In 1977, my family cleared a forested mountainside, preparing to build a home. To install a water pipe from the pump to the house, our boys — aged 13 and 10 — and I dug a huge ditch, 18 inches deep, 12 inches wide, and 450 feet long, …( read more )

It's 6 a.m. on a dark and moody morning, and the fog is deep in the Bay. I'm getting ready for the run that begins each new day — summer or winter, rain or shine. I have a routine to get ready — stretches, bends, push-ups, and all the …( read more )

I feel as though I have spent most of my life preparing for the next thing on the agenda. As a child, school prepared me for life in general. College then helped me to prepare for a career. A first job was a starting point, which would …( read more )

Do you prefer to remain unnoticed in public settings? I do. It feels safer. There's less risk of experiencing humiliation. Yet, one desperate woman took that risk the day she snuck up to touch Jesus' garment. She preferred a quiet …( read more )

Hallelujah! Today is my birthday! First, I wish to thank God for His steadfast love towards me and my family in all these years. However, a few days back, when I sat down for a quick review of my journey thus far, one truth was impressed …( read more )

During all the years when John and I farmed, I made bread. When I first started making bread, I stuck to the recipe, but as time went on, my confidence grew in my own ability to know the amounts of the different ingredients needed to make …( read more )

We've all heard the saying, "Patience is a virtue". Well, I'm not a patient person. I once read these words on a plaque: "God, grant me patience, and I want it now!" Patience is something that we all need, especially in these days of …( read more )

Here in the Georgian Bay area of southern Ontario, Canada, winter can be very dreary. On one such day recently, there was a gloomy sky, and sulky, sodden clouds drizzled misty rain off and on all day. At times, it was quite windy. The …( read more )

For many months, I have been strongly advocating the wearing of masks in public places in order to diminish the impact of the present pandemic. By wearing a mask, I am, like millions of others, trying to keep the number of contagions down …( read more )

Fortunately for me, the lock on the outside of the laundry room door is high enough that my two little granddaughters can't yet reach it, because if they could lock it, I couldn't get out! They love nothing better than to run and shut the …( read more )