by vfcadmin | May 14, 2025 | Year of Reflection
Exercising Your “New Man” Nature Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer In 1999 V.H. Carr introduced the concept of 5 stages of technological adoption. From innovators who love trying the latest new gadget to the laggards who resist new technology until it is inevitable, we...
by vfcadmin | May 14, 2025 | Year of Reflection
A Cup of This, a Tablespoon of That Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer What kind of cook are you? I tend to be a “substitute this for that, let’s experiment” cook rather than a “it tastes the same each time I make it” cook. I can assure you some of my trials are failures...
by vfcadmin | May 7, 2025 | Year of Reflection
Do I Really Have to Forgive…Again? By Ruth Ann Stites Back in Week 6 we looked at Jesus’ teachings on being forgiving people. If his words were not enough to wrap our heads around, here are a few other Scriptures addressing the topic of forgiveness: In him we have...
by vfcadmin | Apr 30, 2025 | Year of Reflection
The Watercarrier: Hard but Necessary Work Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer I started thinking about the idea of water carrying a few weeks ago. It is certainly a Biblical topic from Rebecca at the well in Genesis to Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman in John to the...
by vfcadmin | Apr 23, 2025 | Year of Reflection
On Mending Broken Pots and Broken Lives Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer Some years ago one of my sisters gave our mother this pottery popcorn keeper. Being more fragile than it looked, the lid, lip, and handle broke. Because it had sentimental value as well as good...
by vfcadmin | Apr 16, 2025 | Year of Reflection
Easter: When Sorrow Comes Before Joy Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer As we looked forward to the beginning of spring in March, we also began to think about the greatest of Christian holy days, Easter, being a movable feast, is in April in 2025. Before we reach...
by vfcadmin | Apr 2, 2025 | Year of Reflection
Trailing Clouds of Glory Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer The title of this reflection is from a poem by William Wordsworth. I think it captures our innate understanding of the wonder of childhood. Who among us does not smile when we see a young child discover something...
by vfcadmin | Mar 26, 2025 | Year of Reflection
God’s Catch and Release Program for Sinners Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer A full third of the core group of Jesus’ disciples—Peter, Andrew, James, and John—were fishermen. They were the first to be called, becoming the core of the 12 Disciples, and were to leave...
by vfcadmin | Mar 19, 2025 | Year of Reflection
Perception and Context Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer One of the advantages of living in Northwest Arkansas is the expanding availability of cultural activities in our communities. I took this picture at a special exhibit called “Knowing the West” recently presented by...
by vfcadmin | Mar 12, 2025 | Year of Reflection
Weeding: The Hard Truth of Forgiveness Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer Last week we talked about repentance, righteousness, and weeds. Now let’s think about one of the best “weeding tools” we can employ to root out some of those persistent weeds in our hearts and minds:...
