Posts from November 2025
Can there be any Hope?
When the time change happens in November and the daylight grows shorter in our northern hemisphere, it is extremely noticeable. It actually might drive me crazy if it were not for the Christmas season. But the long days of darkness become joyful for me when the Christmas lights go up. I’m kind of a sucker for Christmas lights — not quite as bad as Clark Griswald (of the Christmas Vacation movie) but I do love them. The gorgeous lights of…
How to prepare yourself for Thanksgiving Worship this Sunday!
This coming Sunday, November 23, at 10am, the LifeWay Church family will be coming together for a worship time totally dedicated to “Giving Thanks!” We did this last year and it was so meaningful. This simple article is to strongly encourage you to get ready so that YOU and I — all of us can truly participate in the most meaningful of ways. Here is what to expect at the worship service: Your assignment is to identify one or more…
Lessons From a garden
I love to garden. I am still not especially proficient at it, and every season is a new trial and error. But there is something incredibly grounding and humbling about taking a small insignificant seed, giving it an environment to grow and a bit of attention and watching it transform into something that in turn produces something of value itself. I have also found that the more time that I spend in my garden, the more that I grow in…
Angels Ascending and Descending (Part II)
Read Part I When people think of angels, they sometimes think of them as baby angels, not adult angels. They fly around on their wings (not the people, but angels), play the harp and shoot arrows. They had just taken a bath, and they smell good. But that is not the picture of angels in the Bible. Angels are simply God’s helpers, and they do various types of work to, well, help God. But perhaps, angels are best understood to…
God is Joy!
What is the happiest place that you can think of? If you had a choice, what would be your happy place? I love to play a group game with people (many of you have been part of this in the past). I give people four different locations of places they could go to for their “happy place!” (1) A mountain chalet in the Austrian Alps; (2) A white sandy beach in the Virgin Islands surrounded by blue water and palm…
The Justice of God
“Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. “Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable. “Some pigs were born last night.” “I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern, who was only eight. “Well,” said her mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and weak, and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.” “Do…
Angels Ascending and Descending (Part I)
What are some things that are nothings, yet famous? A hat, a chair, a notebook, a toothbrush? What else comes to your mind? What about a ladder? Yes, ladder. There are the Putucusi Ladder at Machu Picchu, and the Half Dome Ladder at Yosemite, and I am sure there are others. But did you know there is also a famous ladder in the Bible? I am thinking of Jacob’s ladder. Even for those who are not Bible readers, or have…