Clint Eastwood says, “They say marriages are made in heaven. But so is thunder and lightning.” -- Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell Some marriages have more thunder and lightning than others. We should work to follow Biblical advice on how to have a peaceful family. The Week, April 10, 2015, p. 15; Colossians…

God's Autograph in the Sky Have you ever watched children build a "castle" out of Lego blocks? They don't develop architectural drawings or do structural analysis, instead, they just start sticking blocks together. On rare occasions, they cooperate, usually the play time ends when one child gets frustrated…

Background to the nativity story. A Christmas meditation.

I’d like to read to you some posts that were daily updates from a family whose daughter, Kayleigh, was fighting brain tumors. They were made while they were waiting for their 7-year-old daughter to die. These are the words of Kayleigh’s mother, ‘Carrow. “Being human is a difficult thing. Kayleigh's distress…

On one occasion I turned in by reason of the extreme severity of the rain to a little lone cottage. I found a woman there with a child who seemed somewhat relieved when she had admitted me, but previously she had been crying bitterly with sheer alarm and terror. “Why,” she said, “this is a little round…

What do you worry about? What is it that makes you anxious? Journalist Eric Sevareid, quoted in the Associated Press says “The biggest business in America is not steel, automobiles, or television It is the manufacture, refinement, and distribution of anxiety.” --The Week, May 21, 2010 p. 21. Illustration…

CONTROL The fast pace of today's world may not be all it's cracked up to be. A new survey suggests many people feel their lives are out of control. The study by WingspanBank.com found 61% of Americans feel at least one aspect of their lives is out of control. The top three priorities among respondents…

It is refreshing to have a place of solitude, a place to relax and experience the presence of God in His creation. Honeysuckles, climbing vines, lilies, violets, and roses covered Helen Keller’s family home. She found joy as she wandered, burying her face in the cool petals of the flowers and smelling…

“God is creating a new humanity and something incredibly beautiful... Reach out and see the possibility of an amazing future.”

Unknown Author These are more effective than 911 When - You are sad, phone John 14 You have sinned, phone Psalm 51 You are facing danger, phone Psalm 91 People have failed you, phone Psalm 27 It feels as though God is far from you, phone Psalm 139 Your faith needs stimulation, phone Hebrews 11 You are…

Prayer breaks down walls WW2; Hitler; Berlin Wall; Division; Protection; Prayer; Pray; Revival; Peace; Hate; Freedom; Free; After World War II, Berlin—the capital of Germany and headquarters of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich—was overseen by the four Allied nations that had united to defeat Hitler: America,…

Here's what the school's program said about "Peace Child" the musical: In Papua, New Guinea, when warring tribes make peace, they each exchange a child. The children grow up in the other's tribe, and if, in the future, conflict threatened between the two tribes, that child is sent to negotiate the peace.…

In the 1960’s, Simon and Garfunkel was one of the top recording artists. Then right at the top of their popularity they split up, going their separate musical ways. Now 45 years later we discover that Art Garfunkel has never forgiven Paul Simon for the breakup. Attributing the breakup to Simon’s unwillingness…

ARGUMENTS A disagreement between the city council and a local business means that residents of the Pennsylvania community of Duncannon have a 4-foot potted Christmas tree instead of the 20-foot tree they have used for the past eight years. The 20-foot tree had already been decorated when Kirk Nace, a…

The only place to find peace in the midst of a storm is in the Maker of the storm. Long ago, a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived…

The first time the town of Tubingen, Germany, expelled all of its Jewish residents was in 1477. It wasn’t the last. It became a place where anti-Jewish doctrines thrived, especially during World War II. Today, however, the Jerusalem Post reports that not only has a tiny Jewish community returned to the…

Living peaceably means allowing God to work even when your flesh is screaming for justice. A sad news story from Wales years ago told of a feud in a church looking for a new pastor. It read: “Yesterday the two opposing groups both sent ministers to the pulpit. Both spoke simultaneously, each trying to…

Enemies I liked Church fellowships when I was a boy. After the meal, the kids always ran outside to play in the backyard of the church. It adjoined cotton fields to the south and east. We waited until it was pitch dark, then we started playing "hide and go seek." The cotton fields were "out of bounds,"…

Chad Saylor ran into a local jail seeking protection, but didn’t find what he was looking for. Authorities said he climbed a pipe and then got stuck. Saylor called 911 and asked the police to help free him. Authorities said that after they helped Saylor get out of his predicament, they discovered that…

Where do you seek peace? Researchers writing in the Journal of Social Psychology say the place to find it is in freshly baked bread. Their findings reveal “the aroma of baking bread triggers a rising sense of altruism, increased happiness and other beneficial effects” Baking bread may trigger a sense…

Disagreements over finances are the most common source of marital discord and experts say fighting over money may do may damage than couples realize. A study conducted by the Utah State University found that couples who disagreed about money once a week were twice as likely to divorce as those who differed…

Often the Alpine hunter, when pursuing the antelope, will leap from crag to crag, will wear out the live-long day, will spend the night upon the mountain’s cold brow. He then descends to the valleys and up again to the hills as though he could never tire, and could never rest until he has found his prey.…

A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She…

Harmony Paul gives us a key to getting along with others in Romans 12:16. I particularly like the New Living Translation rendering of the verse, "Live in harmony with each other. Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!" Paul didn't tell us…