What Happens When A Puzzle Piece Is Missing
Years ago, I thought it would be fun to give my sister a puzzle made from her high school graduation picture. To add to the fun, I gave the pieces to a group of friends. Over the course of the evening they were to give her the pieces with no explanation. At the end of...
read more
The Great Relief Of Knowing Life Is Not Fair
“It’s not fair!” How many times have we heard children make that statement when a siblings seems to be getting the better deal? How often have we, as adults said the same thing when circumstances in life don’t seem to fall in our favor? Genesis 4 relates a story...
read more
The Danger Of Attempting To Control Evil
The jailbreak was quick and unexpected, at least from the perspective of Ivan Vanko in Iron Man 2. Justin Hammer claimed to be a fan of Vanko’s work and facilitated the escape in order to put Vanko’s knowledge and ability to work. (Click here for a clip of the scene.)...
read more
Pruning: How Pain Can Actually Lead To Joy
As humans, we don’t like pain. We can be easily overwhelmed by persistent or unexpected pain. Our culture has developed all kinds of ways to substitute, medicate, replace and avoid pain. Yet what if pain was not something to steer clear of? What if pain had a greater...
read more
These Commands Actually Lead To More Joy
Road closed. Detour. I watched as bold drivers completely ignored the signs and drove around the barrier, only to be pulled over100 yards later by a police officer just around the curve and out of sight. I don’t know if he was issuing tickets, but I did observe the...
read more
Know The Wonderful Truth Of Who You Are
Who you are can be a nagging question that has many and varied answers. Parents, teachers, friends, spouses, children, bosses, co-workers, and pastors, among others, can have very different answers. Sometimes other people’s answers can even be in direct opposition to...
read more
Ultimate Sacrifice Is The Absolute Best Display Of Love
What is love? John tells us in his first epistle, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4.10). God’s love for us is so great that we do not fully comprehend it. He sent His Son as...
read more
Here Is The Danger Of Hidden Assumptions
We humans regularly make assumptions. I would venture to guess none of us go through a day without making at least one assumption. The Oxford Dictionary defines an assumptions as, “a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.” Danger of...
read more
How To Change A Negative Outlook to Positive
With reports of the latest terrorist attack, volcano eruptions, tornados and other violent storms, global warming, a political system that seems caught in an endless impasse and drug addiction on the increase, life can seem filled with negativity. Our society can be...
read more
A Job Well Done And Its Unexpected Reward
Many of us are familiar with the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25.14-29. In this parable, a master gave three servants varying amounts of money to take care of while he was away. The first two servants used their funds to advance their master’s holdings,...
read more