a hymn by James M. Gray He sat by a fire of seven-fold heat, As He watched by the precious ore, And closer He bent with a searching gaze As He heated it more and more. He knew He had ore that could stand the test, And He wanted the finest gold To mould as […]
Author: Joyce
Drawing closer
At last, I can finally say I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover. I started a one-year reading plan in 2013 and actually finished it! And I bought a new one last Christmas, a little one that I can carry around with me wherever. I’m going to read it again this year. And hopefully […]
Something very palpable
There’s something very palpable about the loneliness that comes with the holidays. They always say that when you’re living alone, it never gets as lonely as it does during Christmas or birthdays or New Year. I guessed it could be true, but now I’m actually feeling it for the first time. I’m about to spend […]
The Calf-Path
One day, through the primeval wood, A calf walked home, as good calves should; But made a trail all bent askew, A crooked trail, as all calves do. Since then three hundred years have fled, And, I infer, the calf is dead. But still he left behind his trail, And thereby hangs my moral tale. […]
The Unfixable Radiator: Where is God in all this?
Lessons from the sermon this Sunday: God is not the originator of misfortune, but He sometimes allows bad things to happen for the purpose of creating something better, to advance His plan for our lives. Know that in times of trouble God does not abandon, but promises to be right there with us in the […]
The Price of Happiness
“I became increasingly… interested in the question of why do people spend these crazy amounts of money not only on wine but on lots of things and are they living a better life than me… so I decided to embark on a quest… to sample the very best or most expensive or most coveted item […]
The Value of Your Word
My mother taught me plenty by example, but one of those that made a very huge impact on my life is the importance of keeping your word. When she made a promise, she kept it — partly because I would throw a tantrum if she didn’t, partly because I kept nagging her until she did, […]
Graduation: Testimonial Speech
I first accepted Christ when I was 11 years old. Before that, I had not felt a deeper meaning in the religion that I had been taught to follow in silence and obedience. So when a close family friend shared the Good News to us within the span of many, many months which included a […]
To Mom on her Birthday
Dear Ma, It’s your birthday again, and once more I am reminded of how gracious the Lord is to this otherwise fierce and cruel world to have blessed it with you – not that I do not always remember. I know that in spite of our separation during the four long years in college, I […]
Pastoral Ministry: A Personal Philosophy
The ministry of spreading the Gospel is given to everyone who is born of the Spirit. In the lifelong journey of following Jesus, every individual is commissioned to spread the good news of salvation to those who have not yet heard it, thereby mobilizing the universal church. The foundations of this ministry spring from the […]