As the little sister of four, I had plenty of opportunities to be left in the care of one of my older sisters or my older brother, Glen, while my parents were working or gone to some school or church event. One of Glen's jobs was to pick … Read more

Have you ever apologized to God for bringing your small requests? I know that I have! When I hear of so much suffering, how can I ask God to take away my headache? How can I ask for trivial things when other people are dealing with … Read more

The unexpected blessing came from … well … an unexpected place. "___________ said he would help you move some stuff," the email from the guidance counsellor stated. The student's name stuck in my mind like a fly to flypaper. I had … Read more

Fred Rogers, the "Mr. Rogers" well known to generations of children, gave them comforting advice. He told them that if they were afraid or in trouble, to "look for the helpers" who would be able to help them. I recently took a solo trip … Read more

Being a writer, I have learned that it is vital to have a pen and a pad of paper or some sort of audio recording device readily available to save thoughts and ideas that come to mind. This is especially true at night. Very often in the … Read more

Professor Karl Barth, who lived from 1886 to 1968, was one of the greatest theologians of the 20th century. His biographer, Busch, characterizes him as a bit of a rebel in his youth, probably as a reaction to an overzealous mother's … Read more

When we were children, my older brother excelled at assembling and painting model kits, mostly of military aircraft and vehicles. The small boxes, with vivid photos on top, contained small grey plastic pieces, glue, paint, and instructions … Read more

As children, my brother and I had been excitedly anticipating a circus in town. It was a hot summer's day, and finally, we arrived at the fairgrounds in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada, where we grew up. The two of us lined up by … Read more

The corner of Yonge and Dundas streets in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, will never look the same again at the Square that bore those two names. Soon this part of the city will bear the name "Sankofa Square", a concept that I have used in … Read more

Earl Grey came to me as a three-month-old kitten. I am not much of a cat person, but there was something special about Earl. My granddaughters called him "Jungle Cat", since he ran like a gazelle and climbed anything and everything. He … Read more

"Would you like to redo this assignment?" my math professor asked me as he handed back the work that I had turned in to him the previous day. There was no grade at the top of the paper. He smiled kindly at me. "Just review your work." … Read more

As a teenager I gave my life to Christ, not fully understanding what it meant, but I wanted to take a stand for something very important that I believed in, so I took that step. What followed were twists and turns to my mostly … Read more

Every few weeks, I go to our local library and peruse their book sale tables. Recently, I found 1,000 places to see before you die, by Patricia Schultz. A much-travelled freelance writer, she compiled a list of places that would "impress … Read more

Our church has a sewing group called The Thread Bearers. This Christmas, the group put together stockings filled with goodies and trinkets — some handmade and some bought. Our over-fifty-years-of-age group delivered the stockings to the … Read more

I know of two people who can tell the day of the week for any date that one may give them. When I first met "Tony", he asked me when my birthday was, and without thinking about it, he told me correctly that it was on a Sunday. I tried … Read more

For awhile recently, the Holy Spirit has impressed upon me Isaiah's experience of seeing God in the temple, and with Christmas being the time of Immanuel — "God with us" — the two just came together. So wrote Isaiah about the day when … Read more

Did you receive a special present this past Christmas? I did. First, I received a brand-new electric toothbrush from my son. My daughter had shared that I was complaining that the toothbrush I was using stopped after less than two … Read more

As I was wheeled to my room in the hospital, my eyes brimmed with tears. I knew that I hadn't felt well, but I never guessed that I would be admitted that day with blood clots in my lungs. I passed the big Christmas tree in the middle of … Read more

In 1965/66, I was living in a work camp near the city of Muscat in Oman. Muscat was a very compact city at that time. There were many shops and residences, a bank, an agent to import and export goods, and a small hospital called the … Read more

It was the week before Christmas, and our young family was asked to take in a foster child, a two-week-old infant. He came with a bare minimum — a grubby bunting bag with a small bottle of milk dampening the corner into which it had been … Read more

Three days before Christmas, my youngest niece, Bailey, was born. It is a day that I won't forget. It snowed, and for rural middle Georgia, a white Christmas was rare. She was a beautiful baby with the prettiest eyes. However, I think … Read more

No one alive had ever witnessed it. On December 21, 2020, the first day of the winter solstice, two planets, Jupiter and Saturn, aligned so closely that they appeared almost as one, shining so brightly that we could see them with a good … Read more

When Mary, one of our readers, read a PresbyCan devotional about arriving at a hotel and finding it full, she was reminded of an event that happened to her family in 1983. We were travelling from … Read more

One Christmas, my brother and I received a new game: Monopoly®. We played that game with our best friend, Michael, for many, many years thereafter. It was a game which I found uninteresting and a real bore. In fact, I still do. Back … Read more

Paige was not alone on the 18th day of December, 1987, eight days before Christmas. This was the day when the angel of the Lord arrived unseen at Paige's bedside. Paige suffered a severe neck injury at home, after falling and fracturing … Read more

I can still remember that wonderful morning 44 years ago when Jesus Christ saved me. What a glorious day that was! I immediately fell in love with Jesus, and the journey of His conforming me to His image began. Today, some of us may … Read more

A few months ago, my dad passed away. Reflecting on past Christmas seasons, we remembered some of the things that Daddy did during family gatherings, like the time he pushed my cousin's face into the whipped cream on a pie. One of my … Read more

My parents usually shopped at the last minute for Christmas gifts. This Christmas Eve was no different than those in prior years. My mom always told of a beautiful little Tiny Tears doll that caught her eye, but the popular little doll … Read more

This Christmas season, I've set up an unusual, private nativity display which I'm eager to describe for you. It features several photographs of tiny babies born at the Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh. Two photos are of triplets. … Read more

We had just finished trimming the goats' hooves and removing burrs from their coats when I noticed that my horse Frank had a large burr in his tail. As I took the shears to cut it free, I realized that it wasn't just one burr; his whole … Read more

A Facebook post caught my attention. Boyd McWhorter, it reported, was a native of my hometown of Cochran, Georgia, USA. Unless you were a big fan of college sports — in particular for the National College Athletic Association's … Read more

I love the feast for the senses that comes with the holiday season, don't you? All five of the senses are fully engaged in a way that is like no other time of the year. Here's a short list of such sense stimulators: – Sight: red and green … Read more

Over the years, I've observed numerous nativity displays and dramas. Some took a lot to prepare, such as the nativity performed in the 1970s in our family barn. The Young Peoples Society of the church decided to enact the event amidst … Read more