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
singing
Three old men and a teenaged girl
We moved into the Ontario village of Fullarton when our daughter was ten years old. The village was located at the crossroads of two county roads and contained twenty-seven houses. There were a few families with children, but many of those houses were occupied by old people who lived alone, widows, widowers and bachelors. In … Continue reading Three old men and a teenaged girl
Dementia
There are things that I wish that I would have understood better when my parents were suffering with dementia. Above all, I wish I could have understood that even though their personalities had changed and their memories seemed to be gone, the father and mother that I had once known were still there, though unable … Continue reading Dementia
There is a famine – part one
Small town churches across Canada are rapidly disappearing. Fifty years ago, the town where I grew up had five churches. Only two remain, and they are the churches where one is least likely to ever hear sound Bible-based preaching. Smaller towns nearby have no churches at all. This is more than a demographic curiosity. It … Continue reading There is a famine – part one
The Midnight Call
This poem by minister Christian Buerge first appeared in print in 1904. It was later matched with an older melody by Jermiah Ingalls and appears as hymn number 242 in the Christian Hymnal. 'Tis midnight and the Saviour calls: "Come unto Me, both great and small; From ev'ry kindred, nation, tongue: Come one, come all, … Continue reading The Midnight Call
Brighten the Corner Where You Are
A few days ago I was reading brief profiles of recent homeschool graduates and one in particular caught my eye. This young lady expressed a desire to stay home and serve her family and church. She expects to find her greatest fulfilment in one day having her own family and homeschooling her own children. She … Continue reading Brighten the Corner Where You Are
What about Sunday, then?
If we cannot claim the sabbath commandment as our reason, then why do we do go to church on Sunday? The Bible doesn’t tell us when to eat, when to go to bed or when to get up. Yet we know that we need to do all those things for the health of our physical … Continue reading What about Sunday, then?
Answer to an unspoken prayer
I was starting a new job as a Quality Assurance Inspector, a job that would involve interaction with all of the 200 men and women working in this factory. I was still young in my Christian faith and worried about the ungodly language and immoral influence of the people I would be dealing with day … Continue reading Answer to an unspoken prayer
Why retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
The first mandatory retirement with a government pension was introduced in 1889 by Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of Germany. At first, the retirement age was set at 70, but was reduced to 65 in 1916. One story is that Bismarck wanted to modernize the army, but was held back by a bunch of old generals … Continue reading Why retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
Things I learned from the Anglican Church of Canada
I was a member of the Anglican Church of Canada throughout the years of my youth . Fifty years ago, I concluded that it might well have an abundance of outward and visible form, but was sadly lacking in the true inward and spiritual grace. Since that time, the Anglican Church of Canada has abandoned … Continue reading Things I learned from the Anglican Church of Canada
Flatlander Faith 