It's Spring Break! - Carolyn Martens
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2009-03-12 08:45.
Esther, the Beauty Queen - Brock Adams
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2009-03-05 15:35.
“He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother.” Esther 2:7
“The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.” Esther 2:17
In Esther chapter 2, we read about one of the first beauty pageants recorded in human history. This chapter seems low key until you actually dwell on what just happened. A young woman, about the age of 16, is orphaned. Her parents have died and her uncle Mordecai takes her into his home and raises her. Esther is Jewish but living in a Persian world. This means that she is a foreigner and her people live in service to the Persians. That is when the story gets interesting.
In Esther chapter 2, we read about one of the first beauty pageants recorded in human history. This chapter seems low key until you actually dwell on what just happened. A young woman, about the age of 16, is orphaned. Her parents have died and her uncle Mordecai takes her into his home and raises her. Esther is Jewish but living in a Persian world. This means that she is a foreigner and her people live in service to the Persians. That is when the story gets interesting.
The Cross - Mike Mannes
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2009-02-27 12:12.
“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.”
1 Corinthians 1:23
I’ve always found Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:23 very interesting. He talks about the core of Christianity – the cross. The cross has become trivialized by many today. It’s a favourite piece of jewellery to some, a good tattoo illustration for others. We see baseball players make the sign of the cross on their chest before they go up to bat in a big game.
But the cross is so much more than a pendant or a good look charm.
What Kids Need Most Doesn't Cost a Thing - Carolyn Martens
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2009-02-19 09:55. With the economy the way it is right now a lot of families are feeling the financial crunch in their lives. We tend to think twice about what we are spending our money on. Buying groceries comes before going out for a meal. Paying the bills is more important than that holiday we ‘thought’ we needed. Financial changes and sacrifices are becoming necessary for families to make ends meet more than ever right now.
Unfortunately for some parents this can bring on guilt, especially when it comes to their children. They feel bad because they can not buy and do all the things they think their children want or think they need. The more I work with children – the more I understand that what children need most is always free.
