Year: 2021

I was visiting a member of my congregation when she said, "Let's have coffee." A few minutes later, we were savouring coffee with cheese and crackers. I looked at the cup and asked her where the mug had come from and what it meant. The … Read more

Perhaps you've occasionally been rebuked with these words: "You just need to have more faith!" Years ago, I received that rebuke. I knew that it was meant to boost my faith effort. But instead, I felt guilty for not believing hard enough; … Read more

One of our daughters lives in the state of Michigan, USA, some 800 km from where we live. For many years, we went there twice a year, in the spring and in the autumn. Going there and coming back, we always went about halfway, stayed … Read more

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? I'm not sure about myself. When I read the definition set out in the following paragraph, I first think that I must be an introvert. But when I read on, I conclude that I am an extrovert. Typically, … Read more

My little granddaughter sometimes has a problem coordinating what she is thinking about doing with what her limbs are actually doing. Right now, the struggle appears when I am trying to help her get her boots or her jacket on. She will put … Read more

For the first two weeks of my life, I was not called Alice, my present name. My parents were trying out the name Helen. They must not have been sure about it, because there was no definite mention of a name in the early letters to my … Read more

When I was young, I had determined to be the perfect mother, but that was before encountering the unfamiliar subway system in Toronto, Canada, with my two children, aged three and four. It was Monday. The day before, I'd heard a study of … Read more

Tom Hallman, Jr. is a storyteller. More specifically, he is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The Oregonian, our state's largest newspaper. He specializes in warm-hearted, thoughtful, human-interest stories. As a long-time subscriber … Read more

As I made a cup of tea to start the process of waking up, this song jumped into my brain: Nothing's too incy-wincy for His care Nothing's too big, big, big for His power Nothing's too teeny-weeny for His care. – Doug Horley I wrote … Read more

One day, I spoke at length with an elderly man, who told me of his long career in the Canadian civil service. It had been years since his retirement, yet his memory was sharp as he recounted the departments in which he had served, the … Read more