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Dana Rongione 10/07/2025 Dana Rongione 10/07/2025

Are You an Attractive Christian?

I've noticed something fascinating this week. The rather unremarkable bush outside my bedroom window has undergone a complete transformation. For months, it has been nothing but a green backdrop. Sure, it was pleasant enough, but certainly nothing to write home about. Yet, seemingly overnight, it has erupted into a constellation of delicate white blooms.

What's even more intriguing is the response these blooms have generated. The bush that previously served only as a waiting room for the birds at the feeder has become the hottest gathering spot in the garden. Now, dozens of bees buzz excitedly around each blossom, their enthusiastic hum providing the soundtrack to my mornings. Large fuzzy bumblebees, sleek honey bees, and tiny wild bees that I can hardly identify all crowd the branches in a bustling community of activity.

Dana Rongione 12/06/2025 Dana Rongione 12/06/2025

Packing Praise

I marvel at the mental picture in Exodus 15 after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. Moses leads the people in a song of praise to God for their miraculous deliverance, and then we see something extraordinary:

"And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances." (Exodus 15:20)

Wait a minute. Timbrels? You mean tambourines?

Let's consider the context. The Israelites had fled Egypt in haste. Pharaoh's army was bearing down on them. They were escaping slavery with only what they could carry, presumably just the bare necessities for survival in the wilderness.

Yet somehow, these women had packed tambourines. All of them?

Can you imagine the packing decisions? "Let's see... bread, water, extra sandals... and definitely my tambourine!" It makes me smile to think about it.

Dana Rongione 10/06/2025 Dana Rongione 10/06/2025

Known by Heart

Last week, a friend from our home church in South Carolina sent me a message. Her text spoke of a show about a couple renovating a French chateau, uncovering secret passages, and searching for hidden treasure. Then she told me how she thought of me every time she watched a new episode.

From the moment I sat down to watch the first episode of the show, I understood why it would cause her to think of me. The dusty corridors of the ancient chateau. The excitement of discovering forgotten rooms behind paneled walls. The historical research to track down clues about potential treasures. It was exactly the sort of thing that makes my heart race with delight.

As I watched the couple navigate their renovation adventure, something unexpected settled over me like a Welsh mist.

Dana Rongione 29/05/2025 Dana Rongione 29/05/2025

An Unyielding Grey

I thumbed through my Bible again, looking for some verse to leap off the page and shout, "This is the way—walk in it!" Silence.

I prayed until my knees ached. "Lord, just tell me what to do. Should I continue in this particular area of the ministry, or should I spend more time in this other area? Should we continue in our current "game plan" or pursue a new approach? A simple yes or no would be lovely!"

But heaven remained quiet. No burning bush. No writing on the wall. Just the persistent, foggy grey of uncertainty.

Have you been there? That spiritual twilight zone where you've done everything "right"—prayed fervently, studied Scripture diligently, sought godly counsel—and still find yourself standing at a crossroads without a traffic light in sight?

It's maddening, isn't it? Especially for those of us who like plans, clarity, and knowing exactly which box to tick.

Dana Rongione 28/04/2025 Dana Rongione 28/04/2025

When Change Seems Impossible

Have you ever heard the story of the frog in the kettle? Place a frog in boiling water, and it will immediately jump out. But place it in room-temperature water and gradually increase the heat, and the frog will stay put until it's too late. While this analogy may be more folklore than science, it illustrates a profound truth about human nature.

In Jesus' day, the religious system had gradually shifted from God's original intent. Like that proverbial frog, the people didn't notice the slow drift from true worship to ritualistic religion. The Pharisees had added layer upon layer of rules and traditions until the heart of God's law was nearly unrecognizable. As Jesus said, "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered" (Mark 7:13).

I wonder how many of those sincere worshippers realized something was amiss?