Brenda Wood

An anonymous prayer circulating on the Internet goes something like this: "Dear Lord, so far today, I'm doing all right. I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy or nasty, selfish or self-indulgent. I have not whined, complained, cursed, … Read more

When the Monarch butterfly landed on my knee, I let myself pretend that it was the one that I had met the year before. It was charming to think that it had made the very long journey from Mexico, just … Read more

Our son skidded by the group of relatives gathered over coffee at the family reunion. His older cousin, in hot pursuit, traced his footsteps through the crowd. We scattered for the second time, in every direction. Mothers admonished. Fathers threatened. … Read more

The loud pop startled me. I thought a stone had bounced off my windshield. But no. Instead, my rear window had splintered into a million pieces. Thankfully, none of the bits had fallen out of place and hurt someone. The … Read more

The new restaurant had a buffet line larger than my entire house. Did I want family food? Italian? Sushi? Chinese? Desserts — chocolate covered, cream filled, and extra-size? I wanted all of it. My knees actually weakened when I … Read more

The day started off badly. My hair simply wouldn't lie flat in certain places. My breakfast toast burned. It was raining, so I couldn't work in the garden. I had to go to a meeting that I dreaded. My sinus … Read more

Fields of blooming sunflowers always make me smile. In the early light, their bright faces are lifted to face the sun in the eastern sky. As the day progresses, though still rooted in the same place, their cheerful faces chase … Read more

I don't remember much from my advanced high school math classes. Some would argue that they have been of little use in my real life. What they don't know, though, is how often I have used one of the symbols … Read more

Well at least there was a big crowd in their desolate space — and they had Jesus with them! How hard was that? In mine, there was only a small group of fellow travellers on a bus, climbing its way … Read more

I was warned that the surgery results could be bad. Yes, the cancer would be removed, but my face might be seriously disfigured. I was a speaker, working both in person and on television. This was devastating news. I expected … Read more