I speak to all those saints out there who are going through a spiritual dry patch: "I am with you." The word "I", in this case, refers to me, not Jesus. I am in a emotional dead zone. For years … Read more

I like to be asked. "Asked for what?" I hear you say. Well — anything, I suppose. When I am asked to do something, it makes me feel needed, empowered, eager to help. These are really good feelings, and should … Read more

Have you ever had a really productive day, a day when you rose up in the morning, clear-headed and alert? You tackled the chores, and those awkward little jobs you had been putting off, and everything seemed to go smoothly? … Read more

Rebuke is pouring from my lips. Why am I so angry? My beloved wife is looking at me with a hurt expression in her eyes. She has done nothing that deserves this anger, but the emotion fills me. It is … Read more

At our Sunday fellowship hour, the millennium came up in conversation. One very devoted Christian lady, whom I love dearly, commented: "Maybe Jesus will return at the millennium." My eyebrows reached for the ceiling. "Well," I said, impetuous as usual, … Read more

At supper I noticed that one of my molar teeth was getting sensitive. That night I cleaned my teeth with great diligence, using a special toothpaste to take away the sensitivity. But it didn't do much good. By the following … Read more

I once heard a sermon from an old Scottish minister that was so vivid in its depiction of hell that, sitting in the pew, I was quite afraid. It made me want to escape the service, and run away. The … Read more

Telephone Support Expert: "Well…(pause) you can't get the database back. There's just no way to do it." Me: "Oh, no." My chest felt like there were bands of steel clamping round it; I couldn't breathe. My head felt hot, very … Read more

When I was a boy, I felt rebellious whenever my parents would "order" me to do something. Being a somewhat "wilful" child, a mountainous "resistance" rose within me at the sound of a command. Then there were those other times … Read more

At the age of six, when the truth about Father Christmas became apparent, I turned crimson with embarrassment. I had been taken in, shown to be gullible. From that moment forward, I began to consider all such deceits, foisted on … Read more

For most of my adult life I have looked upon superstitious people with profound contempt. After I became a Christian, I sought to change this inappropriate attitude, but occasionally I fall into the old habit. I know an intelligent and … Read more

I work in a modern office cubicle: four dull walls. But the cubicle has no roof, and I can hear the conversations of everyone around. This can be both interesting and distracting but sometimes it is riveting… Voice 1: "How … Read more

What is a good bet? Despite the Presbyterian stance being "unalterably against gambling in all its forms", many churches use draws and bingos to raise money. A friend suggested that I might organize such an event to be a positive … Read more

When I first encountered the Presbyterian stance on gambling, I was "gob-smacked" — a Yorkshireman's term for "very surprised". Having never had a problem with gambling, it had always seemed to me a benign activity. My lotto ticket never even … Read more

How many of us have had this experience? You walk into the kitchen and see a pile of dirty dishes in the sink, dishes that someone else is supposed to have washed long before. The sight of the mess is … Read more