Several years ago, when our praise team was practicing Christmas songs, I was challenged to write words to fit one of the songs that we were learning, "Emmanuel Has Come" by Don Moen, because …( read more )

At some point in our lives, many of us will invest money for our retirement. Those of us who are retired may be drawing an additional source of income from the investments that we made when we were younger. Some, however, may have seen …( read more )

I recently had a colonoscopy, as many others have had. It's described as a medical test that is used to detect changes or abnormalities in the colon or large intestine. During the procedure, a tiny video camera allows the doctor to view …( read more )

We've all heard the saying, "Patience is a virtue". Well, I'm not a patient person. I once read these words on a plaque: "God, grant me patience, and I want it now!" Patience is something that we all need, especially in these days of …( read more )

Many find the book of Psalms in the Bible to be a source of comfort and encouragement. In fact, it is probably the most widely read book of the Bible. Jesus quoted from the Psalms more often than any other Scripture. The Psalms express …( read more )

Many of us are wearing masks these days, and there are a lot of different styles and patterns to choose from — ranging from disposable ones to designer looks. Sometimes, it's hard to recognize people when they're wearing their masks. Just …( read more )

I hugged my daughter yesterday for the first time in over three months. It was a long hug! We have always hugged whenever we say goodbye, and it has felt strange not being able to do that for all that time. You could say that we are a …( read more )

Praise God for the gift of music! Singing songs of praise can lift our spirits and fill us with His joy. I love to sing and give glory to God through praise songs and hymns. I play my favourite CDs when we are in the car. Lately, I have …( 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 )

Winter isn't my favourite season. Although it's very beautiful after a snowfall — a winter wonderland, as they say — I don't like it when the wind blows and visibility becomes almost nil, especially if we have to travel somewhere. We …( read more )

It's that SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) time of the year again! I don't like the dark, and I'm longing for the days when they get longer again. I've been using my light therapy lamp since the beginning of November. It's become part of …( read more )

Recently in my Bible reading, I have particularly noticed several verses that could well serve us as new year's resolutions: As I was going through my filing cabinet removing old files in readiness for the coming year, I came across …( read more )

We're all familiar with the nursery rhyme: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty together again. At times it seems like the world is falling apart, …( read more )

Our church has a group of volunteers — the men's work crew — who meet at the church every Wednesday morning from September to June to do odd jobs and minor repairs around the church building. Over the years, they have saved the church …( read more )

An inheritance is something passed down from parents to their children or other persons named in their will. As a child of my parents, I inherited their cottage when they passed away. When my husband and I retired, almost twenty years ago, …( read more )

I recently wrote a devotional about our foster child in the Philippines. She's a principal now and is in charge of several schools. We keep in touch through Facebook, and she often posts pictures of the schools, which are usually in old …( read more )

My late Scottish mother-in-law taught me this song. We always got a chuckle out of it when she sang it, especially because she had false teeth. Last night there was murder at the fish shop A wee dug stole a haddie bone A big dug tried tae …( read more )

Recently, I set a goal to write 100 devotionals for PresbyCan Daily before the end of 2018, and this is #100. I wrote my first devotional in 2000. Over the years, I have truly appreciated the feedback that I have received from …( read more )

It's the season. He's the reason. It's that time of year again when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Born in a lowly stable. Heralded by a host of angels. Worshipped by shepherds and wise men. A tiny baby. A …( read more )

Monday morning is my time to check my weight. Today, I was dreading it. I'd had a bad week. It wasn't good news. I've struggled with my weight since I was a teenager. It's in the family. My dad had a weight problem, as did his mother. …( read more )

It was just a few days before Christmas. "We need to go and buy a turkey," one said to the other. "I thought I saw a turkey in our freezer," said the other. Sure enough, deep down in the freezer, there was a turkey. And it had a date on …( read more )

Stop the roller coaster! I want to get off. Since I don't like heights, I've never liked roller coasters. However, one summer at Canada's Wonderland, when our daughter was about six years old, I decided to go on one of the tamer roller …( read more )

There have been times in my life when I have listened to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit, like in the early 1970s when we sponsored our first foster child, Marilou, from the Philippines. I was very faithful in writing letters and sending …( read more )

It's been just over a year since a very dear friend of ours passed away suddenly from cancer. Eight months ago, our daughter-in-law's father passed away within three weeks of finding out that he was ill. And now, another dear friend of …( read more )

Recently, my husband and a friend were outside cutting down trees on our property. The area where we live is surrounded by many maple trees and silver birches. Unfortunately, many of the birch trees are dead and need to be taken down. They …( read more )

Recently, we had a church picnic planned for a Sunday afternoon at a local conservation area. The weather forecast for the entire weekend wasn't good. Saturday was dull all day. The forecast for Sunday didn't look much better. Early …( read more )

Do you believe in miracles? Over the past few days, the entire world has been watching the discovery and rescue of a team of twelve Thai boys and their coach, who were trapped in a cave in Thailand. It was a miracle that they were even …( read more )

When my husband and I were asked to lead an Alpha small group at our church a few years ago, we were in the right place at the right time. Thus began many Bible studies and many special relationships with so many wonderful people in our …( read more )

You may remember that a few years ago, there was a plush toy, "Tickle Me Elmo", based on the Muppet character Elmo from the children's television show, Sesame Street. When Elmo's tummy was squeezed, he shook, vibrated, and giggled. …( read more )

Ever since I was a teenager, I haven't liked having my picture taken. I do, however, like taking pictures of nature — birds, flowers, scenery — and especially of my family. So, for many years, I was the official picture taker. The …( read more )

It's that time of year again: time to go through drawers and closets, sorting out, downsizing, and organizing. It's something that I like to do about this time each year, before the good weather comes when I would rather be outside …( read more )

Lately, I've been googling everything. If I need a recipe, I can google it. If I want to know how many calories or carbs are in a certain food, I can google it. If I want to find out where a restaurant is located in a city when I'm …( read more )

I'm a romantic. I love to read Christian romance books. I enjoy watching Hallmark movies. I love happy endings! The greatest love story ever written is God's love story. God is a good, good Father — it's who He is. How amazing is this …( read more )