Author Archive

Gospel Musketeers

Saturday, July 19, 2008

I always wanted to be a musketeer. Alexandre Dumas' story of D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers has enthralled me since I was a boy. I think I first saw them fighting together in the 1939 movie, "The Man in the … Read more

God's Final Revelation

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

You may not know it, but I love drawing as well as writing. I find both to be very therapeutic. I tend to draw late at night just before I go to bed. It helps to switch off my mind … Read more

Nigerian Scams

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Do you ever get those e-mails from Nigeria where someone claims to have twenty million dollars ready to deposit in your bank account? Quite often, the sender writes that he or she is a Christian, and that the Lord has … Read more

Monkey Puzzle Tree

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Have you ever seen a monkey puzzle tree? They are also known as Chilean Pines and come from the Andes regions in South America. They prefer a cold, wet climate, so you see a great many of them in Scotland. … Read more

God's Sense Of Humour

Monday, July 7, 2008

My eldest daughter was travelling from Roanoke, Virginia, USA, to Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, one morning for a business conference, a distance of about 265 miles. Even although she is twenty-one, I always pray for her safety whilst flying. I woke … Read more

Working In Us

Friday, July 4, 2008

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

When God Says No

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

For a while, I've been praying hard about something that I think is important, and I've been trying to convince God of the same. My prayers have been carefully spoken and well thought out. I've been looking to God to … Read more

Dreaping Walls

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Have you ever dreaped a wall? "Dreap" is an old Irish word which means to climb, and the action required by dreaping is to run as fast as you can towards a wall, leap high into the air, and try … Read more

One Hour

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

"So much to do, so little time to do it in." Do you ever have the feeling that time is running out and all the things that you have planned are never going to be accomplished? I guess I'm at … Read more

A Surprise Package

Sunday, June 22, 2008

At this time of year, I find it difficult to type things on my keyboard. The dry heat of summer dehydrates my hands, and I end up with horrendously painful hacks on my fingertips. Ten years ago, it really didn't … Read more

Backsliding In Faith

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Recently, our Celtic band Glenfinnan played at a Scots-Irish festival in Dandridge, Tennessee, USA. We performed from the front porch of an old inn, right in the heart of the town. As well as listening to our music, people were … Read more

Picking Blackberries

Monday, June 16, 2008

Years ago, I used to go bramble picking with my brothers, usually during the fall. I think that brambles are called "blackberries" in North America. They look like dark-coloured raspberries, and they grow wild in Scotland. They have a bittersweet … Read more

Finding Real Joy

Thursday, June 12, 2008

One of the very first Sunday school lessons that I can remember was all about joy. My teacher asked our class what joy was, and we all answered with the usual "being happy", "smiling", and "laughing out loud". She then … Read more

Struggling With Surrender

Monday, June 9, 2008

When I first became a Christian, I found it tough to try to live up to Christ's standards. I wanted to remain the same and Christ to be different. I wanted Him to accept who I was, instead of me … Read more

Dough Boy

Friday, June 6, 2008

My mom used to make great steak pies. I loved to watch her make up the dough for the crust and pound upon it until the pastry was ready to be rolled. She would then get out the rolling pin … Read more

Small Fish In Jelly Jars

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

When I was a child, I used to love visiting Springburn Park in Glasgow, Scotland. It had three massive ponds, full of sticklebacks, minnows, and perch. The park was about three miles from my home, and, during the long days … Read more

Going Paddling

Saturday, May 31, 2008

I used to love going "paddling" in the Firth of Clyde before it connects with the Irish Sea. Each summer, Evelyn and I would take our kids down to the beach to build sandcastles, look for shells, and go "paddling" … Read more

Starting Over

Saturday, May 24, 2008

I love being a Christian. I love the experience of being a sinner saved by Christ. Without Christ's grace and mercy, I don't know where I would be right now. Without God's compassion, I don't know where I would end … Read more

The Divine Attributes Of GPS

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

I've never been in a car equipped with GPS (Global Positioning System), but it must be fascinating. Recently, I was travelling to a funeral in a remote part of East Tennessee, and I was worried about getting lost. I looked … Read more

Calling The Unworthy

Saturday, May 17, 2008

There's a beautiful song based upon this Bible verse which is called "Here I am, Lord." I love singing it in church. The first time that I heard it was in Scotland when a choir member at the Maybole Church … Read more

Seasoned With Salt

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

I gave up salting my food years ago. I felt like all I tasted was salt, and no matter what type of food I ate, it was too heavily layered in salt for me to get to the heart of … Read more

Promise U

Friday, May 9, 2008

The children in our church recently put on a Christian musical called "Promise U". It was amazing. They put a lot of practice into their performances, and it was wonderful to watch them sing and act, dance and quote Scripture … Read more

Christian Candy

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

I feel so guilty. The other night, I ate a whole giant bar of chocolate. I should have left some for my family, but I wanted all of it for myself. I even felt a bit nauseated before I finished … Read more

Escaping Envy

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Psalm 73 is one of my favourite psalms. It deals with jealousy and envy. The writer feels that he is losing out on the spoils of life and the riches of success. He is faithful to God but not wealthy. … Read more

Tom And Jerry

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Do you remember the old Tom and Jerry cartoons? Long before they were deemed politically incorrect because of the comic violence in them, I used to love watching them every night on television. They made me really laugh, but I … Read more

Grace Gifts

Saturday, April 26, 2008

At our monthly Session meeting recently, one of our elders gave the devotional. She read from a similar passage of Paul's on this subject of gifts, using the new Message version of the Bible. The elder reminded us that we … Read more

The Good Old Days

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

We call them the good old days — times past when life was less stressful and people were more innocent. We remember them fondly in our hearts. For every generation, "the good old days" are a different decade, a different … Read more

Helping Others

Saturday, April 19, 2008

There's a family in town that our church has been helping for years. They always seem to get hit with a crisis, illness, or injury that makes it difficult for them to keep up with house payments, utility bills, and … Read more

Overturning Tables

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

There's an old hymn called "Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild", which a lot of people have bought into theologically. It depicts Christ as being a peaceful, loving guy Who wouldn't dream of disturbing anyone's life or meddling with their lifestyle … Read more

Godly Guidance

Sunday, April 13, 2008

I love looking at maps. If anyone wants to keep me occupied and quiet for a while, all that is needed is to give me a map, and I will pore over it for ages. I love to look at … Read more

Abundant Life

Thursday, April 10, 2008

It's a question that we all ask at some time in our lives: "How can I beat death and obtain everlasting life?" When I was eighteen, I overdosed on tranquilizers and almost died. I was saved by three friends, to … Read more

Starmaker

Monday, April 7, 2008

When I first came to live in the United States, the sky seemed very different. It was more expansive. I used to spend a lot of time looking at the wonderful clouds during the day and peering at the vast … Read more

Christian Chameleons

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Chameleons fascinate me. I am amazed by their ability to change their colours in order to blend into the background and remain hidden from both their enemies and their prey. I think God must have had a lot of fun … Read more

 



PresbyCan is a community of faithful, Holy Spirit-filled, Christ-centred, God-honouring Christians.