Month: November 2020

Our congregation consists of fifteen to eighteen worshippers, the majority seventy years and older. Two of our members, however, are only one and three years of age. They can be loud at times and somewhat disruptive, yet no one seems to … Read more

At the side of our farm house, there were two majestic silver maple trees that were as high as the peak of the roof. Their shade covered the veranda through the hot days of summer. Each summer, we had many different songbirds that helped … Read more

Recently, the Lord drew my attention to this species of grass. The common name for it is carpet grass. It is often used as permanent pasture or groundcover, but mostly, it is planted in lawns. This is what I heard in my spirit: Look at … Read more

We had the clubhouse. All we needed was members. My cousin and his family lived next door to my maternal grandparents on a large farm. The closest neighbours belonged to another race, and because of the culture, neither he nor his … Read more

It was a chilly Monday morning. After two days of anger at a particular situation in the media, I was on my way to work. I'd be useless at my job as a church secretary with all this mess in my heart. I needed to spend some time in the … Read more

In western North America this past summer, wildfires devastated nearly four million acres of forests, burned 8,200 structures, and killed 31 people. One day, our weather forecasters warned that high winds were likely to exacerbate these … Read more

In 1984, my wife Dana had headaches so bad that some days she could not walk upstairs to the bedroom. These headaches came and went for about two years until the pain was so extreme that she had tests done to see if she had brain cancer. … Read more

Traditionally, a chorus of crickets entertains us during balmy summer evenings, while we sit in our outside retreats after a long day. They are very noisy, but as the crickets begin their song, I enjoy their chirps. These loud crickets, … Read more

When I was a child, the Reverend Bailey was a strong shepherd who taught with conviction and skill. He preached the fear of the Lord: Sunday mornings at church found me snuggled as close as humanly possible to my mother's side while he … Read more

On a gloriously sunny, cool Sunday in October, I made my way to the Rideau Falls here in Ottawa, the place where the Rideau River tumbles into the Ottawa River, surrounded by parkland and memorial gardens. The week's demands had made my … Read more