At the mention of Halloween, most people think of kids having fun dressing up and collecting as much candy as they can. It is a time to have some extra fun with hay rides and haunted houses. Dusk comes early and there is ample opportunity to enjoy being scared of what is imagined to be in the dark. Yet, is there more to Halloween than just fun, games, and wild imaginations? Is there really something lurking in the shadows that we can’t see? Read More
Contributors
Stacie Gibson is Matt's wife, a mother of 4, a busy homemaker and home-educator in addition to being a certified ACBC counselor. She is a guest blogger at Biblical Counseling for Women.
Barb Leaman is a children's Sunday School teacher and a teacher's aide for the Hornell Jr and Sr. High Schools. She is wife to Glenn and mother to an adult daughter.
Dave Theobald is the preaching and teaching elder at Grace Baptist Church. He is married to Jamie and has two sons, Job and Jonathan.
Rob Wilson is a deacon of Grace Baptist Church, a veterinarian specializing in large animals, a farmer, a husband to Kim, and father to 3 energetic kids.
Ustad ("teacher," in local dialect) is a global partner of GBC, who shares stories and perspectives from the field, for our encouragement and to help orient us on things eternal.
Grace Notes Blog Posts
At the mention of Halloween, most people think of kids having fun dressing up and collecting as much candy as they can. It is a time to have some extra fun with hay rides and haunted houses. Dusk comes early and there is ample opportunity to enjoy being scared of what is imagined to be in the dark. Yet, is there more to Halloween than just fun, games, and wild imaginations? Is there really something lurking in the shadows that we can’t see? Read More
Seventeen years ago, on a picture perfect September morning, four planes took off into the beautiful blue morning sky never to return to an airport again. Nineteen men aboard these planes were set on a suicide mission to use these jets, full of passengers, as weapons of mass destruction against innocent civilians. Three planes hit their mark, one into each tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, NY, completely destroying the towers, and one into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The fourth plane crashed into the Western Pennsylvania countryside. Almost 3000 people lost their lives that fateful day in September, in one of the most egregious acts of aggression our country has ever seen. It seemed as if we all suffered loss that infamous day, if not the loss of a friend or loved one, then the loss of naivety and a sense of security. Though terrorism was nothing new around the world, that day it became real to those of us who call the United States home. Shortly thereafter, a new phase arose in our nation’s vocabulary- “The War on Terror;” a war that has continued for seventeen years and still seems to have no end in sight.
By Rob Wilson
Every Christmas Eve the whole Wilson Clan gathers at Grandma’s house for our Christmas celebration...This year, however, is going to be a little different, because for the first time, Grandma is not going to be there. You see on December 13th the Lord suddenly took her home to be with him. She was 101 years old, but still in good health, still living at home, and still blessing & spoiling us in so many ways. Read More
Every Christmas Eve the whole Wilson Clan gathers at Grandma’s house for our Christmas celebration...This year, however, is going to be a little different, because for the first time, Grandma is not going to be there. You see on December 13th the Lord suddenly took her home to be with him. She was 101 years old, but still in good health, still living at home, and still blessing & spoiling us in so many ways. Read More
By Rob Wilson
In John 16:33 Jesus warned us that “In this world you will have trouble.” For those of us who have lived much, we know just how true this is. As parents we hope that our children are spared the pain which we see all around us, and the pain which we ourselves have gone through. Yet, what can we do? We can hold them tight while we still have opportunity. We can never stop loving them. We can place our children in the arms of our Heavenly Father. Read More
In John 16:33 Jesus warned us that “In this world you will have trouble.” For those of us who have lived much, we know just how true this is. As parents we hope that our children are spared the pain which we see all around us, and the pain which we ourselves have gone through. Yet, what can we do? We can hold them tight while we still have opportunity. We can never stop loving them. We can place our children in the arms of our Heavenly Father. Read More
By Rob Wilson
Changing the direction of the conversation a little, I said, “You know Collin, Jesus is coming back some day and he is going to make this whole world new again. There will be no more cancer, no more sickness, and no more death. All people on earth will be loving and kind, never mean to each other; and we will live with Jesus.” Collin then asked “When is Jesus coming back?” I quickly replied, “I don’t know. It could be tomorrow or it could be when your great, great grandchildren are old.” Then Collin said something that surprised me... Read More
Changing the direction of the conversation a little, I said, “You know Collin, Jesus is coming back some day and he is going to make this whole world new again. There will be no more cancer, no more sickness, and no more death. All people on earth will be loving and kind, never mean to each other; and we will live with Jesus.” Collin then asked “When is Jesus coming back?” I quickly replied, “I don’t know. It could be tomorrow or it could be when your great, great grandchildren are old.” Then Collin said something that surprised me... Read More
By Rob Wilson
We live in a world, in a country, in which evil seems to be increasing. We are disturbed by the great divisions in our country, and the ever approaching threat of violence. We see great physical suffering even among our own friends and families. Can there really be peace on earth? Read More
We live in a world, in a country, in which evil seems to be increasing. We are disturbed by the great divisions in our country, and the ever approaching threat of violence. We see great physical suffering even among our own friends and families. Can there really be peace on earth? Read More
By Ustad
For the past few years we've been celebrating Christmas mainly with non-Christians, and having fun doing it!
It seems a little abnormal. After all, the other religions have their holidays, and we have ours. Don't Christmas and Christian belong together? Christmas can be a great time for outreach, churches often agree, but mainly this involves rounding up a few prodigals--cultural Christians who come around on Easter and Christmas--and inviting them to our programs, rather than truly taking Christmas to people who don't identify as Christians. For their joy and ours. Read More
For the past few years we've been celebrating Christmas mainly with non-Christians, and having fun doing it!
It seems a little abnormal. After all, the other religions have their holidays, and we have ours. Don't Christmas and Christian belong together? Christmas can be a great time for outreach, churches often agree, but mainly this involves rounding up a few prodigals--cultural Christians who come around on Easter and Christmas--and inviting them to our programs, rather than truly taking Christmas to people who don't identify as Christians. For their joy and ours. Read More
By Jamie Theobald
I’ve always found the human hand fascinating. Sure, the whole body of a person is a marvelous creation of God, but the intricacy and abilities of the human hand astound me. We grasp and turn a cup at just the right angle to pour a drink into our thirsting mouths. Men grip baseball bats and footballs with the proper strength and finesse to gain points for their team. Women caress the smooth skin of their infants to lull them to sleep or soften their cries. The hand can demonstrate quiet gentleness and bold strength; it can also reach toward or pull away. Read More
I’ve always found the human hand fascinating. Sure, the whole body of a person is a marvelous creation of God, but the intricacy and abilities of the human hand astound me. We grasp and turn a cup at just the right angle to pour a drink into our thirsting mouths. Men grip baseball bats and footballs with the proper strength and finesse to gain points for their team. Women caress the smooth skin of their infants to lull them to sleep or soften their cries. The hand can demonstrate quiet gentleness and bold strength; it can also reach toward or pull away. Read More
By Rob Wilson
Early this spring, on one of the first warm and sunny weekends, when the grass had just turned a brilliant green, my wife and I decided to take the family to the park for a picnic after church. It was such a beautiful day, with dazzling sunshine, a perfect blue sky, birds singing, and a gentle, warm breeze. The park was full of people, and my two young boys couldn’t wait to play on the playground. It seemed like such a perfect day, and I imagined that this must be a little taste of what heaven will be like. Read More
Early this spring, on one of the first warm and sunny weekends, when the grass had just turned a brilliant green, my wife and I decided to take the family to the park for a picnic after church. It was such a beautiful day, with dazzling sunshine, a perfect blue sky, birds singing, and a gentle, warm breeze. The park was full of people, and my two young boys couldn’t wait to play on the playground. It seemed like such a perfect day, and I imagined that this must be a little taste of what heaven will be like. Read More
By Barb Leaman
Every spring many people view online eagle nest cams to watch eggs full of potential little eaglets. If the eggs make it, soon the little eaglets peck their way out and are faithfully taken care of by both mom and dad eagle. The hope is that they’ll make it to spread their little eagle wings and fly on to their next phase of life. There’s a term that’s been coined to describe the human home once the last child is moved out-THE EMPTY NEST. It sounds formidable-THE EMPTY NEST. I’ve been thinking about that phrase since the passing of my first Mother’s Day without our one and only child living with us. Read More
Every spring many people view online eagle nest cams to watch eggs full of potential little eaglets. If the eggs make it, soon the little eaglets peck their way out and are faithfully taken care of by both mom and dad eagle. The hope is that they’ll make it to spread their little eagle wings and fly on to their next phase of life. There’s a term that’s been coined to describe the human home once the last child is moved out-THE EMPTY NEST. It sounds formidable-THE EMPTY NEST. I’ve been thinking about that phrase since the passing of my first Mother’s Day without our one and only child living with us. Read More
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