Astonishingly it took Handel only twenty-four days to write the orchestral music for the Messiah oratorio mdash today perhaps the world rsquo s most famous musical composition one performed thousands of times every year around the world The magnificent work reaches its climax nearly two hours after it begins with the most famous part of the oratorio the ldquo Hallelujah Chorus rdquo As the trumpets and timpani announce the beginning of the chorus voices layer on top of each other as the choir sings the words of Revelation ldquo And he shall reign for ever and ever rdquo It is [... more]

Growing up without a dad Rob felt he missed out on a lot of practical wisdom that fathers often pass on to their children Not wanting anyone to lack important life skills Rob made a series of practical ldquo Dad How Do I rdquo videos demonstrating everything from how to put up a shelf to how to change a tire With his kind compassion and warm style Rob has become a YouTube sensation amassing millions of subscribers Many of us long for the expertise of a parental figure to teach us valuable skills as well as help us navigate difficult [... more]

On July the small plane piloted by John F Kennedy Jr crashed into the Atlantic Ocean Investigators determined the cause of the accident to be a common error known as spatial disorientation This phenomenon occurs when due to poor visibility pilots become disoriented and forget to rely on their instruments to help them successfully reach their destination As we navigate life there are often times when life gets so overwhelming we feel disoriented A cancer diagnosis the death of a loved one a job loss a betrayal by a friend mdash life rsquo s unexpected tragedies can easily leave us [... more]

I came to learn about Catherine Hamlin a remarkable Australian surgeon through reading her obituary In Ethiopia Catherine and her husband established the world rsquo s only hospital dedicated to curing women from the devastating physical and emotional trauma of obstetric fistulas a common injury in the developing world that can occur during childbirth Catherine is credited with overseeing the treatment of more than women Still operating at the hospital when she was years old and still beginning each day with a cup of tea and Bible study Hamlin told curious questioners that she was an ordinary believer in Jesus [... more]

My family lives in a nearly century-old house with a lot of character including wonderfully textured plaster walls A builder cautioned me that with these walls to hang a picture up I rsquo d have to either drill the nail into a wood support or use a plaster anchor for support Otherwise I rsquo d risk the picture crashing to the ground leaving an ugly hole behind The prophet Isaiah used the imagery of a nail driven firmly into a wall to describe a minor biblical character named Eliakim Unlike the corrupt official Shebna vv ndash as well as the [... more]

During an episode of the popular US television talent competition ldquo America rsquo s Got Talent rdquo a five-year-old girl sang with such exuberance that a judge compared her to a famous child singer and dancer in the s He remarked ldquo I think Shirley Temple is living somewhere inside of you rdquo Her unexpected response ldquo Not Shirley Temple Jesus rdquo I marveled at the young girl rsquo s deep awareness that her joy came from Jesus living in her Scripture assures us of the amazing reality that all who trust in Jesus not only receive the promise of [... more]

ldquo It can be an affliction more harrowing than homelessness hunger or disease rdquo wrote Maggie Fergusson in The Economist rsquo s magazine Her subject Loneliness Fergusson chronicled the increasing rates of loneliness irrespective of one rsquo s social or economic status using heart-wrenching examples of what it feels like to be lonely The hurt of feeling alone is not new to our day Indeed the pain of isolation echoes off the pages of the ancient book of Ecclesiastes Often attributed to King Solomon the book captures the sorrow of those who seem to lack any meaningful relationships ndash The [... more]

Among the many exhibits and artifacts exploring the harsh reality of slavery and its aftermath in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC I was grateful to discover the Contemplative Court This tranquil room features translucent walls of bronze glass and water appears to rain down from the ceiling into a pool As I sat in that peaceful space a quote on the wall from Dr Martin Luther King Jr caught my eye ldquo We are determined to work and fight until justice rains down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream rdquo These [... more]

ldquo Taps rdquo is a trumpet call played by the US military at the end of the day as well as at funerals I was amazed when I read the unofficial lyrics and discovered that many of the verses end with the phrase ldquo God is nigh rdquo God is near Both before the dark of each night settles in or while mourning the loss of a loved one the lyrics offer soldiers the beautiful assurance that God is near In the Old Testament sounding trumpets was also a reminder to the Israelites that God was near In the middle [... more]

Every Christmas we decorate our home with nativity scenes from around the world We have a German nativity pyramid a manager scene fashioned out of olive wood from Bethlehem and a brightly colored Mexican folk version Our family favorite is a whimsical entry from Africa Instead of the more traditional sheep and camels a hippopotamus gazes contently at the baby Jesus The unique cultural perspective brought to life in these nativity scenes warms my heart as I ponder each beautiful reminder that Jesus rsquo s birth was not just for one nation or culture It is good news for the [... more]

Country artist Chris Stapleton rsquo s deeply personal song ldquo Daddy Doesn rsquo t Pray Anymore rdquo was inspired by his own father rsquo s prayers for him The poignant lyrics reveal the reason his father rsquo s prayers ended not disillusionment or weariness but his own death Stapleton imagines that now instead of speaking with Jesus in prayer his dad is walking and talking face-to-face with Jesus nbsp Stapleton rsquo s recollection of his father rsquo s prayers for him brings to mind a biblical father rsquo s prayer for his son As King David rsquo s life ebbed [... more]

When we purchased our home we also inherited an established grapevine As gardening novices my family invested considerable time learning how to prune water and care for it When our first harvest came I popped a grape from the vine into my mouth mdash only to be disappointed with an unpleasant sour taste nbsp The frustration I felt about painstakingly tending a grapevine only to have a bitter harvest echoes the tone of Isaiah There we read an allegory of God rsquo s relationship to the nation of Israel God pictured as a farmer had cleared the hillside of debris [... more]

I am one of millions of people worldwide who suffer from SAD seasonal affective disorder a type of depression common in places with limited sunlight due to short winter days When I begin to fear winter rsquo s frozen curse will never end I rsquo m eager for any evidence that longer days and warmer temperatures are coming The first signs of spring mdash flowers successfully braving their way through the lingering snow mdash also powerfully remind me of the way God rsquo s hope can break through even our darkest seasons The prophet Micah confessed this even while enduring [... more]

I stood amazed at the hundreds of thousands of padlocks many engraved with the initials of sweethearts attached to every imaginable part of the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris The pedestrian bridge across the Seine River was inundated with these symbols of love a couple rsquo s declaration of ldquo forever rdquo commitment In the love locks were estimated to weigh a staggering fifty tons and even caused a portion of the bridge to collapse necessitating the locks rsquo removal The presence of so many love locks points to the deep longing we have as human beings for assurance [... more]

Riptide Batgirl Jumpstart These are a few names given to counselors at Gull Lake Ministries the summer camp our family attends every year Created by their peers the camp nicknames usually derive from an embarrassing incident a funny habit or a favorite hobby nbsp Nicknames are not limited to camp mdash we even find them used in the Bible For example Jesus dubs the apostles James and John the ldquo sons of thunder rdquo Mark It is rare in Scripture for someone to give themselves a nickname yet it happens when a woman named Naomi asks people to call her [... more]

In art exhibitions worldwide commemorated the five hundredth anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci While many of his drawings and scientific discoveries were showcased there are only five finished paintings universally credited to da Vinci including The Last Supper This intricate mural depicts the final meal Jesus ate with his disciples as described in the gospel of John The painting captures the disciples rsquo confusion at Jesus rsquo s statement ldquo One of you is going to betray me rdquo John Perplexed the disciples discussed who the betrayer might be mdash while Judas quietly slipped out into the [... more]