Faith & Life

The Mpemba Effect

If you place warm water and cold water in a freezer, which one will freeze faster? Since water freezes at 0°C, common sense tells us that the cold water should freeze first. However, in reality, the warm water freezes more quickly. This phenomenon is known as the “Mpemba Effect.” The discovery of this effect began with a question from a teenage boy named Erasto Mpemba in Tanzania. During a lecture at his school, Mpemba asked a visiting physicist about something he had observed years earlier: when making ice cream, he had boiled milk mixed with sugar and put it into the freezer. Surprisingly, it froze faster than his friend’s milk, which had been cooled longer. Everyone laughed at the boy’s…

The Great Operation

In 1950, when the Korean War broke out, the South Korean and UN forces launched a counterattack through the Incheon Landing Operation. However, due to the intervention of Chinese troops, they had to retreat repeatedly and eventually became isolated in the Heungnam region of South Hamgyong Province. In this urgent situation, with enemy forces tightening the encirclement, the Heungnam Port turned into complete chaos, packed with soldiers and refugees. Over 100,000 troops were to be evacuated, along with 18,000 vehicles and 350,000 tons of combat supplies. Yet, there was no evacuation plan at all for the more than 100,000 refugees. At this, Hyun Bong-hak, civil affairs advisor to the U.S. 10th Corps, earnestly requested General Almond, the corps commander, to…

The Result of Giving Up

A man arrived at a job interview location, only to find the room filled with many young and competent-looking candidates. Feeling discouraged, he looked around nervously when an older gentleman approached and struck up a conversation. “Do you think you’ll pass the interview?” the man asked. “Pass? Look at all these talented people. I don’t think I stand a chance,” the younger man replied. “Then why are you still waiting for the interview?” “Well. . . maybe a miracle will happen. But honestly, I don’t think today’s my day.” Just then, a staff member came out and said the interviews were over and everyone should return home to wait for the results. A few days later, the man received a…

With a Handful of Seeds

In 1979, a massive flood struck Assam, India. The flooded land was left in complete ruin. A teenage boy named Payeng suggested planting trees in the devastated area. But no one took his words seriously. Undeterred, Payeng planted a handful of bamboo seeds by himself. More than thirty years later, that small handful of seeds had grown into a vast forest—home to countless species of wild animals and plants.

The Road to Becoming a Champion

When Nancy Merki was around ten years old, she contracted polio and had to walk with crutches. Hoping to strengthen her leg muscles, her parents brought her to a swimming coach. Four years later, Nancy placed third in a swimming competition held in California. At the age of nineteen, she went on to become a national champion. President Roosevelt once asked her, “How were you able to become a champion despite your physical challenges?” She simply replied, “I just kept going.”

The Best Bald Dad

In the United States, a childhood cancer charity hosted a “Best Bald Dad” contest in celebration of Father’s Day. The goal was to select the dad who looked best with a shaved head—among those who had shaved their heads in solidarity with their children undergoing cancer treatment. The event aimed to support children who had lost their hair due to chemotherapy and to encourage the fathers who chose to share in their children’s pain by shaving their own heads. Mr. Marshall from Wichita, Kansas, entered the contest by submitting a photo with his son. At first glance, the photo stood out—both he and his son had identical large scars on the right side of their bald heads. It turned out…

The Order of What We Must Do

World-renowned business scholar Dr. Stephen Covey categorized daily tasks into four types: ① Urgent and important tasks ② Not urgent but important tasks ③ Urgent but not important tasks ④ Neither urgent nor important tasks So, in what order should we tackle these tasks? Most people agree that ① should be done first and ④ last. The real dilemma lies between ② and ③: should we prioritize what’s urgent or what’s important? Dr. Covey advises us to focus on important tasks rather than urgent ones. Because time is limited, it’s easy to get caught up in urgent matters. But when we constantly prioritize urgent tasks, truly important ones get pushed aside. Eventually, we end up spending our lives dealing only…

One Step at a Time

Yamada Honichi was an unknown athlete when he won the 1984 Tokyo International Marathon. People said he was just lucky. But in 1986, he proved them wrong by winning again—this time at the International Marathon in Italy. When reporters asked him the secret to his success, he explained: “Before each race, I walk through the marathon course and pick out visual landmarks to use as personal goals. For example, my first target might be a bank building, the second a large tree, and the third a red house. I create a series of small, manageable goals just for myself. Then, once the race starts, I run toward the first goal as if I’m doing a 100-meter sprint. When I reach…

Giving Compliments Well

“Giving a compliment is an art that must be learned.” Max Müller A compliment that feels fake, is always the same, or is given half-heartedly is often worse than saying nothing at all. Just like creating a beautiful piece of art requires practice and effort, giving compliments that truly touch and uplift others takes intentional effort. If you make a habit of carefully observing others’ strengths and expressing them often, you can become someone who gives meaningful and heartfelt compliments.

Together

When we observe animals that live in groups, we see that they gain great strength from being together. Meerkats, often called the sentinels of the desert, live in highly cooperative communities. If one of them is injured, others will guard it and help it safely back into the burrow, providing food until it recovers. Meerkats also take turns standing guard at the entrance of their burrows, with the elders going first. When a predator appears, the guard lets out a sharp warning cry, allowing the group to flee to safety. The same is true for animals like zebras and Thomson’s gazelles, which migrate twice a year in search of food and water. They travel in large herds to appear bigger…

Winning Together, Sharing the Joy Together

Road cycling races are grueling long-distance events that push human limits, spanning flat roads, uphill climbs, and steep descents. Since each cyclist rides their own bike, the race may appear to be an individual competition—but in truth, it’s a team sport. Typically, the most skilled rider on a team races for the win as the team leader, while the rest of the team supports him. No matter how strong the leader is, winning alone is nearly impossible. One especially crucial team member is the domestique. Depending on the language, this role is translated as “water carrier,” “helper,” “servant,” or even “friend.” A domestique rides ahead to block the wind for the leader, fetches water from the team car, keeps rival…

For a Single Drop of Water

The Namib Desert lies along the southwestern coast of Africa. In the Nama language, “Namib” means “a land of nothing.” There, a special beetle makes a remarkable effort whenever fog rolls in. On foggy mornings, the beetle climbs steep sand dunes—no small feat for a creature only about 2 cm long. To the beetle, the dune is like a massive mountain. But it must reach the top before the morning sun burns the fog away, so it climbs without rest. Once at the top, the beetle does something surprising—it performs a headstand. Facing into the fog, it lifts its body upside down and stays completely still. This is how it gathers water. Tiny droplets from the fog cling to the…

God Gives Greater Honor to the Parts That Lack It

One day, I tripped over a stone and fell. In the moment, I was too stunned to pay attention to the pain. But as time passed, my entire body began to ache; my hand swelled up, and a deep bruise appeared on my knee. Being unable to properly use my hands and feet proved to be more inconvenient than I had imagined. Cleaning, eating, and even praying became difficult. Each time I struggled, the members in Zion comforted me with sincere concern. The parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body…

Hyeon Su-jin from Incheon, Korea

The Moment Her Fate Changed

Lee Hyun-seo (33) escaped from North Korea at the age of 14 and, after enduring many hardships, finally made it to South Korea. Later, she heard that her family back in North Korea had been exiled to a remote mountain village. Determined to bring them to freedom, she made up her mind to help them escape. Since her family could not speak Chinese, she had no choice but to personally guide them over 3,200 kilometers (1,990 miles) through China and Southeast Asia to reach the land of freedom. At one point during the journey, their bus was stopped at a Chinese police checkpoint. Relying on her instincts, she managed to avoid danger by telling the officers that her family members…

Continue in What You Have Learned and Have Become Convinced of

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Ti 3:12–15 Although God has granted us the truth that leads to eternal life in heaven, there are moments when our faith may be shaken. Temptations that promise wealth, and a culture that glorifies instant gratification, can make the pursuit of…

Kim Jin from Daegu, Korea

The Threat of Loneliness

Research has shown that loneliness not only causes mental distress but also threatens physical health. According to the study, loneliness is linked to arteriosclerosis, which causes high blood pressure, and to inflammation in the body. It can also lead to problems with learning ability and memory. Furthermore, when loneliness becomes prolonged, it alters the immune system, disrupting the production of antibodies and weakening the body’s defense against viruses. In fact, socially isolated individuals have been found to have a higher risk of developing cancer, infectious diseases, and heart conditions compared with those who are not isolated. Coworkers we work with, friends we spend time with, and the family we live with—all are precious people who protect us from loneliness.

Forgiveness

In 1972, during the height of the Vietnam War, a bomb was dropped on a small village near Ho Chi Minh City. Because of the sudden bombing, a nine-year-old girl at the time, Kim Phuc, suffered burns all over her body. After that, she had to undergo 17 surgeries, and because of the wounds she sustained, she could no longer even dream of living a normal life. As time passed, in 1996, Kim Phuc was invited to a memorial event held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Sitting among the audience during her speech was the pilot of the plane that had dropped the bomb. Listening to her talk about the horrors of war, he suddenly stood up…

A Grown Tree

The Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group (ASEZ WAO) carried out a tree-planting activity. Members from the Chungnam region gathered in Cheongso-myeon, Boryeong City, each holding a hoe in one hand and a bag of saplings in the other as they made their way up Mount Oseosan. Since we had to leave the hiking trail to reach the planting site, the path became increasingly steep and difficult. The higher we climbed, the more tiring it became, and eventually, my legs could barely support me. Finally we reached our destination and checked the area where the trees would be planted. It was desolate; stripped branches from logging and faded soil were all that remained. We diligently planted the saplings…

Ha Jun-seok from Cheonan, Korea

A Glorious Name in the Heavenly Family Lineage

One day, while dining at my parents’ home, my father disappeared into his room after the meal and returned with a book in hand. It was a family genealogy—bound in black leather with gold lettering engraved on the cover. Even at a glance, it was clear the book had been crafted with great care. Despite my mother’s gentle scoff, “Who even reads genealogies these days?” my father paid no mind and eagerly opened its pages. He began sharing the stories written within—tales of our ancestry, of forebears who brought honor to the family name, of a man who, having no son, adopted his brother’s child to continue the lineage. With each turn of the page, his explanations drew me in.…

Gahng Min-seo from Seongnam, Korea

New Song Poetry Collection

One day, I noticed a deaconess holding a large-print New Song book and asked her why. I had assumed the large-print version—containing only lyrics without musical notation—was intended for elderly members who had difficulty reading small text or for young children who couldn’t yet read sheet music. I asked casually, not thinking much of it. To my surprise, the deaconess gave a deeply touching response. She shared that during an overseas mission trip, she brought the large-print hymnal with her. Since she wasn’t fluent in the local language, she would quietly sing the Korean lyrics in a soft voice during worship, reflecting on each word. From that moment on, the New Song book became, to her, a deeply moving book…

Im Ji-yeon from Seongnam, Korea