The alarm woke me at 6:35 a.m. I punched the button and sat up. Something was missing. My husband, Tom, lay snoring beside me, but Pixie, my short-haired tabby, wasn't curled up next to me. Her sister, Feathers, the long-haired … Read more

He is very old and has cataracts. Only three teeth remain, and he has a severe heart condition. Stress causes him to chew his tongue constantly. His nails were so long that they had grown under and curled into his … Read more

Recently, I watched a Christian film entitled Perfect Stranger, based on the novel Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory. Having a great interest in Christian apologetics, I was deeply moved by the movie's presentation of the Gospel. This … Read more

I have noticed in our travels some very uninviting environments where the people are very poor. The water is at a public faucet or a water truck, or existence requires many hours hauling water for household use, bathing, cleaning, or … Read more

During a recent holiday throughout Alaska, we were travelling from Chicken to Eagle on the Taylor Highway. In order to do this, we needed to have a pilot vehicle to go ahead of us. The Taylor Highway is really a … Read more

Recently, I was sitting on my patio on a hot day. My patio is made of cement blocks. Each block measures four inches by eight inches. There are grooves between each block. For a bug, no matter its size, it … Read more

We had a very large fire in our community last week. The commercial building held eight to ten different and varied businesses, and all were a total loss. Nothing survived this fire. There were two non-profit organizations, three government offices, … Read more

My father-in-law, Bill Smith, was a remarkably talented man. He was a hydraulic engineer, so he could fix basically anything that was mechanical. He grew up in the countryside, and as a young man, worked on various farms. I guess … Read more

The swimming pool at our local YMCA has a baby pool at the edge, where the steps leading into the pool are located. Dividing this pool from the deep pool, there is a rope that has been stretched across the … Read more

The other day, I saw some sheep in a field near my home. I pulled my car over to the side of the road and watched them grazing. As I watched them, my mind went back to an experience I'd … Read more

Recently, I attempted to visit a friend who lived in a gated community. It was after 6:00 p.m., and the gate was locked. Not being familiar with how to get permission to open the gate, I was unable to complete … Read more

The e-mails from my dad in the last few months have been distressing. As he described my mother's physical and mental decline, I was torn between wanting to travel to Chicago to see her and fearing what I would find: … Read more

I dropped my son off at church so that he could do the PowerPoint for the Sunday services. The worship team was already there, getting ready for the morning services. As they were doing the sound checks and microphone checks, … Read more

I am told that when my older sister started school, she would sit down and teach me the alphabet, how to print, and how to sound the letters. She also taught me the notes on the piano when she started … Read more

The instructions were to travel seven miles out of town on Highway 300, go past the Glasgow road sign, and turn into the gate on the right. I had come seven miles, had passed the road sign, and was on … Read more

I recently had some pictures made for the wall in our office from our hot air balloon ride. The picture on the wall shows about a hundred sheep all running towards the opening in the fence. In the picture, the … Read more

Recently, I attended a church where I was a comparative newcomer, and a man said "Good morning, Vena." I was so utterly amazed that I could only stand and stare at him. He not only welcomed me with the customary … Read more

My most wonderful memories of childhood are the years I spent on my grandparents' farm in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, Canada. Grandpa had a team of oxen, which he called "The Children". Wherever they were, all he had … Read more

Dyslexia does funny things to my perception of the written word on the page. Like many others, I am, in some manner, cross-wired in the head. This makes the cost of reading high, and the desire to put our thoughts … Read more

I work on a university campus, and September is always an interesting but hectic month. The students, fresh from summer vacations or jobs, populate the campus to study in their respective fields. There is a friendly rivalry between various types … Read more

Early one morning, I awoke, and wrote a few things down from my discussion with the Lord, that have developed into a sense of what the Lord was saying to me: I love to hear the sound of your voice, … Read more

The phone would ring and the vet would be on the other end. "Can you come? Another dog has arrived." Sometimes the animal had been abandoned. Sometimes it had been abused, flung from a car travelling the highway, and rescued … Read more

I remember a cartoon once sent to me on a greeting card. The gist of it was a stampede of lemmings depicted running towards the cliff edge. In the middle of this scene of happy lemmings rushing towards their ultimate … Read more

I love the garden in my backyard. It is very inspirational to me. I have a large slope full of night-blooming jasmine that smells heavenly! There are sunflowers, tulips, irises, fruit trees, lots of hummingbirds, huge butterflies as big as … Read more

After I read the Daily Devotional one day recently, I continued to the feedback page written by readers to the writer of the previous day's devotional. As I read the comments, I felt foolish when I found a reference to … Read more

In October, I started working in a greenhouse. We planted very small plugs of primulas or primroses into larger pots. There were 120,000 of these plants and, needless to say, we were planting for a couple of weeks! Thereafter, I … Read more

When I was tidying up the other day, I came across a postcard I received last summer from a friend who was vacationing in Scotland. The picture was of a young boy shepherding a flock of sheep. As I looked … Read more

Last fall marked my five-year-old daughter's second year playing soccer. Her abilities improved significantly over the previous year when she preferred to hold hands with a couple of little friends, chatting as they moved up and down the field, the … Read more

Recently, I found myself in the position of trying to give some advice to a friend who was searching for some answers. He was and is going through some very difficult times in his life and is facing problems in … Read more

Jesus, my Shepherd, cares for me as one in His flock. He is there to guide me as I stray. He meets me in a field of green grass, flowers, fresh air and sunshine. He warms my soul with the … Read more

It was baptismal Sunday in our church. Belonging to a traditional church where infant baptism is the practice, there were three children of varying stages of infancy brought to the Lord that day. Following the celebration of baptism, the parents … Read more

As a child I had always been fascinated with space and I still carry that love with me. I was lucky enough to do some contract work for NASA. Through this work I was fortunate to work with a group … Read more

One becomes reflective at a funeral or memorial service. I've often wondered what people do at times like this, who have no faith. They are in all levels of society, from the executive's corner office to the corner coffee shop. … Read more