Treasure Chest

One of my favorite memories of a ministry trip to Scotland is of the majestic Edinburgh castle. I have a tea towel with a print of the castle featuring a bag piper and the lyrics of “Amazing Grace.” Such a castle is an emblem of the refuge that God’s grace provides to the believing sinner!…

One of nature’s most beautiful scenes is the rainbow. Recently I was in a thunder storm that was followed by a brilliant rainbow. It should remind us of God judgment that sent the Flood on a totally corrupted world, and His promise to never again destroy the world by water. As God promised Noah, “The…

Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to take many airplane flights. One of the lingering impressions is the sight of eager faces circling the airport’s doorway, waiting for those who are deplaning. As passengers come into view they are greeted with delighted shouts and joyful hugs. If parting is “such sweet sorrow,” then reunion…

I wonder how the people in Bible times would have reacted if they got a glimpse our modern means of transportation. Back then people would walk, and those that could afford it might benefit from riding a donkey, horse, or camel. Today, cars whisk us along at high speeds for hours at a time, and…

A while back a valentine was discovered in a British library. What’s remarkable about this valentine is its date–1477. The lady who wrote it testified to her sweetheart of her love and hopes of marriage. The valentine evidently helped; the couple later married and had a family. Valentine’s Day is a popular holiday for those…

Computer users have a nemesis which has earned a bad reputation—computer viruses. If only some vitamin C and plenty of liquids could prevent these destructive, unpredictable codes from destroying computer files and crashing hard drives! The first line of defense is to run antivirus software on your computer; it recognizes and neutralizes these software saboteurs…

Have you seen the computer software that enables the user to design a garden in 3-D? For you who thrive on gardening, imagine designing your potential garden’s location, the contour of its beds, the types of plants to include, and their arrangement. How cool is that?! But it’s even better when the garden is actually…

The year after graduating from seminary I worked for a moving and storage company in Pennsylvania (a very MOVING experience…). During that time I noticed that a move is a good opportunity to do some dejunking. It is amazing how much “stuff” a family accumulates over time—ours included!  Black garbage bags are often used for…

Thanks for the memories Memory is a remarkable capacity that we’ve been given. It certainly has its good side. The Woodwards’ photo albums and digital directories are enjoyable collections of family memories for us. And when our children were growing up, at bedtime they’d often ask for a story. It amazed me how often I…

“Angels we have heard on high,” “Hark, the herald angels sing”—the familiar Christmas carols contain many references to angels. Angels have become quite popular in modern culture as well. Many TV programs, movies, books, magazines, and collectibles involve angels. According to polls, most people believe in them, but what are angels? Are they only metaphors…