My friends said that we should have a name for our coffee club, so we decided to call ourselves the Young People of Yesteryear (YPOY). Douwe, smiling, said, “The Y P bothers me a little. It’s more like how to P today.” We all laughed at that. “In the past, it was a stream . . .” he paused for a few seconds, until Broekie shouted, “of iniquities!” and without missing a beat, Douwe said, “Yes, now it’s more drops of blessing.”
Blessed (greatly honoured) are the mourners. (Matt. 5:4) Some time ago, I told a friend that I often do the children’s message in my church. My friend said, “Oh, I hope that the stories you tell are always happy because children shouldn’t have to feel sad.” Last August I was very sad. I attended the…
We had two hours to fill, my youngest son and I, before an appointment. He suggested the museum. It was nearby and something we’d both enjoy exploring, he argued. An easy win.He is eleven years old now and I’m not sure we’d been to the museum like this – just the two of us –…
Last fall, Alicia Looyenga raised $1,050 for the 541 Eatery & Exchange in Hamilton, Ontario, by selling “Little Tiny Paintings.” Five-forty-one is a non-profit, pay-it-forward café with a shared space for paying and non-paying customers. Customers can buy a “button” with their meal that others can then use to pay for their coffee or food….
I’ve slowly been stocking the fridge with homemade inks. A forestry friend tells me that the berries I picked off a hedge are privet berries – they make a stunning purple. Another friend brings me dogwood fruit from her boyfriend’s yard: we eat a few – they have almost a gritty texture – and then…
We’re in our corner in Grace Manor dining hall – the Young People from the past. We’re a bit worried about our friend Jan Piersma, the one with “Old-timers” disease. He came to our table this morning and his whole face had sunken in. He sat down beside Douwe, the horse breeder – Frisian horses,…
Here’s a true story of a retired teacher’s dream encounter with a former student. It happened this past August. I knew who he was, but, 45 years later, would he recognize me? I held out my hand, about to say, “It’s Mrs. Smith,” but I didn’t get the chance. With the widest smile possible, he…
Mary spins and the thread twists / at just the right moment. / The tension tight, she winds it / on the shaft and then smoothly presses another bit of wool, / pinches the thread, sees it wind into true.
I would recognize their handwriting anywhere. Right beside Numbers 18, where God is instructing Aaron on how the tribe of Levi needs to keep itself separate, there’s a vertical note to look up the Catholic interpretation in my dad’s distinctive scrawl. And adjacent to Deuteronomy 1:6, after the description of Yahweh, “who brought you out…
It’s that most wonderful time of year! The time to tune your car radio to Christmas songs and get a headstart on the holiday cheer. Maybe you’re groaning, but I love the final six weeks of the year, when we get to deck the halls and be merry! I also deeply appreciate Advent, including the…
Before reading this story, please read Luke 18:9-14. Once upon a time, in a place far away, there was a land called The Kingdom of No Clocks and No Sheep. You see, the queen of that kingdom once had a dream that her only son, the prince, would either be killed by a sheep or…
This summer, my family and I spent the better part of a day at the former Dachau Concentration camp in Germany, now a memorial site, museum and archives. It was a terrible and important experience. Among our reasons for going was a personal connection: Francois Guillaume – the grandfather of my wife Elizabeth – was…
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