Finishing strong is epic. Ever heard of a fellow named Napoleon Bonaparte? One of the greatest military minds and conquerors in history, Napoleon died on this date 203 years ago. Things didn’t end as he would have hoped. After expanding the French empire across Europe, he began to experience military setbacks in 1812 and suffered…
Your pain is the price you must pay for someone else’s blessing. Rick Warren writes, “In every area of your life where you’ve had pain, you have a testimony.” It is your suffering, not your success, that gives you credibility. No one turns to your God because you handled your great days well. They turn…
In the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby, in 2009, jockey Calvin Borel rode Mine That Bird to a most unexpected victory. A 50-1 long shot, the horse was running dead last until the final turn. No race was ever won before the final turn. You may not be winning right now, but the outcome…
Jay Leno asked that probing question that has kept so many of us up at night. “How come you never see a headline that reads, ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’”? That’s a great question. I mean, if I were a psychic, I promise you, I’d buy every winning lotto ticket I could. It wouldn’t even be gambling,…
Why do addicts become addicts? What happens on a physiological level? Substances and behaviors of abuse act directly on the reward center of the brain to deliver their high. This involves the speedy and intense release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Addictive behaviors become a shortcut to reward, which, over time, can have a high cost…
We are all afraid of something. Napoleon was afraid of rabbits. One day he was hunting when a swarm of rabbits appeared. In fear, Napolean ran for his life, hiding behind his men. Arnold Schoenberg was afraid of the number 13. The great composer attributed all of his life’s bad luck to the fact that…
Last year, I wrote my favorite book to date, Recovery Rules. I unpack 100 truisms of recovery. Let me give you a few of the rules here. Pick one that you like and live by it today. The Bible says we are to sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). I pray these…
Let me give you two powerful words – keep moving. That’s what the early church did. As soon as they had set apart five elders to lead the church, they sent two of them away. “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for…
“Then they gathered around him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’” (Acts 1:6). This was man’s attempt to control the Savior. They wanted things to happen on their terms and in their timing. That’s not unusual. The disciples were probably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder…
Most of us have the gift of worry. Let’s talk about it. A lot of us worry about what is coming the next day. Jesus advised against that. He said, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). And Charles M. Schulz (Peanuts) said, “Stop worrying about the world ending today. It’s already tomorrow in…