Faith & Life

Gentle on the Outside, Strong on the Inside

Plantago asiatica springs back up even after being run over by a car tire. With its strong vitality, plantago asiatica is known to grow even better on paths where many people walk and it is frequently trampled. There are several…

The Blessing of the One who Reads God’s Word, Hears It, and Take It to Heart

While on an overseas mission, I met someone who attended church but had never once opened a Bible. Believing it to be a book reserved only for clergy, he had never read a single verse. I opened the Bible and…

Park Ji-ho from Seoul, Korea

Let’s Talk for a Thousand Years in Heaven

The greatest lesson I learned during my three-week overseas mission was the meaning of brotherly love. Until then, I had admired our overseas members from a distance, viewing them as amazing prophets and key figures in God’s prophecy, but I…

Park Min-ji from Seoul, Korea

Youth

General MacArthur, renowned for the Incheon Landing during the Korean War, was 70 years old when he served in that conflict. In his office, he always kept a poem he often read like a personal creed, Samuel Ullman’s “Youth.” Youth…

Kim Hae-gyeong from Taebaek, Korea

The Heart Behind ‘Animo!’

While I was briefly standing still after sharing the message of the Passover with passersby, I sensed someone slowly approaching. When the presence stopped beside me, I turned in surprise to see a person cheerfully exclaim, “Animo!” while handing me…

Ahn Ji-yeong from Gwangju, Korea

An Old Lady on the Platform

"Mind the gap" is a warning to watch the space between the train and the platform. At one time in the London Underground, this announcement was delivered in the gentle voice of an unknown actor. However, as digital technology was…

Preparing for Father’s Birthday

The three siblings gathered together to plan a birthday celebration for their father. As their father was turning sixty, the children wanted to prepare something special and put their heads together to come up with ideas. After much discussion, they…

Fresh Strawberries and Rotten Ones

On a table sat a basket of strawberries. Most were fresh, but about 15% were spoiled. Children were divided into two groups. One group was asked to pick out the fresh strawberries, and the other group to pick out the…

The Reason for Differences in Skill Level

Psychologist Gary McPherson had a question about children who play musical instruments: “Why do children progress so differently even when they receive the same lessons?” To find the answer, he randomly selected 157 children who had just begun learning to…

Good Harvest From Good Soil

I visited my younger sister’s weekend farm on Ganghwa Island to harvest garlic and onions. The garlic cloves we had planted individually last fall had grown into six-clove garlic by the time of harvest. My sister and her husband were…

Ahn Hee-yeon from Seoul, Korea

Although I Am Less Than the Least of All God’s People

I wanted to be like Apostle Paul, who preached the gospel of the new covenant with tireless passion, enduring countless hardships and persecutions. While reflecting on his life, I came across this verse: Although I am less than the least…

Lee U-rim From Guayaquil, Ecuador

Between Mistakes and Self-Reproach

As the saying goes, sports are an unscripted drama. The outcome of a game depends not only on the athlete’s skill, but also on various factors such as condition, weather, and the environment of the playing field. One of the…

Action

In a barley field lived a family of larks, huddled together in a cozy spot. One day, the mother lark said to her baby larks, “When the barley is harvested, we’ll have to move.” A few days later, the owner…

Joy Upon Joy

I actively participate in the church’s regular volunteer services. Recently, I joined a drainage maintenance activity. I had come across news reports stating that blocked drains could cause flooding during the monsoon season, so this was a perfectly timed effort…

Kim Sun-jeong from Gumi, Korea

Affluenza

In the state of Texas, United States, a teenage boy from a wealthy family caused the deaths of four people while driving under the influence of alcohol. The boy’s parents stated, “We gave him everything he wanted, but he suffered…

Mother, Mother

Not long ago, an online news story titled “What Was in the Bundle of a Mother With Dementia” quietly stirred hearts across the internet. The story began when police received a report that an elderly woman with dementia had been…

When I Think of My Mother

At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, a Chinese athlete named Zhou Jihong, small in stature, won the gold medal in the platform diving event, defeating tall and slender Western athletes. During an interview, a reporter asked how she was able…

The Judge in an Apron

In Osaka, Japan, a man nearing retirement enrolled in a culinary school after stepping down from his career. Surrounded by young students, he began by learning how to trim vegetables and handle a knife. He faithfully completed the one-year course…

Let Your Conversation Be Always Seasoned With Salt

I recently came across a brief reflection on salt. It explained how salt can enhance our perception of other flavors—even sweetness. This is why, at times, a pinch of salt is added instead of sugar to draw out a sweeter…

Kim Seung-hyeok from Madrid, Spain

A Father’s Final Gift

“The Lee Jin-ah Memorial Library was built through the earnest love of a father who hoped that the name of his daughter, now a star, would remain as a precious light.” Inscription on the interior wall of the library “The…