Faith & Life

When You Run to the End

In May 2023, the women’s 5000-meter final took place at the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. After all the runners crossed the finish line, only one athlete was still on the track—Cambodian national runner Bou Samnang. On the day of the race, her condition was so poor that even her coach advised her not to compete. But she couldn’t bring herself to give up the chance to represent her country in its first international event held at home. From the start, she fell behind, and the gap between her and the other runners kept growing. Eventually, she was the only one left running. To make matters worse, heavy rain began to pour down, with thunder and lightning flashing…

Sharing

There was a water carrier whose job was to fill the water jars at a wealthy household. He always used two jars. One was perfectly intact, while the other had a small crack that caused it to leak a bit of water. Because of the cracked jar, it took him more time to fill the jars. But he never threw it away. That was because the water that leaked from the cracked jar caused grass and flowers to bloom along the dirt path he walked every day, bringing a smile to his face.

What Happens If We Lose Our Sense of Smell?

“If you had to give up one of your five senses, which would you choose?” In a survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, the most common answer to this question was the sense of smell. Compared with sight or hearing, smell is often seen as less important. However, losing your sense of smell can seriously affect both your happiness and health. Without the ability to smell, even the joy of eating is reduced. The tongue can only detect four basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. But the rich flavors we experience when eating mostly come from our sense of smell. Smell not only enhances enjoyment, it also helps keep us safe. It alerts us to spoiled food, gas…

As Long As You Don’t Give Up Until the End

When a ball leaves the pitcher’s hand and reaches the batter, it takes only about 0.4 seconds. In that split second, the batter has to swing the bat and hit the ball. Because the ball moves so fast and its direction is hard to predict, even experienced batters find it difficult to make solid contact. That’s where the rule of the “foul” comes in. A foul occurs when the ball hits the bat but lands outside the designated fair zone. Normally, a foul counts as a strike, but once the batter has two strikes, fouls no longer count. Because a batter is out after three strikes, continuing to foul off pitches—even after two strikes—allows them to stay in the game…

Labor or Exercise?

Harvard psychologist Professor Ellen Langer conducted a study on 84 hotel housekeepers to examine their health. Although these workers were physically active due to their jobs, many still had high body fat percentages and elevated blood pressure. For the study, Professor Langer divided them into two groups. One group was told how many calories they burned while doing their regular cleaning tasks. For example, changing bed sheets for 15 minutes burns about 40 calories, and vacuuming for 15 minutes burns about 50 calories. She explained that their daily cleaning added up to 2.5 hours of physical activity, far exceeding the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise. A month later, the group that received this information showed notable improvements in their…

A Truly Good Person

At work, there are some people others describe by saying, “They’re genuinely a good person.” These are the people who sincerely take on tasks that others might overlook, dismiss as unimportant, or think aren’t their responsibility. They quietly empty trash bins for coworkers, wipe down someone else’s desk, hand a cup of coffee to a tired colleague, or bring utensils to the table at lunch without being asked. Kind actions done when no one’s watching and small gestures of consideration for others often spread by word of mouth even faster, and people come to truly recognize them as good-hearted. Furthermore, when someone like that asks for help, others are happy to say yes.

The Birds That Cannot Fly

On the calm and quiet islands of New Zealand, there are over 20 species of birds that cannot fly. One of the most well-known is the kiwi, a national symbol of the country. Others include the kakapo, takahe, weka, and little blue penguin. The reason so many flightless birds exist in New Zealand is that the islands originally had no natural predators. With plenty of food and no threats, these birds had no need to fly, and over time, their wings became weaker and eventually useless. However, after European settlers arrived, they brought animals like dogs and stoats with them. These new predators put the flightless birds in danger, and many of them are now on the verge of extinction.…

What Takes Over My Heart

There’s a story about a merchant traveling through the desert on a freezing night with his camel. As the night grew colder, the camel asked if he could just put his nose inside the merchant’s tent. The merchant agreed. Soon after, the camel asked to put in his head, then his front legs, then his whole body—until eventually, the camel had taken over the entire tent, and the merchant was left outside in the cold. This story shows how letting in even a small wrong, thinking “it’s just a little thing,” can slowly grow until it takes over your heart. What starts as something minor can dull your conscience and leave you with deep regret when it’s too late to…

Why We Need Education

I watched a TV program where parents received expert guidance on how to educate their children. One child behaved as he wanted, without thinking of others. The expert gently guided his mother, helping her teach her son step by step what he should and shouldn't do so he could grow up without causing harm to others. If the son didn’t learn the first time, his mother was encouraged to try again a second or third time, and to patiently wait while the son learned to handle small tasks on his own. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”…

Kim Gyuri, Gumi, Korea

The Life Shaped by My Thoughts

“Our lives are shaped by our thoughts.” This is a well-known quote from Dale Carnegie, a pioneer in human relationships and personal development. He meant that the direction of our lives often follows the direction of our thoughts. For example, someone who often thinks about math is likely to spend more time studying it and may one day become a mathematician. Someone who often thinks about writing may naturally become a writer. And a person who constantly thinks about music may pursue a path in that field. What you think about most doesn’t just stay in your head; it has the power to influence the course of your entire life. So if you take a moment to reflect on what’s…

The Value of a Ring

A young man once went to a wise man and said that people seemed to think very little of him. He asked for some advice. The wise man gave him a ring and told him to go to the marketplace and try to sell it, but said he must not accept less than one gold coin. He promised to teach the young man something if he could sell the ring at a good price. The young man went to the market and searched for someone who might want to buy the ring. But as soon as he mentioned “at least one gold coin,” everyone shook their heads and laughed. The highest offer he received was just a few silver coins.…

The Attitude of Learning

“Each time you fall, pick something up.” These are the words of Oswald Avery, a bacteriologist from Canada. Failure doesn’t mean the end. If you can learn even one thing from it, that failure becomes a stepping stone toward reaching something greater than before. We must not forget that having a constant attitude of learning—even through repeated failures and setbacks—is more important than immediate success.

When It’s Time to Let Go

In 2016, the Korean vessel Sun Peony was sailing smoothly from Thailand to Taiwan, carrying about 7,800 tons of liquid chemicals. But then, it was caught in a typhoon. The ship’s bow storage area was damaged by the rough waves, and seawater started flooding in. The crew urgently tried different ways to pump the water out, but nothing worked. As the front of the ship began to sink, the captain made a bold decision—to jettison the cargo. Jettisoning is a maritime term that means throwing cargo to lighten the ship when it's at risk of sinking. About 370 tons of cargo were released into the sea, and gradually, the ship regained its balance. It was then able to reach its…

The Cactus in the Desert

In order for living things to survive, they need nutrients. Plants, which cannot move once they’ve taken root in the ground, obtain nutrients through photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use the power of sunlight to create a nutrient called glucose from water and carbon dioxide. For this to happen, the plant must open tiny pores—called stomata—to absorb carbon dioxide from the air. However, for cacti that live in water-scarce deserts, opening their stomata during the bright, hot daytime could cause them to lose all their stored moisture and dry up. In order to survive in the desert, they need a safe strategy to acquire nutrients. So, cacti have developed a method of absorbing and storing carbon dioxide…

The Fable of the Chestnut Grove

A man was walking through the mountains when a bird with unusually large wings suddenly flew past him and disappeared into the bushes. Curious, the man picked up his slingshot and followed the bird. He spotted it perched on a tree branch, completely still, unaware that the man was approaching. Looking more closely, he realized the bird had its eyes fixed on a praying mantis. But the mantis, too, was unaware of the bird above. It was fully focused on catching a cicada right in front of it. Just then, a forest ranger approached the man and scolded him, mistaking him for someone stealing chestnuts. Only then did the man realize he had wandered into someone else’s chestnut grove while…

The Methuselah Syndrome

There was a time when websites that helped people reconnect with old classmates were hugely popular. More recently, a film about a middle-aged woman searching for her long-lost school friends became a hit. Why are we often drawn to memories of the past? It’s because they hold a special place in our hearts. But what makes memories feel so beautiful? It turns out that we, humans, have a natural tendency to forget the bad and hold onto the good when we look back on our past. This phenomenon is known as the Methuselah Syndrome—named after the biblical figure Methuselah, who is said to have lived 969 years. The term reflects the idea that the older we get, the more we…

The Three Diligences (三勤戒): “Be diligent, be diligent, and be diligent”

In the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, there lived a renowned agronomist, philosopher, and poet named Jeong Yak-yong, also known by his pen name, Dasan. During his exile in Gangjin, Dasan opened a small village school to ease his loneliness. Among the ordinary children who came to study, one boy especially caught his attention. Dasan encouraged him to pursue his studies, but the boy hesitated and spoke with difficulty: “Teacher, I am slow-witted, my thoughts are blocked, and I lack ability. Can someone like me even study?” To this, Dasan replied with great care: “There are three common problems people face when pursuing learning: First, relying solely on natural intelligence and neglecting effort. Second, becoming arrogant when one writes well. Third,…

I’m Grateful to Be a Mom

It was one Sunday morning. I woke up after sleeping in, only to find the sun already high in the sky. Lying next to my sleeping son, I wanted to sleep a little longer too. But I couldn’t because I’m a mom, and a mom has to make breakfast. I woke my son and jokingly said: “Son, I think I want to quit being a mom.” “Why?” “Because I feel like I’ve been a mom for too long. Now you be my mom.” “When I go to heaven, I’ll be your mom,” he said. Hearing his words, I thought of our Heavenly Mother. Even today, Mother begins the day at dawn, praying for Her children, watching over us, and protecting…

Jeong Mi-yeong From Seoul, Korea

Words That Changed the Mood

While busily preparing dinner, the mother accidentally poured vinegar into the stew instead of sesame oil. She was startled, but since the food was already made, she couldn't bring herself to throw it away, so she just put it on the table. The eldest daughter, a high school student, took a spoonful of the stew and frowned deeply. “Mom, why does the stew taste like this?” The second daughter, a middle school student, grumbled as if she had been waiting for a chance. “The taste is strange. I can't eat this.” The mother, feeling sorry, couldn’t say anything. The father, quietly watching the two daughters, spoke. “Shall I have a taste? Hmm. . . it’s a little sour, but still…

If You’re Not Sure What to Do

Before building a house, you first need to picture what the finished home will look like. That way, you can figure out what steps to take, what materials you’ll need, and how to make a solid plan. This idea doesn’t just apply to building houses; it applies to life, too. Stephen Covey, a well-known American business thinker, once gave this advice in his book Begin With the End in Mind. In other words, imagine how you’d like to be remembered at the very end of your life. When you picture that, it becomes clearer how you should live now and what kinds of things you should fill your days with. Of course, none of us knows exactly when that “end”…