a peace that guards . . .
—submitted by Terry and Pat Lampel, US
March 31, 2014
What advice would you give to a new believer in Jesus?
confession
While visiting a friend in Marseille, France, we stopped by an old church. I took in the cold stone floors, the magnificent ancient walls, and the smell of the musty wooden pews. Almost hidden from my view, built into a wall, was the confessional box. It contained enough for just one person on either side of a wooden slat. My friend quietly commented that the act of confessing our sins one to another seemed to have disappeared from many modern churches. This challenged me not only to confess my sin to God but also to others.
into the light
One of the hardest things about getting ready in the morning is picking out my socks. Are they blue or black? Because I’m color-blind, those two colors look the same to me in the dim morning light! So what I typically do is take them out into the kitchen and compare them under some bright lightbulbs, which helps me see their true colors.
friend request
Ty Morin hopes to photograph 788 “friends” by the year 2016. His picture-taking project, entitled “Friend Request: Accepted,” will require him to photograph each of his Facebook friends doing what they love—anything from firefighting to weightlifting. Although many of his friends live in remote regions of the world, he feels it’s important to show up and connect personally with each one—spending at least an hour taking pictures. Through his project, Morin wants to combat the impersonal, superficial nature of online “friending.”
demanding answers
Remember that thing Charlotte used to say when she didn’t get her way?”
when sleep eludes
I tossed and turned on my bed. My heart was troubled and my mind disturbed. I was deliberating a decision that could set my life on a whole new course. In this scary time, I found myself praying: Lord, teach me how to pray!
fixed
I love excellence and I even battle against perfectionism from time to time. But there are times I find speed more desirable than precision. As evidence, behind every picture on my walls is a cluster of tiny pinholes. It’s no wonder that the occasional picture falls from its place. After all, I can’t expect much from a technique that relies on a hairbrush in lieu of a hammer, and a good eye instead of a tape measure. My attempts simply seemed faster than measured accuracy.
not too young
Recent research has revealed what teenagers truly desire from the adults in their lives. The Search Institute study found that teens want parents and other older influencers to do the following: 1. Look at us. 2. Spend time talking with us. 3. Listen. 4. Be dependable. 5. Show appreciation for what we do. 6. Relax. 7. Show that you’re interested. 8. Laugh with us (and at yourself). 9. Ask us to help you. 10. Challenge us.
March 24, 2014
What attribute of God has meant the most to you recently?
bad habits
Our young daughter has always preferred sleeping flat on her stomach and without a pillow. But last winter she developed a sinus condition, and the only way she could stop coughing during the night was if she placed her head on a pillow and slept on her side. Six years of lying flat on her tummy without a pillow had become a habit, however, and she would stay in that raised position for only a few moments before wriggling down and sleeping on her stomach.
rules and grace
Students in a Christian elementary school lined up at the lunch table to get their food. At the head of the table was a pile of apples. A teacher made the following note and posted it on the apple tray: “Take only ONE. God is watching.” At the end of the table, next to a large tray of chocolate chip cookies, a clever student placed this note, “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.”
the waiting game
In 2006, Trevor Thompson surveyed 1,003 adults and determined the following: While waiting in line at an office or store, most people take an average of 17 minutes to lose their cool. When placed on hold during a phone call, most people lose their patience in 9 minutes. Women lose their patience after waiting in line for about 18 minutes. Men lose it after 15 minutes. People with a college education and a higher income lose their patience quicker than those with lower income less and education.
tower of...books
Marta Minujin created an 82-foot tall sculpture of the Tower of Babel in the Plaza San Martin in Buenos Aires. The artist made it using over 30,000 donated books written in nearly every world language. Inside the turret, visitors could hear a recording of Minujin’s voice pronouncing the word book in various languages. She said her mission was to “unite all people.”
