out of season
One year, spring in the US arrived with unseasonably balmy temperatures that broke records and elevated spirits. But the mid-80 temps (30 C) came with a price. Soon a cold snap hit, freezing all the blossoms. The budding flowers withered. Fruit farms were devastated. Food prices rose substantially.
providence
My family spent the past week nervously watching the progress of a storm that was predicted to hit our area about the time we planned to leave on vacation. The storm arrived 2 days before we were scheduled to leave, grounding flights and pushing travelers onto already overbooked planes on future days. On the morning of our scheduled departure, the…
sandwiched
If you feel as if you’re a walking ham and cheese on rye, there might be good reason. More and more people are becoming part of the “sandwich generation.” They’re feeling the squeeze of caring for children while also supporting parents or parents-in-law. A recent report reveals that one in five working-age people in Asia are now officially “sandwiched.”
Boaz…
trees and trust
[caption id="attachment_8185" align="aligncenter" width="518" caption="—pic submitted by Kristin Palmer, US"]
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This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness,…
sowing and obedience
Galatians 6:7-9: Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what…
keeping it clean
Genesis 26:18: He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham’s death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them.
We live in a subdivision that has a pond for the homeowners to enjoy. Periodically, the Property Owners Association has to hire someone to come with a piece of earth moving equipment…
shalom
One of my neighbors, who was born in Tibet, has taught me the traditional Tibetan greeting, “Tashi Delek.” Whenever I meet him, no matter the time of day, I see his gregarious smile and hear, “Tashi Delek”—and I reply with the same words. The words mean “fine, well” or “all things good.” I look forward to seeing him—and receiving his…
