Just after my first year of high school, I desperately needed a change. I had been going to a private school my entire life and living in the bubble that comes...

It’s winter time in Australia. In our garden, the jonquils are having their best winter ever, with lots of yellow and creamy, white flowers. There has been enough sunshine to keep...

My brother-in-law Phil had been a creative man who taught art, loved nature, and made hand-crafted jewelry, wood items, and pottery. When he died, my family dressed thoughtfully for his celebration-of-life...

Every January my church devotes 21 days to prayer and fasting. Each day starts at six in the morning with a prayer service in the church’s sanctuary. Congregants are encouraged to...

In the forest where I live, there are two primary types of trees: birches and evergreens. Birch trees turn golden yellow in autumn and then lose their leaves, carpeting the forest...

Two days after birth, my newborn daughter developed a life-threatening brain hemorrhage. As she was taken by helicopter to a larger hospital for a risky operation, we prayed desperately. I pleaded...

My brother and I used to work out at the gym together, and he would often encourage me to lift heavier weights since he was there to assist me. He was...

My son had wanted to go to a planetarium for a long time, but every time we made plans to go, we had to cancel at the last minute. Finally, we...

I had just returned home from rehab after having total hip replacement surgery. I live in an independent apartment in a retirement community, and there were many things I could not...

I have always carried a red tote bag when I visit my grandchildren, and they know that bag holds snacks and special activities. Now that my grandchildren are six and eight,...