Welcome

For all the prayer and planning that go into composing this magazine every month, each issue invariably holds surprises even for those most familiar with the details of its content, style, word count, and so on. Those surprises—those unexpected gifts of inspiration and cheer—feel to us a bit like a wink from heaven, as if to say "There's no end to 'the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!'" 1 One of the surprises we noticed this month was the interplay throughout the magazine between getting along with others and seeing clearly.

New Year's celebrations have been recorded about as long as anything has been recorded-at least 5,000 years-and in many different seasons of the year. The Gregorian calendar settled on January 1 in 1582.

" Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.

The coincidence of Thanksgiving Day and National Bible Week in the United States seems particularly fitting. Many people are thankful for the Bible and what it brings to their lives.

When it comes to the subject of health, many people have an insatiable desire for information. They search the Internet and bring their findings to their health care providers.

Controversy Continues To Surround the issue of public prayer—especially in schools. In this issue of the Journal, we'll see how the quiet prayers of individuals can make a major impact on quality education.

It's impossible to estimate the impact that Christ Jesus' life has had on the world. Two thousand years after his birth, people all over the globe still seek to fathom and follow the teaching of this humble man, anointed of God, who walked out of Nazareth and changed the course of humanity forever.

WE MAY NOT THINK MUCH about our environment from day to day, but it's certainly crucial to all of us. We want to live in clean physical surroundings and also in an atmosphere of thought that supports our wellbeing, an atmosphere free from harmful mental influences.

One Of The Delightful Tasks of putting together a magazine is reviewing dozens of possibilities of artwork to illustrate the articles. The Journal often draws on historical renderings of Biblical events.

A quick poll of some staff members revealed that most of us have memories of ethical lapses when we were children. Someone remembered copying from a book's jacket cover for a book report.