Year: 2013

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" is an English-language children's rhyme that was created in Britain before 1872. It was meant to persuade the child victim to ignore the name-calling, to refrain from … Read more

I've never had the patience to do grocery shopping or any other type of shopping much, and in the past, I've left it up to my wife and daughter to do it. However, this attitude changed due to an affliction. Let me explain. A number of … Read more

Don't you just hate it when it appears that evil has won at the game of life? The guilty party gets off on a technicality; the person always causing problems on the board refuses to step down, which leads to the loss of good leaders; the … Read more

I have locks on the doors in my house, both on interior doors that lead to bathrooms and bedrooms and exterior doors that lead to the outside. The only reasons that interior doors are locked are to ensure privacy or to hide a messy room. … Read more

Each April for the past three years, our household has received a picture postcard from the office of the Grey County Weed Inspector. The cards advised of an invasive plant called Wild Chervil that threatens forage crops. The postcards ask … Read more

I host a weekly ecumenical lectionary Bible study. The people who attend are Christians of all stripes, and so are the versions of the holy Bible that they bring with them. We may have four or five versions in use at one time, and we … Read more

"No! I don't want to forgive ______!" he seethed. Sure, he believed in forgiving, but not this person … never. In his book, The Christian Atheist, Craig Groeschel relates that he was bitter after learning that a family friend had … Read more

One doesn't think of old age until we reach 80 or 90; then it hits us. We are getting old. I am old! But can anyone really say that and still have great expectations? Is there any indication in the Bible that the Lord has plans for our old … Read more

Some time ago, my husband served as the pastor of a quaint little church in our home state of Pennsylvania, USA. Often, he spent hours putting together creative sermons using a unique blend of biblical and contemporary language. Although … Read more

We have a lost and found in our church office. It's a box full of coffee mugs, glasses, umbrellas, books, and jackets. Every now and then, we place the box out in the welcome area to see if anyone claims the items. After a couple of … Read more