Author Archive

A Therapy Dog On Duty

Saturday, October 5, 2013

I have a Shi-Tzu dog named Daisy Mae who is also a therapy dog for St. John's Ambulance. We go into the local nursing home every Thursday and visit with the residents there. She just loves to bring joy to these older folks. They also seem … Read more

The White Rodent

Saturday, February 2, 2013

I live in Wiarton, Ontario, Canada, the home of "Wiarton Willie" an albino groundhog. Each February 2nd, they wake the poor creature up so that the mayor can speak "groundhogese" to this critter and find out if there will be an early … Read more

Meeting A Friend For The First Time

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The other day, I had a chance to meet another of the Daily devotional writers. We have corresponded by e-mail many times, and over the years have become friends. I had a chance to be close to her area of … Read more

The Red Squirrel

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Each day, we put out six or seven peanuts, in the shell, on our deck railing for the blue jays, as well as the feed in the bird feeders in the backyard. But there is also a red squirrel which … Read more

Christmas At Our House

Monday, December 25, 2006

Christmas Eve at our house has always been a time of high excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, it was not always for the right reasons. Our tradition for the 34 years my wife and I have been married has been to … Read more

The Eagle And The Deer

Tuesday, August 26, 2003

This Bible verse has always been a favourite of mine. It wasn't until I came west just over five years ago that I saw an eagle soaring in the wild. This past summer, I got to see my favourite Bible … Read more

Set In Our Ways

Thursday, February 20, 2003

Each fall, I love to watch the Canada geese as they prepare to migrate south. So many things they do make me think of people, especially Christians. Geese fly in a V formation so that the birds behind can fly … Read more

Road Signs

Saturday, February 15, 2003

When I go on long trips by car, I love to watch road signs, not only to keep me safe, but also to help pass the time. Sometimes they even make me think of something else, such as the parables … Read more

The Light

Thursday, February 6, 2003

I live in a mid-western Canadian city that is very dependent on heavy oil as one of its main resources. There is an upgrader, at the east end of the city, which takes the heavy oil and upgrades it into … Read more

Scenic Route

Saturday, January 25, 2003

There is an old saying that the shortest way between two points is a straight line. Usually, when I want to go somewhere that is quite a distance away, I telephone the Auto Club and ask for a "trip tick". … Read more

Prayer

Saturday, January 18, 2003

I know a couple who have been praying for a new job for the husband. He was laid off from his old job, and has even gone to another province to find work. In addition, he has taken training in … Read more

Beauty In The Eye Of The Beholder

Saturday, January 11, 2003

In the area of western Canada where I live, we have a bird called the Black-billed Magpie. The Latin name is Pica pica. This bird is a scourge to the ranchers because it often sits on the backs of cattle … Read more

Prayer And A Cry For Help

Tuesday, January 29, 2002

Some time ago I sent out a prayer request on this devotional page. What I was really doing, I realized later, was sending out a cry for help. My wife and I were very discouraged, and we needed encouragement and … Read more

A River Runs Through It

Friday, January 11, 2002

On the week before Labour Day my wife and I took a short vacation to southern British Columbia. We spent several days in the Okanagan Valley, where the fruit was ripening on the trees, and we were able to pick … Read more

Canada Geese

Friday, November 9, 2001

I am fortunate to live in one of the staging areas and flyways for the Canada and Snow Geese. These beautiful birds collect by the thousands in the grain fields and on the many lakes in this area of the … Read more

God's Paintbrush

Saturday, October 20, 2001

On a recent trip back to south-western Ontario, Canada, for a wedding, my wife and I were treated to one of the beautiful splendours of that area: the annual turning of the leaves with their fall colours. I didn't realize … Read more

Doing What God Asks

Friday, October 5, 2001

Have you ever noticed that sometimes God, or someone else, has to keep hitting us over the head with the proverbial two-by-four to get our attention? I don't know how many times I had read the scripture passages quoted today. … Read more

Sunset And Lightning

Thursday, September 13, 2001

Here in mid-western Canada, an unusual phenomenon occurs. Perhaps because of the vast expanse of sky and the absence of pollution and humidity, we can often see a sunset in the east as well as in the west. The sun … Read more

An Unexpected Harvest

Wednesday, September 5, 2001

As the interim moderator for a small rural two-point charge in Alberta, Canada, I am required to go there and celebrate the sacraments, among other things. One weekend this summer when my wife and I were going, we decided to … Read more

Labour Day

Monday, September 3, 2001

Today is the day that many of us celebrate as Labour Day. As I was thinking about this day, I got to wondering what this day really means to people. For many here in North America, it is the last … Read more

Who Am I?

Wednesday, June 16, 1999

Somehow this didn't really answer my question though. Physically I had the answer, but spiritually, in God's eyes, who am I? I read the scripture again but this time I went a little further and read verse 9 and then … Read more

Hosannas And Palms

Sunday, March 28, 1999

There is always something wonderful and stirring about Palm Sunday. Many of us celebrate by waving palm fronds in our churches just the way the people did at the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem. We sing songs with the … Read more

Food From God

Wednesday, March 24, 1999

This past winter in my adopted province of Alberta, Canada, I have experienced something called hoarfrost. This happens when a heavy fog freezes on everything. The most beautiful sight is trees, which have been bleak and dreary one day, covered … Read more

A Little Child (2)

Monday, February 8, 1999

[Editor's Note: Although those of the Reformed tradition baptize infants while those of the Anabaptist and other traditions dedicate infants, the point of this devotional about including older children is the same in either case.] The week after we celebrated … Read more

A Little Child (1)

Sunday, February 7, 1999

As a minister I have always felt that it is important to include children in the worship service. This, to me, usually meant a children's story which might, or might not, be on the sermon topic. It wasn't until we … Read more

Family

Friday, January 15, 1999

I thank God that I have always had a good relationship with my family, both immediate and extended. As a minister I often speak with single parent families, and with those caught up in abusive family relationships. It wasn't until … Read more

Friends

Thursday, November 5, 1998

I recently had the chance to meet and enjoy a day with a new and dear friend. I met this lady through the daily devotionals she writes for this page and she has become a good friend in the last … Read more

God's Holy Mountain

Saturday, October 24, 1998

The other day my wife and I had our first chance to see some of the Rocky Mountains. As transplanted "Easterners" we have never seen this area of the country before. Every time we turned a corner the scenery changed … Read more

Where Do You Find God?

Tuesday, September 29, 1998

Where do you find God, pastor? As a minister that is a question I am often asked. To me the answer is unlimited. As I sit and write this, we are receiving a warm gentle rain, a rain that has … Read more

Do Not Worry About Tomorrow

Saturday, September 26, 1998

When I first arrived here in Alberta at a new pastoral charge, there was great anxiety and stress. Could I survive without my wife of 25 years and my family for such a long time? We have never been separated … Read more

Delivering The Word

Saturday, September 12, 1998

For many years I worked for the Post Office. I was always intrigued by letters that would come to people especially letters which you could tell were from friends or relatives. At the end of my postal career, I reverted … Read more

 



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