Seventeen years ago at Easter time we drove down to Arkansas where our daughter was teaching. Deborah, a friend of our daughter, travelled with us. There in the deep south we saw mounds of dirt here and there in the fields. We asked one of the local ladies what they were and she told us … Continue reading US disasters vs Canadian winters
Stories from my life
Love means saying I’m sorry
Have you ever observed someone who, in the heat of the moment made a harsh, cutting remark, or even exploded in anger, then felt bad about it but could not bring himself or herself to apologize? I’m sure you have, unless your whole life has been spent alone on an island. I once knew a … Continue reading Love means saying I’m sorry
Precious memories
My mother died seven years ago today, December 31, 2006 at 9:00 p.m. If she had lived another 18 days, she would have been 99. Not that I would have wished another 18 days for her just so she could reach that landmark. She began to show signs of dementia in her early nineties and … Continue reading Precious memories
Hitherto hath the LORD helped us
“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). I have had some experience in tilling the soil and have learned the danger of looking back to admire the straight furrow I have made. When I stopped looking … Continue reading Hitherto hath the LORD helped us
Pigment triggered cognitive dysfunction
My personal observations, perhaps not very scientific but still quite realistic I believe, have convinced me that a substantial portion of humanity is afflicted with a strange malady. This malady manifests itself when a person meets, or even hears of, someone with a different colour of skin. The symptoms are that this person then seems … Continue reading Pigment triggered cognitive dysfunction
The first day of winter
Today is the winter solstice, the day when winter officially begins. In real life, we've had a month of winter here already, with far too many days when the temperature went down to -30° Celsius at night and only went up by 5 or 10 degrees in the daytime. Our two youngest cats insist on … Continue reading The first day of winter
My computer caught a virus
- and home remedies didn't work. Two emails written in Russian found their way to my inbox last week. At least they were written with the Cyrillic alphabet and I think they were Russian. The only part I could read was the dollar amounts. I knew they were not good news and hit the delete … Continue reading My computer caught a virus
A tactless conversation starter
There was a Bible College in the city where I was living forty years ago. At that particular time, there was an emphasis in this school on overcoming the inhibitions that would prevent one from freely following the leading of the Holy Spirit. At least that was the intention. A lady in the church my … Continue reading A tactless conversation starter
My parents lied to me
I don't recall how it was taught, but right from my very earliest memories of Christmas I knew that most of my gifts came from Santa Claus. Of course there were other gifts from family members, but the most important ones came from Santa Claus. We lived in a rural area, there were no malls … Continue reading My parents lied to me
Time is NOT on my side
Minister Isaac Akinyombo of Nigeria, while preaching in a Canadian congregation, told the story of a lady in his country that got converted and wanted to be part of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. There was a little problem, however: she intended to dance at her mother's funeral and she was told that … Continue reading Time is NOT on my side
