Last Monday, as I drove across the bridge from Williamstown into Marietta, the sunrise grabbed my attention. As usual, it was stunning to see, with its different shades of gray, pink, red, and maybe a little bit of orange and pale blue. The planet Venus and the moon still shone, though the sun was starting […]
A new year always invites reflection. It is a moment we may look back at what has been and consider what may be—for some it is a threshold that we cross with renewed hope. Scripture often speaks of new beginnings as spiritual invitations. As we step into a new year, let us do more than […]
When I was a senior in high-school (1994-1995), my older brother gave me a certain gift for Christmas. It was a small square plaque of wood with a smaller mirror attached to it. While square in shape, it is set to be in diamond shape. The mirror itself is overlaid with artwork from an American […]
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” —Luke 2:11Many believe that Thursday is the birthday of our Lord. While that is likely inaccurate (and what matters more the day of His birth or the reason for it?), it is on our minds at […]
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14). Not “visited.” Not “appeared.” Became. The eternal Word—uncreated, uncontained, and unending—stepped into human flesh. Think about it this way: the Architect became the structure; the Author wrote Himself into the story. This is not metaphor, but it is the Miracle of the ages.The Incarnation […]
The prophet Isaiah, writing amid political upheaval and spiritual decline, looked beyond Judah’s rebellion against God. He saw a King—not merely enthroned in Jerusalem, but eternal, incarnate, and divine. Isaiah’s vision transcends millennia and His Words still echo with Truth.Isaiah 7:14 declares, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his […]
“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Philippians 4:11–12). Paul writes this as a man who had been mastered by grace. His gratitude was not covenantal. His commitment was not reactive to His circumstances—it was rooted in God’s goodness.We live in a world that teaches us to chase more, fear lack, […]
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” —Colossians 3:15In Colossians 3:15, Paul does not suggest thankfulness as a seasonal virtue. He binds it to peace, to calling, to community. “Let the peace of Christ rule…”—not visit, not whisper, but rule. And […]
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name!” — Psalm 100:4Psalm 100:4 does not offer a suggestion; it unveils a sequence. Thanksgiving opens the gate. Praise crosses the threshold. Blessing His name is the natural flow of those who dwell within.Many often treat gratitude as a […]
“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18Gratitude is not a seasonal sentiment, nor a polite reflex (though it can be and is those things)—it is a spiritual stance, a covenantal response, and an act of faith. Paul’s exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 is […]