When we were children, we often played the simple game, Hide and Seek. We hid under the kitchen sink, under the bed, or in a closet. As adults, our avoidance strategies become more complex. We let the answering machine record the phone … Read more
When I was young and foolish, my boyfriend and I slipped away from our church picnic to find a secluded place. Walking along a dirt road from the picnic area, we came across a beautiful, verdant field filled with lovely plants waving in … Read more
Luke is careful throughout his gospel to place Jesus in history. That was important back then, because there were so many "mystery" and "fertility" religions which claimed to have miraculous births and gods who died and rose again. So, … Read more
One day just before Halloween, a young girl and her mentally challenged brother went to the market for their mother. While there, the lad wandered over to the bright orange candy display. Promptly, he began to pull bag after pretty bag … Read more
In life situations, delay is usually a bad thing, indicating procrastination or putting off doing something that is necessary or useful. An example of this is when my semi-comatose mother lay dying. My father delayed going to the hospital … Read more
While I believe Jesus' words that God does feed the birds of the air, I love to watch them flutter around my bird feeders as they chow down for the trip ahead every spring and fall, or if it's summer, to furiously fly off to feed hungry … Read more
One winter night, after spending the day moderating a meeting in a small church in northern Ontario, Canada, I headed back to my home in Oakville. Night had fallen, and a severe lake effect storm had blown up. Nevertheless, I had to get … Read more
In the year 1972, our second baby was due at Christmas. But on December sixth, Christmas was the farthest thing from my mind as the first contraction of labour's onset pulled me over double. "George!" I screamed. Our baby had just decided … Read more
Winter hangs on wherever there are shady places with patches of snow. In spite of that, during Holy Week, I've been diligently tidying up the house by putting away winter decorations and pulling out spring ones in anticipation of Easter. … Read more
While I was in ministry, a young woman came to my office needing help. She was homeless, hungry, and desperate. I brought her into my home, took her to a doctor, and helped her to find a sparsely furnished basement apartment. She began … Read more