Over the past few weeks the number of confirmed cases of COVID 19 has increased steadily. While it seems the numbers are what is making the news, what I have been watching is how different people are responding. On the one hand there are people who are responding with extreme concern. Some people are seeing […]
Normally when I write in this space I am sharing an opinion or idea. This time I am writing with a different purpose. I have some questions. I could just write out my opinions, and elaborate on what I think the Bible has to say in these matters, but I really want to hear from […]
Did you know that when you go into McDonald’s that you can custom order your burger? McDonald’s is one of a few favorites for my girls. For a long time I would order the Quarter Pounder with cheese meal. When I would sit down, I would then open up the burger and proceed to remove […]
Going back almost 20 years while I was in seminary, I was asked to read a book titled “The Peacemaker” by Ken Sande. At first I was very skeptical. I had seen and heard a lot of formulas on relationships that seemed to me to be rather shallow or trite. While I read this book […]
Very early on in this pandemic, I was reading an article that suggested that a year from now, we will either see a spike in the divorce rate, or a spike in new births. That kind of thinking says a lot. On the one hand, if you have a great relationship with your spouse, having […]
I have been reading a biography of Martin Luther over the past couple of weeks. Luther was quite blunt in his correspondence and conversation with others. The author of the biography, Eric Metaxas, makes reference to Luther as having a “tremendously direct and undiplomatic German fashion”. He also quotes Luther at some points using some […]
Right after “September 11” of 2001, a number of preachers came out and seemed to imply that the terrorist attacks were God’s judgment for the sins of America. Again, the same thing happened following Hurricane Katrina, when it hit land in New Orleans. It seems that whenever some national tragedy occurs, there is an element […]
The Elders and Church staff of Alma are keeping really busy. With so much having changed over the past few weeks, we are doing our best to adjust. We have in place a number of goals that we are hoping to achieve. These include the following: 1.Elder Communication Each of the elders are working to […]
A while back a message was sent out to the congregation, opening things up for people to submit questions in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic. One of the questions I received in response, and a frequent topic of conversation, centers around social distancing. Here is the question: The government is asking people to keep their […]
You may have heard by now that in the few days following the announcement of closures and the declaration of the ‘state of emergency’ that there was a run on some of the basic necessities at the grocery store. People were rushing in and hoarding some of the basics like toilet paper and hand sanitizer. […]