The Carpenter's Corner

We’re settling into a new year, and some of us have made 2026 resolutions. In the fall of 2025, my family prepared for the renovation of our home, and now we’re in the final stages. When we first began, we believed that digging for a foundation wall would be easy. Instead, it became an all-day affair. The old house’s structure was lacking, but the original foundation had been built on a solid rock ledge, common in PA’s Big Valley.

Watching the excavator’s hydraulic jack hammer breaking the rock into pieces, I thought, “my house has been built on a rock.” Matthew 7:24-27 references a wise man and a foolish man choosing which foundation to build on. Christ makes it clear that He is “The Solid Rock” (hymn)

May our 2026 resolution be this: “Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly...

Welcome to 2026!  It is a pleasure to be here with you.

Over the last year we all have experienced blessings, hardships, gratefulness as well as many other feelings.  Through those times we have grown and learned a lot about ourselves and others.  As those experiences fade and we look into the year ahead, we are able to rest in Isaiah 40:8.  In this passage Isaiah states, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever".   Through all the feelings and experiences we have faced or are facing we can trust that God’s word and his promises will stand.  His word and his promises never change, they are the same yesterday, today and forever.   Praise God for his ability to be our strong anchor when we need him.  If you have not experienced God’s word...

Most of us know that the hammer is both a tool of force and creation. Spiritually, it serves as a powerful symbol for God's work in our lives. The Lord declares in Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not My word… like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” With loving purpose, God’s Word shatters our stony pride to make way for His grace.

In the hands of the Master Carpenter, this hammer is never reckless. Life’s hardest trials are purposeful blows, shaping us into something stronger for His Kingdom. The same tool that breaks us down also builds us up, fastening us securely to Christ, our firm foundation.This reminds us to consider our own impact. Let us use the “hammer” of our words and actions not to tear down, but to build up.

Let's...

Are you tired? We live in an “always on” culture. Go go go, say the voices around us. Our jobs, phones, friends, media, and the list goes on, are vying for our attention. Our focus gets stretched thin, and we get tired! So how do we rest? Is it beneficial to take a break from our daily routine and be silent? In the Bible, we read that God set the stage for rhythms of rest from the beginning of time. After God created the world and everything in it, Genesis 2:1-3, he rested after six days of work. Later in the Old Testament, we see a structured sabbath day, or day of rest, being established.  In the New Testament, we also see Jesus frequently resting and spending time with his father. Just as important as our physical bodies getting rest, our souls need rest as well. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus calls us to “soul rest” ... “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly...

We often find ourselves engaged in various repairing or restoring projects, be it home renovations, hobbies or other creative endeavors. Each project, with its own challenges and triumphs, offers a reflection of a deeper spiritual process. Just as we meticulously repair and rebuild physical projects, God works within us to mend our broken spirits and renew our souls. Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” As we let God restore our hearts, we experience a profound transformation. We move from brokenness to wholeness, from despair to hope.

God is the ultimate master craftsman, lovingly and skillfully working within us to bring about healing and renewal. By surrendering to His process and trusting in His plan, we can experience the transformative power of His love and grace, becoming reflections of His restored creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17...

We all have 24 hrs. in a day, and it is our choice what we have room for in our schedules or hearts.  A long time ago, Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room for them in the inn; it was booked full. Later in Jesus’s life, Mary sat at Jesus’s feet listening to him when Martha was too busy. Jesus also gave us the parable of the good Samaritan, who made room and time in his schedule to help the needy when others had no time or room to help. Is our schedule so full of work, sports, online or hobbies, that we don’t have room for Jesus or time to read and study God’s word? Jesus said: Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part (time for Jesus), which shall not be taken away from her. Luk 10:42, May we have room for Jesus every day to study His word, pray, and serve those around us. - Ernie Zimmerman...

Spring is my favorite season because of the beauty from emerging new life. Yet, with this also comes undesirable growth: thorns, thistles, poison ivy, etc. It is amazing to consider how each plant only produces that for which its root is genetically coded: Root = Fruit. Hebrews 12:15 says “looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;”. By contrast, Galatians 5: 22&23 describes the beautiful fruits of the Spirit. God’s Grace that produces this fruit and His Grace is abundantly available for each person AS we choose to love Him, obey His Word and walk in a close relationship with Him. This is what allows God to change us and to direct every area of our lives. If we are not walking with Him, the roots of bitterness start growing, producing thorns, thistles, poison ivy, etc. which shows...

Have you ever come up short in your search for wisdom to discern the right thing to do in difficult circumstances? In Job chapter 28, Job asks, "But where can wisdom be found, And where is the place of understanding?" (v12). He emphasizes that wisdom's value is beyond human comprehension or acquisition, as it cannot be found in the natural world nor purchased with any earthly treasure, no matter how precious (v12-19).

So, where is true wisdom found? Job recognized that "God understands its way, and He knows its place" (Job 28:23). God, who sets "a weight for the wind, and measures out the waters" (Job 28:25), has the key to wisdom. It's not found in human intelligence but in God's revelation. Job concludes, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding" (Job 28:28). True wisdom is found in a relationship with God and giving up our own desires...

April is the time of the year when spring is in the air, longer days, new plant life, farmers planting their crops, birds building nests and flowers begin to bloom. Easter is also in April and the time of year we think of new growth in our spiritual lives as we reflect on all God has done for us. He gave the ultimate sacrifice of giving His life on the cross for you and I. If we are willing to lay down our lives and serve God, He has promised that we will live with Him in heaven someday. Let us share God’s love and Easter story of redemption to all we meet. God will bless each one that is willing to do this. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16 - Glenn Zimmerman, Lititz Store Manager...

Spring is just around the corner as the snow is melting away and the rich brown earth is once again appearing.  The seeds that fell from the plants last fall will soon be turning everything a lush bright  green and then full of spring colors.  Some seeds, like acorns, need those cold temperatures of winter to best germinate, while other seeds need intense heat like Jack pine cones.  Either way there is discomfort before beauty.  As you look back over your past “winter season” , what seeds have fallen that you now have the chance to grow?  Turning pain or hurt or discomfort into some form of beauty for God?  Jeremiah 29:11 says this.  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  

Trust...

Having the correct tool for the job that you need to do is very important and saves a lot of time and frustration. Being in the hardware business, I enjoy seeing all kinds of tools that were made through the years to accomplish specific tasks. It is interesting to see antique tools and try to imagine how it was used and how effective it was for the task at hand. You know, God has given us tools to navigate life and to accomplish his specific plan for each of us. These tools are referred to as spiritual gifts, see Romans 12:6-7. Gifts of Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Encouragement, Giving, Administration, and Mercy are given to us by the Holy Spirit to edify and encourage those that we meet. Are you using the tools that God gave you to build his kingdom?

Having the correct tool for the job that you need...

This is your year!

Every 50 years the Hebrew calendar announced an amazing new beginning called the Year of Jubilee. With the sound of a ram's horn being blown like a trumpet, everyone knew a reset and a restoration was going to be taking place in a very tangible way! Slaves were going to be set free, debts were going to be forgiven and lands would be returned to their original owners. Read Lev 25:5-55

God commanded this event to bring physical restoration to His people then and to point to the day when spiritual restoration and forgiveness would be available through His Son, Jesus.  

I can only imagine the sound of the rejoicing of the children of Israel at this once in a lifetime happening. But did you know that the Bible tells us this is nothing compared to rejoicing in heaven when one person repents and finds forgiveness in Jesus? This IS our Year...