In 1920, when Grandma was beginning her family, she bought an improved homestead of 160 acres, with a home, a barn, and a large orchard. The orchard had already seen its prime, but was still producing apples from what had once been … Read more

During my teaching career, I worked with many children, from the cognitively impaired to the most nimble-minded of students. As God allowed, the entire range of children had strengths and weaknesses. I am familiar and comfortable with … Read more

Our well went dry, so there was work to be done. My sons and I gripped the thick rope tightly as we helped their dad to pull the pump up from the 250-foot-deep well. Our knuckles were white from straining to hold onto the rope, and we … Read more

My grandfather led his horse, Nellie, to a large area that needed to be tilled, and he prepared her to plow for the garden. I observed her as she plodded along, looking straight ahead. With my thumb hooked over my coverall pocket, and the … Read more

At one time, brightly coloured classroom bulletin boards displayed nursery rhymes that were used in primary and elementary schools to teach children the sounds, patterns, rhythm, and rhyme of reading. The following rhyme represented a … Read more

When people like me live to be aged, we have been through a myriad of peaks and valleys in our faith journey. When I was 32, I was finding my way out of a difficult spot in life and learning to take care of myself in the world. I suppose … Read more

When I was a very young girl, until I heard the lonesome steam whistle, I didn't know that a section of California's Northwestern Pacific Railroad tracks were six miles down the mountain from my grandparents' sheep ranch. The wind … Read more

My seven-year-old great-granddaughter touched me deeply during our last phone conversation. She excitedly told me about her love for mathematics. When I turned to the subject of what she was reading, her voice became even more animated … Read more

Lana's mittens dragged along the snowbanks as she walked the snowmobile path through the bush. The snow sparkled in the bright sun. The winter birds filled the sky with their colour, motion, and patterns. Lana was startled by a sudden … Read more

I am so blessed to have a spiritual friend who loves Christ, is steeped in theology, shows her warm smile, and encourages everyone she meets. We became friends at a time when I was at a crossroads in my spiritual life, and she discipled … Read more

For many years, my mother adopted and daily cared for a small, neglected, historic cemetery in California, USA. On days of celebration — Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Veteran's Day — she and another couple set out American flags … Read more

I'm sure many of us can remember stepping into a dark movie theatre from the bright daylight. We were stopped in our tracks because of the contrast between the light and the dark. I remember having popcorn accidentally dumped on me … Read more

My friend gave me a series of Lenten devotionals this year, and I observed Lent for the first time since I became a Christian many years ago. I learned that it is never too late to journey with Christ to the cross. As I read the … Read more

My heart adopted two-year-old Buddy, a little boy who needed someone to lend stability to his life. His mother, an acquaintance, allowed us to spend our days together. When making valentines at five years of age, he told me that he didn't … Read more

One morning, I opened the jars of spices — cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger — to make gingerbread. Inhaling carefully, I closed my eyes as I tried to visualize God's purpose for His creation of spice-bearing plants and trees … Read more

Love and beauty fill every nook and cranny of an oak-tree-covered foothill farm, nestled in Penn Valley, California, USA. A young woman works at her dream to turn her grandparents' "Splendid Farm" into a self-supporting business so that … Read more

My adventuresome 16-year-old brother was an avid fisherman, who, in times of flooding, hunted ducks, of which he had two in the back of Dad's 1967 Ford Bronco. He and his friend were exploring the creek that had flooded into a marshy … Read more

Periodically, when my grandmother was baking a cake or a pie, I got to help her with the enjoyable but tedious task of cracking nuts. Each nut required a different amount of hammer force to crack or break the shell without ruining its … Read more

It seems like only yesterday that my sister gently cradled a small box in her hand and gently lifted the lid. Inside, for her Christmas tree, rested heirloom ornaments, her inheritance from our grandmother. One by one, she raised each … Read more

As a young "baby Christian" mother of two sons, I missed my parents terribly. They lived nearly 700 miles from my young family. I looked forward to Christmas so much in the years when they could make the drive and bring along my younger … Read more

Before I met Jesus, the giver of all good and perfect gifts, I knew of Santa Claus. The smell of warm oatmeal cookies filled the air to trigger my first and only memory of leaving cookies on a little dish for Santa Claus. I was anxious … Read more

The multi-coloured refraction of sun through water droplets is called a rainbow. People with the heart of a child want to find and touch the end of the rainbow, and if they are lucky, to find the pot of gold at its end. If they chase … Read more

My friend told me the other day about reading a devotional from another provider that referred to failing health quality as "the dwindles". We have had cases of the dwindles, but we just didn't know what to call them, when we felt gloomy, … Read more

Have you ever noticed a sparrow, or other bird, fluffing its feathers in a sprinkler or during a light rain? Birds spend a lot of time preening, but the amount of time and effort that they put into bathing and dusting indicates how … Read more

Christians say that we trust in the Lord, but what does that really mean in practice? Recently, my neighbours, who took in an evacuee from a wildfire, were able to see the trust component of faith at work. Elise, 90 years old, had made … Read more

My youngest son, Jeff, was already a mover and a shaker at two years of age, when his dad and I took him for his first trip to the ocean. Because he could disappear in a flash, we agreed to keep him in tow at all times. He delightedly … Read more

Back in the day, I was raised under the tutelage and provision of God, in the pioneer spirit, acknowledging that God provides, and we were self-sufficient people within that framework. It was a family tradition to show love and save money … Read more

We all enjoy receiving gifts and gifting others. Gifts can be given or received at any time of the year, and when we give or receive them from the heart, they are very special. A few days ago, my husband and I watched our great grandson … Read more

Dee, our 56-year-old daughter, entered the COVID-19 situation already in crisis because her husband of 31 years had died in September 2019, just before the virus began to spread devastation around the world. When COVID-19 lockdowns began, … Read more

Recently, Jess's grandmother passed away. What could she do to honour her memory? Many times, we glorify our Father by showing His kindness and love to others in ways that may not be our usual way of doing things, because our heart is … Read more

I can remember times when our family, either while camping or sitting on the long porch at the side of the house, would thrill at the first star each night. In our childlike innocence, we thought that God was turning on the stars one at a … Read more

Having a momentary lapse of thought, I poured oil into the pot where I was boiling an artichoke because I had mistaken it for the nearby pot of pasta. I shuddered at my mistake while it finished cooking. When I poured off the water, I … Read more

While on vacation 35 years ago, my husband and I arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. I was about to learn about the diversity of its people and its culture, especially its French beignet (ben-yay), likened to a doughnut pastry that is … Read more