I hugged my daughter yesterday for the first time in over three months. It was a long hug! We have always hugged whenever we say goodbye, and it has felt strange not being able to do that for all that time. You could say that we are a …( read more )

When I was much younger in the faith, studying the Bible was a huge challenge for me. I would pick up my Bible, try to read through a chapter and memorize a verse, yet nothing would sink into my head or penetrate my spirit. Before long, I …( read more )

He pulled up a chair, sat down beside me, and raised his left arm in the air. Our church hosted its first Craft Fair. A good number of vendors signed up, set up, and enjoyed interacting with customers — along with selling them products. …( read more )

As our pandemic lingers, people naturally yearn for former freedoms — including public worship. Mixed feelings abound over such matters. Restless tension grows between restraints and freedoms. As in any polarized situation, we can easily …( read more )

At my father's mill, a channel ran between the upper log storage pond and the lower pond, where logs could be poled and floated to be sawed. The channel was used only for that simple purpose, and it worked effectively. Periodically, the …( read more )

Recently, I've been thinking about the blessings that have come out of the self-isolation due to the current lockdown. For one thing, I have been grateful to God for the gift of time to improve the PresbyCan website. In early May, I began …( read more )

According to Wikipedia , "The pandemic … caused the largest and worst civil unrest in the United States history since King assassination riots in 1968." Protests in Canada have also been widespread. Besides activities that "bite and …( read more )

Until we moved to Canada, my dad was a rose grower. When he built his first greenhouse in the early 1930s, he supplemented his income by growing a fair-sized plot of Lilies of the Valley. They were easy to grow outside and bloomed early. I …( read more )

I belong to a group of intercessors in our church. During term-time, we meet upstairs in a room overlooking the balcony. As I came out of the group on a day in February, I looked down on the main body of the church. Above the …( read more )

One of the most important and helpful pieces of advice that I have received is "Learn your coffee barista's name — and use it!" Let me explain. I'm not a coffee addict, but I am a latte lover! Now that our local coffee shops are …( read more )