Richard Elliot was born on January 16, 1960. So was I. Richard Elliot was given a tenor saxophone as a young teenager. So was I. Richard Elliot played tenor sax for years. So did I. Richard Elliot was nominated for a Grammy Award for his excellent play of the tenor sax. I wasn’t. Richard Elliot…
A man was on his hands and knees under a street light late at night when another man passed by and asked what he was doing. The following discussion ensued. “I’m looking for my wallet,” the man said. “Are you sure you lost it here?” asked the passerby. “No, I lost it at the other…
There is a story in Genesis 16 about an Egyptian teenager named Hagar. She is brought in as a concubine for Abraham because he and Sarai had been struggling with infertility for more than ten years. Hagar successfully conceived a child for Abraham and Sarai. But Sarai mistreated Hagar. In the next scene, we find…
In his book, The World, The Flesh, and Father Smith, Bruce Marshall wrote, “The young man who rings the bell at the brothel is unconsciously looking for God.” Billy Graham said it like this: “There is a God-shaped emptiness in all our hearts that only God can fill.” The answer for the sex addict is…
A Sunday School helper was delivering a station wagon full of kids to their homes when a fire truck zoomed past them. Sitting in the front of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children immediately began to debate the role of that dog. “They use him to keep crowds back,” suggested one child. Another…
There is this ongoing debate among those who fancy themselves as both addiction specialists and theologians. The debate centers on one question – is addiction a sin? Let me answer that for you with two truths. Addiction is not a sin. Acting out is. Joyce Myer said, “No matter what has happened to you in…
A woman had been shopping and had bought a dress that she knew she couldn’t afford. “Why did you do it?” asked her husband. “I just couldn’t help it,” she replied. “The devil tempted me.” Her husband countered, “Why didn’t you say, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan’?” The wife answered, “I did. But he just…
“Jack” was a very heavy man, and in need of back surgery. Before the doctor could do the surgery, Jack had to lose close to 100 pounds. His diet meant staying away from the grocery store. But one day, he went. And then it happened. He wandered down the ice cream aisle, and eventually bought…
On this date in 1996, Crazy After You closed at Shubert Theater after 1,622 consecutive performances. From 1992 to 2010, Brett Favre started 199 consecutive games as a quarterback in the NFL. From 1982 to 1998, Cal Ripken played in 2,632 straight baseball games for the Baltimore Orioles. My favorite record of consistency was set…
Ever heard of a guy in the Bible named Perez? Perez was an obscure character in the Old Testament. Here’s his story. A woman named Tamar seduced a fellow named Judah, who was the great-grandson of Abraham. Tamar became pregnant, and had twins nine months later, born outside of marriage. One of those twins was…