The Letter The owner’s name was Philemon, and the name of his slave, Onesimus. This one chapter book in the New Testament is a letter written to the slave owner. You can find that letter sandwiched right between Titus and Hebrews. The letter to Philemon is from the apostle Paul, and it deals with the run-away slave, Onesimus. The part in this letter that tears at my heart is in verse 12. I am sending … Read more
Shamrock to Scarlet Every autumn, I wait for the changing of the leaves. Lime, olive, shamrock and sage change to scarlet, orange, yellow, and brown. There’s a reason for the changes. Some folks think it’s the cold; others think it’s the rain; yet others say it’s because there are less daylight hours. I believe all of these reasons are true, and that’s because I’ve experienced them. There is also another reason, and that’s the chlorophyll … Read more
The Paradox for Harvest It’s a paradox. For a good harvest, do you work at pulling out the weeds or invest time and money planting seeds? Which is most important? Both are necessary for any gardens, whether it be mushrooms or mums, squash or sunflowers, or peas or pumpkins. Maybe it’s time to focus on the germination of seeds, thus encouraging and cultivating the growth of sustenance. Pulling weeds cleans out a garden, but unless … Read more
The Mundane There is something in all of us that makes us want to know for certain that what we do matters, not just to us, but to others. When the things we do every day feel small and insignificant, it doesn’t seem to matter. Sometimes, in our feeling that nobody notices or nobody cares, it’s easy to become careless or lazy. I had days like that, especially when I worked the midnight shift as … Read more
Who would have thought that John the Baptist’s life would end in such a tragic death. He was, after all, born for the purpose of pointing others to the Messiah. Jesus and John the Baptist were distant cousins, but it’s not likely that they grew up in the same community. John was born to older parents and his purpose in life was to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ. It was John who baptized Jesus … Read more