It's been said that fear, greed, and/or a desire for power rule the world. Let's consider for a moment how fear affects the world — and particularly us as individual believers. There is truly just cause for fear in today's world. War, …( read more )

How do we know what we ought to do? Where do our direction and strength come from? A friend once wrote me about how God helps her to know what she ought to do. She experiences His nudging or encouraging when she is making decisions, just …( read more )

I grew up looking at mountains. Raised on a mountain just outside the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there was not a day that my eyes could escape looking at mountains. People come from all over the world to behold …( read more )

A member of our church called me one day in September to ask if I could help her. She was born in the Netherlands and followed her Canadian soldier fiancé to Canada shortly after the war. They married and had five children. Her husband …( read more )

At the beginning of May, I called a former Managing Director of the pipeline engineering firm for whom I worked to congratulate him on his 94th birthday. In my early years with the company, I worked for him, and later, with him. The two of …( read more )

My advancing years have prompted me to ask a lot. I ask fellow walkers to get me across the street safely by letting me know when the light turns to the "Walk" signal. In the grocery store, I ask helping hands to reach items or to look at …( read more )

I'm a quilter — some would say an obsessive one. I make dozens of charity quilts each year. If I've learned anything in all that sewing, it's that the needle follows the eye. When I'm sewing two pieces of a quilt together, accurate …( read more )

Seasons in life are just as real as seasons in nature. Yes, some seasons are quick, while some are much longer, and at times, we wish that they would just move on. For me, the season was fall, with winter looming in the not-too-distant …( read more )

A couple of nights ago, we were awakened by a great commotion outside. Coyotes were in the area — probably in the field behind our house — yipping and howling and carrying on. There were also clear sounds of an animal in distress. That …( read more )

I've written two previous devotionals on the London transit service's slogan, "Every Journey Matters", the first focusing on the word "Every" and the second on the word "Journey". A reader of the Daily wrote to me recently and …( read more )

Whaaaaat? One minute I was striding purposefully along the parking lot towards my vehicle, and then, my ankle went under, and I was falling. Strangely, I was not afraid, but my first thought was, "Have I broken my ankle?" Slowly, I felt …( 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 )

During the last month, we have seen a number of events of terrible carnage in various places: Ankara, Turkey, October 12th – 97 killed, 250 injured; Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, October 31st – a Russian airliner allegedly brought down by …( read more )

Some of my favourite devotionals are written by missionaries who share testimonies of people from all over the world. One message, in particular, stands out in my mind: the story of an individual from South Africa who has Downs syndrome. …( read more )

On a recent Sunday, I attended church for the first time in a month. I had been sick with high blood pressure and in the hospital. Now I am back to normal, just feeling very weak. But that Sunday was way beyond my control. Besides …( read more )

For the past few weeks, I have been using my road bike more than my trail bike. Both bikes have a side mirror attached to the left handlebar that allows me to see traffic as it approaches from my left. Due to hand and arm placement on my …( read more )

Most of us have been captivated by the news that a commercial airliner was shot down over the Ukraine on July 17th, killing all 298 people on board. Of the victims, 198 were citizens of the Netherlands. We watched the news in disbelief, …( read more )

There are many such places in the Bible where God speaks to people directly, or through an angel, or by way of the Holy Spirit. But not all of us get such clear instructions. Let me explain. In December of 1966, the company that I worked …( read more )

My years in farm country were filled with lessons from each changing season. When rainy season came, it would rain for days. The rush of rain was heavy at times and the downpour loud. There would be damage where the streams of water made …( read more )

Several summers ago, when a friend and I were on a cruise to the Holy Land, everything got changed all of a sudden — a bomb blew up at the dock at our original destination. We all had to go a different way up into Jerusalem by bus. I …( read more )

The early morning sky hung heavy with dark clouds. I hoped that the forecast of no precipitation would be correct. Travelling along the busy multi-lane highway during the transition between rain and snow would be an unnerving journey. Through my … (read more)

When we tell someone to look up, we are encouraging them to have a positive attitude, boosting their morale, and reminding them not to give up when the going gets rough. We look up to read the road signs to … (read more)

I have always been the type to worship and speak to God through music. Both in times of happiness and stress, I find myself singing snippets from songs to help give praise and thanks to the Lord. It's rarely a … (read more)

The Olympic and Paralympic Games held in our province are now history. And whether people had tickets to games or were among those of us who just were able to experience the experience, there will be endless stories to tell. … (read more)

In years past, I've pretty well cleared up the leaves that are left on the ground after they have fallen and been blown around. Three years ago, I was away a great deal, getting in some good Nana time, as … (read more)

An elderly lady with a walker was ahead of me, when the automatic door refused to open and had to be operated manually. I watched as she approached the door, placed her walker against it, and began to push. I … (read more)

I thought it was going to be just another Monday morning: the usual commute to church, trying to avoid the usual traffic jam, whilst listening to the usual radio program. Just another Monday — until I arrived at the church. … (read more)

My husband and I toured the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina late in November — after the leaves had fallen, but before the snow came that would bring the skiers to the slopes. The scenes from the parkway and … (read more)

Looking through the bedding plants at the nursery recently, I noticed the plants were marked for "full sun", "partial sun", or "shade". This is important information for me, since I have large pecan trees in my yard that shade most … (read more)

A few weeks ago, the Halifax Chronicle Herald carried an article about my latest writing project, collecting stories about special crossings of the Canso Causeway, to be put in a book of memories in time for the Fiftieth Anniversary celebrations … (read more)

Young and old alike warmly received the local parish priest into their homes for a visit. Not long ago, on a Monday, his normal day off, he dropped into a parishioner's home for a cup of tea and a wee … (read more)

Many years ago, my family and I were vacationing in the North Georgia Mountains at Vogel State Park. A church service for the campers was held on Sunday on the veranda of the pavilion. It extended out over a mountain … (read more)

At church the other day, we had to squeeze in a few rows from the back behind a parent and two children. The youngest, a pre-school boy, was rather boisterous and demanding of the mother's attention, in contrast to the … (read more)