Maria Fontaine
Manger beginnings
There are many things we can celebrate at Christmas, the most essential being the gift of our relationship with God through His Son, Jesus. To paraphrase a beautiful prom … »
Appreciating Aging
Since turning 70, I’ve been thinking more about the benefits of aging. Even though many of us who are getting older have already felt some of the disadvantages or difficu … »
Thoughts on the realities of life
As believers, we can sometimes have unrealistic expectations about our lives. When things aren’t going smoothly, there’s a tendency to beat ourselves up about it, or feel … »
Optimizing prayer
There are many instances when we pray for people and they are healed immediately or within a short time. But we also experience situations where we pray for some very ser … »
Love in the parking lot
Did you know that parking lots at midnight can be very romantic? I’m talking about the romance I experienced with Jesus while walking in a parking lot. I needed to get so … »
The thorn factor
I don’t think that God intended any relationships to be perfect. I think of it as the “thorn” factor that He allows into the equation—that element that we shrink from, bu … »
Perceptions
When I feel a sense of weariness creep in, because the queue of deadlines seems to be getting a little too long, I find it helpful to occasionally stop for a few minutes … »
The unexpected birthday gift
I have a dear friend who told me about something that happened on his birthday. His car was in for repairs, and on this particular day he was driving someone in their own … »
Ups and downs
Recently, I was contemplating the topic of wrong choices, after having made a few myself, and was feeling a bit discouraged. Most of us enjoy finding we’ve made the right … »
The art of caring
My prayer is that in all the busyness of life, in the abundance of urgent needs and priorities, we don’t lose sight of how important love is—both in the big picture and i … »
How to make a difference
A sad part of my day is when I listen to the news. Almost everything is about people facing terrible situations. Both Christians and non-Christians face very painful suff … »
Chasing problems?—Or pre-empting them?
Most of us are pretty busy people. We usually have more to think about and tend to than we can actually fit into our day. We all want to stay on top of our lives, but for … »
Appearances and the big picture
Do you sometimes feel like a failure? Things haven’t turned out the way you thought they should have or the way you wanted? Your expectations have been disappointed, your … »