Tag Archives: Christian bloggers

Keep my Thoughts in Your Sight

14 Oct

My Take

DiVoran Lites

From Streams in the Desert

Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

When you make my thoughts like little quiet sheep,

And keep them in the sight

Through the dark hours, the dusk and dawn between,

Guide them and guard them from the steep ravine,

And for them in at night.

Often, they stray upon the moor of fear,

Lost on its rocky height;

Oh, in Thy peaceful pastures, let them sleep,

Shepherd my thoughts like little quiet sheep, 

And fold them in at night.

Faith will not make the sun rise sooner, but it will make the night seem shorter.

Lady Irvine
Photo Credit:Pixabay

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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Let’s Eat! Desserts-Cakes-Part 1

13 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Photo Credit Google Search and NYT cooking

Now onto some of my favorite things to eat – and possibly to make.  I have made quite a few cakes in my lifetime, some turned out better than others.  Of course there are the boxed cake-mixes that work well.  And the flavors have improved over time.  I found I like the Duncan Hines mixes more than Betty Crocker (sorry Betty), and I find them richer and more flavorful than others.

At one point of time, back when we were living in Wiesbaden, West Germany, I took a cake decorating class.  I generally made the cake to work on from a box mix.  I knew a few of the ladies in the class who made their cakes from scratch.  I wasn’t that brave.  But the class was fun, even if I didn’t think most of my “decorations” turned out well – especially compared to others in the class.  Until I took the cake home and Fred and Karen (just a toddler at the time) got a look at it.  Their ooh’s and aah’s were enough to make me think I had created a masterpiece!  That was quite rewarding.

While I didn’t – and haven’t – done much with my cake decorating since then, I do remember making a cake for a ladies bowling celebration.  I remember making it as a sheet cake; I “divided” the cake into squares with some kind of icing design.  Within each square, I made alternating icing ornaments – bowling balls and bowling pins.  The balls I made with icing rolled carefully and gently between my hands to shape the balls.  I had taken white icing and delicately swirled another food color in it, so none were a solid white or colored.  The pins I made/shaped icing on a toothpick, then “painted” a line around the “neck” in red food coloring.  I thought it was pretty cute, and my family did, as well.  The ladies were impressed.  I’m just sorry I never took pictures of it.  The memory is just in my head at this point.  It was fun.

One thing I learned about cake making/decorating – I don’t care how good the “decorating” was, if the cake was over-cooked, dried out, tough…the cake wasn’t a success.  I tried to make the cake the best I could…fresh and tender and “moist.”

One little thing I’ve found recently, and Fred and I enjoy, is a “mug cake.”  I found this recipe and have been making it occasionally after a supper meal if we want something just a little sweet.  According to the recipe, in a mug (no small glass here – a regular MUG), place three tablespoons of the dry cake mixture, then two tablespoons of water, stir until blended, and cook in the microwave for one minute (I usually cook it on high for one minute and one second).  Top it with vanilla ice cream and yummmm.  According to the recipe, you can use any flavor cake mix you want, but the second cake mix MUST be Angel Food!  I put them in a Tupperware bowl (yes, I still have those), and stir them with my whisk until thoroughly mixed together.

Scanned from the recipe I copied

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Let’s Eat!-Casseroles

6 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy WIlls

Credit Google Search and Mirko Fabian

I know that many people, when they just hear the word CASSEROLE, hold their noses.  There just isn’t a casserole they like.  And so they aren’t interested in anything pertaining to casserole cooking.

But I beg to differ – I have found many casseroles that my family and I like.  Take, for instance, the “Lattice Topped Chicken and Vegetable” casserole that we used to have frequently.

Scans of the recipe I use

It is a meat-and-vegetable dish, all in one.  I don’t remember just where I found the recipe for this dish (looks like I cut it out of a magazine), but I would make it frequently when our girls were living at home.  Layer vegetables – I would even place frozen mixed vegetables in the pan first – then cooked, shredded chicken on top of the vegetables, then a layer of cheese.  Top all that with a Cream of Mushroom Soup mixed with a cup of milk, then cut strips of canned pastry into a “lattice” form, more shredded cheese, then fried onions on top of everything and bake.  Yummmm!  Tasty and easy.  I have also found it to be just the thing to take to a church pot-luck dinner, or to a friend that was house-bound because of illness or surgery.  Cook it in an aluminum pan and then there’s no need to get the pan back.  Great recipe.

And then there’s the pineapple casserole our son-in-law makes – and has given me the recipe.  Again, another good thing to take to a church dinner.  There is usually none of it left at the end of the meal.  Crushed pineapple and juice in a mixture with sugar, flour and eggs, topped with torn pieces of bread that is topped with butter and baked.  Wonderful!  Our daughter has a different recipe that is good as well, that includes crushed crackers and cheese.  Both are delicious.

Pineapple Casserole

28 oz. canned crushed pineapple with juice

     (1 large + 1 small can)

1 Cup Sugar

4 TBSP Flour

2  Eggs

2-3 slices bread torn into small pieces

1/4 lb butter (1 stick) or as needed

Mix first four ingredients together and pour into baking dish; top with bread pieces and dot with butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until set.

Enjoy

Then there’s the standby casserole – Green Bean Casserole.  It’s been around since the 1960’s and I’ve made it so often, that I don’t make it any more – nor do I eat it.  But it’s quite easy to make, and goes well with a dinner menu, especially.  I’ve seen it a lot at Thanksgiving meals.   Green beans, Cream of Mushroom Soup mixed with milk, toasted almonds on top.  It really is good.

Credit Google Search and BudgetBytes

When we were first married, and didn’t have much money – we were poor school students after all – and I was a working wife, I would frequently make tuna casserole for our meal.  I made it so often that I haven’t made it in any of the years since.  Really burned us out on it!  But it’s easy and inexpensive to make.  

Credit Google Search and BudgetBytes

Not really a “casserole” as such, but one thing I’ve been making for a lot of years, that most people enjoy – Applesauce Jell-o®.  Not sure where I learned this recipe, but it has a great taste, and adds color to any meal.  I use either one large or two small boxes of sugar-free Jell-o® – usually Raspberry, although any flavor would do.  Raspberry is just such a bright, deep, red, and has a fantastic flavor.  Dissolve that in two cups of boiling water, then add two cups of unsweetened applesauce and one teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Mix well, pour into the serving dish, cover with plastic wrap and chill until set – overnight if you want.  It is REALLY good!  Jell-o® with texture!

Credit Judy Wills

I really like my half-apple bowl for this dish

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord 

23 Sep

My Take

DiVoran Lites

(From Streams in the Desert)

(Eph 5:19)

Singing will clear the sky of clouds. 

Work is made of joy when one goes about it singing. Songs are contagious. As everybody loves a lover, everybody enjoys folks whose gladness bursts forth in song.

Singing is one of God’s richest gifts in the world. 

A messenger boy ran up the steps of a home singing, “Brighten the corner where you are,” and the lady sweeping off her porch soon sang that melody. The woman next door took it up and sang it when, finally, it went on wings of gladness down the street. All because a plain messenger boy gave vent to the joy-bells of life. 

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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Let’s Eat!-Meatloaf

22 Sep

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Credit Pixabay

Anyone out there who likes meatloaf?  Anyone have a recipe for meatloaf that they think is the world’s best? Well, I don’t have one.  I have made meatloaf in my lifetime of cooking, but it’s not my favorite thing to make.  Kinda messy, if you know what I mean.  It just doesn’t work unless you get you (clean) hands right down into the hamburger meat and mix it up.

I have eaten a lot of meatloaf in my time, and some better than others.  Fred’s Mother had a recipe that I’ve copied and used to make up upon occasion, but that’s been many, many years ago.  It calls for ground round steak, eggs (separated), minced onion, horseradish, dry mustard, catsup, celery, minced parsley, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, and minced green pepper.  The neat thing about it, is that the eggs are separated, saving the egg whites.  They are later whipped into stiff peaks and folded into the mixture.  But there are several items in this recipe that prohibit me from making it.  Fred doesn’t eat horseradish or catsup.  Karen doesn’t – or didn’t – eat green peppers.  Funny story about that;  the first time Fred’s Mother made it for us, she was describing the ingredients to us and when she was about to mention the above prohibited items, I was trying desperately to frown and silently shake my head “no!!!”  I knew neither of them would eat it if they knew all that was in it! Fred tells me that his Mother would actually buy a round steak and grind the meat herself – actually, Fred remembers doing the grinding, rather than his mother.  Now that’s a memory!

                                                              Credit Google search

However, Fred and I have discovered that Cracker Barrel makes an excellent meatloaf.  Since we like to eat out at lunch mostly, we find the cut the meatloaf in about half the size that they have for the supper time.  That suits us just fine.  Their recipe is quite tasty, and I’m convinced that they use tomato sauce to top the loaf with, rather than catsup – at least it tastes like that to me, and Fred is able to eat it, as well.

For many years I’ve heard about “meatloaf sandwiches” but have never tried one.  Since most meatloaf dishes are made in a “loaf pan,” one recipe will fill an entire pan and make quite a bit of meat. 

Credit Pixabay

And so, I can understand cutting some off the loaf and make it into sandwich the next day.  However, I’m thinking that it needs to be at least warmed, if not a hot sandwich.  Somehow, cold meatloaf just doesn’t appeal to me!  How to make it?  Just two pieces of bread with the meatloaf in between?  Possibly with sliced onions, tomato slices, cheese?  Now that sounds like a sandwich to me!  And possibly on a sub roll, or toasted Sourdough bread.  Hmmm, that’s beginning to sound good and making me hungry!

Credit Google search and Meatloaf and Melodrama

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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It’s the Most Confusing Time of the Year

20 Sep

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

A popular Christmas song declares “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

For seniors and especially those new to Medicare Open Enrollment which begins October 15 and runs through December 7th it can definitely be the most confusing time of the year.

Photo Credit:Pixabay and Canva

I remember when my husband turned 65, I was so confused. I spent hours making lists and comparing. This past year I discovered the You Tube channel, Medicare School. and it has been a good resource for me and best of all, their videos tend to be short, especially updates. Full disclosure, they are independent insurance brokers, but the information videos aren’t sales pitches.

Photo Credit:Image by healthguru from Pixabay

Here is a word of warning for those new to Medicare this year. You must sign up for a prescription plan. This can be included in a Medicare Advantage plan or If you go the Medigap/supplement route you need to choose a Plan D drug plan. My friend refused to choose a plan, claiming he only took one medication and it was cheap. I warned him it was mandatory and he now has to pay a monthly penalty fee along with the plan premium.

Medicare dot gov is a good tool for choosing a drug plan. If you take several medications it can be tedious typing them in, but it is worth the effort as the website will show a cost comparison between drug plans and your selected pharmacies.

Finally, my favorite tool, Good RX. It is a legitimate savings program and not limited to Medicare. I regularly compare the cost of a medication with insurance and with Good RX. Just this week our daughter went to pick up a prescription and ithe insurance copay was $30.00 and the Good RX cost was $15.00.

I use my card at Publix with no issues.

When Good RX first became available, some pharmacies were not participating but now most are happy to take it. Some even offer to check the Good RX price for me.

To use Good RX there are two choices. One, you can go the the website GoodRx.com enter your prescription, your location and you will see a list of local pharmacies and their price. Here is a link to the common drug, Lipitor. When you choose the deal you will be given options to print, email, or text it to phone.

The second option is to download the app. When I choose a deal I show it to the pharmacy and I am charged the Good RX price.

There are other discount cards out there but I have found Good RX to be consistently cheaper.

I hope this post will be helpful. I encourage you to give Good RX a try. It saves us a lot of money.

I forgot to mention that the Medicare School also has a Facebook page.

I'm a winner

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2024 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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Believers Shine Like Lights in the World

16 Sep

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Philippians 2: 12

My beloved ones, just like you’ve always listened to everything I’ve taught you in the past, I’m asking you now to keep following my instructions as though I were right there with you. Now, you must continue to manifest this new life as you live in the holy awe of God—which brings you trembling into his presence.

Photo Credit:Pixabay

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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Let’s Eat-Spaghetti-Part 2

15 Sep

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Credit ChurchArt.com

Last time I wrote about my favorite spaghetti recipe that I use all the time.  But that’s the home-made version. We do, upon occasion, eat out at an Italian restaurant, and usually get their spaghetti.  There aren’t too many Italian dishes that I care for, spaghetti and lasagna being the main exceptions.

We have some friends that we join in a meal once a month.  When we started out on that journey with them, we were eating at Olive Garden each month.

Credit Google Search and Olive Garden website/assests.friendseat.com

 Perusing the menu, I just didn’t find anything other than the spaghetti or lasagna that I really wanted to eat.  And the spaghetti usually won out. 

Credit Google search and Olive Garden website/a.mktgcdn.com

However, I kept thinking that it was a LOT of noodles and not nearly as much meat sauce as I would like.  Then the husband of the couple ordered the spaghetti, but with a side dish of extra meat sauce – and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.  Yes, I pay extra for the extra meat sauce, but it makes just enough sauce to counter the noodles.  But we like my recipe better.

Many, many years ago, when Fred was still Active Duty Air Force, he made a trip down to Orlando for one of his business trips.  He told me about this neat place, called Disney Village Marketplace* that his group went to.

Credit Google Search, Disney website/www.huitt.zollars.com

They stayed in a hotel near to Disney Village, that had a spaghetti eatery in its restaurant.  So when we came down as a family for a Disney visit, we went to that eatery, and were pleased with the spaghetti.  I have no idea whether or not it is still in business.  But we still like my recipe better.

Also many years ago, there was a chain of Italian restaurants called The Spaghetti Warehouse.  Seems like we found one and had an enjoyable meal there – but I don’t remember just where it was.  I Googled the name, and there is only one listed – in Columbus, Ohio.

Our Sunday School class likes to get together for a Christmas meal each year, and one year we went to a recommended-Italian restaurant called Il Pescatore.

Credit Google Search; Il Pescatore website/cdn.usa.restaurants.info

It’s a quaint eatery, and the food is quite authentic.  Good salad and good spaghetti.  But we still like my recipe better.

We’ve eaten at Maggiano’s Little Italy on International Drive in Orlando several times and have enjoyed the food.  They have so many good Italian dishes there, but the spaghetti is top-notch.  And we still like my recipe better.

When we lived in Heidelberg, West Germany, our church called a man to be our pastor.  He and his family arrived in December, 1981.  We had planned to have their family come to our apartment and meet us, when we learned that Greg (pastor) had injured his back and was essentially bed-ridden.  I had made a large pot of my spaghetti for supper, so I just put a lid on the pot, went to the neighborhood bakery and got a loaf of bread, and we took it all up the hill to their apartment!  It traveled well, and re-heated easily.  And all that to say that their son saw our daughter and an attraction was started.  They’ve now been married for nearly 38 years!  All because of spaghetti!  Mine’s the best!!

*P.S.  Disney Village Marketplace became Downtown Disney and is now Disney Springs

Credit Google Search and Disney Spring website/disneyworld.disney.go.com/afterhours

                                        ~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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What to do When Feeling Trapped.

14 Sep

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Reblogged from Janet Perez Eckles.com

I pulled away from my computer and turned to hubby. “Listen to this story,” I said.

A baby camel looked up to his mother, “Mommy, why do we have these long eyelashes, these big hooves, and a hump on our back?”

She turned to him. “God made us that way for a very special reason,” she explained. “Our large feet are to keep us from sinking into the sand.”

“Why the big eyelashes?” he asked.

“It’s to protect our eyes from the sand.”

“Why the big humps?”

“That is to store fat and have enough energy to go long distances in the hot desert!”

“I see!” The baby camel stretched his neck and looked up at his mother. “The large feet are to keep us from sinking into the sand, the long eyelashes are to keep the sand out of our eyes, and the humps are to store energy to travel…then what are we doing in this cage in the middle of a zoo?”

I have asked the same question. Like the camel, I had all I needed to enjoy life. I had desires, dreams, and prepared my wings to fly high to success. But instead, I found myself in a cage of grief and heartache. Pitiful really, and definitely not the place I thought I belonged. At the age of 30, my eyesight closed in completely. I lost my joy, my purpose, and my freedom. Bars of gloom and desperation surrounded me.

Inside that cage, I longed for days gone by. Days when I could see. Days when life still held promises for tomorrow.

Have you ever been there? Have you known that longing?

If you have, like He did with me, God might be whispering this powerful truth right into your soul:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18)

When looking forward, we see the freedom from past longings. When we choose to see outside our cage, we see His hand calling. And when we choose to use what God gave us, we can live in the richness of today.

Let’s Pray

Father, I need your reminder each moment of each day that you created me for much more than what I see within my cage. Thank you for showing me the way to the freedom you offer, fresh with your promises.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What has you trapped these days?

Bonus article on today’s topic.

Janet 

Celebrate with me! My new release, Now I See: How God’s Amazing Grace Transforms the Deepest Pain to Shining Joy won the 2023 Memoir of the Year Golden Scroll Award.

Your copy waits for you HERE.

Let’s Stay in Touch

You and I are only a click away. You can use this CONTACT FORM to leave your prayer request, make a comment, ask a question, or invite me to speak to your group. Or simply reply to this email.

I also invite you to visit my WEBSITE. You’ll find more inspirational blogs along with my story, books, and videos.

Janet Eckles Perez

Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR

Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life.

www.janetperezeckles.com

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Hope in Our Differences

13 Sep

Guest Post

Rebekah Lyn

Reblogged from Rebekah Lyn’s Kitchen

Since the beginning of time, Satan has attempted to mimic and corrupt all that God has created. The current age is not the first time there has been anger & division over differences. Satan mislead Adam and Eve to question to instructions God had given them about eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan didn’t even have to exert much effort to convince them God wouldn’t strike them dead immediately if they ate the fruit. God’s words to Adam’s about this tree were, “for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17).

As the population of the world grew, so did differences among the people. Many fell away from faith in God and worshipped idols made of wood or stone. They looked to the sun, moon, and stars to be their gods. These differences caused wars and the more powerful any one group became, the more differences they found amongst themselves. Throughout history, people have placed a greater value on a group of people that possesses financial wealth while looking down upon, mocking, and oppressing those who labor. Without those workers, though, who would provide the goods and services the wealthy need for survival?

Jesus, on the other hand, came to earth, still fully God but taking on human form and mingling with the lowest people in society. They were looking for the Messiah, but the religious scholars were only talking about one. The 12 men Jesus taught on an intimate level were a diverse group. A tax collector, some fishermen, a zealot, and who knows for sure what the others were. A tax collector was considered a traitor to his own people and yet Jesus called him to follow! The 12 learned from each other, they grew to rely on each other, and their differences strengthened them.

We don’t all have to share the same politics, the same opinions on world affairs. In the end, those topics don’t have long-lasting importance. The only topic that warrants serious discussion is faith. Faith is the root of all differences of opinion. Christians are called intolerant because we believe Jesus is the only way to heaven. Every person has the choice whether they believe that and want to follow Jesus. Nobody is forcing the decision. Those who follow Jesus are called to share this truth, to make people aware, and to encourage others to believe, but Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone does not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet” (Matthew 10:14).

Next time you find yourself in a heated conversation, stop to think about how important that topic is. Is there any benefit in arguing? Can you find a way to respect the differences in your opinions? Look at the people around you as more than their opinions on a handful of explosive topics. Get to know the things that truly make up their character: their hopes, and dreams, their heartaches, and their triumphs. Learn from them and recognize that without our differences, we wouldn’t have scientific discoveries, great writing, astonishing food combinations, or transformative music.

God created us each of to be unique. Why would we want to all be the same?

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