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Kill That Pigeon
I wanted that pigeon dead; it’s sad but true. Don’t get me wrong, I love birds. I’d love to have a house and barnyard full of them. (Not that I have a barn!) But I did not like that pigeon! “Kill that pigeon, I said!” The outside walls of old Italian houses like ours, are…
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Colledimezzo Abruzzo
Colledimezzo is another Italian village that feels like a trip back in time. Nestled in the mountains of Abruzzo, this tiny but quaint and picturesque village is well worth a visit! Which is exactly what we did with friends last summer, during a break between lockdowns. (I’m often slow a little slow at posting…) But…
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Healed By One Touch: A Short Story
Wiping her hot brow, Tamar adjusted her scarf to better cover her pale skin, and wondered, “Why I am so different? Why can’t I look like the other girls?” Then she promptly bit her tongue for even thinking such a thing! For if she’d heard it once, she’d heard it a thousand times. “Remember the…
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Pottery Making in Bible Times: He is the Potter, We Are the Clay
In modern times, the image of a heavily laden caravan of camels and donkeys with clay pots hanging from their saddles or bundles holds a certain fascination for us. In biblical times, however, it presented a common sight, as clay was readily available and frequently used. Both clay and potters played important roles in ancient…
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Taxation in Bible Times
Poll tax, salt tax, and crown tax! Wherever they went, along major highways, at city gates, or along quiet country roads, the Israelites encountered the tax booth. The main symbol of foreign domination, and that which most stirred their indignation. Foreign taxation was nothing new to them, but the unscrupulous dealings of the Roman tax-farmers and…
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Ten Upbeat Ways to Beat the Blues
Storms and difficulties of all kinds and sizes come our way. From simple doldrums or times of discouragement, to life’s great storms and even pandemics. And they can really start to get us down. Many of life’s problems are extremely serious, like the events of the past few years, from pandemics to financial crises to…