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

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

Each Remembrance Day, November 11, we hear the familiar words, "Lest we forget". It's been said that we're at risk of forgetting what's most important. I ask then, what exactly must we never forget? Indisputably, we can't forget the … Read more

After a friend shared the following testimony, I asked for her permission to pass it on. You'll likely be stirred by her experience, and you, too, will respond with thanksgiving. Here's her story: A group of my girlfriends decided to … Read more

"But you didn't have the benefit of hindsight," I was assured. Through this timely advice, I felt a burden lift. I remember that lovely, comforting feeling, but forget what prompted that remark. Probably, I was berating myself over having … Read more

"Oh look!" I exclaimed. "What's that juvenile robin doing back at the nest?" We had watched it fledge three weeks earlier, and fledglings aren't supposed to return. Yet this one did. The reason soon became obvious: Papa was there, and … Read more

I didn't think I wanted very much. I simply needed a lightbulb to replace the blown-out bulb in the utility room of the hospital ward where I was the charge nurse that night, years ago. I quickly discovered that this procedure was not my … Read more

One day a few months ago, I was mulling over the details of my difficult health situation. That's when I cast it all before God and was startled by His question: "Will you give Me your diseases?" I consented, willingly; and with that, I … Read more

It was thrilling to watch the last two baby robins fledge, or leave their nest. That morning, we had arisen early to turn on the video recorder in anticipation of the big moment. For a while, the fledglings teetered precariously on the … Read more

On April 21, to our delight, a pair of robins returned to their former nest under the neighbour's roof eave. Again, we can watch the progress via closed-circuit video. This season, I've been especially struck by the male robin's fatherly … Read more

I dislike how damnable labels get attached to people. It can harm their reputation. Yet, in Scripture we see that damnable label, "prostitute", attached to a woman named Rahab — five times! We're given no insight into her conduct. She … Read more

"You need the right documentation," I was told after my healthcare request was denied. That episode last year reminded me of similar episodes where I didn't have the "right documentation", even though I had sufficient evidence to qualify. … Read more

I've been thinking about Peter's experience that night in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was betrayed. Suddenly, a crowd of well-armed military and religious authorities appears. Who wouldn't be intimidated by that formidable display … Read more

Perhaps you, like me, wonder at times how to manage those lengthy prayer request lists which come along. There are so many needs — for friends, family, leaders, nations. Some lists come as emails or letters from various organizations. It … Read more

It was October, 1970, and Canada was under a serious terrorist threat. A reporter had asked the Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, how far he would go in dealing with the crisis. "Just watch me!" Trudeau responded. He subsequently ordered the … 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

Perhaps you recall a day when your supervisor listed several impressive qualities in you. Then came that word, "but". You braced yourself, for whatever came next would surely undo everything that had been said. That's the nature of that … Read more

It was the saddest Christmas school assembly that I'd ever experienced. I left as a devastated six-year-old. The evening had included a gift exchange arranged earlier through drawing names. One by one, the principal announced the name … Read more

From the ease of my recliner, my mind wanders to my childhood farm days and that exhilarating feeling of skipping through a wide-open green pasture on a summer day. I am reminded of that endless overhead expanse of sky, where I saw eagles … Read more

My four-year-old granddaughter had a peculiar bedtime habit whenever she stayed here overnight. She'd soothe her fretful whimpers by clutching a photograph of her mother, which she borrowed from my bookshelf. This item was anything but … Read more

Some of us recall those days when a doctor made house calls, carrying a black bag stocked with medicines. After he assessed our trouble, we'd be offered a suitable remedy. Today, house calls have been replaced with clinic visits or perhaps … Read more

"Please read the God Book, Oma!" pleaded my five-year-old granddaughter. I realized that she was referring to The Toddler's Bible by V. Gilbert Beers, even though I had never called it the God Book. That was her idea! I was thrilled. … Read more

How's your treasury doing? You'll have one, of course. I'm referring to your life priority, the one which drives your focus — your consuming motivational reality. Our backyard chipmunk certainly has a "consuming motivational reality". … Read more

The warning was clear: "Back off!" I'll never forget it. I had been calmly strolling down the farm lane when suddenly, I found myself being chased by a raging gander, spewing hisses and honks. He swiftly approached me with outstretched … Read more

Tragedy struck here on the morning of June 27! All four baby robins had suddenly vanished from the nest. We had been video-monitoring their progress every day. They were just nine days old. We turned on the camera in time to see Mama … Read more

As I write this, I'm watching Mama Robin sit on her second clutch of eggs this summer. Her fussing over these eggs reminds me of my dad's fussing over those hundreds of goose eggs in the hatchery in our farmhouse basement. Each day, he'd … Read more

This past week, I asked a neighbour to email me a list of old television shows which she thought that I'd enjoy. I replied with a longwinded "Thanks", which afterward exploded within me into an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my … Read more

Just look. That's all I had to do while relaxing in a lawn chair on the deck in the backyard of my brother's farmhouse. I quickly discovered that looking can be quite adventurous, for while looking, I began noticing what I didn't see the … Read more

For today, I thought I'd share a personal prayer as I have presented it to my Lord. I call it "My Wish List". It is a compilation of excerpts from three Scripture portions: Ephesians 6:10-20, Psalm 110, and Psalm 118. Feel free to make … Read more

No one needed to tell those five baby robins to open wide their mouths. It was instinct! And what a sight that was! My husband had connected a television screen to a video camera pointing at a robin's nest built under the eve next door. … Read more

I laughed … and I laughed … and I laughed. Yet, this was no laughing matter; it was intensely grievous. I had been "thrown under the bus" through a narcissist's typical weapon: scapegoating his victim in order to conceal his … Read more

"Thank You for … the terror of trust … ." I have lost the source of this written prayer, but not its impact. There's wisdom in this paradox: Trustful faith is forged through those terrifying experiences when we feel utterly vulnerable … Read more

"Let it go!" These words interrupted my thoughts one day while wrestling over an issue which had begun to feel like a losing battle. My efforts to change the situation felt fruitless. With those words, "Let it go!" the light dawned: I saw … Read more