Month: June 2009

Recently, I joined Facebook. I really enjoy reading what other people are up to each day and sending them words of encouragement and laughter in the "Comments" section. It's a wonderful way of keeping in contact with friends, both near … Read more

I grew up in a time of peace, not war. I immigrated to my adopted country, and have lived here in war-free peace. In the early days of my renewed Christian life, I came across today's Scripture verse. The phrases "great peace" and … Read more

One winter's evening, I arrived to collect my mother-in-law from where she had arrived at the coach station. I was a few minutes late, so, like a gun dog, I feverishly scanned the horizon for my target. There in the gloom of the … Read more

I didn't know it at the time, but my name and telephone number were etched onto a wall inside a cell of the local police station. At some point, I must have helped someone in the Scottish town I was serving, and he or she had marked it on … Read more

How many of us like novelty tunes? Novelty tunes are funny songs. They were very popular when I was a teenager. We listened to such tunes as "The Purple People Eater", and "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". But one of my … Read more

It was a beautiful spring Saturday morning — not a cloud in the sky. After a long and harsh winter, it was a welcome sight. After collecting a few dried-up leaves and some wayward recycling from the yard, I was ready for a stroll … Read more

Years ago, there was a terrible storm which unexpectedly hit the west coast of Scotland late one afternoon. All the fishermen in my parish desperately fought against the wind and waves that threatened to engulf their boats. One by one, … Read more

When we are driving anywhere, whether on a short or a long trip, there are roadside signs and signals revealing important information, instructions, and directions: speed limits, slow, stop, give way, keep left, turn right to such and … Read more

My friend was painstakingly peeling cloves of garlic with a huge butcher knife. (Women often use the nearest tool at hand, thinking they are saving time!) "Why do you peel garlic like that?" I asked. "There is a better way." "Will you … Read more

There are some things that I really miss about not being in Scotland, even after all of these years. I get homesick for the people, the places, the scenery, and the songs. I long for the accents and traditions, the green hills and the … Read more