Breaking point
What amazed me the first time I saw an oil refinery up close was the intricate maze of pipes. Besides the complexity of it, one wonders how it can all be maintained safel... »
Curtis Peter van Gorder
Give change a bear hug
A friend of mine told me this bit of friendly advice in an effort to encourage me to welcome some new changes in my life. My wife and I had been living in the Middle East... »
The seasons of life
Our theatre group regularly performs a dynamic skit based on a monologue from the Shakespeare play As You Like It, where he summarizes the seasons of our lives in seven s... »
The power of a smile
Smiles are powerful. You’ve probably met a few gifted people, like I have, who radiate warmth and friendliness all the time. They smile so much that just being around the... »
Speed up, slow down
The books on the shelf have similar titles: Slowing Down Modern Life, The Rush Culture, Putting a Price on Speed … Most everyone agrees that contemporary life is lived in... »
Blind spot vs. Sweet spot
That blind spot! I’m not talking about the back of the retina where the optic nerve enters the eyeball, that place lacking cones or rods that causes us to lose vision at... »
Climbing the New Year
Even the best climbers need guides when they climb unfamiliar mountains. In fact, only a foolhardy novice would try to go without one—a novice like me. Years ago, I was o... »
The sand clock
I went to my desk on Christmas Eve morning to find that our beloved sand clock glass had somehow broken. I threw it away, then fished it out again to take one last dramat... »
Strawberry fields forever
It is said that our life hinges on four main decisions that lead us to become what we are: the career we choose, whom we marry, the friends we make, and what we believe i... »
Paperclip faith
Did you ever hear about the young man named Kyle MacDonald who traded a paperclip for one item after the other until he was able to get his own house? Surprisingly, it on... »
Fruity lessons
I was recently fascinated to read how scientists learned how to make more effective waterproof products such as raincoats and airplane parts by studying the ridges on but... »
Butterfly encounters
As I was researching material for a short story about an antique dealer who collected rare butterflies, I came across a website that revealed a rich resource of stories i... »
Why the stable?
She brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.—Luke 2:7 The Lord of th... »