Nancy Steele: Love Defined interview – October 2024
How did you decide to write your book, Love Defined? I honestly had no intention of writing another book. I had just self-published my book “From Stumbling Blocks to Stepping Stones” in 2021. The impetus for writing “Love...
Kept Safe: An Interview with Author Catherine Grove
Good morning Catherine. I would like to ask you a few questions about your interesting historical novel Kept Safe. Did you have knowledge of the weather patterns which you describe in Kept Safe? Absolutely. From 1808 to 1815 a s...
Pauline Levert: Living by Faith interview 2023
What was your early childhood like with five sisters and two brothers? I was the second oldest, with six sisters and one brother. It was a tough time for me and my family. I had many responsibilities, including cleaning and babys...
Little Towns and Villages in Ontario
There is sameness about towns and villages in Ontario, but a warm familiar sameness. Recently I went to the town of Almonte 46 kilometers southwest of Ottawa. A once thriving wool mill town it now relies on tourism. A friend had r...
Finding InScribe
Excitement is generated when a dream starts to become a reality and the dream is pursued with vigour. My initial venture into the world of writing, and for which I’d always hoped to pursue, began fourteen years ago. Well in trut...
In God’s Hands
How do we pray I wondered. My husband and I had received the devastating news that he had terminal cancer. Chemo and radiation were not an option— neither would halt the inevitable. My husband received the news calmly. He sat...
A Lump in My Throat
What caused the lump in my throat, as I sat reading Carolyn Weber’s, Surprised by Oxford? In chapter ten I read the description of the high table in Oxford, where intellectuals discussed the God factor over a sumptuous dinne...
A Tale of Two Cities. by Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a mesmerizing read. This classic tale set in the time of the French revolution portrays the evil and the good in man. Dickens brings to life, with his skillful use of language, scenes of...
She’s Gone to Heaven
This morning I planned to visit Jean Darling in her hospital room, but my pastor called to say she had gone to heaven. I recall one day when I visited, she had just recovered from a bout of pneumonia, and at 94 years old that w...
Trip on a Train
The train rattled on from London, Ontario to Ottawa. I noted how the snow became more evident as we got closer to our destination. We arrived, and my son-in-law and two little grandsons met me at the station. All smiles and ch...
Duke the Chihuahua Writes!
A Self-Help and Slightly Crazy Book on How to Write. By Donna Fawcett Meet Duke the Chihuahua, a rum bumptious pug with a yen to write. Duke spends a great deal of time with his neighbour, Donna Fawcett, who happens to be an awa...
Pennsylvania 2012
Countless numbers of undulating majestic hills, mountains and pastoral scenes had me clicking my camera as our bus rolled along into Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We were on a four day trip with the main purpose to have a “behind the...
25,000 Mornings-Ancient Wisdom for a Modern Life
In the preface of her latest book, Fay Rowe writes: Dear Friend, A few years ago a television ad for the State of Michigan, said we have 25,000 mornings, give or take a few.”Rowe reflected on this statement and considered ...
Happiness is…
This past weekend we attended the Write! Canada conference in Guelph, that is me, and my writing buddies. How uplifting to be in such delightful company, to see friends - some who travelled great distances- and to give and rece...
Joy in Remembering
The dental office buzzed with activity. It’s a big office with several dentists, hygienists and receptionists. I checked in at the desk and sat down to wait my turn. A grandpa sat in the play area and encouraged his small grand-...
What a Glorious Day that Will Be
Last week my husband and I went away for a few days. On the day of our arrival at our beautiful B&B just outside Paris…Paris, Ontario that is, we could only stagger out to dinner in the late evening then hurry back to our air-co...
The Love of Family
Today I have been viewing recent photographs of my family and photos I've taken of God's magnificent creation. I have taken some time to upload some of them. I hope you'll have time to view and enjoy! I'm sure it is true that we ...
A Secret Admirer
This morning I received an email from an unknown admirer, actually it was a bit alarming. He had found me on Facebook, liked my picture and asked if I would contact him right away and be his friend. I looked at his photo and saw a...
Through the Storm
A very personal storm hit my life a few months ago. My health was in dire need of immediate attention, so much so that a trip to the emergency was necessitated. A triage nurse assessed the situation and within seconds arranged for...
My Friend Margaret
Thank you to those of you who commented on my blogs about Margaret. Sometimes and unwittingly I can be guilty of sharing things that perhaps I should not. I received an accusatory email from someone telling me I was breaking confi...
Character
Character is what you are when no one else is looking or you think they’re not; like the times when my mind wanders during a sermon. I rebuke myself and return to see the pastor talking directly to me. I try to look interested a...
Where Dandelions Multiply
I know one doesn't usually enthuse over dandelions, but have you seen them in BC? They carpet public parks , fields and roadways. It's the colour that lifts you. That bright bold yellow. I really could only admire them. I...
Where Eagles Fly
We were up on Burnaby Mountain in British Columbia, you know, where eagles fly. It wasn’t too long before two, no three, of these magnificent birds soared overhead. One of them dived swiftly down the mountainside obviously after...
The Interview
Recently an online secular magazine contacted me requesting an interview. I praise God for the opportunity to speak of my faith and that my responses are included in the article. The thought that struck me most was the realiza...
Joy
Today I'm reminded of Wordsworth's poem, The Daffodils. Mind you I haven't seen any in people's gardens yet, but I have seen forced ones in the supermarkets and big stores. Two night ago I watched people on a news documen...
More on Spring Time
Allan & I listened to the news as we drove back from our swim this morning. The announcer talked about the signs and sounds of spring that are all around us. She mentioned the noisy cardinals outside her window. I just love li...
A Sunny Day in London Town
The sun shines brightly in our town today, although winter is still with us and it's minus 5 degrees. But somehow the sun lifts ones spirits. It puts me in mind of Jesus who has lifted my spirit so many times. Just thinking ab...
Fellowship
Last night we had our Christian writers group meet in my home and this morning we had the Bible study group in. We listened to an audio by Dr. David Jeremiah and then discussed the subject of his talk. I won't relate it here, ...
In Every Circumstance I will Praise Him
On January 30th my daughter called from Ottawa and said, “Congratulations Grandma" Jacob Michael Cole had arrived six and a half weeks early. Initially all seemed well, but problems soon surfaced. He required Intensive care and ...
A Window of Opportunity.
My husband, a friend, and I travelled by car from our home in London, Ontario to Washington DC on Saturday December 20th. A journey of 15 hours more or less. There had been a snow storm the day before with another one forecast for...
Digging in
How busy life is. Today I made myself sit down and phone a lifelong friend, Hazil. If you have read my book Reverend Mother's Daughter, you know who Hazil is. We talked of many things and updated ourselves on what we had been ...
Keep Looking to the Road Ahead
This past Sunday we had a guest pastor in the pulpit. Dr. Oliver Phillips from the states. What an interesting person! Dr. Phillips shared how he had come from a life of drugs and alcohol although he did not make this the focus...
The Joy of Following His Promptings
It's 12 midday. Friends have just left our home after our Bible study. We have finished our 7th session on Revelation. This is a marvellous thing. God had been prompting me for a long time to start a Bible study and ag...
Obeying God’s Promptings
God had prodded me many times over the last few months to do certain things, but I always found a reason to postpone. This week I decided to act on the proddings. We have been in our new apartment since April. I knew my neigh...
Pondering Again
Last week, my husband and I walked through the cemetery where some of his family members are laid to rest. We often do that. It occurred to me that a cemetery has to be one of the most peaceful places to visit. We approached the g...
Pondering
It seems to me in this great vast world, that we are all trying to find fulfillment in one way or another-to be satisfied with what we are doing. Where we are at? Life throws us some unpleasant situations at times. I'v...