Until we moved to Canada, my dad was a rose grower. When he built his first greenhouse in the early 1930s, he supplemented his income by growing a fair-sized plot of Lilies of the Valley. They were easy to grow outside and bloomed early. I … Read more

During the period between 2003 and 2004, I spent a considerable amount of time researching and writing the history of Presbyterians here in Meaford, Ontario, Canada, from 1854 to 2004. I found the names of the thirty ministers and student … Read more

When we lived on the outskirts of town, every spring, I would go to our bush at the back of the property, gather up dead branches, and cut down and cut up at least one or two trees. In the fall, when the wood was dry, we would split it and … Read more

For a couple of years, I was privileged to lead a number of services at a church without a pastor. When they got a new minister, my regular worship with them was over, and in appreciation, they gave me a rose bush. I planted it behind our … Read more

Seventy-five years ago, on May 5, 1945, the occupation of the Netherlands was finally over. A great number of people had suffered terribly. Jewish friends and neighbours were taken away to extermination camps, the large majority of them … Read more

Last December, I went to see an elderly gentleman in a long-term care facility. About three-and-a-half years ago, he had a stroke, but through specific exercises, he recovered quite well. But then one day, he slipped, fell, and broke his … Read more

I had been thinking about going to Egypt, off and on, for well over 50 years. It was one of the places that I wanted to learn about and see. During the 15 years when we worked and lived in Europe, we never went there, because at that time … Read more

Once a month, we go to a church some distance from our home. Most of the drive is through farmland and a couple of small villages, but there is also a considerable section of forest on both sides of the road. Some years ago, the road was … Read more

For the last eight years of my working career, before I refocused — not retired — I was the international controller of the pipeline engineering firm that I had been with for many years. I was in charge of the financial and accounting … Read more

On several occasions after one of my devotionals has been published, people have let me know, "I knew it was one of yours as soon as I started to read it." This was mostly because of something that I had written about my experiences at the … Read more