My childhood memories of Christmas evoke the delicious shiver of anticipation as I lay in bed on Christmas Eve whispering to myself, "I can't wait until it's morning! I can't wait!" Though our family joyously celebrated Christmas, …( read more )

Christmas this year will be very different from anything any of us have ever known! We're used to shopping and hearing Christmas songs as we navigate the aisles of crowded stores, but it's been different this year. Usually, we make plans …( read more )

Some time back, I watched a programme on television called Antiques Roadshow, which Caroline encouraged me to take in. I say "encouraged" but in reality, it was more of an expectation of husbandly compliance for a quiet life. The …( read more )

When I was a teenager, I used to enjoy going out in the streets to play Christmas carols on my cornet (which is like a trumpet) with fellow members of a Salvation Army band. Today, such instrumental carolers are often found in the warmth …( read more )

During His time on earth, the use and facts of Scripture were the basis of Jesus' ministry. Whatever He did or said lined up with the Word of God. It did not matter what situation He found Himself to be in, where it was, before thousands …( read more )

Beginning in the 1500s, lamps were placed on city sidewalks and intersections so that evening shoppers and workers could safely see where they were going. People were accustomed to seeing the lamplighter near dusk, walking from lamppost to …( read more )

Charles Dickens, author of A Christmas Carol, once visited Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where I live, on his way to Montreal to act in a play. At that time in the 1850s, Kingston was the capital of Canada. Kingston is a charming, …( read more )

In the olden days, when we were expecting a child, we did not know in advance what gender our child was to be. There were no ultrasounds, no CT scans. We just waited until the child was born. These days, parents can find out quite soon. …( read more )

The ice on the river beckoned. Oh, how I wanted a pair of skates! But those were depression days, and funds were not available for such items. However, a search of our home turned up two old skates: one too big and one too small for my …( read more )

My husband Lynn and I served as missionaries in Madagascar during the 1970s. Though we felt welcome there, we knew that we would never be mistaken for native-born Malagasy! We had to learn to appreciate new foods and new customs, and we …( read more )