It’s that time of year again: the weather is getting cold, and in some places, snow is beginning to fall, and we are constantly bombarded by retail stores and their marketing blitzes. Christmastime is upon us yet again, and every year it seems more commercialized, more cutthroat, and less about…
By: Obed Pineda When a piece of information is trying to be identified as fact or fiction, consistency is elemental in this endeavor. Take for example the prosecution’s responsibility in a criminal case as it pertains to the burden of proof. Remember that the burden of proof is referring to…
By: Obed Pineda If you are a history enthusiast and are planning to travel to another city, state, or country, it is very likely that visiting a museum is already a part of your itinerary. Indeed, for you, visiting the local museum is like making a trip within your trip.…
By: John Mitchell A football coach said, “My team is acting like they forgot how to play football.” He met with the team and said, “We need to start all over again from the beginning, and learn the basics about football.” He held up a football and said, “This is…
By: Phil Hopkins As we study our Bibles or read our Bibles each day we can get into a hurry and not take time to really study or understand what we read. For example there are times that we slide past words that we don’t fully understand and don’t look…
By: Obed Pineda Sacred Scripture advocates “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalm 127:3). This verse from the Psalm demonstrates how greatly having a family was valued by the ancient world. They understood well that children are essential to constructing…
By: Obed Pineda During the second century BC, the ancient kingdom of Lydia was ruled by Eumenes II. On the Cogamus River, 105 miles east from Smyrna, a city was founded upon a terrace 650 feet above the sea, with volcanic cliffs behind it feeding the soil with rich minerals…
By: Obed Pineda Since Eden, man has often struggled with taking responsibility for his actions. This reality is evinced by how prolific mankind has become in the art of self-justification. At Eden, Adam and Eve placed blame on another as an explanation for their “unintentional” disobedience (cf. Genesis 3:11-13). Curiously,…
By: Joel Ramirez In a recent adult class I attended, the subject of Esau was reviewed and I began to see his story in a new light. The discussion started with how easily Esau gave up his inheritance over a bowl of soup. The discussion moved on to Jacob, the…
By: Obed Pineda If you enjoy camping in the woods on a summer evening, then you have undoubtedly been mesmerized before by the intermittent flashes of fireflies filling the night. These nocturnal beetles are able to produce their famed glow through a process called bioluminescence. Lightning bugs have special cells…