As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.January 2025
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.Recently, I t
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.One of the mo
When my husband and I were students, we ran a lawn-mowing business. Joel mowed in super straight lines. Mine were wavy, with missed grass. Ugh. I’d stare down at my feet, concentrating on getting that mower wheel right on the edge of the last pass. But at the row’s end, I’d turn, and again another c
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.I’m not reall
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” —Matthew 25:40He shows up every Monday while we drink something from Starbucks in the lobby of the Piggly Wiggly. He wears the same clothes all year. It is the unif
Ginny, the dog, is the best tool in my outreach toolkit.She’s not my dog. She belongs to my nephew and his wife, but I get to walk her from time to time.Ginny is my icebreaker. It’s wonderful how many people who wouldn’t even make eye contact with me will stop to greet her. Expressionless faces brea
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.Infants have
I have 10,000 pictures on my phone. How do I get that number down so I can actually find what I am looking for?The problem you’re having is a common one. I read somewhere that the average number is 2,500.William Katerberg is the curator of Heritage Hall, the archives for Calvin University, Calvin Th
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.Being people
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.The recent de
If Jesus is ascended into heaven, how is he also “in my heart?”In Ephesians 3:16b-17a, Paul prays that “out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Here, we see him clearly speaking of Chr
The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while (Jesus) was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’” —Matt. 27:62-63As the clock struck one minute, Harry Houdini struggled to free himself. Hidden behind a red curtain, he was
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.Revelation 19
To send letters to the editor, please see our guidelines at thebanner.org/letters.Being QuietYour thoughtful article in the November 2025 Banner resonated with me (“Being Quiet in a Culture of Volume”). Especially the phrase “consider ways a person can be encouraged to grow the gifts they already ha
We’re entering the spring season—a time known for powerful thunderstorms and, at times, tornadoes.Thunderstorms are among the most intense weather events in nature. They can even spawn tornadoes, which produce the highest wind speeds recorded anywhere on Earth.The United States—and North America in
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.One crisp Fri
Our son loves working with his hands, so we think trade school fits best, but his high school counselor is steering him to college based on his test scores. Any advice?What a blessing that your son has these different gifts, even as it creates challenges in discerning how best to use them!I encourag
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.At first glan
Can you imagine being able to lift a car with your bare hands? You don’t have to become Superman to do it; you just have to become a human-sized ant! Ants are able to lift 10-15 times their own weight. That means that if you were 100 pounds, with the strength of an ant you could lift 1,000-1,500 pou