Blog

On the weekend, my husband and I visited one of our favourite garden centres before spending the afternoon digging and planting in the backyard. As we worked, I remarked that this is my favourite time of year. The days are warm, the grass is lush, the trees are beginning to leaf out, and the flowers are bursting into bloom. Summer’s intense heat has not yet arrived to turn the lawn brown or leave the garden looking dry and parched. Right now, everything feels fresh, vibrant, and full of ... Read More about Contentment in Every Season

This week, I turn sixty-two years old. For many, turning fifty feels like a significant milestone, but I’ll admit that entering my sixties has impacted me more deeply. People say sixty is the “new fifty,” thanks to advances in healthcare, greater attention to nutrition and exercise, and increasing life expectancy. Still, I’m under no illusions. Even as I happily take advantage of the Thursday Seniors Discount at Shoppers Drug Mart, I often find myself wondering how I arrived here so ... Read More about Rooted in Hope at 62

Every month, I meet with my Pastor—who also serves as my supervisor—for a check-in about Women’s Ministry at our church. At our most recent meeting, he asked whether I had any plans for summer vacation, something that is strongly encouraged during the quieter months following a busy ministry season. I shared about our family vacation week with my daughters, our annual week at my mother-in-law’s cottage up north, and the hope that my husband and I might also find a few additional days here and ... Read More about Hold Your Plans Loosely

The year was 1983, and I was in my final semester of high school. That winter, the school announced its spring musical performance, The Pirates of Penzance, and I auditioned for the lead. I was well-known in the music department, so it didn’t seem unreasonable to hope for the starring role. On the day of the audition, my friends sat in the audience, cheering me on. They told me I “had it in the bag.” But deep down, there was a gnawing thought I couldn’t shake. Ever since Grade 9, every ... Read More about When Disappointment Takes Its Toll

This week, many of us are thinking about Mother's Day. If we're mothers, we may be hoping for rest, a visit from an out-of-town child, or the special gift we've hinted at. Perhaps Mother's Day means deciding between flowers or chocolates for our moms. Perhaps we approach the day with trepidation because our relationship with our mother has been full of pain. Or perhaps this day means missing a mother who is long since gone. Mother's Day conjures up different emotions for everyone, shaped by ... Read More about The Lessons Learned from Being a Mother

I just finished reading Theo of Golden. Last year, I attended a writing cohort where it was recommended, and after that, I started to see the title everywhere. On social media. At the store. When I finally got around to checking it out at the neighbourhood library (because I usually borrow fiction), I was actually number 200 on the waiting list! So I caved and bought a copy of my own. Theo is a mysterious, older man who moves to the southern town of Golden for just one year and spends his ... Read More about The Joy of Unlikely Friendships