After attending Bible college, I went to Malawi in the summer of 1986 on a short-term mission trip. I stayed with a missionary couple in the city of Blantyre and experienced their Christian ministry in that country. One day, the …( read more )

"Tell me the story of Mama patting the skunk." "What about the time that Digby caught the mouse?" My grandchildren love hearing the stories of my childhood, or that of their parents. As we snuggle down for bedtime stories, they enjoy …( read more )

"Cuckoo", "nuts", "gone bananas", "gaga" … So many derogatory words describe the battle with mental illness — all of them unkind. But it is a different story on the receiving end. My poor afflicted aunt was left in charge of us one …( read more )

My tablemate and I were discussing how unexpectedly matters seem to develop. She is the aunt of my deceased daughter-in-law, and I first met her over four decades ago. Now, with all the things that have transpired over those many years, we …( read more )

If having one would help me to keep track of my health, then why not buy it? What initially attracted me wasn't its sleek style or the many things that it could do. Its functions included a watch with an alarm, and I've been a sucker for …( read more )

The words slipped out of my mouth, and I was instantly sorry, but I couldn't stuff them back in. Like the proverbial feathers, they had been scattered to the four winds, and couldn't be retrieved. Scanning back over a lifetime, I — we …( read more )

Living in northern Canada takes its toll upon one's skin, especially during the long, cold, dry winter. Thus, sixteen months ago, on the spur of the moment while I was doing my monthly shopping, I grabbed a bottle of a new, foaming face …( read more )

Do you know the story of the Dayspring Mission? It is a fascinating story of courage, determination, and sacrifice. In the 1860s, the Presbyterian Board of Missions decided that the New Hebrides Mission (Vanuatu today) should have a large …( read more )

When my husband and I received our teaching degrees after five long years at the University of Victoria, we became qualified to teach at schools in British Columbia, Canada. We were able to sign up for interviews and to look for jobs in …( read more )

Each morning seems to come with a new, tasty selection of temptations! When we were children, my siblings and I were usually tempted by what our parents told us that we couldn't have, or especially by the things that we wouldn't share with …( read more )