I enjoy receiving and leafing through Land's End catalogues. For the twenty years we've lived in Florida however, serious purchase consideration has been primarily limited to light weight knits, chlorine resistant swimsuits, and various lengths of shorts. All those wonderfully … Read more

On my first assignment as a supply teacher, I spent the hour before the start of school looking over the various mathematics lessons that I would teach that day. What clever examples I had devised for illustrating the commutative, associative, … Read more

In the movie Contact, a search committee decides that the person representing Earth to other life in our universe should believe in God. The courageous heroine of the film, portrayed with all of Jodie Foster's usual intensity, cannot meet that … Read more

It took more than an hour, but I finally got the window shade brackets securely attached in just the right spot so that my son's room-darkening shade could be hung. It was summer vacation after all, and sometimes even 11-year-old … Read more

Aunt Edna prided herself on her independence. No one was allowed to assist her in the maintenance of her home or even to drive her to and from her dialysis treatments. She was a good and generous person, but absolutely … Read more

I finally got to live among hills, mountains actually, during our much anticipated family vacation in Alaska. For most of our holiday we were blessed with clear, crisp weather, allowing for fantastic visibility. On other days we were blessed with … Read more

When my daughter and I attended a concert recently, we were disappointed to discover that our seats were quite a bit farther from the stage than the TicketMaster chart had led us to believe. "At least we're not in the … Read more

A favourite topic of conversation among local senior citizens is the comparison of the Early Bird Specials offered at various restaurants. Listening to a nearby discussion, I learned that Denny's ranks high for providing a free piece of pie with … Read more

Several times throughout the year, our town's ecumenical group of Christians – Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists, and Catholics – gather for a joint worship service. The hosting church usually provides the liturgy and choir, and a visiting preacher or … Read more

A young woman asks if I have signed up for an upcoming 5K "Fun Run." "Oh, Karen, I'm not a racer; I just chug along for my health." "But how do you know until you try? How can you improve … Read more

Even raised the modern way, sheep seem to be an awfully messy, labour-intensive bother, and I can't imagine why anyone would choose to raise them as an occupation. Indeed, shepherds themselves are at a loss to explain their calling: Now … Read more

In her book, Raising Sheep the Modern Way, British Columbian Paula Simmons presents a nuts-and-bolts explanation of the vocation, including such topics as fences, feeds, lambing positions, parasites, hoof care, shearing, and mutton recipes. Yet even in such a secular … Read more

In his book The Shepherd Psalm, F.B. Meyer refers to "goodness and lovingkindness" as our "celestial escort". Charles Swindoll suggests that these are "God's sheepdogs", ever near His flock, nipping at our heels to keep us in line, on guard … Read more

A shepherd who comes to a new field uproots poisonous plants, searches for evidence of predators, and "prepares" it by pouring thick oil around the viper holes he finds, producing a surface too slick for the vipers to pass over. … Read more

Sheep are virtually defenceless. While most animals have some effective means of defence — sharp claws; teeth; speed; ability to hide; keenness of smell, sight, or hearing; great strength; ferocity — sheep are awkward, weak, and ignorant; their spindly legs … Read more

As teen-age rebellions go, I suppose this one is relatively mild: my daughter finds "our" church boring and prefers to attend worship service at quite a different church. Despite membership and active participation in our town's Ecumenical Council, despite reinforcing … Read more

When joints or muscles ache from too much weekend exercise, I'm fairly quick to realize that my body's trying to tell me something and encourage healing along with the appropriate dose of Ibuprophen, an ice pack or heating pad, rest, … Read more

Oh, but I do want! I want sparkling, riveting words to appear on the computer screen as my fingers press the keys. I want to approach "parent-teacher conferences" with smug confidence rather than fearful apprehension. I want more time to … Read more

How often have we begged God for a "sign" so that we would know God's will? When we pray, how do we recognize God's direction over the beguiling call of our desires and perceived needs? Wouldn't it be so nice … Read more