Have you ever experienced what felt like a superficial apology Which can then result in superficial forgiveness? Nothing is accomplished, and the relationship is not restored. We often learn this type of apology in childhood. When a sibling has intentionally hurt a sibling, Mom often says something like, “Tell him/her you’re sorry and give them a hug.” Fine. So, you do that, and everything is all right now. Right? Wrong! If the apology and repentance do not come from the heart, nothing has changed, and you both know it. But you have gone through the motions and Mom is satisfied. Though, I do not think Mom is satisfied either. But she does not know exactly how to manage the ordeal and move on. After all, she is busy and has...

This article was originally written for our Hope for the Hurting podcast which my daughter, Laura, and I broadcast each week. I thought it deserved to be read in our Woolf Line newsletter. If you'd like to listen to our 30 minute podcast, use this link:  https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hopeforthehurting

Until recently, the Secret Service, as a branch of the Dept. of the Treasury, specialized in the detection of counterfeit currency. How did they detect counterfeit currency? Agents were trained to scrutinize, handle, smell, and analyze real, authentic currency bills. They spent countless hours being trained in this and what to look for in the genuine article. Why? Why do they do this? Because when these agents ...

As a pastor for over 30 years, I was often asked about the afterlife, in particular, what we will look like in heaven. Will we be recognizable to our loved ones or others? How old will we be and will we stay that age for all eternity? Finally, what will our heavenly bodies look like? In this article I will take a stab at answering those questions. My answers will be drawn from the Bible and with as little conjecture as possible.

The first question is what will we look like in heaven; will we be recognizable? The answer from scripture is unequivocally yes, we will be recognizable. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus met with Moses and Elijah. The three discussed Jesus’ departure and return to heaven (Luke 9:31).  Peter ...

Change is part of life, isn’t it? We are physically changing as we grow older. Our families are changing as they age, marry, birth babies, and change locations. Our occupations change. It is estimated that a typical adult in the United States will change jobs 12 times during his lifetime! Why am I telling you all this? Elsie and I are changing. We are transitioning in our lives over the next year. We will be downsizing our housing from the home in which we’ve lived for 36 years to new digs. You know what that means, don’t you? Throwing, donating, or selling a multitude of treasures collected over 36 years!

We will also be transitioning from Hopewell Counseling to Woolf Counseling. We have been Hopewell Counseling for ...