On this date in history, June 8, 1862, the Battle of Cross Keys became a seminal moment in the American Civil War. On that day, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson saved the Army of Northern Virginia from a Union assault on the James Peninsula, which was led by General George B. McClellan. On June 8, 1862,…
The 12th Step tells us to help others find recovery. Ben Franklin tells us how: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” In order to secure our own recovery, we must help others to secure theirs. We do that by example, not lectures. It is by walking…
We are all familiar with Amber alerts, in America. These are alerts that go out over everyone’s smartphones, notifying us that someone has suddenly gone missing. But where did Amber alerts begin? The girl behind the Amber alerts was Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old Girl Scout from Arlington, Texas. She was kidnapped while riding her bike…
Erma Bombeck described her relationship with her mother: “When my mother asked, ‘Can I give you a piece of advice?’ it was a mere formality. Regardless of my response, I was going to get a piece of Mother’s advice.” Now, we may not always want wise counsel. But we always need wise counsel. The Bible…
Let’s start the day with a deep philosophical question. Did you know that even though Fruit Loops are different colors, they all have the same flavor? While you ponder that, let me move on. The Bible says, “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one body. So it is with…
Artist William Blake completed a well-known etching that featured a little man climbing a ladder toward the moon. The caption read, “I Want! I Want!” We are all like that little man. In our restlessness, we climb and climb, in search for the satisfaction we want. When we finally make it to the top of…
It has happened several times since we moved to Florida, just a few miles from the coast. A hurricane has threatened to relocate us to Georgia. Each time that happens, I get a truck, run down to a lumber yard, and buy a bunch of plywood. Once again, it’s time to board up. We cut…
Years ago, an anonymous painting of Niagara Falls ended up in a gallery. Because the artist hadn’t given the painting a title, the gallery personnel decided to entitle the painting “More to Follow.” That captures the essence of Niagara Falls. Billions of gallons of water have poured over the Falls over the years, but we…
Little Johnny had had enough. He was tired of the school bully taking his $5 lunch money every day, so he decided to do something about it. Johnny signed up for karate classes so he could learn to defend himself. But it wasn’t long before Johnny discovered that the cost of karate lessons was $10…
Shame is not your friend. Guilt says, “You’ve done something bad.” Shame says, “You are bad.” If anyone could have lived in shame, it was the Apostle Paul, who had persecuted Christians prior to his own conversion. But Paul learned to run from shame. In his great theological treatise, Paul asked, “Who will bring any…