Springtime brings feathered friends to our feeder. We still see some of the winter birds, but the little birds are returning and flocking to our feeder. To name just a few, we see finches in a variety of colours, woodpeckers, juncos, … Read more

My sister-in-law, Sharon, and I enjoy getting together for a weekly visit over coffee. Sharon has also written several PresbyCan devotionals, and one day over coffee we were discussing one of her recent devotionals entitled *`Watch Where … Read more

"I'm supposed to bring a plate to the hockey banquet next week," my young son announced. "Bring a plate? What do you mean, Stephen?" I asked him, perplexed. "That's what the coach said." I wasn't familiar with the idiom "bring a plate", … Read more

It is beyond my comprehension to think that God could possibly number the hairs on my head – as few as they may be — but even more so, when we consider the number of people in this world. In their book Revealed, Alex and Stephen … Read more

Informed by the news media these days, I am led to be praying for the nations of the world where bad things are happening, trusting that God has got this. Today, I felt the need to pray for my own nation, England. It seems to me that … 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

Tom Hallman, Jr. is a storyteller. More specifically, he is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The Oregonian, our state's largest newspaper. He specializes in warm-hearted, thoughtful, human-interest stories. As a long-time subscriber … Read more

In the present gridlock, we are coping well-ish as a family in the comfort of home. Together, we allocate time to work through chores, exercise, and education. I had not valued our privileges as much before the lockdown as I do now, … Read more

Because I was an athlete in my younger years, God often uses sporting illustrations to teach me spiritual truths — they resonate with me. I was reminded of one of those when we took the grandkids to the swimming pool during March … Read more

A man on a ladder across the street was cleaning out the eavestroughs of a small apartment complex. "Would you do mine when you're finished?" I called out. "Sure," he said. He came over about half an hour later, did a decent job on my … Read more

The peeping alerted me that something was amiss. A mother bluebird had hatched several nestlings in a birdhouse outside my office window. As I worked, I enjoyed hearing their peeps as the mother and father bird made numerous trips to … Read more

I'm making a folding display frame that will stand up on a table and hold the name tags for recurring clergy meetings. When not in use, it closes up with a clasp, but it needs a carrying handle. So, I went to a thrift shop and bought one … Read more

Last year, I suffered from a concussion. As a young mom with a busy life, I did not give my brain the time that it needed to heal. In turn, this caused the concussion symptoms to drag on much longer than needed. I wasn't able to care for … Read more

One of my favourite things about moving to Sauble Beach, Ontario, Canada, would have to be the birds. No matter what the season, we enjoy the various ducks on the river, as well as the many birds that come and go at the four feeders at the … Read more

This morning when I stepped onto the porch, our neighbourhood cat, Meow-Meow, rubbed against my legs. Behind her was a "present": a dead sparrow. My mind immediately flew to the old hymn, "His Eye is on the Sparrow". That hymn, penned by … Read more

One of the simplest delights that I had during my childhood days in Scotland was the feeding of sparrows in my backyard. It didn't matter what time of year it was or what kind of stale bread I threw to the birds, flocks of cheeky little … Read more

I firmly believe in the concept of the priesthood of all believers, that all Christians have direct access to God. This also means that all Christians are given a specific calling from Christ to do His work in their own community. His … Read more

This past summer, my washing machine broke down. The part to fix it costs almost as much as a new machine. While debating what to do, I began to wash clothes by hand. Hanging dripping items outside on a hot, sunny morning is a pleasant … Read more

In June of this year, I had the awesome opportunity to witness three adorable baby wrens leave their nesting box. Their loud chirping filled my backyard with the sound of joy and excitement as they set out to explore the world. Yet, for … Read more

Whaaaaat? One minute I was striding purposefully along the parking lot towards my vehicle, and then, my ankle went under, and I was falling. Strangely, I was not afraid, but my first thought was, "Have I broken my ankle?" Slowly, I felt … Read more

In my early years working for the church, I was a deaconess doing Christian education in many provinces. There were hundreds of children and youth in the churches back then, and I loved the work. I enjoyed sharing my faith with so many and … Read more

Today marks the one-hundredth anniversary of the Armenian genocide, an event that occurred during the Ottoman Empire. It was on this date, April 24th, 1915, that several thousand Armenian intellectuals in Turkey were rounded up, arrested, … Read more

Snowflakes drifted slowly down from above, all shapes and sizes. I remembered from a long-ago science class that supposedly no two snowflakes are the same. Since I have not examined all the snowflakes in the past, and I really doubt that I … Read more

When I started writing devotionals again last December, I went through emotional agony at the thought of my dysfunctional life hanging out there naked in cyberworld for all to see. I had felt led by God to write these devotionals. When I … Read more

Some time ago, our local daily newspaper started publishing a number of pages about famous movie and television personalities. There are long articles and many pictures of the "beautiful people", as they are sometimes referred to. You can … Read more

Honeybees live in well-organized family groups where the survival of every bee, from the moment the queen bee lays her egg, depends on the combined effort of the entire colony. Worker bees clean and polish the cells, feed the brood, care … Read more

Quail are as common to me in the Okanagan as sparrows were in the Holy Land to Jesus. I usually walk blithely past them without so much as a glance as they scurry from bush to bush in the undergrowth. However, a recent encounter with a … Read more

In springtime, the birds in my area compete for nesting sites in my carport or in the rhododendron bush beside my house. Because my windows look directly into each place, I am afforded a bird's eye view of the goings-on. In no time at … Read more

Whenever my father experiences a coincidence or serendipitous happening, he calls it a "God wink". Sometimes as God speaks to us through these God winks, He uses them as a way to affirm, validate, or draw our attention to the stirrings of … Read more

Many mornings, my husband and I enjoy watching birds come to feed outside our window. Among them, we see doves, moving about gently and quietly. They never harass the smaller birds or fight with each other. They emanate an aura of peace. … Read more

It has been said that the Church is one generation away from extinction. That would suggest that the Church is an endangered species. Considering all the influences trying to snuff out faith, we could easily see it that way. We realize … Read more

One Sunday morning, I was late for church, so I slipped into the corner of a back pew marked, "For Parents with Small Children." All around me were mothers and fathers with wriggly youngsters. A little lad beside me quietly … Read more

On April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg, killing 1,517 passengers and crew members. It was a horrific tragedy, as many lost their lives. It was said that some tombstones had a number inscribed instead of a … Read more