SamStone

As the weather gets warmer, many people are throwing poolside parties. It reminds me of a story about a Texas billionaire who threw a poolside party on a hot summer day. He had a couple of pet sharks in his…

Life can be miserable for three reasons: guilts from the past, worries about the future, and anxieties about the present. On the other hand, life can be a great joy to live once these three problems are solved. I have…

Here’s one of my favorite childhood folk tales: A farmer went to town to sell his produce and returned with a large pot of treasures. His family and relatives gathered around him to hear the story of his windfall of…

I’ve discovered that preaching to the choir is one of the best ways to free yourself from stress. I know preaching to the choir has a negative connotation because it means you are trying to convince the converted, thus wasting…

When I was living in San Francisco, my pastor took me on a fishing trip in Monterey Bay. We rented a boat, drove to the deep sea early in the morning, and dropped our lines. The sunrise was breathtakingly beautiful,…

I learned something fascinating this week about crocodiles. Do you know that crocodiles are conscious breathers? Unlike human beings, they cannot breathe when they are unconscious. That means you cannot sedate them. The moment they lose consciousness, they stop breathing…

Do you know how smart you are? Recently, I came across a research study called “Dunning-Kruger Effect,” which is about the cognitive bias whereby people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. It means those who are less…

This week is the first Holy Week in three years that we are able to gather for worship in person. After more than two turbulent years of the prolonged pandemic, I am sure we all have a new appreciation of…

One of the deepest desires in life is to leave a legacy, make a mark, or contribute to the community. Jesus compares our life to a seed that finds fulfillment when it bears fruit. Therefore, we can never discover meaning…

It has been a month since Russia invaded Ukraine. Over three million refugees have been displaced, many lives lost, and buildings destroyed. There are political, economic, and military actions being taken to resolve the problem. As a church, we’ve also…