The name "Canada" is rooted in an Iroquois word "kanata" meaning "settlement" or "land". The land now known as Canada and the peoples who dwell in it are much older than the 150 years marked on July 1st in a sesquicentennial celebration. …( read more )

The instructor at a recent meeting of the local canoe club presented three navigational aids: a map, a compass, and a GPS. He then challenged the members present with a question: If you were able to take only one of the three on a trip, …( read more )

A major announcement on February 2, 2011 from one of the news networks heralded the launch of the so-called first daily newspaper for iPads. I first read the announcement on a news page from yahoo.com; sadly, that story no longer appears …( read more )

I am usually a peaceful man who enjoys the wildlife — birds, squirrels, and the like — which frequent our yard. Last Saturday, however, I was heard to say, "I would like to shoot that rabbit!" The problem was that … (read more)

Canada, as the host nation for the 2010 Winter Olympics, has set a new record for winning the most gold medals in any Winter Olympic Games. The record fourteenth gold medal was won by the Canadian men's hockey team by … (read more)

Many who have worshipped on Christmas Eve or who have attended Church School Christmas pageants held on a Sunday evening during the month of December will be able to recall an instance when a particular child "stole the show" or … (read more)

Today, July 10, 2009, is the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. As I write this on the eve of the anniversary, 60 volumes of Calvin's works stand in front of me on the desk in my study, … (read more)

The stories recently in the media about the shoppers in parts of the United States going out at midnight to do their Christmas shopping, only to be disappointed because the parking lots were already full, and about the women who … (read more)

Not long after the congregation which I formerly served had paved its parking lot, I happened to arrive at the church building on a bright, sunny spring day in the middle of the week, to discover that some of the … (read more)

A sudden and unexpected power outage can be a shock and a source of frustration to those working in offices where telephone, e-mail, fax, and printing capabilities are all dependent on electrical power. Yet such an event can be a … (read more)

Words adequate to give expression to the overwhelming sadness, numbing shock, and gnawing grief that grip so many in the face of the tsunami which hit south-eastern Asia on December 26th are impossible to find. We are called, however, to … (read more)

Ice hockey matters in Canada, like basketball and baseball do in the USA and football in Europe. Canadian hockey fans in Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal all suffered a great letdown this spring as their teams were eliminated in Stanley … (read more)

Change of address cards are piled in my study as I write this. We are moving, and looking forward very much to our arrival at Parkwood Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, for December 1st. Change of address announcements, whether sent via … (read more)

The inclusion of the book of Job in holy Scripture reminds us clearly that the prosperous are not always blessed, that Satan does have leave from time to time to strike terror into the lives of the Lord's people, and … (read more)

As a young child growing up in Northern Ontario, trips south to Toronto were infrequent and special. One of the most memorable included a visit to the Ontario Science Centre, which, as I recall, had at that time a room … (read more)

Few movies have ever occupied my attention, but one that I watched on television as a young lad left an unforgettable impression. Although I might stand to be corrected on some details, I recall that the name was The Poseidon … (read more)

My eight-year old daughter, observing the grassy roadside plastered with posters on poles, asked as we were driving along the highway: "Daddy, what are all the signs for?" We live only twelve miles from the Canadian/American border, and with local, … (read more)

This is the season for graduations. High school students in our part of the world are happily celebrating the end of exams. College and university convocations have recently filled up many calendars. For many, exciting new hopes and dreams are … (read more)

There is an ancient proverb, reputedly of Chinese origin, which says, "The longest journey begins with a single step." I often think of it when I face a daunting task, like sorting through a huge pile of papers that has … (read more)