In the summer of 2014, my husband Jim was the lay minister at K-Bar, a recreational vehicle (RV) resort in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona, USA. He was also suffering the side effects of chemotherapy, so he sat on a stool to … Read more

When I was about a year old and my sister was two, my parents deposited both of us in an old truck tire on a beach of the Bering Sea. Then, they went away to search for the glass balls that came off Japanese fish nets and floated up to the … Read more

"I'm supposed to bring a plate to the hockey banquet next week," my young son announced. "Bring a plate? What do you mean, Stephen?" I asked him, perplexed. "That's what the coach said." I wasn't familiar with the idiom "bring a plate", … Read more

Years ago, John and I raised sheep on our farm. During those years of farming, we learned many spiritual lessons. God's creatures can teach us much if we pay attention. Our sheep would come running from the back fields to the barn only if … Read more

During this Eastertide, we are living through a season of resurrection and hope. Some use that word hope as an acronym for Heal Our Planet Earth. Hope is what we cling to in these dark days of war and destruction, global warming and … Read more

Do you ever feel like giving up on the Christian life, as if God doesn't hear your prayers, or even care? Growing up in a Presbyterian church in Ottawa, Canada, I learned a lot about prayer. I memorized the Lord's Prayer in Sunday School, … Read more

Moshe Reuven Asman, chief rabbi of Ukraine, called on Christians and Jews to say together the following words from Psalm 31 as Russian forces attacked the Ukraine on various fronts. People of faith are drawn together to offer comfort and … Read more

My two-and-a-half-year-old grandchild, Lindy, loves to sing, even though she doesn't yet speak, other than the odd word here and there. What better place to sing but at church? After all, everyone else is singing, so she loves to join … Read more

Jewels can sometimes be found among the junk. My wife calls it "junking", and she does it quite often. When possible, I usually tag along. We don't actually visit junkyards or stores, but we call what we do junking because we do it among … Read more

We often travelled by skin boat (called a umiak) when visiting our family's tin mine in the White Mountains in Alaska, USA. The boats were made of walrus hide stretched over a framework. In my first year of life, wrapped completely in … Read more

This has always been one of my favourite Bible verses. However, Paul says nothing about when all things will work together for good. I recently received an e-mail that emphasized this fact for me. It read, "It's wonderful how God … Read more

I have a screen saver on my computer that shows a lake with wildflowers and trees. This setting was the lake behind our house for fifteen years. It was wonderful to hear the loons calling every day through six summers. I used to watch the … Read more

When I was younger in the faith, I recall God starting to teach me about the person of the Holy Spirit. On weekends, I would locate a public school close to my house and find an open, shaded place devoid of distractions. Then, I would sit … Read more

Like many of my pastor peers, for the past year, I've been leading online services and preaching each week from my office desk. This pandemic has changed everything about church, and I now wonder: when all of this is over, what will the … Read more

The other morning, I was looking out the kitchen window at a fair amount of water lying on the concrete landing. I turned and said to my husband, "Too bad that when the man did that work out there, he didn't put a bit of a slant on the … Read more

Hallelujah! Today is my birthday! First, I wish to thank God for His steadfast love towards me and my family in all these years. However, a few days back, when I sat down for a quick review of my journey thus far, one truth was impressed … Read more

Hurricane Zeta was less than 24 hours away from the small Mississippi town of Lucedale. The people didn't know it yet, but Zeta would bring Katrina-like destruction in the next few days. The town's population rushed to secure their … Read more

I once took a class in black-and-white photography at a local art school. Our first assignment was to take interesting photos to develop in the school photo lab. I spent happy hours photographing the Rideau Canal locks here in Ottawa, and … Read more

It was a chilly Monday morning. After two days of anger at a particular situation in the media, I was on my way to work. I'd be useless at my job as a church secretary with all this mess in my heart. I needed to spend some time in the … Read more

I have an artist friend who paints glorious landscapes in amazing detail. His depictions of the Atlantic waves breaking themselves on the rocky shores of Newfoundland, or the gentle slap of fresh water on the burnished, burnt rocks of … Read more

When I was growing up, our chicken house usually housed a dozen or so generally docile hens, but the least disturbance could result in a cacophony of indignant clucking and flapping of wings before they'd all settle back down again on … Read more

The dogs were barking insanely, racing along the fence from one end to the other. Frank, my gelding, and the three goats stood in the corral looking frightened. My mind was on the grizzly that had been hanging around. As I left the … Read more

There was a time when I wanted to do a business transaction with a stranger, and this particular deal involved a large amount of money. So, I quickly consulted one of my mentors about my plan, and he said, "Let's ask the Lord about it … Read more

As our pandemic lingers, people naturally yearn for former freedoms — including public worship. Mixed feelings abound over such matters. Restless tension grows between restraints and freedoms. As in any polarized situation, we can easily … Read more

Recently, I've been thinking about the blessings that have come out of the self-isolation due to the current lockdown. For one thing, I have been grateful to God for the gift of time to improve the PresbyCan website. In early May, I began … Read more

Each spring in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the season is announced first by snowdrops, then by crocus blossoms. The sloping lawns around the Parliament Buildings are adorned by beds of the cheery crocus, purple and golden. For those of us who … Read more

If ever there were a time when we need to approach the throne of grace, it's now! The whole world has been turned upside down. We need God. We need His peace. We need His strength. There is no one else to turn to. Prayer is a gift from … Read more

Someone who wants to walk on a path in the dark certainly needs a flashlight in order to avoid tripping or stumbling, for in being so equipped, an accident can be prevented. God's Word to the believer fulfills the same function: it is a … Read more

I hated the pressure cooker when I was growing up. It hissed and made strange noises. I expected it to blow up every time Mom used it. My bedroom was beside the kitchen, so I had to walk by the scary thing any time I left my room. I'd dash … Read more

Our pastor designed a diagram easily understood by the congregation. It often appeared on the screen as he preached. There were some who rolled their eyes and muttered, "Not the circles again!" But most of us grinned and settled down for … Read more

When I first started doing street evangelism, I had a real challenge. I noticed that for every ten persons I came across on the street, nine claimed that they already knew Jesus and were born-again Christians. Hence, preaching to them was … Read more

My wife and I recently purchased a condominium in Victoria on Canada's Vancouver Island, and we intend to move there shortly. The woman from whom we purchased the condominium was a widow. She was dying, and she wanted to sell her home to … Read more

When we hear about other people going through hardship in a noble way, it can actually be a source of encouragement for us. First, we sympathize with their situation and offer help. But it can also make us think, "If they can do it, so … Read more