Pastor’s Blog (Page 30)

Dear Woodland Hills Family, Down through the years our family has observed the Red Plate Tradition. When something special happened to you or when you made a noteworthy accomplishment, you got the Red Plate for supper! Our little journal of Red Plate Remembrances includes things like: * Courtney–was brave at the dentist today. * Elisabeth–had a great report…

Dear Woodland Hills Family, The Greek man in this shocking photo set himself on fire because he can’t pay back his home and business loans. The suicide rate jumped 40% in severely debt-ridden Greece last year. More than one in five is unemployed and the economic distress is spawning violent protests and riots. Last week a pharmacist shot himself outside the Greek…

Dear Woodland Hills Family, As I have been studying and reflecting on the events surrounding Christ’s crucifixion, I came across this artwork depicting the Via Dolarosa (the”Way of Suffering”) which Jesus took as He carried His cross to the place of His death. In this piece, artist Jon McNaughton depicts a large crowd standing by as Jesus carries His…

Dear Woodland Hills Family, For the last 3 years I’ve been cultivating a relationship with a man who’s been renting a building I own. I’ve had the opportunity to share the Good News with him on a few occasions. He is not at all receptive, but I am praying that in time he will give his life to the Lord Jesus. Not long ago our relationship hit a pretty big…

Julio Diaz is a social worker in his thirties who lives in the Bronx. As he stepped off the subway one night, a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife. “He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, ‘Here you go,’” Diaz says. As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, “Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If…

A Tale of Two Passions 1.  Recently on “Chopped,” a cooking show that pits culinary artists against each other in a competition to find the top chef, one of the contestants related the high cost of becoming an exceptional chef. He recounted a realization he’d had early on: he would not be able to achieve greatness in his career and succeed in his…