Life sometimes takes away our joy. Disappointments, regrets, and everyday struggles can leave us weary. Yet, deep within, we long for a fresh beginning, a willing heart, and the strength to carry on. Three beautiful words remind us that renewal is possible: RESTORE — Rediscover the joy we have lost. GRANT — Receive the strength and willingness to begin again. SUSTAIN — Find the inner strength to keep going. These thoughts are inspired by an ancient prayer from the Bible: Re

September 29 is the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. We work hard to grow food, harvest it, transport it, sell it and prepare it. Yet some food is lost before it ever reaches a store—and still more is wasted after it reaches our homes. That is especially bitter when so many people in our world still go to bed hungry. But perhaps change can begin right at our own dining table. At home, our mentality should be “waste no food,” rather than thinking

September 22, 2026 marks the Autumn Equinox—the astronomical beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. The word equinox comes from the Latin aequus, meaning “equal,” and nox, meaning “night.” In simple terms: Equinox = “equal night” — a time when day and night are nearly equal in length. But perhaps the equinox can remind us of something beyond astronomy. Under the same sun and moon, breathing the same life-giving air, we all stand equally before the Divine Giver—the Crea

September 21 — International Day of Peace With wars, broken relationships and angry voices filling so much of our world, peace can sometimes seem like something only governments and negotiators can create. But while writing “Let Peace Begin Here,” another thought kept returning: before peace reaches nations, it must somehow reach human hearts. Peace needs negotiation and cooperation, but also humility—the willingness to listen, understand, forgive and sometimes take the

A bond. A pledge. A commitment. "The Covenant" Netflix movie. These are the three words used in The Covenant movie on Netflix to describe what a covenant means. They also help us reflect on our relationship with Christ. Our covenant with Christ is a spiritual bond rooted in His grace, a faithful pledge to answer His divine calling, and a lifelong commitment to follow Him. A promise kept can become a lifeline—from John and Ahmed’s covenant of honour to our daily covenant with

Hosta flowers lift their purple bells, Where summer’s gentle fragrance dwells. Green leaves gather morning rain, While autumn whispers through the lane. The garden pauses, fresh and bright, Preparing for a golden light. Each flower seems to softly say, “Give thanks for this remaining day.” Soon leaves will turn, then drift away, Yet beauty blooms in every change. So welcome fall with grateful hearts, For every season has its part. “There is a time for everything, and a season

Today, August 12, 2026, is World Elephant Day. It brings to mind the ancient story of the blind men and the elephant. One touched its trunk and called it a snake. Another felt its ear and said it was a fan. Its leg was a tree, its side a wall and its tail a rope. Each man honestly described what he felt—but mistook one part for the whole. There were not many different elephants. There was one elephant—and several incomplete perspectives. How often do we do the same? W

Today, on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, I pause to remember the peoples whose lives, languages, stories, and care for the land came long before the cities, roads, homes, and comforts many of us now enjoy. For many of us who came to Canada from elsewhere, remembrance should lead to humility—not guilt without action, but gratitude that listens, learns, and respects. We can learn the names and histories of the Indigenous peoples of our own region, care

For our friends in the East, Far East, and Southeast Asia, June 21 has arrived — and that means it is World Giraffe Day! It also comes around the summer solstice, 夏至, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. How fitting to celebrate the world’s tallest animal on the year’s longest day! Have you ever wondered why God’s creation includes such a tall-necked animal? Maybe one reason is simple: so there is still food left for the short-necked ones! The giraffe reach

We cannot see air, yet we breathe it every moment. We cannot see wind itself, yet we see what it moves. Air is free, but it is not cheap. Without it, life stops. God created trees and oceans as part of His wonderful design to renew the air and sustain life on earth. So the question is simple: whom do we thank for this invisible gift? The same question applies to faith. Jesus lived on this earth. History still remembers Him. The calendar itself was shaped around His coming. Pl

World Environment Day reminds us that caring for creation is not only about protecting forests, oceans, air, and wildlife. It also calls us to care for the everyday environments where people live, work, learn, and serve. A healthy work environment can nurture dignity, creativity, cooperation, and joy, allowing workers to contribute their talents with purpose and hope. Each of us has been entrusted with gifts, skills, influence, and opportunities. When we use them wisely, not

A recent Stanford University LinkedIn post featuring Tina Seelig, executive director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars, offered a helpful distinction: Fortune is what happens to you. Luck is what you help create. That thought stayed with me. We often think of luck as something random — a surprise, a chance encounter, an unexpected opening. But Seelig uses the image of wind: opportunities for luck are like the wind, constantly blowing, always moving, powerful but invisible. To catch

Pexels has started listing where photos from its gallery are being used, and I was surprised and grateful to see how some of my nature photos have travelled across the world. I posted my sleeping Red Fox photo on April 10, 2019, more than six years ago. It is still my most viewed and downloaded image. Recently, I found it used in articles that help readers understand animals and their behaviour. One article describes red foxes as “nature’s perfect blend of cat and dog,” notin

The Amaryllis flowers are drying and fading, yet four seed pods now stand in their place — quiet signs that life is continuing, and something new is beginning. In six to eight weeks, the pods will crack open. Once the seeds have fully dried, they can be gently shaken out, and each one carries the beginning of a new baby Amaryllis. There is hope in this whole process: one day, a new Amaryllis will emerge from the soil to greet the eye again. So it is with the hope of the Gospe

Who follows whom? Does the temperature follow the date, or does the date follow the temperature? For three days in a row, I noticed something that made me smile. On April 15, the temperature showed 15°C. On April 16, it showed 16°C On April 17, it showed 17°C. Once may be a chance. Twice may be a oincidence. Three times in a row feels like a little pattern worth pausing over. Of course, I am not saying the weather is ruled by the calendar page. But moments like these remind m

“I am a bee, and I pollinate.” Did I get your attention? Two important parts of a flower are the anther and the stigma. The anther, part of the male stamen, produces and releases pollen. That pollen is then transferred to the stigma, the receptive tip of the female pistil, where fertilization can begin. My blooming amaryllis is ready for pollination. I can see plenty of yellow pollen on the anthers, and the stigma has opened at the tip, ready to receive it. So where are the

My two W’s are Word and Writing . Grammarly has been tracking my writing since December 26, 2016, and to date it has recorded a total of 30,003,120 words. Since ChatGPT became part of my workflow, I now write around 100,000 words a week. Today, one unfamiliar word crossed my desktop, and through word association it led me to another. That small link sparked this reflection. One little letter can make a world of difference. Take the word badge. A badge is usually something pos

What belongs outdoors in summer has been carefully kept alive indoors through winter. These geraniums may be inside for now, but they still need what living things need: sunlight, warmth, water, fertilizer, and tender loving care. And they are responding. One pot is producing more and more buds each week, as though it senses that a new season is near. Perhaps it is the longer daylight after spring forward. Perhaps it is simply the quiet signal that spring is on the way. But a

After more than 20 years in parks and playground design—working in the private sector (ENVision / The Hough Group) and later in the public sector (City of Hamilton)—I had the privilege of collaborating with suppliers such as Landscape Structures, KOMPAN, Playworld, GameTime, Henderson, and Bienenstock. Those years taught me that a playground is never “just” a collection of structures. Behind every climber, panel, swing, and splash element sits a deliberate set of objectives—a

Cantonese has a fascinating “water culture.” So many everyday expressions end with 「水」, showing how flexible and alive this character is in the language. Water can suggest conversation, money, profit, confusion, luck, or atmosphere, depending on the setting. For example, 吹水 can mean casual chatting — something close to the English phrase “shoot the breeze.” Perhaps that is part of the beauty of water itself. It flows, adapts, and takes the shape of its surroundings. Yet water