Teddy Roosevelt loved the outdoors. One of his favorite activities was what is called a point-to-point hike. It has one simple rule. Upon setting out for a particular destination, you may not alter your course. You have to hike in a straight line, no matter what. If you come to a wall, you climb over…
Van Gogh’s Portrait of Dr. Gachet brought $82.5 million at a Christie’s auction. For those who may be wondering, I was not the buyer. But I have bought into some other art which is even better. God’s handiwork. I live six miles from the beach. Anytime I want, I can be there in less than…
In life, there are times when it makes sense to be adventurous. Throw caution to the wind. But not with your recovery. Learn to play it safe, especially with the opposite sex. I’ve seen hundreds of men fall back into their addiction because of what seemed like innocent banter with a woman who was not…
Growing up, I was required to study history – lots of it. Texas history. U.S. history. World history. Now, as I age, I often tell people, “I’m so old that when I was a child, they didn’t teach history; they only taught the future.” History is important. But so is the future. There’s a reason…
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples” (Psalm 105:1). When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, they faced harsh conditions. When they became desperate for food, Governor William Bradford rationed five grains of corn a day to each person. When things got better,…
“By their fruit you will know them” (Matthew 7:10). Everyone is looking for a good sermon. They just don’t know it. I’m not talking about the spoken sermon, but the sermon that is lived out by an authentic follower of Christ, who, though he stumbles, always gets up. He doesn’t profess perfection, but progress. His…
Violet Jessop was the ultimate survivor. Jessop was a stewardess aboard the RMS Olympic, one of the Titanic’s sister ships. In 1911, the Olympic crashed into another ship. Violet Jessop survived. Six months later, she was a stewardess on Titanic. While the ship went under, Violet was saved. A few years later, she served aboard…
It happened in October 1991. Billy Tyne went out one last time. The sea captain was in search of his largest swordfish ever, as he took a crew out into the North Atlantic on the Andrea Gail. A storm swept the entire crew overboard, where they all perished. Even the most experienced sea captain is…
The 1904 Olympics were held in St. Louis, Missouri. The marathon was the featured event of the Olympics in those days. And this particular marathon was a total mess. Only 14 men crossed the finish line: one after hitchhiking, another after napping, and one after drinking rat poison. The rat poison victim was the winner. …
“Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, ‘Take heart, your sins are forgiven’” (Matthew 9:2). Healing the man’s body was secondary. Jesus’ real purpose was to heal the man’s heart. Our Lord had a hidden agenda others often missed –…