On April 21, to our delight, a pair of robins returned to their former nest under the neighbour's roof eave. Again, we can watch the progress via closed-circuit video. This season, I've been especially struck by the male robin's fatherly … Read more
I dislike how damnable labels get attached to people. It can harm their reputation. Yet, in Scripture we see that damnable label, "prostitute", attached to a woman named Rahab — five times! We're given no insight into her conduct. She … Read more
"You need the right documentation," I was told after my healthcare request was denied. That episode last year reminded me of similar episodes where I didn't have the "right documentation", even though I had sufficient evidence to qualify. … Read more
I've been thinking about Peter's experience that night in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was betrayed. Suddenly, a crowd of well-armed military and religious authorities appears. Who wouldn't be intimidated by that formidable display … Read more
Perhaps you, like me, wonder at times how to manage those lengthy prayer request lists which come along. There are so many needs — for friends, family, leaders, nations. Some lists come as emails or letters from various organizations. It … Read more
It was October, 1970, and Canada was under a serious terrorist threat. A reporter had asked the Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, how far he would go in dealing with the crisis. "Just watch me!" Trudeau responded. He subsequently ordered the … Read more
Scrubbing the gingerbread clock was no easy task for me. It was completely blackened with smoke deposited over many seasons of woodburning. For years, that clock had sat on a shanty floor behind a cabinet — all but forgotten. Imagine … Read more
Perhaps you recall a day when your supervisor listed several impressive qualities in you. Then came that word, "but". You braced yourself, for whatever came next would surely undo everything that had been said. That's the nature of that … Read more
It was the saddest Christmas school assembly that I'd ever experienced. I left as a devastated six-year-old. The evening had included a gift exchange arranged earlier through drawing names. One by one, the principal announced the name … Read more
From the ease of my recliner, my mind wanders to my childhood farm days and that exhilarating feeling of skipping through a wide-open green pasture on a summer day. I am reminded of that endless overhead expanse of sky, where I saw eagles … Read more