He was a canny businessman. He actually took real pleasure in knowing he had gotten the better of his business associates in deals, in negotiations, and in life. He seemed to know just when to strike and just the right words to say to get his way and get...
Faith is something we humans take for granted. We seem to just assume that we “have” faith or we “keep” the faith merely by wanting to do so, but is that true faith? Is faith something we simply “think” about and so we “have” it? I don’t know about you but this seems to lead us to magical...
What is it about close relationships that either blind you or enlighten you? What I mean is, I’ve known folks who were so close to someone else that they were absolutely blind to that other person’s faults. I’ve seen it get so bad that the two people were so...
Have you ever thought about all those people Jesus healed during His ministry here on earth? They were so happy, grateful, and changed. In some cases (the illness of leprosy) they were now free to rejoin society, be reunited with their families, and finally get their life back. They...
The ancients kept the stories of their past alive through storytelling and through communal memory. It was just expected that a young person would memorize the tales of the tribe so that he could pass on this communal memory to the next generation. Now don’t laugh, but when I think of this,...
I confess to being both addicted and often overwhelmed by daily news headlines. I am an information junkie and have my daily routine of reading different sites and news aggregators that (I hope) keep me informed about my world. From politics to disasters, to cultural and social trends, to even local news...
Alexandre Solzhenitsyn once said, “We always pay dearly for chasing after what is cheap.” I wish I had learned this earlier in my life. I would have avoided some painful idolatries. But we humans are slow learners. And over and over again we come to the end of what we...
“He’s steady as a rock!” With those words, the person giving the reference for this potential hire gave a strong and satisfied look to the potential employer. And she was right. The guy got the job. You see, everyone wants stability. But is that enough? After all, graveyards are...
So, what’s it going to be – your way or our way? I guess your answer will depend on how you see yourself. If you think of yourself by yourself then self-interest is going to trump community interest. But if you think of yourself as in community then your...
My grandmother assured me many times when I was young “The Lord won’t put anything on you that you can’t bear.” As I became an adult, I questioned that wisdom many times in my life. But, what do you know, I’m still here! And yet, I would be less than...
