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Dana Rongione 27/07/2026 Dana Rongione 27/07/2026

Why the Small Stuff Keeps Stealing Your Joy (and How to Stop It)

Y'all, I have officially entered my Egyptian plague era. Between the summer heat and the freshly fertilized field behind us, our house has become Fly Central. I'm not talking about the occasional buzzer that sneaks in when someone leaves the door open too long. I'm talking about dozens, maybe more. Scores of flies, staging what I can only assume is an aerial invasion with zero regard for personal space or human dignity.

Last night, as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, I stared up at my white ceiling, and it looked exactly like the night sky in reverse, with black dots scattered across a pale backdrop instead of white stars twinkling in the dark. Except stars are peaceful. These little dots buzzed, dive-bombed my face, and had the nerve to land on my poor dog Tess while she was just trying to nap. There is no escaping them. None. I've swatted, sprayed, and vacuumed, and still they persist, multiplying like there's no tomorrow.

Dana Rongione 10/06/2026 Dana Rongione 10/06/2026

Is Your World Flying Upside Down?

I learned something recently in my Animals of the Bible study that completely rearranged my brain.

It turns out, moths aren't actually attracted to light at all. I know. I know! Everything we thought we knew about moths is a lie. Well, not a lie exactly, but definitely not the whole story.

Here's what's really going on. Because moths fly in complete darkness, they face a very real problem: how do you know which way is up when you can't see anything? God, being the brilliant Designer He is, solved this problem by giving moths a built-in reflex to always keep their backs toward the brightest light. For thousands of years, that worked perfectly. The sky, lit by the sun or the moon, was always the brightest thing around. Back to the sky, fly straight. Simple. Elegant. Genius.

Then we humans had to invent electricity and artificial light.

Dana Rongione 13/05/2026 Dana Rongione 13/05/2026

Is Your Bible Gathering Dust on the Shelf?

I'll be honest with you, I've read through a passage of Scripture, nodded my head like a wise owl, and thought Got it. Memorized. Filed away, then moved on to the next chapter. Check. Done. Spiritual duty accomplished.

But here's the thing that rattled my cage when I finally understood it: the Bible isn't a textbook. You don't read it once, ace the exam, and shelve it next to your old college notes. It's not that kind of book. It's not really even a book in the way we normally think of books. It's alive.

Don't take my word for it. Take God's.

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." — Hebrews 4:12

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

The Sunflower’s Dance

Did you know sunflowers can dance?

While they may appear to be standing perfectly still, sunflowers actually make subtle, almost imperceptible movements called circumnutation. And even more remarkable, they grow in patterns that carefully avoid overshadowing their neighbors.

These aren't just plants selfishly stretching toward the light. They're dancing a choreographed routine that allows the entire field to flourish. Each sunflower adjusts its growth direction to prevent casting shadows on nearby plants. The result? Maximum sunlight absorption for the entire community.

This botanical ballet offers a beautiful picture of how the body of Christ is meant to operate.

In Romans 12:10, we're instructed, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another." These sunflowers live out this scripture in their own remarkable way, preferring their neighbors by ensuring they receive adequate light.

How often do we, as Christians, position ourselves to cast shadows over our brothers and sisters?

Dana Rongione 29/09/2025 Dana Rongione 29/09/2025

Marble Troubles, Sandy Blessings

Have you ever noticed how we tend to remember the negative far more vividly than the positive? I certainly have. Last week, while chatting with a friend about our past year, I found myself dwelling on the challenges like health flare-ups, ministry disappointments, and frustrating conversations. My list of troubles flowed effortlessly, while I struggled to recall specific blessings.

It struck me later that I’d been etching my trials in marble while letting my blessings wash away like footprints in the sand.

This peculiar human tendency reminds me of Joseph in the Bible. Talk about someone who could have clung to bitterness! Sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, and forgotten in prison by the cupbearer, Joseph had a mental museum of grievances he could have displayed.

Instead, when naming his sons, Joseph made a remarkable choice.