Dec 16
This has been a Christmas season like no one can remember. December has the reputation of being one of the busiest months of the year. This year, I am hearing the opposite from young and old alike. Kids are bored because they aren’t in school and miss their holiday programs and parties. Adults don’t enjoy …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/a-boring-december/
Dec 09
I cracked my wife’s phone by dropping it accidentally in the garage. Every time I look at the phone, I think about this mistake–while also mindful of her forbearance with me. I had a van one time that had a big dent in the side, that was received from a deer who decided to come …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/guilt-found-in-a-right-ear/
Dec 02
Hagar had reached her breaking point. She had been sent away from her providers into the wilderness with only some bread, water, and her young son. The water bag had given its last drop. She put the child under some bushes and went a little ways off preparing for his and her eventual deaths. Should …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/god-heard-the-cry-of-the-boy/
Nov 18
2020 has been a depressing year! It has been a year we would like to forget, but surely will not be able to forget. We could never have predicted–toilet paper shortages, no March Madness, virtual schooling, church cancellations, mask wearing, election nightmares, a pandemic, and even cancelled holiday gatherings. It has been a surprising, difficult, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/can-we-be-thankful-in-2020/
Nov 11
Our Lord was sorrowful and troubled. His heart was awash with emotions and feelings. His mind was confused with different desires. The greatest of conflicts was going on within his mind–would it be God’s will or the Son’s will? A day full of activity had finally come to a close. As the clock approaches midnight, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/presence-and-prayer/
Nov 04
A few years ago, Costco redesigned the shape of its milk containers. The spout was larger and the container taller and skinnier, giving it a more cylindrical shape. They told customers the new shape allowed for easier, more efficient stocking and delivery, and was thus cost-effective. They could sell milk cheaper and with a better …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/does-the-milk-get-in-the-bowl/
Oct 28
Pressure changes outcomes. We watch live sports because it is exciting to see what will happen in the heat of the battle. When the championship is on the line the athletes feel the pressure. Some rise to the occasion and perform in exceptional ways, while others will fold. Both responses are gripping to watch and …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/responding-to-pressure/
Oct 21
Suppose you had come to Corinth, Greece for the famous Isthmian Games of 51 AD and needed a tent. You stubble upon a leather working man who makes, repairs, and sells tents. His name is Paul (Acts 18:3). You hear reports that he is a relatively well-known religious teacher. He is a trained Jewish Rabbi …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/what-type-of-tent-did-paul-make/
Oct 13
In February of 2018, Amanda and I hiked Abrams Falls trail in the Cade’s Cove region of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It is a beautiful five mile round trip hike which is highlighted by Abrams Falls; a 20 foot waterfall with high water volume. The hike involves going up and over three ridges …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/finding-faithfulness-on-a-hike/
Sep 30
Noise! We are used to it every day; our world is chaotic and busy. In the midst of this chaos, Paul gives us an unusual command, “aspire to live quietly” (1 Thes. 4:11). Does Paul want us to quit talking so much? While that is a part of the idea, it seems the concept is …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/a-quiet-life/
