“ ‘This isn’t the life I have for you. I have much bigger things in mind. You just need to follow me.’ ”

As we celebrate International Volunteer Day, meet three volunteers who play an essential role in the mission of The Salvation Army.

To address the overwhelming need, The Salvation Army has themed this year’s Kettle Campaign as “Her Only Meal.”

“We wanted the gala to be a fun night with real purpose” 

“The place was packed, and we did $1,600 in sales in four hours,”...

Sarah Byford is known for her many fundraisers in the community. She has collected 250 stuffed bears for kids at the Children’s Hospital Foundation in Victoria; made gift baskets and cards and designed golf towels and T-shirts to raise money; sold candy and hot chocolate, using the proceeds for the Ronald McDonald House; spent her birthday money for people in need; and organized raffles and bottle drives for charity.

“I want to help children and make them smile.”

No spooling! Upcycle empty spools, vintage patterns, random buttons and rickrack trim into festive décor with this fun and easy DIY.

Making Room in Advent: 25 Devotions for a Season of Wonder is a stunning collection of original paintings depicting the Christmas story as told in the Gospel of Luke, paired with Scripture readings, devotional messages, breath prayers and reflection questions. Whether you are new to the Christmas story or have become overly familiarized with it, this book will help you encounter the Nativity in a fresh and contemplative way as you tune your heart to the wonder of Jesus’ birth this Advent season.

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45)

The Christian year is a means of ascribing meaning to time, a focus for worship and thanksgiving, an invitation to formation in the likeness of Christ, a tool for teaching and testifying the faith, and a form of resistance to the emptiness ascribed to time by lifeless philosophies.

In this edition of our Talking It Over series, James Read speaks with Glen O’Brien about artificial intelligence.