Wikipedia defines a helicopter parent as one "who pays extremely close attention to a child's or children's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions. … Read more

When we sit at our tables awaiting our meals in the residence in which I live, the servers come to their assigned tables and inquire what we wish to eat. Lately, they have been coming with iPads, showing pictures of the options and … Read more

What parents would not choose to wrap their children in an invincible security blanket every morning before sending them off to face the harsh world outside? It often begins at the kitchen table, as we educate them about how big God's … Read more

The other day, a friend forgot something and immediately said, "I guess I'm having a 'senior's moment'". As we age, our memories start to fail, and we can't recall even recent events as easily as before. Some years ago, when I reached … Read more

Schooling with inadequate funds comes with its own peculiar challenges. Years ago, I was a poor student on campus, and life was not friendly with me then. My pocket money for the month was less than fifty dollars. Out of this little … Read more

Have you considered adding your friends to your list of assets? That's what they are — in some way or other. I'm learning to value friendships through watching older folk express their commitment to each other. They check on each other, … Read more

Today's devotional title may remind you of a bad dream: the nightmarish experience of losing control. What I have in mind is no dream. It's the actual world that we experience: the horrifying absence of brakes on sinful desire — like … Read more

I recall preaching on the above verse at the anniversary of a church that had closed years and years before. Each year, there was an anniversary service to honour the prairie pioneers who had built the church and built up the faith in the … Read more

It was Sunday evening, and we were already tired just thinking about the following week. I had committed myself to entertain four days in a row, Thursday through Sunday, ending with a benefit for a cancer patient in one of our local halls … Read more

On October 10th, the first anniversary of his death, we buried my late husband's ashes at the Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Ernie was buried on top of his mother's grave, with the gravestone marker noting "Beloved Son … Read more

The huge baobab tree still stands strong beside the road to my grandmother's village. It has been an amazing landmark all these years. There are no road signs, traffic lights, or street names on the way to my village back in Africa. … Read more

We have a Fellowship Team at our church, which has sometimes jovially been called "the Ministry of Parties" because of all the social events that the team organizes. To some people, it may appear that way, but I know the … Read more

In the area where I spent my childhood, there was an old iron bridge. It spanned the river on a dirt road, marking the one road the residents of Ellabelle community had for getting to the next town. Over the … Read more

Little Opie on The Andy Griffith Show was devastated. It was report card day. He thought his eyes deceived him, but there they were — all "As". Andy was "proud as a peacock" and bragged of Opie's accomplishments. Opie soaked … Read more

Winter had already come to the mountains of South Carolina. What we didn't know would hurt us. My brother, son, daughter, and I planned an overnight camping excursion near Oconee State Park. As we turned onto the partially paved road, … Read more

Once I worked in a technical school where there was a vocational rehabilitation refreshment stand operated to provide jobs for the blind and handicapped. The man who operated the cash register was legally blind, but had enough vision to operate … Read more

The name of my Ragdoll pedigree kitten's sire is Brightstone Prince Charming, so coming up with a royal name to register it was no easy task. Nevertheless, with a little help from my sister, I discovered that "rey" is Spanish … Read more

The principal of my rural school in the nineteen thirties and forties was convinced that the today's Scripture was the answer to all child-rearing problems. The parents, who supported him completely, backed up his theory of "tough love". In those … Read more

From the moment we are born, we are being taught. First, it is our parents, and then slowly, others are integrated into our lives: grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, babysitters, Sunday School teachers, school teachers, friends. We learn even from those … Read more

I visited an old friend this morning. I shared some happy memories with him and even shed a few tears. I talked quietly with him and fondly remembered some of the things that we did in church. I thanked him … Read more

He was barely seven when he arrived one recent morning at the building site (a project of our church to build a home for a needy family). He had his little tool box in hand, a bottle of water, a … Read more

They call them "fairy stones" in Scotland. One sees them in the middle of fields. The owner of the field works around them and tries not to disturb these very large boulders, for fear of bringing a curse upon his … Read more

My dad, who went to be with the Lord back in 1999 at the grand old age of 96, was a pastor for 65 years. He insisted on having family devotions every night after the evening meal, and all family … Read more

"Aw! Do I have to? I'm playing a game right now." Unfortunately, when I was a child, all too often this was my response to my parents' call reminding me that it was time for family devotions. These gathering times … Read more

I don't have gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but I do have treasures. This year I have decided to make memory books as Christmas gifts for our six grandchildren, from age nine to twenty-six. As I pore over treasures they have … Read more

A few weeks ago, I attended the little Presbyterian Church in Ivy, Ontario, Canada (near Barrie), and received the best 65th birthday present that anyone could receive. My younger daughter sang her first solo — "In the Garden". How often … Read more

Even though seventeen years and three thousand miles separated me from my youngest brother during his childhood, we've always maintained a close bond. I remember visiting him when he was six. He told me of his first year at school, … Read more

As a young girl, I was always an "ideas" person. "Ideas" came naturally to me, so it didn't take much imagination at Christmas to suggest to school friends that we should gather together as a group to go carolling. The … Read more

We are blessed in our retirement years to wake up in the early morning and look out across a lovely yard, and gaze upon a small lake, glistening in the rising sunshine. No, it isn't Canada, but South Georgia. Nevertheless, … Read more

Sometimes, we who wear chains around our necks will unconsciously finger or twist them as we talk to people. One day, when my young grandson, Jesse (about four years old at the time), was sitting on my lap, he noticed … Read more