People who find something of value are generally eager to keep it. In such cases, the notion of “finders keepers” seems like a good thing. But what if the thing we find is a problem? In that case, we’re eager to give it up. . . . more >>
Our gratitude is deepened when we remember the price others paid to help obtain freedom. In the United States, one such person was Richard Stockton. . . . more >>
Whenever a preacher begins to talk about worry, I sense a pair of eyes staring at me. Without even turning my head, I know that my husband is looking at me to see if I’m paying attention. . . . more >>
After visiting a homeless shelter, a group of teenagers couldn’t wait to express what they had experienced. Excitedly, they wrote about their visits with men and women of all ages who were poor and destitute. . . . more >>
When Lily Pinneo, a missionary nurse, was in West Africa, she contracted a deadly disease called Lassa fever. After Lily was flown to New York for medical treatment, her temperature soared to 107°F. To reduce the fever, doctors packed her in ice and fed her intravenously. The fever subsided. After 9 weeks, she had lost 28 pounds and most of her hair. Yet somehow, she survived. . . . more >>
I love coconut. I always have! So, after an exhausting day in second grade, I found a bag of shredded coconut in the cupboard and devoured the whole thing. When my mother went into the kitchen later to bake—you guessed it, a coconut cake—I heard, “Who ate the coconut?!” . . . more >>
The word amateur has been redefined over the years and has lost the luster of its original meaning. The English word comes from the Latin word amore, which means “to love.” An amateur is someone who does something simply for the love of it. . . . more >>
I have an unmarried friend who prays earnestly for God to lessen or even remove his sexual drive. It causes him constant temptation. As gently as I can, I tell him I doubt that God will answer his prayer the way he wants. More likely, he will learn fidelity the way anyone learns it, by relying on discipline, community, and constant pleas of dependence. . . . more >>
Are there any perfect people alive today? Not in the opinion of Harvard University psychiatrist Jerome Groopman. In his engrossing book How Doctors Think, he expresses agreement with the profound insights found in the Bible. He writes, “Everyone is flawed at some time, in thought or in deed, from Abraham to Moses to the Apostles.” . . . more >>
When Mike Marolt is out of town, he remotely accesses the computer and files in his Aspen, Colorado, office. On a recent overseas trip, Marolt answered e-mails and kept in touch with his clients by using his laptop through a satellite phone hookup. This time, however, he was sitting in a base camp tent at 21,000 feet on the side of Mt. Everest. These days even that doesn’t surprise us because we have become used to the technology that provides access to the rest of the world anytime, anywhere. . . . more >>
Rising 2,900 meters (9,600 ft.) above the rainforest in Indonesia’s southern Java, Mount Merapi (the Fire Mountain) is one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes. . . . more >>
For 18 years, our home was blessed by the presence of teenagers. But now that our youngest is in his 20s, my wife and I are all out of teenagers. . . . more >>
During my first week of Bible college, we had several days of orientation in which we were given a rule book to study. Several days later, during a meeting to discuss those rules, one student stood up and asked, “What is ‘no gripping’? And why is it against the rules?” . . . more >>
