Our church has been growing steadily for the past four years. Through God's blessings, we've managed to breathe new life into our congregation, and we are beginning to outgrow ourselves. We're at an awkward stage because of the current transitions … Read more
Search Results for: "Hebrews 13:"
To Completion
I love to do crafts. It is not uncommon for me to be working on multiple projects at the same time, including knitting on my needles and doing counted cross-stitch. The reason that I have a few projects on the … Read more
Persecuted, But Not Abandoned
My son and I were doing devotions recently, and the subject of persecuted Christians came up. He asked me if that really happens. We talked about how there are places in the world where people have to meet in secret to have church because they risk … Read more
Hospitality
A while back, in our small group, we were talking about our spiritual gifts. We decided to do a survey to see what our individual spiritual gifts were. We realized that we all knew ourselves pretty well in that area. … Read more
Winter All Year?
In northern Alberta, Canada, we had an unusually long winter this past year. From the first snowfall until it was all melted was six long months. In March, one of my little grandsons said wearily, "I think winter is going … Read more
On Loving Children
We live in a world where children are too often left alone and are so much in need of parental love that it's hard to believe, unless you carefully take stock of our times. A casual observance of the daily … Read more
Our Great Companion
After a recent surgery, I was not able to drive for six weeks, so between my husband, my son, and a friend, I was driven to do my errands. Then came the day for my first driving trip. To get … Read more
God's Promise
Driving is a passion of mine, so often, my husband and I find ourselves driving along little winding roads, just for the fun of it. One particularly sunny day, the road beckoned us, so off we went for a new … Read more
Heated Times
I well remember watching the clock as a child. The times I remember the most are those when Mom was baking cookies or a cake. Mother would tell us it would be another five minutes before the cookies were done. … Read more
Underlying
I have had a stiff arm for the past few months. It doesn't always hurt — only when I move it a certain way. I went to physiotherapy and it kept getting worse. I went to my doctor, and she … Read more
God On Vacation?
We recently went out west for our holiday, and our journey took us to the Rocky Mountains in western Canada. Our first hotel was nestled in the Rockies, and as I sat there and reflected on the vastness and majestic … Read more
Consistency
There are some things in my life that are consistent — going to bed at night, rising in the morning, brushing my teeth, and performing other routine acts that prepare me for the day. Five days each week have always … Read more
The Arms Of God
"I'm a surgeon in the Gold Coast, Australia," said the voice at the other end of the phone. "Your son is just being wheeled into surgery for a major abdominal operation following a surfing accident. I think it best that … Read more
Homecoming
For our ninth-grade granddaughter, Faith, homecoming was an exciting time. Her long, beautiful, red hair mingled well with the green and gold colours of her cheerleading uniform. Excitement exuded from the school student body at their afternoon pep rally. That … Read more
The Desolate Place
Well at least there was a big crowd in their desolate space — and they had Jesus with them! How hard was that? In mine, there was only a small group of fellow travellers on a bus, climbing its way … Read more
What's In A Name?
A couple of months ago, it was necessary for me to change Internet service providers. This was not an easy decision, as I had been with the one I was leaving since getting my first computer seven-and-a-half years previously. It … Read more
Mountain Climbing
Years ago as a teenager, I was at a Bible camp in the Rocky Mountains. It was beautiful there. We hiked to a nearby cave; we walked along a crystal-clear, green lake; we were exhilarated by the clouds coming down … Read more
The Spirit Of Giving
A few years ago, as Clerk of Session, I received an early Sunday morning phone call. The elderly, visiting minister didn't want to travel that morning, because a heavy snowfall was predicted. I tried to get help with various parts … Read more
God With Us!
My idea of great travel involves no tent, no creepy-crawly scary (critters!), no campfires, and a really nice hotel with privacy, carpet, and a firm, yet cushioning, mattress. Not for me the grim, cold, barren sleep-outs. Mary didn't have such … Read more
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
A tear trickled down her wrinkled cheek, and she brushed it aside with the corner of her lace-trimmed hankie. My 83-year-old grandmother was visiting me for the first time since my first child was born. Later, as she held my … Read more
God's Lessons From Little Folk (3)
My friend had been going through a long spell of serious illness. When speaking of this time of doctor's visits, tests, and days when she couldn't carry on her normal activities, she revealed that she felt like she was walking … Read more
Oblivious And Faithful
The emergency weather siren rang loudly that night, just as the skies surrounding the campus of the University of West Alabama began to darken, and the winds began to rise. Immediately, Millie, my grey Tabby cat, tore for cover beneath … Read more
I Believe In God
I received a phone call from my sister, aged 89, alone for a week at the family cottage. The beauty of her words inspired these thoughts. She said, "It is now night, and I am looking out at the lake. … Read more
The Perfect Equation
For most of my adult life, I've had difficulty solving problems which fall under a category I jokingly call the "Three M's": mathematics, mechanics, and manual labour. Perhaps it is one of those problems psychologists refer to as right-brain versus … Read more
Angels Unaware
Quite unexpectedly, a new neighbour, whom we had befriended a while back, dropped in. We actually thought they had moved away. Accompanying the neighbour were her three-year-old and one-month-old daughters. I was on the phone with my daughter, discussing a … Read more
O What A Friend
My neighbour teaches Sunday School. We meet together Monday mornings for prayer and Bible study, and she told me the following story about a boy in her class. "In Sunday School, after listening to the story of Jonah and the … Read more
Chicken Little
Can you think of an instance when a nut caused a great deal of trouble? Do you remember the story of Chicken Little? The poor little guy was hit with an acorn falling from a tree and he believed the … Read more