I still remember my great-aunt from the hills of Kentucky, USA. Aunt Anise had an old, covered water well in her backyard, which was absolutely amazing for a city boy like me. She also wrung chickens by the neck, plucked their feathers, … Read more

Some of us recall those days when a doctor made house calls, carrying a black bag stocked with medicines. After he assessed our trouble, we'd be offered a suitable remedy. Today, house calls have been replaced with clinic visits or perhaps … Read more

My son-in-law Marc would make a great tour guide. My daughter's family has included me in a number of their trips, and it takes much skill and patience to wrangle our group of five — my daughter, my son-in-law, two college-age … Read more

The first family road trip that I remember taking happened when I was eleven years old. From our home on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, we travelled all the way to the Okanagan. Now an easy trip of eight or nine hours, it took … Read more

Although age is a privilege that many poor souls are denied, age is certainly not kind in numerous ways. Pain, critical health issues, and loss of loved ones come along, uninvited, to hinder our lives and deny us peace — so much so, that … Read more

When John and I were farming, we had a flock of a hundred sheep. The sheep taught us so many lessons, much like the ones found in Scripture. March and April were the months when the new lambs were to be born, so I would spend hours at … Read more

When I looked at the Old Testament Psalm 23, I realized that those ancient words of David would be very reassuring and valuable to us in our present circumstances. The sole purpose of a shepherd is to look after all of the sheep under … Read more

Do a favour for a person, and the world will reward you with a flat tire — or so it seems! The last few flat tires have had the same scenario: call the tow truck for a ride home, just after I had done a favour for a friend. My … 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

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 turn God into whatever I think of Him. Dad was a harsh disciplinarian — at least when I was young. I'm not sure where his ideas of discipline sprang from, because he didn't copy the pattern of his parents or grandparents. Dad went by … Read more

As we prepared for our long trip, my husband purchased a product to put on the windshield so that rain will bead up on it. He got the car ready as I packed. When we travel, we always take turns driving. As we left, with my husband driving, … Read more

The invitation read: Because you have been falsely accused, ridiculed, mocked, and rejected, a table has been prepared for you in the presence of your enemies. Please accept our invitation. It went on to spell out the specifics: date, … 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

My story has a "happy ending"; not all do. There are no easy or trite answers in the dark, obscure valleys which comprise parts of our lives. Although it took years before I saw this time in my life through eyes of faith, I do now … Read more

For the past 25 years or so, I have been a pastoral care volunteer at the local Long Term Care facility. During that time, I have led Bible discussions and worship services when needed. Because of my involvement, I have met many people who … Read more

This spring, I attended a special performance of Handel's Messiah by an orchestra and choir in Dublin, Ireland. I wasn't aware that the music was written for Easter, not Christmas. First performed in Dublin on April 13th, 1742, I … Read more

During the time when I lived in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, I saw many flocks of sheep in the desert area where we were building a 175-mile pipeline. On several occasions, I had to fly to our field office in the interior of the … Read more

I started to read the New Testament while walking on my treadmill five days each week. Some passages about Jesus being the light of hope in a dark world caught my eye and made me think of an event which happened a few years ago. One of … Read more

Have you ever felt sorry for yourself and asked that age-old question "Why me, Lord?" I hope that some of my readers have been there, so that I don't feel all alone. As some of you are probably aware, my life has been turned upside down. … Read more

When I was a little girl, maybe about three-and-a-half years of age, some of my family and some visiting cousins, children, and adults were on a patch of grassy-green yard just beyond our kitchen doorsteps. It was a beautiful, … Read more

In 1972, while studying at Montpellier in the south of France, I played tourist one weekend and went exploring the countryside farther east. On that trip, I discovered the ruins of an old town, perched high on a rocky promontory. During … Read more

Our daughter is "horse crazy". She has been since she was ten years old, when she went with a friend to his riding lesson for the disabled, as they were both deaf. Shortly after that, she began taking riding lessons, too. Over the years, … Read more

It seemed as though my well had run dry regarding devotional material, because I have only so many experiences to draw from. But I had an email today from a sister in Christ. After commenting on one of my devotionals, she wrote, "I pray … Read more

Living in a tiny, remote, northern community requires that we travel a minimum of two hours each way to the closest city in order to access many vital services that our small town is unable to provide. We normally make this trip twice a … Read more

Most people in my Bible class at the Meaford Long Term Care Centre have worries. Some are unable to get around without help; others are having trouble remembering. There are those who worry about their families and, in some cases, their … Read more

The seed of doubt that was planted in the mind of Eve by the serpent in the Book of Genesis still has the ability to rear its ugly head in our minds and hearts today. Just like sin, doubt can creep right in, in a way that we aren't even … Read more

Since we moved last December, we have had to tell several people what our new address is, and when we start to tell them how to get to our place, they tell us that they have a GPS which will show them how to get here, in detail even. I am … Read more

For the first time ever, this winter, I strapped on a pair of snowshoes and hiked off at speed over head-high snowdrifts into our scrubby wetlands. It was giddy. As I made those initial strides, the thought came, "I am walking on water — … Read more

I sauntered along beneath a canopy of trees, rays of sunlight periodically penetrating the thick overgrowth and slithering to the ground, giving a checkered effect beneath my feet — a mixture of sun and shadows. As the day grew weary, the … Read more

Bobo is a cuddly-looking donkey whose main job is to guard sheep. I met Bobo one wintry day while visiting a farm. He was standing near a flock of sheep, which were grazing contentedly at an outdoor hay feeder. Bobo looked quite placid … Read more

The book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, indicates that one way a shepherd tends sheep is to place pesticide on the animals to prevent parasites and insects. Sheep may worry to death or experience disease from such sources. W. … Read more

I have recently watched a few television shows about dying or death and what happens afterwards, ranging from the secular Dr. Oz to the spiritual 700 Club. We are all interested in it, even though we say that we don't … Read more