Monday is Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day, and while the story of the Italian explorer’s arrival in the New World is widely known, history often overlooks an extraordinary chapter that …

Hello friends! I just had a thing happen. It’s taking time, but I am super lucky, and I’ll be full speed quickly! Cool! For today, will you please indulge me?: from 29 years ago, please …

It’s that time of year again – the school year has officially begun! It means for some there are some “growing pains” of parents letting go and having their littles attend …

During my numerous visits to the Philippines, I have experienced many significant events, including a volcanic eruption and a major earthquake. I have also witnessed powerful movements of God …

I am a social person, but I have mixed feelings about social media. On the one hand, I love social media as a tool to help me stay connected with people who have touched my life. On the other hand, I …

Are you happy? What does happiness mean? It’s something we all seek, yet many of us struggle to achieve. Our society often points us toward material wealth as the key to happiness, but genuine …

I don’t keep up on current events. Ha, ha, I knew I couldn’t write that with a straight face. Who am I kidding? I’m a hooked-on-coffee news junkie. I read multiple news …

As we approach the 2024 Paris Olympics, I look forward to seeing all the competing athletes and the sporting events they will participate in. However, I will admit that of all the sports, the ones I …

So Russia sends its very accurate blockbuster cruise missile (designed to sink an aircraft carrier) into Kyiv’s only hospital for particularly challenged children. The United Nations condemns …

Happy summer 2024! I hope this message finds you excited for the season. As I look forward to the Pacific Northwest summer, two things quickly come to mind: sun and vacation. I hope these rank high …

We are blessed in Mukilteo to have the Cascades at our backs and the Olympic mountains across the waters looking down on us. We are surrounded by beauty. Sometimes we might even take this beauty for …

We recently needed some plumbing work done at our home. When the plumber, Zach, arrived to fix our problem, he was not alone. He brought along his apprentice Caleb. I was quite impressed to …

These last few weeks have been difficult for me. It’s harder than I thought it would be. As the last day of worship before my retirement draws closer, I find that every conversation, every …

Congratulations to all our graduates! I think I can speak for all to say that we are excited for you and look forward to everything you will achieve. No matter how old we get, we all have the …

Imagine bad-faith actors maliciously targeting you online by using the app Facecheck.ID, posting your photo with disinformation, attacking your character and reputation, and endangering your life. …

Hello, friends! I have, indeed, been taught, by the most stringent professionals on the planet, the electron microscope definition of the word “watch”: the U.S. Navy. I have credentials. …

T he Gospel message, also called “The Good News,” is quite simple: acknowledging that you have sinned and need the risen Son of God, Jesus Christ, to save your soul and to lead you …

As a rabbi, you are most likely expecting me to write about a Jewish holiday or topic for my Worship column. Instead, I feel compelled to write about how I celebrated the Muslim holy month of …

Editor’s note: The Beacon is revisiting Worship columns by some of our retired writers. This piece that ran Oct. 31, 2012, is by Mark Smith, former senior pastor of Mukilteo Presbyterian …

The longer I am in ministry the more I see the problem of what we have come to know as “burnout.” The story is all too familiar. In the beginning, a person has a passion and a …