It’s easy to categorize trees, isn’t it? Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the autumn. Coniferous trees bear cones and keep their needles throughout the year. It’s simple to tell them apart.
Case closed, right?
But what about the larch tree? It bears cones and has needles like a conifer, but the needles drop off each autumn like a deciduous tree.
So which is it, coniferous or deciduous?
Read more
For those of you who live near a large body of water, or who might be visiting one during the holidays, what are some important things to remember when spending a day at the beach?
Remembering to apply sunscreen is definitely important. So is bringing snacks, a blanket to lie on, and perhaps an umbrella to sit under. Maybe a toy bucket and shovel for the kids to play with in the sand.
But isn’t there something more important than all of those?
Read more
Not far from The Faith Cafe, there’s a big-box home-improvement store. I had occasion to go there recently, and noticed the smiling greeter at the entrance.
He had name tag sticker on his apron which read, “Frank: Front End.”
I was both puzzled and amused.
Read more
You’ve got to love a plant which turns pink in the autumn. I’m referring to the Euonymus alatus shrub, whose leaves change from green to a vivid, hot pink this time of year.
One of its nicknames is “burning bush,” because in autumn the shrub looks like it’s on fire. It must have reminded people of the burning bush Moses encountered in Exodus 3, through which God spoke to him.
I think God uses many different ways to speak to us today, each a “burning bush” tailored to our unique personalities.
Read more
For over 30 years now, the Butterball company has hosted a hotline for those encountering problems or questions when cooking their Thanksgiving or Christmas turkeys.
The experts at their turkey talk-line answer calls from over 100,000 people per year, desperate cooks mystified by the process of roasting a turkey and needing advice. Usually, the caller is unsure how to thaw the turkey, or how to calculate the cooking time.
Sometimes, however, the problems are a bit more complicated…not to mention hilarious.
Read more
Who doesn’t like banana cake? Even people who won’t eat bananas seem to like banana cake. It seems to be one of those desserts that is universally liked.
And what kind of bananas do you use to make a banana cake? Only the most uniformly yellow, firm, spot-free, perfect ones, right?
Wrong.
Read more
Did you hear about the “prison break” at a Houston, Texas animal shelter recently?
A cunning criminal had been opening the heavy door of the senior cats’ enclosure for several nights in a row, setting the captives free to roam the shelter. Each morning, workers at the Friends for Life Animal Rescue would arrive to find the door mysteriously opened, and would have to wrangle the 15 cats back into their room.
The staff were stumped at who could be responsible for the feline jail break. It was only when they looked at footage from the building’s security cameras that they were able to crack the case.
The identity of the culprit came as a shock.
Read more
Looking out the window here at The Faith Cafe, I notice that the deciduous trees in the park have dropped almost all of their leaves by now.
It’s always sad to have to say goodbye to the autumn leaves, isn’t it? When the last one has fallen, you’re left with a sense of loss, because you know you’re heading into the barren season of winter.
But a funny thing happens when a tree has lost its leaves: you can now see things that you didn’t know were there before.
Read more
Ever wonder if there’s a world out there beyond your imagination?
Citizens of the former East Germany got a partial answer to this question thirty years ago when the Berlin Wall began to be dismantled on November 9, 1989.
Those who had been trapped behind the wall for decades were suddenly able to travel to West Berlin and visit parts of Germany they hadn’t seen in almost a generation.
What they saw there astonished them.
Read more
There’s something rather magical about knitting, isn’t there?
Think about it: you start with something as simple as a ball of yarn and some knitting needles. Doesn’t seem very promising at first, does it?
But thanks to the skill and imagination of the knitter, you end up with a beautiful and intricately woven sweater, scarf or mittens, or booties for a baby. Or even a knit-covered bicycle. All made with great care and lots of love.
Did you know that God is a knitter, too?
Read more