Are you a troublemaker? Do you ever feel like you are being singled out for constant punishment? Like me, did a teacher ever place your desk way off in the corner of the room where none of the other children could talk to you? Curiously, some teachers are drawn to the troublemakers. Some of themContinue reading “Jacob and the Troublemakers. Genesis 33:10.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
The Waiting is the Hardest Part. Genesis 30:22-24.
Abraham and Sarah, Parents at Last! –Image generated with A.I. Have you ever had to wait just–forever? It’s tough, isn’t it? You wait in line. You wait on the phone. You wait for summer. You wait for vacations, marriage, careers, promotions. As children, our experience of waiting for Christmas morning is so universal it hasContinue reading “The Waiting is the Hardest Part. Genesis 30:22-24.”
Blessings and the Power of Words. Genesis 27:27-29.
Jacob received three blessings in only two chapters of Genesis. First, he pretended to be his older brother Esau and deceived his father Isaac. Isaac, thinking he was blessing Esau, offered his greatest blessing to what he believed to be his firstborn son. He began with a comment about the smell of his outdoorsy sonContinue reading “Blessings and the Power of Words. Genesis 27:27-29.”
Divorce. 1 Chronicles 8:8.
A curious fact is recorded in the Biblical genealogies: “Sons were born to Shaharaim in Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. By his wife Hodesh he had Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malkam, Jeuz, Sakia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families. By Hushim he had Abitub and Elpaal” 1 Chronicles 8:8. The writerContinue reading “Divorce. 1 Chronicles 8:8.”
Study Genealogies to Show Thyself Approved. 1 Chronicles 1:1.
Image: In 1946, Norman Rockwell produced this painting for the Saturday Evening Post following his visit to a one-room schoolhouse in Carroll County, Georgia. My son’s first-grade class learned two things “by heart.” They learned to sing the song of the U.S. presidents, and they used a sort of rhythmic chant to help them learnContinue reading “Study Genealogies to Show Thyself Approved. 1 Chronicles 1:1.”
City Planning. Nehemiah 11:1-2.
Image: New York City by Jan Christopher Becke. An article I read begins with a great question: “What do Ron Paul, Nancy Pelosi, and President Donald Trump have in common? They have all promised to ‘drain the swamp’ of Washington politics.”[1] As the article goes on to point out, there never was a swamp onContinue reading “City Planning. Nehemiah 11:1-2.”
What if You Have No Family Tree? Nehemiah 7:61-65.
Alex Haley’s book ROOTS includes a scene in which an African tribal leader expresses shock over any child unable to recite from memory his genealogy to the tenth generation. I have never met anyone in America that can recite from memory ten generations of their genealogy. I can’t do it. In fact, my written recordContinue reading “What if You Have No Family Tree? Nehemiah 7:61-65.”
MONEY! Finance, Bankruptcy Protection, and the Economy. Nehemiah 5:1-11.
THESIS: Nations hoping to bless people and grow the economy should draft laws that (1) help small businesses thrive, create jobs, and earn a profit for shareholders, (2) protect the nation from war and protect its citizens from crime, (3) use courts to protect the sanctity of contract and resolve conflicts between people and businesses,Continue reading “MONEY! Finance, Bankruptcy Protection, and the Economy. Nehemiah 5:1-11.”
Civil Engineering: All Hands on Deck! Nehemiah 3:1-31.
Image: Golden Gate Bridge by Joseph C. Filer and Jason W. Filer. Many of the biggest projects on earth are civil engineering projects. The Great Pyramid at Giza is the height of a fifty-story building and built out of “bricks” that weigh 5,000 pounds. How did they do that in 2560 B.C.? The Great WallContinue reading “Civil Engineering: All Hands on Deck! Nehemiah 3:1-31.”
Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem: A Primer on Conflicts in the Middle East. Zechariah 10:6-10.
This morning I watched a video compilation of protestors. They were screaming, “Death to Israel” and “Heil Hitler!” Young women were shaking their fists and saying Hitler did not go far enough. Small children were saying they want to grow up and kill Jews. An old woman was screaming and spitting, shouting at Jewish passersby,Continue reading “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem: A Primer on Conflicts in the Middle East. Zechariah 10:6-10.”
Household Words: 