By: Dinka Utomo on November 19, 2024
Our denomination is part of the worldwide reformed churches. As is known, the motto of the reformed churches always reminds us to be willing to make changes and renewals based on the truth of God’s word from day to day. The goal is that God’s name will always be glorified, and many people will experience…
By: Debbie Owen on November 19, 2024
At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it had been during the previous six years. It has been taken over by Death Eaters, under the control of Severus Snape as Headmaster, operating on orders from Voldemort. Harry realizes that Voldemort is going to take over…
By: Jeff Styer on November 18, 2024
One could argue that life is nothing more than a series of chemical reactions. This is a thought that I had when I read Edwin Friedman’s A Failure of Nerve book, especially when he discussed the concept of reactivity.[1] As much as I enjoyed reading this book to discover how neurotransmitters impact my marriage, I…
By: Pam Lau on November 18, 2024
“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well. It is the certainty that something is worth doing no matter how it turns out.” – Vaclav Havel At the start of every mediation, I ask the parties this question: “What is your highest hope?” It doesn’t matter if the conflict is between divorced parents,…
By: Tim Clark on November 18, 2024
In 1987, the genre-defying songwriter Steve Taylor released his fourth studio album, I Predict 1990. I loved Taylor’s progressive music, which blended pop, new wave, and a little post-punk, and I was smitten with his intelligent lyrics, which bordered on irreverence. His was one of only a handful of “Christian” artists that I resonated with…
By: Kally Elliott on November 18, 2024
It was a sunny, warm day, the leaves turning vibrant colors of yellow and red, the Tumalo River, a dance of currents, swirling in harmony as my German Shepherd and I hiked alongside it. Margaret Wheatley’s audiobook, Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World played on my on my Airpods and…
By: Cathy Glei on November 18, 2024
“If we believe that the universe is on a relentless road to death, we can’t help but live in fear of change. In a downhill world, any change exhausts our store of valuable energy and leaves us empty, one step closer to death. Staying put or keeping our balance is a means of defense against…
By: Noel Liemam on November 15, 2024
Introduction “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance,” by Angela Duckworth, has been rated 4.6/5.0 stars on amazon.com and 4.1/5 stars on 4.1/5 stars on Goodreads. Is it a good read? The reviews I watched on YouTube agreed on the fact that it is a very practical book, and it is useful for self-improvement. Angela…
By: Joel Zantingh on November 15, 2024
“Stubborn Dutchman” was a phrase I heard almost weekly as a child. It was applied to grandparents, aunts and uncles, my parents, siblings, and yes, to me. It seemed to be a regular explanation to a tenacity and commitment against all odds, even when the activity or hypothesis was less than iron-clad. Sometimes an insult,…
By: Daren Jaime on November 15, 2024
As we pay homage to our armed military veterans across the United States this week, the sports enthusiast in me would like to pay special tribute to the United States Army football team. They are ranked 18th overall in the nation in college football standings and are currently on a 14-game winning streak, the longest…
By: Jana Dluehosh on November 15, 2024
Darn…5 minutes late in posting! Conversations…what a meaningful word. We have millions of conversations in our lifetimes, some silly, like arguing with your spouse on who changed the last diaper, to life-changing conversations like one that starts with the question, “Will you marry me?” We begin conversations with our parents as we babble back and…
By: Elysse Burns on November 14, 2024
I live among people whose resilience and resourcefulness are extraordinary, and I am amazed and humbled by what they produce and repurpose daily with limited resources. Whether navigating crowded market stalls, constructing buildings with only buckets and concrete blocks, or commuting in taxis, rickshaws, on donkeys, or by foot, one thing is unmistakable: life here…
By: Diane Tuttle on November 14, 2024
Between the two books, Grit: The POWER of PASSION and PERSEVERANCE[1] and Mindset[2], it feels like I was reading several lines from my “script” to new employees at our orientation meetings each month, except with different words. My role in these meetings is to welcome the newcomers, review our Mission, Core Values and Vision statements…
By: Kari on November 14, 2024
“You’re a lady doing the worker’s job!” I looked up from my sweeping to smile at the neighbor passing. I shrugged and cheerfully told her it was good exercise. She laughed, agreed, exchanged a few more words, and continued walking. That exchange was in the local dialect of Arabic. I understood her. She understood me.…
By: Ryan Thorson on November 14, 2024
*Grit: (Noun) courage and resolve; strength of character:* What does it take to develop grit? Is grit really perseverance and passion, or simply perseverance with a growth mindset? Does Grit even matter? Angela Duckworth wrote the book Grit in 2016 after measuring success in various groups of students and people. Having gone from the…
By: Russell Chun on November 14, 2024
言葉はささやき、行動は雷鳴のごとく。Words whisper, Actions thunder (Japanese) Part 1 Introduction, a history lesson Part 2 What my peers are saying Part 3 What I learned Part 4 Epilogue Part 1 Introduction, A history lesson Soon after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, effectively placing over 100,000 West Coast residents…
By: Adam Cheney on November 14, 2024
The little red dirt trail had become familiar as I walked between the tall grass and coconut trees. We had been living in a small village in Kenya for about a year and I had learned to always vary my route, never returning the same way I had come. Our arrival into the village we…
By: Graham English on November 14, 2024
“You can do anything you want”, is a mantra that I’ve heard parents often say to their kids, with the desire to see them maximize their potential. The concept of reaching one’s full potential has been a focal point in various fields of thought for centuries. Philosophers, psychologists, and theologians have extensively explored methods to…
By: Shela Sullivan on November 13, 2024
Introduction “True Grit,” is a 2010 American Western movie about a fourteen-year old girl, Mattie Ross,[1] who hires a drunken US Mashal, Rooster Cogburn to pursue her father’s murderer, Tom Chaney. Determined to see Chaney brought to justice, in two scenes, Mattie displays remarkable grit, such as when she crosses a river on horseback to…
By: Debbie Owen on November 13, 2024
Jesus asks many questions in the gospels. But the most powerful question he asks is, “What do you want?” For instance, he asks a blind man, Bartimaeus, in Mark 10:51-52, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus replies, “Teacher, I want to see.” Isn’t that interesting? The man is obviously blind, yet…
