Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR The Retractable Leash May 2, 2025 Do you see what this means - all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running - and never quit! ~ Hebrews 12:1 MSG ~ Classic Illustrator "Do you see what this means - all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR The Slip April 30, 2025 What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ~ Matthew 18:12 NIV ~ "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wa ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR The Actions of Love April 28, 2025 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. ~ 1 John 18:28 NIV ~ "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:18 NIV) It was over 50 years ago but I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Missives April 27, 2025 God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. ~ James 4:6 ESV ~ "'He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us'? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." ( James 4:5-7 ESV ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR My New Friends April 25, 2025 I have called you friends... ~ John 15:15b NIV ~ I have a new thing… All of my life I have felt left out, unaccepted, “different”. As a child this was because I spoke French at home in a Dutch environment. This, coupled with the fact that I wore coke bottles over my eyes and still couldn’t see, my poor eye/hand coordination ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Put the Past to Rest April 23, 2025 Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT ~ "Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT) She ran from her past, but she couldn’t hide from it.  ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Running April 20, 2025 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. ~ Luke 24:12a NLT ~ Twenty-eight years ago, my husband, Terry, ran into the bush to cry. I didn't find out until many years later. Running was a natural response for him, because he is a runner. What was not natural for him was to cry. In fact, I have never seen Terry cry in 59 years of knowing him. That day, he ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Taking a Licking April 21, 2025 Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so whom he has redeemed from trouble. ~ Psalms 107:2 ESV ~ How many have ever licked those S&H green stamps*? In this germ awareness world, we diligently try to protect our families from illness by sanitizing our environment. Back in the fifties and sixties in our green stamp era we rarely thought of the little germs on our ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR The Solar Eclipse and Good Friday April 18, 2025 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ~ Matthew 27:45 NIV ~ All the talk of the Niagara region that we call home, for the entire year leading up to April 8, 2024, was the solar eclipse, whose path of totality would go right over Niagara Falls. Thousands would flock to Niagara Falls to witness the event ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR The Hissing Wall April 16, 2025 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat... ~ Matthew 25:35 NIV ~ "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, ...Continue Reading