Month: September 1999

We have a darling black cocker spaniel, which has always been obedient and willing to please everyone. She is every visitor's friend. But now Mini is old and has gone deaf. She no longer comes bounding at my call. It's … Read more

I was out walking one day when I noticed a bright yellow kite caught up in a tree. The string was missing. Two weeks later, despite greater than average rainfall and several windy days, the kite had not moved at … Read more

I work in a modern office cubicle: four dull walls. But the cubicle has no roof, and I can hear the conversations of everyone around. This can be both interesting and distracting but sometimes it is riveting… Voice 1: "How … Read more

Recently I went to a church to attend a funeral service. We, being the ones in attendance for the funeral service, were early. It was raining outside, so we proceeded to enter the front doors and waited in the foyer. … Read more

How many of us have not been exactly where the author of Ecclesiastes found himself in verse 17? He was hating life. Why? Because he hated his job, the work that was done under the sun. He felt that his … Read more

The first two verses of Psalm 12 sound as if the psalmist David were living and writing this today. We live in a world that has turned nearly all of its focus away from God and onto themselves. We live … Read more

On the flat prairies of Saskatchewan, it is common to see shelterbelts of trees around farmyards. Trees add beauty but are also functional. They provide protection from the wind. Trees often serve as shelter for our friends the birds. Tonight … Read more

What is a good bet? Despite the Presbyterian stance being "unalterably against gambling in all its forms", many churches use draws and bingos to raise money. A friend suggested that I might organize such an event to be a positive … Read more

When I first encountered the Presbyterian stance on gambling, I was "gob-smacked" — a Yorkshireman's term for "very surprised". Having never had a problem with gambling, it had always seemed to me a benign activity. My lotto ticket never even … Read more

When I started my new job, last September first, I was given three keys. One is a key to our building, a second is the key to the offices, and a third is a storage room key. After the first … Read more