Can you name this person? Born in Mississippi, he was raised in rooming houses. He wanted to be a musician, but never had any kind of formal musical training. When he tried out for choir in the eighth grade, his music teacher gave him a “C.” Undeterred, he bought his first guitar the next day.…
You’ve been hurt or falsely accused. You long for vindication. I get it. I’ve been there. Oswald Chambers wrote, “Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.” Writing for Psychology Today, Dr. Lori Katz addresses this subject head-on. She cites the key to peace: “You must disengage from the entire drama of pain.” Seeking…
Jesus told a story about two debtors who each owed the same man some money. In today’s terms, one of them owed about $5,000, while the other owed $75,000. Both men had their debt forgiven. Jesus asked his audience this question: “Which one will love the lender more?” (Luke 7:42). The answer was, of course,…
A lot of big things have happened on this day in history – September 18. Cornerstone is laid for the U.S. Capitol Building (1793) Creation of the phonograph (1877) CBS debuted (1952) Roger Clemens struck out 20 batters (1996) But the most significant September 18 event came in 1964. It was on this day, 58…
Life is not always fair. On August 2, Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez led off the third inning in a game against the Boston Red Sox. For some unknown reason the umpire lost track of the pitch count, awarding Alvarez another pitch when three strikes had already been called. Life is not always fair. The…
The power of forgiveness is well-documented. Johns Hopkins Medicine conducted studies that conclude that our health is greatly impacted by our willingness to forgive those who have harmed us. Their findings: “Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of heart attack; improving cholesterol levels…
We are always looking for something to soothe our pain. That’s why I often say that porn isn’t a bad problem as much as it’s a bad solution. We use it to make something else go away, if even for the moment. Porn is just one drug that does the trick. W.C. Fields said, “I…
God wants you to experience joy, abundant life, and outrageous blessings. But what does that look like, exactly? Jesus warned, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in an abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Rick Warren said it so well in The Purpose Driven…
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.” – John Lennon God never intended us to do life alone. This thing called “connection” is magic. You can’t find recovery without it. Isolation is not your friend. Community is…
I recently reconnected with a friend from my first church, whom I had not seen in 25 years. As we enjoyed lunch together, he showed me the words of a country song he is working on. (My friend is no song-writer, but he would have been a terrific philosopher.) I share the words to his…