How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.
-Psalm 133:1, 3
Don’t miss the blessing found in being at peace with your brothers and sisters in Christ!
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
-1 Peter 3:11
Isn’t he cute? We found this Red-Spotted Newt on the trail down from McAfee’s Knob this summer. I didn’t know it at the time, but this little guy is just a teenager (more properly called an eft)! These newts are hatched in the water much like frog tadpoles, breathing with gills and not having more than two front nubs for legs. They grow and develop, and go through a metamorphosis to become land creatures, where they will live for at least two years. After spending a few years on land, the eft goes through another metamorphosis and becomes an adult, losing the bright coloring (but keeping its red spots). The adult newt returns to the water, where it can live another 10 years or so!
I think as we go through life on this earth as believers in Christ, we are all in the eft stage. We are not what we were, as “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun” (2 Corinthians 5)! At the same time, what we will be is not yet, but it’s coming!
…we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
The best is yet to come!
“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you” (2 Timothy 1:6).
What gift has God given you? Whatever it is, it’s not for you to keep to yourself. God’s people need you to use it! Exercise that gift, and grow it for the betterment of others.
My husband and I took five days in October to hike the mountains of western Massachusetts. We thought the autumn would be a beautiful opportunity to spend some time surrounded by the colors of the season. What we didn’t predict was the amount of leaves on the trail that became almost treacherous after the rain began! Added to the wet leaves were the wet rocks sometimes hidden beneath the leafy blanket. In spite of wearing great hiking boots, I wiped out more than one time when my footing was not as sure as I expected it to be. Continue reading Watch Your Step!
Meet Andrew, our cat. He’d say hello, but he’s sleeping. Not a care in the world, except maybe keeping his nose warm! Now, I like my sleep, but even I think 20 hours is a bit much…
I think we need to find our inner cats, though. Continue reading Take a Load Off
What is it about the sound of waterfalls that is so relaxing? I found this one in a mountain stream. We have a small waterfall circulating water through the fish pond right outside our living room window. You can even buy smaller ones as indoor decorative water features. I must admit though that the sound of Niagara Falls is not exactly relaxing…more awe-inspiring in all of its power!
Water itself is a powerful force. Continue reading Example 3
Lauri Hawley 