Faith & Life

Rightly and Honestly

This happened while I was taking a break from school and working part-time at a convenience store near my home. One quiet afternoon, the sound of the bell jingling at the door snapped me out of my drowsiness. I clearly heard the door open, but no customer was in sight. Sensing something strange, I glanced at the security camera and saw a group of children, who looked like elementary school students, sneaking in through the back door. Their behavior was suspicious to anyone observing. From the cashier’s desk, the snack shelves near the back door were hidden from view. Because of this blind spot, two security cameras had been installed near the back, though the children obviously didn’t know that.…

Park Chae-un From Sokcho, Korea

Stand Firm

At the start of the new year, some of the members of Zion and I gathered together to share words of blessing and hope. As I considered what message I should share, I turned to the Scriptures, and a passage seemed to leap off the page: “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on…

Gahng Ye-jin From Gangneung, Korea

The $20 Gift to a Soldier

One day, eight-year-old Miles, who lives in the United States, found a $20 bill in a restaurant parking lot. He was thrilled, thinking about using it to buy a video game. But as soon as he walked into the restaurant and saw a soldier, his mind changed completely. The sight reminded him of his dad, who had died in Iraq. So instead of spending the money on himself, Miles wrote a heartfelt note and gave the $20 to the soldier. “Dear Soldier,
 My dad was a soldier, too. He’s in heaven now. I just found this $20 bill, and I want to use it to ‘pay it forward.’ Thank you for protecting our country.” Later that day, Miles went to…

The Trouble Caused by Greed

In parts of Africa, local people are said to use a clever and simple method to catch monkeys. They hang a bag filled with fruit—something monkeys love—on a tree branch along a path monkeys frequently travel. The bag’s opening is just big enough for a monkey’s hand to fit through. When a monkey spots the fruit, it reaches into the bag and grabs a handful. But with its fist full, it cannot pull its hand back out through the narrow opening. Even when people approach, the monkey refuses to let go of the fruit and ends up getting caught. Sometimes, greed can ruin everything. It’s important to know your limits, go after what’s within your reach, and have the wisdom…

Pine Heartwood: The Undecaying Pine

When a tiger dies, it leaves its skin; when a person dies, they leave their name. Likewise, when a pine tree dies, it leaves behind something known as gwan-sol in Korean. When a pine tree breaks in strong winds or is cut down, it releases a sticky substance called resin. Just like how blood clots and new skin grows when a person is wounded, the resin protects and heals the tree. Over time, as the tree dies, the resin soaks into the wood and hardens—this hardened, resin-rich wood is what’s called gwan-sol. Gwan-sol is denser and harder than ordinary pine, with more defined growth rings and a strong fragrance due to its high phytoncide content—much higher than that of cypress…

The Best Time to Make a Decision

Making a decision often comes with mental stress, because one wrong choice can lead to deep regret. Everyone wants to make wise decisions, but instincts, emotions, or external influences can lead to biased judgment. So when is the best time to make a decision? Morning is better than night. That’s because the brain, which processes and stores the day’s memories, requires more energy at night, and sleep-inducing hormones are released, which can cloud your judgment. It's also best to avoid making decisions when you're too full or too hungry. When you're full, you may become unintentionally generous, and when you're hungry, appetite-related hormones can cause you to act impulsively. Most importantly, it's ideal to decide when you're emotionally stable. When…

To Reach the Destination Safely

I remember the first time I boarded a flight to Russia. Since I had to travel alone for many hours and make two layovers, I was very worried that something might go wrong. With a fearful heart, I clung to God and prayed earnestly: “Please guide me so that I can find my way at each layover. Please help me reach my destination safely.” It was past midnight, and the darkness made it difficult to read the signs, but by God’s grace, I arrived safely in Russia. One year later, I boarded another flight to Russia. Since I had the experience from the previous trip, I was not very worried this time. But what happened next was completely unexpected: at…

Park Yun-ju From Melbourne, Australia

Emotional Contagion

Have you ever noticed that being around someone who’s happy and positive makes you feel happier, too? That’s not just in your head; it’s a real phenomenon known as “emotional contagion,” where one person’s emotions, like joy or sadness, can transfer to others. James Fowler, a political science professor at the University of California, and Nicholas Christakis, a Harvard Medical School professor, studied the social connections of over 5,000 hospital patients from 1983 to 2001. Their research found that the closer someone is to a happy person, the more likely they are to feel happy too. People whose family members or close friends were happy experienced a 15.3% increase in their own happiness. Remarkably, even when someone they had never…

Don’t Judge by Appearances

A young mouse went out to explore the world for the first time. After finishing its adventure, it returned home and excitedly told its mother about the two animals it had met. “The first one I saw was so elegant! It had soft fur, a long, graceful tail, and walked so gently and quietly. It was really beautiful and seemed kind. I wanted to get closer and be friends. But just then, the second animal I met got in the way. It had a strange red lump on its head and looked scary. It started making loud noises and acted all wild, so I ran away as fast as I could!” After hearing the story, the mother mouse responded firmly,…

Gyeori and Hori

In traditional farming societies, oxen were essential workers. Using them for plowing made the task much easier than doing it by hand. When one ox pulls a plow, it’s called a hori in korean. When two oxen pull a plow together, it’s called a gyeori. In southern parts of Korea, hori was more common, but in harsher, rockier areas like Gangwon Province and the northern regions, one ox wasn’t strong enough, so farmers used a gyeori. When two oxen pull together, the one on the left (from the farmer’s point of view) is called the anso, and the one on the right is the maraso. Usually, the stronger and more experienced ox becomes the anso. The maraso follows the anso’s…

Two Persimmon Trees

“Which tree should I cut down?” A scholar stood in his yard, axe in hand, eyeing two persimmon trees. One tree bore many fruits, but they were bitter and hard to eat. The other tree produced only a few sweet, delicious persimmons. Unimpressed with both—the bitter one for its taste and the sweet one for its low yield—he decided that at least one of them had to go. As he stood there deep in thought, his wife came over and said, “This one may only grow a few persimmons, but they’re sweet and tasty. And that one might be bitter, but if you dry the fruit, you can make delicious dried persimmons.” Hearing her words, the scholar realized he had…

Freely Given

In the early 1950s, the world was hit by a major outbreak of poliomyelitis, a disease caused by the poliovirus. In 1952 alone, about 58,000 people were infected in the United States, and nearly 3,000 of them died. Even those who survived often suffered lifelong disabilities. Then in 1955, Dr. Jonas Salk developed a vaccine that could prevent the disease altogether. This breakthrough had the potential not only to save countless lives but also to bring enormous wealth to Dr. Salk. However, instead of profiting from it, he made the vaccine freely available and even shared the formula for its production. When asked about patenting the vaccine, his famous reply was: “Could you patent the sun?” Thanks to the vaccine,…

The Song of Whales

Whales, the largest animals on Earth, love to sing. We call the sounds they make “songs” because they follow repeating patterns of pitch, rhythm, and timing. But whale songs aren’t just simple noises; they’re actually complex forms of vocal communication. For example, dolphins are known to use around 700 different “words” that they combine to convey meaning. Just like people in Korea and the U.S. speak different languages, whales also produce different sounds depending on their species, group, or region. For instance, orcas (killer whales) in Korean waters sound different from those in American waters; it’s like they’re speaking entirely different languages. however, something fascinating happens when whales that "speak" different languages encounter each other. In 2010, researchers at the…

The Power of Gratitude

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Th 5:18 This Bible verse is widely known and appreciated even beyond religious circles. Interestingly, it also reflects a scientific truth. Psychologists in the United States have studied the effects of gratitude and found measurable changes in the human body when people express thankfulness. Gratitude activates the left prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain associated with positive emotions like love and enthusiasm. This activation helps reduce stress and increases feelings of happiness. Gratitude also creates a sense of connection and security with others, encouraging better communication and emotional bonding. Robert Emmons, a psychology professor at UC Davis, explains, “Grateful people are more active, passionate,…

God Counts Even the Hairs of Our Head

After drying my washed hair, I’m often startled to see how much hair has fallen onto the floor. Worried that it might be the start of hair loss, I decided to do a self-check. They say that if more than 100 hairs fall out in a day, it may be considered hair loss, so I decided to try counting how many strands I lost throughout the day. However, it was much harder than I thought. It wasn’t just during washing or drying—hair would naturally fall out during everyday activities, making it nearly impossible to keep an accurate count. But as I began trying to count, I naturally became more attentive to my hair—noticing its thickness, color, and length more carefully.…

Baek Jeong-hwa From Jeonju, Korea

How to Create a Tiger

Long ago, in a certain country, a royal official was assigned to accompany the prince, who was being sent as a hostage to a rival nation. Before departing, the official spoke to the king: “If one person runs up and says there’s a tiger in the marketplace, would Your Majesty believe it?” “No, I would not believe it,” the king replied. “What if two people said the same thing?” “Even then, I would not believe it.” “And if three people claimed there was a tiger?” “In that case, I would have no choice but to believe it.” The official then said, “Even though there may be no tiger in the marketplace, if three people say there is, it becomes hard…

The Man Who Lifted a Bull

Around the 6th century B.C., there was a Greek wrestler named Milo from the city-state of Croton. He was a legendary athlete, winning the Olympic wrestling championship six times. Wrestling is a sport that requires immense strength and endurance, as it involves overpowering an opponent using only one’s bare hands. According to legend, Milo was so strong that he could lift a bull weighing over a ton. But how did he train to become that powerful? When he first started training, Milo began by carrying a newborn calf on his shoulders while walking. Since a small calf was not too heavy, he could lift it without much difficulty. He repeated this exercise every single day. As time passed, the calf…

What You Should Do First, and the Excuses

There was a man who often felt left out by his coworkers. One day, he finally confided in his boss: “It feels like no one really listens to me at work. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong, but they just ignore me.” His boss replied that he could explain why, but only if the man agreed to do everything he was asked to without complaint. The man agreed. “Start with the most important task first,” the boss instructed. The man said okay and began the assignments. The next morning, the boss came in and asked, “So, did you finish what I asked?” The man replied, “Not yet. You know how much work I had yesterday. It was overwhelming! There…

The Art of Kintsugi

Ceramics are fragile and easily break when dropped or hit. Usually, once a ceramic piece is shattered, it’s considered useless and simply thrown away. But in some cases, a broken piece gains even greater value—thanks to a technique called kintsugi. Kintsugi is a Japanese word that combines kin (gold) and tsugi (joining). It’s the traditional art of repairing broken pottery by filling the cracks with a mixture of lacquer and gold powder. The story goes that in the 15th century, a Japanese general broke his favorite tea bowl and sent it to China for repairs. It came back held together with unsightly metal staples. Disappointed, he decided to have it repaired with gold instead, creating something both functional and beautiful.…

The Man Who Bought Flowers

One cold day, a man was on his way to meet one of friends. As he approached the meeting spot, an elderly woman in shabby clothes came up to him, holding out a bouquet of flowers. “My granddaughter is sick,” she said. “I don’t have money for her medicine. I’m selling these flowers to pay for it.” Hearing her story, the man felt compassion. He gave her more money than she asked for and took the flowers. When he walked into the café holding them, his friend immediately asked: “Did you buy those from the old woman outside?” “Yeah, I did.” “She always tells people her granddaughter is sick to sell flowers. But actually, she doesn’t even have a granddaughter.”…