By: Obed Pineda When speaking about the “ebb and flow” of something, this is usually expressed in reference to the fluctuation of said situation. This idiomatic expression was first used to speak about the high and low tides of the sea. If the sea tide is low, then the water…
By: Obed Pineda Legend speaks of an ancient mystical bird that once every five hundred years (or one thousand years, depending on which legend you read) would build its nest from spices, herbs, and aromatic boughs in preparation for its end. Once built, the bird would then place itself inside…
By: Obed Pineda One night, after eating supper, two siblings went outside to enjoy the bright stars twinkling on the backdrop of the obsidian sky. The younger sibling sighed heavily, relishing the peaceful moment the beautiful, quiet night was offering them, since the week had been a tumultuous one barraged…
By: Obed Pineda It is no secret to the diligent student of the Bible that one of the Master’s favorite methods of teaching was the use of parables. Proof of this is found when one unearths that the inspired synoptic writers (i.e. Matthew, Mark, and Luke) have recorded approximately thirty…
By: Obed Pineda It is a sad and harsh reality that there are certain lessons in life that one obtains at the cost of a great, woeful sacrifice. Moments that one desires would have never taken place, often lamenting over how easily said tragedy could have been prevented. Frequently, these…
By: Obed Pineda It is no secret that the bulk of humanity throughout the ages has always held a sense of entitlement. Mankind often believes that it deserves certain privileges and rights owed to them from heaven. One example of this is the fact that man truly holds that he…
By: Obed Pineda It is true that when one hears the term harmony, the image of a conglomerate of people working well with one another is very likely what surfaced in the mind’s eye. Indeed, this mental image is not incorrect since one definition of the word is “a pleasing…
By: Obed Pineda Equality. This has been the word that has prompted an array of protests, movements, and demands for societal change in the world lately. On the surface, it has an appearance of a fight for social justice that seeks to bring balance and peace to the world. Upon…
By: Obed Pineda If you are a history enthusiast, there is a high probability that the title above brought Leonardo da Vinci into the spotlight of your mind. Historians agree that it was da Vinci’s multiplicity of contributions to art, science, and engineering (to name a few of his subjects…
By: Obed Pineda In the days of the prophet Amos, the northern kingdom of Israel had sunken deep into the marshes of sin. The menacing, dominant rule of Assyria as a world empire was on the horizon and with it, Israel’s inevitable punishment. Jeroboam II was the fourteenth king since…