balancing seasons
As we pause and reflect on another 12 months gone by, we’re often quick to aim for greater balance in all areas during the new year. Author and pastor Andy Stanley suggests that we aim to find a rhythm in the changing seasons of life. Instead of trying to carve out equal amounts of time for each activity in order to attain and maintain a balanced lifestyle, there are seasons which require us to work longer or shorter hours, spend less or exercise more, cut out or add certain foods to our diet, and so on.
preparing the way
On July 21, 2013, media outlets worldwide held their collective breath as they waited for the birth of the child of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The baby was third in line to the British throne, and so when Prince George was born the next day there was hardly a newspaper or news program that didn’t herald the announcement front and center.
smelling good
Quite a number of my friends wear fragrances. But before long, the fragrance wears off and they have to spray on more to continue to smell good!
a time to . . .
When grocery store owner William Straw died unexpectedly in 1932, the family of this man from Worksop, England, was devastated. In their grief, they chose to leave William’s red brick house precisely the way it was the day he died. Over the years, Straw’s two sons lived there, keeping the house in immaculate condition—leaving their father’s coats and hats by the front door, his soap in the bathtub, and unopened cans of sardines and beans in the pantry. In 1991, the last surviving son died, leaving the house to the National Trust. The Trust now allows visitors to view William Straw’s house as an example of English life from 80 years ago.
identity tags
In 2010, an estimated 10.8 million babies were born every month—meaning 362,000 babies were born every day, four babies every second. So if the future king of the world was born today, how would you know where to find this newborn monarch among the thousands of other little bundles of joy? Thankfully, in most hospitals, a baby is given a tag that identifies who the baby belongs to.
you choose Q: "why were the first people to know of Jesus' birth not Jews?"
Q: Who were the first people to know about Jesus birth and how did they know? How come those people were not Jews? —Simon
I’m a bit puzzled by your question, as Mary (Luke 1:28), Joseph (Matthew 1:20), and Elizabeth (Luke 1:41-45) knew about Jesus’ birth before it happened. They were therefore the first to know about it, and they were…
upside down
My friend’s sister is due to give birth, and no one is happy about it. Her baby has Trisomy 18, a fatal disease that will likely claim the infant just minutes after she is born. It seems fiendishly upside down that the baby is alive as long as she remains within her mother, but the moment she is born she…
