After four years, the time has come once again for the Olympic games! The wall-to-wall excitement this summer has already started with each nation's team selections in June and continues on with the opening ceremony along the Seine River … Read more

For the last few weeks, I've been having electrical problems. The ceiling light in my craft room started flickering wildly, causing anything that was plugged into that circuit to turn off. Consequently, my computer suddenly shut down in … Read more

A newborn baby's first possession is his name. Parents normally put much time and consideration into the name that they give their child. It is a person's name that identifies and sets him apart from all the other people in the world. … Read more

One week prior to my high school graduation, the Pennsylvania State University awarded me entrance into the College of Art as an applied art major. As an upstart, studying the masters of art, from the classics to the contemporary, was … Read more

Snow-shy birds recently back from warmer climates sang me awake to a crystalline glaze frosting every surface. I walked outside with my golden canine companion across crusty puddles that crunched and crackled underfoot. Elliot sniffed … Read more

A good friend of mine — a published author of both fiction and non-fiction — is writing a new suspense novel, and she sent me her manuscript. I'm caught up in the story. Full of tension and expectation, the book has me on the edge of my … Read more

I attended a church event which included some fun activities for the Christmas season. The first one was called an "ice breaker" because it was meant to make everyone feel at home. The following names were written on the blackboard: the … Read more

From May until September each year, my husband keeps a hummingbird feeder outside our east-facing window. One of the delights of summer is the wondrous pleasure of watching the daily dance of "hummers" as they swoop, dip, sip, reverse, and … Read more

Winter was all but gone and spring was in the air. Feeling invigorated, I headed out into the sunshine for some final winter fun on the skating rink at Victoria Park. I struck a pose, and struck the ice, ending … Read more

A ceramic nativity set became a part of our family Christmas the year we moved into our new home, when I was four years old. Mama would tell folks that my favourite place to reside during the Christmas season was … Read more

One of the hardest things in life for an expectant mother is to find out that the baby that she has been carrying for almost eight months is stillborn. In a moment's time, the world of the expectant father and … Read more

Though I love collecting dolls as a hobby, the ragdoll I write about in this devotional is probably not the kind of doll you are thinking of. Instead, it is a beautiful, lively breed of kitten that acquired the name … Read more

Last Wednesday, I went to a feed store to buy some seeds. By this time in the summer, most garden shops are out of seeds, so I was delighted to get some for a second planting to replenish my salad garden. The next evening, one mean … Read more

Last year, I had surgery on my neck, due to a disc pressing on my spinal cord. For numerous reasons, I was not looking forward to it. I was scared of surgery — not because I thought something would happen, but just the fact of the … Read more

As a child, my older brother owned a horse, Prince. He raised it from a foal and trained it to start running the minute he put his foot in the stirrup. Then they would gallop on down the road. Prince's … Read more

How easy it is to praise the Lord when everything in our life seems to be going great! We all know how difficult we human beings find it to praise rather than to grumble when things are going wrong. It … Read more

Last June, my journey of faith brought me to be the settled pastor at Lakeville United Church of Christ. I had been out of full-time church ministry for almost ten years. God had guided me to open a home for … Read more

When I peered out the window early in the morning, I discovered God had sent us snow in all its lovely whiteness. It would be a beautiful snow-glistening day. A couple of inches of the white frozen flakes covered the … Read more

My friend Joy's four-year-old daughter, Leah, had a way of making up any number of excuses in order to come out of her room after she had been tucked in bed for the evening. After several evenings of Leah wandering … Read more

I am still slogging away at my weight. The numbers are thirty less than this time last year, but it has been "eating season" once again! My goal: more pounds off this year. For many of us, the New Year … Read more

For some time now, I have found that I am extremely hard on myself, when it comes to my walk with Christ, and rightly so. I hold myself to a higher standard than I do other people, and I often … Read more

When I worked on the Special Education school bus, I had to be at school at 5:30 AM. One morning, as I waited in the parking lot, I noticed the Big Dipper. I enjoy seeing the Dipper, and I have … Read more

It never ceases to amaze me that God can take something that is irritating, turn it around and make a blessing out of it. When I worked on the special education bus, the bus driver and I started our morning … Read more

During a time in my life when I was in a whirlwind of emotional pain and confusion, and wanting so much to do whatever it took to find release and direction, a friend came alongside me and kept pouring truth … Read more

The flight home after my ten-day summer vacation left before midnight and it was pretty packed. Little kids were in various stages of wanting or needing to be asleep, as were some adults. I was just about to sit in … Read more