Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon tennis champion, was dying of AIDS, which he contracted when he received infected blood during heart surgery in 1983. During his illness, Ashe received thousands of encouraging letters. In one letter, the fan asked, “Why did God have to select you for such a horrible disease?” Ashe wrote back. “Fifty…
We always seem to want what we do not have. A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead and dreams of flying, while the pilot on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of returning home. A man spends money he doesn’t have in order to buy a new car, while missing his…
On May 14, 2020, a bat once swung by Babe Ruth sold for $930,000. His 1920 jersey sold for $4.4 million, and his 1927 World Series ring sold for $2.1 million. Joe DiMaggio’s hand-written journal sold for $1.5 million A copy of the Constitution once held by George Washington sold for $9.8 million, while his…
The fact that you are reading this right now means you likely fall into one of three groups: (a) you are an addict, (b) you are married to an addict, or (c) you are reading someone else’s mail. In any case, you have known pain and heartache in your life. That is an inevitable part…
On this day in 1905, Wilbur Wright set a world record by flying 24 miles in just 39 minutes. The record stood for three more years. In order to prevent competitors from discovering their secrets to flights of such length and speed, the Wright brothers disassembled the airplane on November 7, 1905. It is amazing,…
In my home, the most important light is not the large light in the middle of the living room. It’s the light on my phone that keeps me from stubbing my toe when I get up at night. I’m an old chess player. Against a really good player, the key is not to capture the…
The enemy may attack, but he will not win. Failure may come, but it is not final. Addiction may cripple, but it will not kill. And life may stink, but the smell is not permanent. Remember that guy in the Old Testament named Joseph? He was a good guy with some bad brothers. After years…
On a recent trip to Texas, we visited our favorite mall in Waco. It is full of interesting collectibles and gadgets. One of the shops was full of refrigerator magnets. Now, I’m not really a refrigerator magnet guy, but I can appreciate the work that goes into thinking up cute things to write on said…
Admiral William McRaven wrote a bestselling book, Make Your Bed, in which he identified numerous implications of one positive action taken each morning. Success coach Tim Ferris said, “If you win the morning, you win the day.” And the psalmist prayed, “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love” (Psalm 143:8). Morning is…
Ever heard of Sad Sam Jones, Pud Galvin, and Kid Nichols? Perhaps the names Tom3 Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and Roger Clemens are more familiar to you. All six were great Major League pitchers. All six are in the Hall of Fame. The three modern players (Seaver, Ryan, and Clemens) combined to throw an amazing 771…