Faith & Life

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.”…

A Clear Signal

In the novel Faraway Wild West, the main character, a cowboy, writes a motto under his business sign: "One grape changes color when it meets another grape." This refers to a phenomenon in vineyards where, when one cluster of grapes starts to ripen, it releases enzymes and aromas that trigger the ripening of nearby grapes as well. In other words, one grape sends a signal to the others that it’s time for change and growth. In the same way, when we lead with good words, actions, and character, the people around us begin to change too. No special speeches are needed — because actions speak louder than words.

“Ask Your Mom for Help”

A TV personality who taught children how to make origami on a kids’ show during the 1980s and 1990s made a comeback in front of viewers after about 20 years. Known affectionately as the “Origami Uncle,” he had once captured children’s imaginations with his warm voice and skillful hands, quickly folding paper into all sorts of shapes. The kids who used to sit in front of the TV with colorful paper, glue, and scissors to follow along had now grown up, and they warmly welcomed his return. As he recreated an origami session, bringing back fond memories, he jokingly said in his familiar, friendly tone, “If it’s too hard, just ask your mom for help.” Soon, someone commented in the…

The Silent Helpers of Our Alley

Our house is located diagonally across from Zion. Because the church where God dwells is so close, I set off for work each morning with a joyful heart. On top of that, the alley in front of our house is always spotless—not a single piece of litter in sight—allowing me to start each day feeling refreshed. One day, I had to leave for work earlier than usual due to something urgent at the office. That morning, I finally discovered the reason the alley was always so clean. Three male adults, wearing masks and dressed lightly, were sweeping the alley. As I looked more closely at their familiar figures, I realized they were our church overseer and assistant overseers. This alley…

Gwon Mi-jeong From Seoul, Korea

The Fundamental Attribution Error

Person A sees Person B nodding off during work and thinks:
 “He said he loves watching TV. He must’ve stayed up late watching it again.” But in reality, B had spent the night in the emergency room because his child was sick and hadn’t gotten any sleep. The act of trying to figure out the cause of someone’s behavior is called attribution. The Fundamental Attribution Error is a psychological tendency to overlook external factors—like someone’s environment or situation—and instead assume their actions are caused by internal traits like personality or motivation. A has also fallen asleep at work before, but when that happened, he justified it by blaming the stuffy air in the office or his exhaustion from having too…

Unless the Dross Is Removed

The Bible contains prophecies about those who will receive salvation. There is one verse in particular that reveals what kind of person must stand at the center of that prophecy—a verse I engraved on my heart: “Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel.” Pr 25:4 If a piece of clothing or a scarf has a loose thread when you’re about to buy it, most people would ask for a replacement. Though a single thread may seem like a small flaw, it can affect the overall value of the item. The same is true for silver—even the slightest impurity must be removed for its true worth to shine through. All the more, shouldn’t those who…

Shim Hyeon-ji From Guri, Korea

A Promise Kept After 22 Years

In March 1979, a wildfire broke out in Hongcheon, South Korea. It started when an elderly man carelessly discarded a cigarette while gathering wild herbs. The fire burned around 66,000 square meters (16.31 acres) of government-owned forest before it was finally extinguished. As a result, the man was sentenced to five months in prison and fined 1.23 million KRW—a massive amount at the time, when a government employee’s starting monthly salary was less than 100,000 won. Consumed by guilt, the elderly man worked as a day laborer after his release but passed away from a stroke in 1984. Before he died, he left his wife with one final request: “If I don’t repay the fine, our children will be responsible…

‘It’s Possible’

Around 3,000 people gathered at an elementary school in Seoul, while over 100,000 watched via livestream. In the schoolyard, a massive 24-person military tent lay ready to be set up. Then, one person stepped forward to cheers from the crowd. Here’s how it all started: Someone posted a question on an online forum, asking, “Is it possible to set up a 24-person military tent alone?” One user simply replied, “It’s possible.” That short comment sparked a storm of reactions. Other users scoffed, saying, “No way,” “That’s just showing off,” “One person can’t do it,” “Don’t lie.” They had a point—after all, a tent big enough for 24 soldiers is massive and heavy, and the official setup instructions call for at…

One-Minute Praise

Spencer Johnson, a management consultant and bestselling author, said that taking just one minute to praise a child can bring positive change and happiness to both the parent and the child. Here’s how “One-Minute Praise” works: Step 1: Let your child know in advance that they’ll be praised when they do something well. Then, look for those moments. Step 2: Spend 30 seconds giving specific praise for what your child did well, and tell them how happy it made you feel. Step 3: Stay silent for 10 seconds so your child can fully enjoy and absorb the good feeling. Step 4: Use the final 20 seconds to express love—through words, a hug, or any affectionate gesture. It only takes one…

Prayer for Others

There was a time when my emotions were difficult to manage, and both my body and mind felt weighed down. But before I knew it, my mood had lifted, and I regained my strength. On a day overflowing with happiness and gratitude, feeling that Heavenly Father and Mother had helped me through my struggles, I shared with a member sitting nearby that I was feeling much better. The member smiled brightly and replied: “Deaconess, do you know how much I prayed for you?” I was momentarily puzzled by the unexpected words, but soon my heart filled with warmth and deep emotion. When I had briefly and unknowingly expressed my struggles, this member had remembered and persistently prayed to God on…

Ahn Hyo-jeong From Gwangju, Gyeonggi, Korea

Keep Watch

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”…

Park Hye-yeong From Gimhae, Korea

The Man with the Golden Arm

James Harrison, who was born in Australia, underwent major surgery at the age of thirteen, during which he received an incredible 13 liters of donated blood. Grateful to be alive thanks to the generosity of blood donors, he made a promise to dedicate his life to helping others by donating blood himself. As soon as he was old enough, he began keeping that promise. During his donations, he discovered something remarkable: Although his blood type was Rh-negative (Rh-), the blood he had received during surgery was Rh-positive (Rh+). Normally, if someone with Rh-negative blood receives Rh-positive blood, the reaction would cause the blood to clot and could be fatal. However, James had a rare antibody in his blood that prevented…

Small Kindness, Great Impact

The water purifier technician was running late for his scheduled appointment, so I gave him a call. He apologized, explaining that he had left his phone behind while quickly eating some noodles at a convenience store. Hearing his apology, I felt a bit sorry for him, imagining how rushed and pressured he must have been while eating his simple meal. When he arrived at my house, I asked, “Since noodles tend to leave you feeling hungry again soon, would you like a hot dog?” Hearing this, he smiled brightly and gratefully accepted. I also offered him a cup of coffee and encouraged him to eat before it got cold. The technician, perhaps lifted by the kindness, shared some amusing family…

Seong Hae-jeong From Changwon, Korea