Itching Ears
An excerpt attributed to a renowned Christian apologist and author appeared in one of my social media feeds. Because I respect the person who shared the content and because the language reflected the author’s voice, I momentarily believed the quote was authentic.
timely advice
I saw a group interacting with others outside my train station—sharing Scriptures with anyone who would listen. A group member approached and asked me to take a survey. One question referred to Revelation 22:17. She asked, “Who do you think is the ‘bride’?” I said, “The church.” She replied, “Read the text carefully. It’s God, the Mother.”
something lesser
I was surprised when a colleague told me that few commentaries are written on the book of Judges. In general it seems that Christians avoid the book.
But there are many interesting, helpful stories in Judges. Chapter 17 contains one of them. The protagonist is named Micah, but he isn’t the prophet Micah. Though they share the same name (which…
diet progress
After recent surgery, I spent a week in a hospital room doing the recovery thing. Due to the site of my surgical procedure (the stomach), I was placed on a step-by-step diet plan. First came the clear liquids diet that I was on for several days. It featured jello, broths, and juices. Then came the full liquids diet (bring on the oatmeal!),…
fooling ourselves
Last year, a bizarre TV game show began airing in France. Contestants were given questions and all went well if they answered correctly. But a wrong answer proved to be deadly. For the erring contestants were then commanded to throw a switch that appeared to force another contestant—strapped in the “hot seat”—to endure a lethal 420 volts of electricity. This…
counterfeit faith
After waiting in line at a local store, it was finally my turn to pay. The clerk took my money, held the bill up to the light and then disappeared to confer with her manager. When she returned, she explained that the store had recently received several counterfeit bills. Then she looked at me and added, “You don’t look like…
wild gourds
As you probably know, not all mushrooms are safe to eat. In fact, only 3,000 of the 14,000 known mushroom species are edible. Poisonous mushrooms are also known as toadstools (thought to have originated from the German word todes which means death). That’s why I rely on the experts, for I can’t tell a good mushroom from a bad toadstool.
Due…
don't be fooled!
I was cooking tacos tonight and reached for the lovely red and yellow, trusty, bottle of ground cumin to add some spice. I use cumin a lot and have come to take it for granted.
Now I can describe the bottle to you from memory, I can tell you all about the wonderful dishes we've made together. I can sort…
thieves and shepherds
In September 2008, a court convicted Ryan Mueller of burglary. Due to multiple convictions, Mueller received 6 years in the penitentiary along with 5 years probation. Mueller’s latest crime happened in the middle of the night when he crept into a family’s home under cover of dark and attempted to steal $20 from a toddler’s piggy bank.
I don’t know…
