Beech Tree News Network

The gospel of Christ is something that deserves our respect. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). Jesus Himself spent three years preaching the gospel to a lost and dying world (Matt. 4:23). Why must the gospel of Christ be preached today? The New Testament makes it very clear.

“Give me liberty or give me death,” Patrick Henry thundered.

In my opinion, the notes function in the iPhone is one of the greatest functions ever invented.  I could say the same about Amazon’s Alexa device.  It is especially useful for people like me who need a little assistance remembering appointments, etc.  I guess everyone needs help remembering those things.  If not, day planners wouldn’t be as good of a seller as they are, well, were.  

My bluebirds are gone.  The bluebirds that have raised their young in a house made by my kids when they were in elementary school.  The bluebirds I have watched each spring for years flit from the fence post down into their house—the house that faces east, the direction they prefer—to check on their little ones.  

I have watched from my dining room window, hoping they were just late, asking out loud, “Where are they?  Why don’t they come back?”

Since I’ve started my spring cleaning, I’ve thought about how things have changed at my house. When I worked in education, I deep-cleaned my house in June – after the end of the school year. Now that I’m retired, I deep-clean in April and May, trying to complete the work before the school year ends. I’ve also given up some tasks and changed or taken on other chores.

Another one of those stories of Jesus.

II Kings 5:1-14 records the healing of Naaman of Syria. In this text, we learn that Naaman was an honorable man. In verses 2-4, we learn that even his slave girl was concerned about his leprosy. She wanted this honorable man healed. The young girl understood how powerful God is and stated that if Naaman was in Samaria, he could be healed. She was not afraid of speaking of the power of Jehovah to these heathen people.

Last Thursday, I was listening to Plash Phelps’ show on ‘60’s on 6 and he mentioned that roller skating was seeing a big resurgence during the pandemic.  That made me wonder what other things were making a comeback during Covid.  Some might surprise you.  Some may not.  You are probably using quite a few of them.

One year after the Covid-19 pandemic began, we can see many ways our world has changed. For most of 2020, we were stressed, healthy-living habits (such as exercise, etc.) took a back seat, and financial concerns for ourselves, family or friends were common. Feeling more hopeful recently, I’ve been reading articles which included advice regarding emotional, physical and financial health. Some of the information is listed below.

Emotional Health

(From Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event, “Taking Care of Your Emotional Health,” cdc.gov)

I remember an old hymn the title of which said: “ Tell me the stories of Jesus;( write on my heart every word”.)