Going Viral

By Lynn Rebuck  

“Going viral” can be positive if your yodeling cat’s video has spread like wildfire over the Internet and Ellen has called to invite you to appear on her show.

Parts of the country have been going viral in a less desirable way as H1N1 and other viruses have wound their way through the states this flu season.

When a virus spreads quickly through a community or population, it is called an epidemic.  When it spreads around the world, it’s called a pandemic.  When it spreads through a family, I call it a “famidemic.”

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Locker Room Grace

By Cynthia Ruchti

Our adult small group left our open Bibles and notebooks and coffee cups to spend some time voicing our support of and prayers for the young people who met at the same time in another part of the church. We walked into the multi-purpose room to stand in an embracing semi-circle at the back while they worshiped in all-out abandon.

“We’re here and we care,” we wanted to say.

We had to hurdle something to get into that room packed to the wall studs with teenagers. It smelled like a locker room in there. Teens with lots of energy but too little deodorant and an excess of gym shoes and two-day-old socks.

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Putting the Past Behind

By Sharon Autry

Our train is here!” my husband shouted. We hurried down the steps, one child in a stroller, the oldest on her own feet, and Crislynn holding my hand being dragged behind me. From the train platform, my sister Laurie watched the whole ordeal as we ran toward her through the subway station. 

She described how Crislynn desperately tried to pick up all the used subway ticket treasures that were scattered on the concrete floor. But I was pulling her along. She’d look up briefly and find a pole in front of her. So her little arm would fly up in front of her face as protection in case she rammed into the pole. As soon as we passed one pole, she’d look down and grab for some lucky ticket only to find herself on a collision course with another pole. Arm in front of her face, she protected herself again.

This repeated three times before we finally made it to the train where we found Aunt Laurie laughing hysterically.

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Leadership Training from David’s Perspective

By Shae Hamrick

“Did you hear? They are letting another ninety-seven people go.” I nodded to Sue’s whisper at the lunch table. “Yes, and we may be next. Are you ready?” Fear didn’t grip my heart as it had in the past. I have been through several moves and changes in the last year in our department. The clouds of more changes loomed in the distance. I was preparing.

When the first rumors of change came through, I was no more equipped than the young shepherd boy named David must have been when servants pulled him from the field while watching his father’s sheep. David’s training started as he tended the sheep, played the harp to soothe them, guided them to green pastures, and killed attacking bears and lions. Through it all, his faith in God grew. But was he ready to be king when Samuel first anointed him? David must have felt much like I felt. A little panicked with no idea what to do next. David went back to shepherding. I returned to my tasks in the maintenance department of restoring services and helping customers.

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Son Of A Saint

By James Watkins

Mr. and Mrs. Manoah were model parents. Despite living in a land that “did evil in the eyes of the Lord,” they ate a kosher diet, prayed to the one true God, offered sacrifices, and didn’t even drink. A Jewish mother would be proud to have them for a son and daughter-in-law!

After being childless for a number of years, an angel of the Lord announced they would have a son. What joy as he “grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him.” The son of these godly parents was none other than—Samson!

Now wait a minute. What about the promises of “training up a child in the way he shall go and when he is old he will not depart from it”? Aren’t godly parents guaranteed godly kids?

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