Sound Words (Page 19)

God’s Wondrous Ways It has taken decades to collect the random assortment of magnets which now adorn our “fridge-for-later”. Our oldest daughter Jessica was the first in our home to turn this ordinary appliance into an art gallery. She was also the one to coin the name which we still affectionately use. Katrina, Emma and Logan contributed in turn to make the kitchen a colorful display of creativity. As the children grew so did their skills. No work by any…

WILL What will tomorrow bring? The truth is that none of us know. We have an idea what we wish for tomorrow to be. We make plans and act on them like they are set in stone. Sometimes we are devastated when things do not go as we planned. James warned Christians about the uncertainty of the future. “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy…

REGRET Grief covers a wide range of emotion. At one extreme is a debilitating sadness. This is usually the result of great personal loss. At the other extreme is mild aggravation. Have you as a parent ever said, “My children have given me nothing but grief today”? As an emotion grief is usually a response to something unexpected, something outside of our control. Sometimes grief is the direct result of our own actions. The consequence of sin is always loss.…

WISDOM Benjamin Franklin said, “After crosses and losses men grow humbler and wiser.” If only there were a way to obtain wisdom without suffering. If only there were a way to learn humility without falling. What if we could know the right course without taking the wrong one first? What if we could always say the right thing instead of causing others pain? How different would our lives be? How different would the lives of our family, friends and neighbors…

The Devil in Pop Culture The devil has been an interesting figure in pop culture over the years. In medieval times the devil is depicted as something grotesque to be feared. In the paintings of that era, he is depicted as a half man- half goat hybrid or a lizard person. He is even painted literally eating sinners alive. In the renaissance era we see a small shift in the view of Satan. In the year 1667 we got “Paradise…

A Faithful Witness Have you ever been asked to recount an event which you have observed? Perhaps you have been called on to testify at a trial. In either case there is an expectation that you will truthfully describe the events that you have witnessed. “A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter lies.” (Proverbs 14:5 NKJV) The Mosaic law forbade false witness. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16 NKJV) This…

Priorities It is now Thursday evening and I have this article to write and a weekly bulletin to publish. Two sermons need to be finished. Welcome slides and readings have yet to be updated in PowerPoint. I still have obligations to my employer. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has presented an unending list of challenges in my son’s purchase and registration of a pickup truck. I promised to help my in-laws Friday night and Saturday. No pressure, right? Ordinarily this would…

Work Mondays have become the universal symbol representing dislike for work. Transitioning from a traditional weekend of rest, recreation and worship to focused endeavor can be challenging. “It feels like a Monday” is a common response to the question, “How are you today?” regardless of the weekday on which the question is posed.  While some dread work, many are absorbed in it. Some are so deeply invested in their work that they have no identity outside of their occupation. Others…