My dad became what we affectionately called "the coffee guru" of our family. Daddy loved his coffee. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he wanted to find out what made coffee so good. He took the time to study and research online, … 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

Most mornings, I walk around my recreational vehicle (RV) park for about half an hour, using different routes. There is not much organization as to how the roads are laid out — they wander here and there, some short, some long — so it … Read more

As I mowed the grass this week, I was so mesmerized by the barn swallows that swooped and dove in front of my mower. They migrate back to this area in late April — a sure sign that spring is on the way for us. They set up housekeeping in … Read more

Healthy anger is not only possible but also beneficial. No one has the power to make me mad, but they can create the circumstances making the possibility greater. I get angry when I read of a parent who drives a vehicle into the lake to … Read more

He was looking for the worthwhile, and his discovery on January 24, 1848, changed the lives of thousands. James W. Marshall was prospecting at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California, USA, when he discovered gold. News of his find spread … Read more

My little horse Frank had never taken a journey in the horse trailer before. Therefore, I was very concerned about the 2000-kilometre trip to our new home that lay ahead of us. The first step in preparing Frank for this ride was to … Read more

I remember it as the one time in my life when I openly grieved and experienced good grief. I don't come from a crying family. If we shed tears, we did so in private, and then, only for brief episodes. But for me, grieving changed when my … Read more

I was telling myself a big one — lying to myself — and the trouble was that I believed it. My lie began about the time I turned fourteen. It went something like this: "You don't need school." If I didn't need school, I didn't need to … Read more

One was large and the other small, but they both needed to be on a leash. I once owned an Eskimo Spitz. My family owned a much larger dog that I inherited when they moved away. Since I lived in the country, I didn't have to abide by … Read more

After a few weeks of hanging around with him, I began to wonder who was influencing whom. My father had just returned to the denomination of his upbringing and been called as interim pastor at the church of his boyhood. The first person … Read more

For as long as I can remember, she has been singing songs. I'm not sure when my mother began singing gospel songs. I suppose that it was as a young girl when she gathered with her family on Saturday nights around the old, converted … Read more

Direction determines destination, so that makes discerning life's direction a critical matter. Google Maps is my favourite driving directions app. Siri is nice, but she tends to misunderstand my southern accent. With Google Maps, I … Read more

Listening to the evening news is enough to make anyone mad at sin. Consider these reports: A police officer intentionally shooting and killing a man. A man shooting his parents and then going to a local business to kill his … Read more

"Can you come over? The sewing machine that you loaned me isn't working right." My neighbour was frustrated. It was a new machine that had been used only a few times. What could go wrong? My first attempt to fix it didn't work. I tried … Read more

The five senses are great, but it's beautiful when we use the sixth sense. I enjoy all of my senses. I remember when my eye doctor told me that I was a candidate for glaucoma. Fortunately, the cornea specialist said that it wasn't as bad … Read more

Recently, I purchased a book with a title that included Bible verses to "know by heart". That phrase, to "know by heart" jumped out at me. I wondered what important things I actually do know by heart. I have many hidden helps in my head … Read more

We sat in a small group and talked about appointments and disappointment, and how, when hope is crushed, we experience frustration. When I have an appointment, someone has agreed to meet me at a particular time, or I've agreed to meet … Read more

Camping in the mountains without light for the path can be disastrous. When my brother, my children, and I backpacked in the mountains, we wanted our packs to be as light as possible. But a flashlight wasn't one of the things that I … Read more

She was a vibrant young teenager who was faithful to the end. Rachel Scott had a premonition that she'd never live to see twenty. She was popular at her high school, even though her witness for Christ wasn't always well received. Two … Read more

Her name was Louise. She died a month or two shy of 105 and shared half of that long life with me. She worked with my mother during World War II and they were the best of friends. She was there for my mother when she developed multiple … Read more

Not always hearing clearly or correctly, I often ask people to repeat what they have said. I need to know if what I thought that I heard is actually what they said. If there is something new to learn, I've needed it repeated several times … Read more

Scrubbing the gingerbread clock was no easy task for me. It was completely blackened with smoke deposited over many seasons of woodburning. For years, that clock had sat on a shanty floor behind a cabinet — all but forgotten. Imagine … Read more

"My goodness, these glasses are dirty! I can barely read." I'd just grabbed a pair from the table to help me read the paper. I pulled them off and realized that it wasn't dirt that made them blurry — I'd picked up the single vision … Read more

I have several beautiful cutwork tablecloths — a fabric design that incorporates embroidery or lace with parts of the fabric cut out to accent shapes. When they are folded up in the drawer, they don't look much different than any of the … Read more

Because of my previous experience in raising pigeons, I have a real eye for them, and love having them around. We have a bird feeder behind our house, so, when one day a pigeon showed up, we were thrilled. We kept hoping that more would … Read more

It was almost four years ago that I began something brand new to me: writing devotionals. Let me explain how that came about. For a number of years now, I have been the "cat herder" for a group of my classmates from Multnomah School of … Read more

I never really wondered why bananas are shaped the way that they are until I saw a children's program about them on television. I was intrigued, so I looked up the details on Google, and here is what I found out. Banana plants look like … Read more

One lovely spring day, my brother and I were on a day trip, meandering along back country roads that followed the Columbia River, which divides the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. On our route was a small, four-vehicle ferry crossing … Read more

I have variable-focus lenses in my glasses to help me with the flitting about from close range on the computer or fixing stuff, to afar off focusing out of the window or in the garden, looking up at the clouds in the sky or the military … Read more

"I guess we're eating out tonight," my son muttered as he surveyed the empty countertop. Just five minutes earlier, he'd set a frozen pizza on the counter and gone upstairs. When he returned, all that remained was the pizza's cardboard … Read more

In the 1970s, my husband Lynn and I lived as far away from our hometown of Portland, Oregon, USA, as is possible. Portland's antipode (on the opposite side of the globe) is somewhere in the Indian Ocean, and the large island of Madagascar, … Read more

Recently, I've become acquainted with a woman who is rapidly losing her eyesight. She once had full sight, but as the years have advanced, her vision has declined, until now all that she can perceive is brightness and shadow. Her white … Read more