Year: 2003

When I was a teenager, the music director at our local church asked me to sing a solo for a Sunday morning service. We didn't have a big congregation, so it shouldn't have been a problem, but it was. When … Read more

Last year, our church honoured our pastor, Dr. John Williamson, with a surprise luncheon, cards, and gifts. He has been the pastor of our church for 25 years, and, during these years, has given us his love, and has faithfully … Read more

The date was June 15, 2001, the time was 0900 hours, the place was JFK International Airport in New York. I had travelled from Johannesburg to New York aboard South African Airways for much of the previous night, and I … Read more

I completed three levels of spreadsheet and database design in 2002, through continuing education at my local college. I am not all that quick at keyboarding, especially when it comes to navigating. A student next to me tried to be … Read more

A young high school student came to me one day and said, "I don't know what to expect when I get to school. I am just entering high school and I'm scared." Further inquiry led me to ask him what … Read more

For most of my adult life, I've had difficulty solving problems which fall under a category I jokingly call the "Three M's": mathematics, mechanics, and manual labour. Perhaps it is one of those problems psychologists refer to as right-brain versus … Read more

I was up late last night, because I wanted to fix and clean a camera lens. Today, I am totally exhausted. My eyes are tired, and I have not had enough sleep. To add insult to injury, I did not … Read more

With the arrival of summer, thoughts and plans turn towards camp for thousands of youngsters and their parents. Such was the topic on a recent talk show: how to find the perfect camp for your kids, how to handle homesickness, … Read more

When travelling through the Rocky Mountains in the spring, I scribbled some words in my "pigpen", a small notebook I carry with me. This book contains tiny scribbles and scraps of notes that I revisit later, and, if I'm fortunate, … Read more

If my friend, Jim, had had any sense, he would have said "no" when I first asked him if he wanted to make some extra money helping me wash down sidewalks, stairs, and walls at one of the students' apartment … Read more