“Chase your dreams!” That sounds like good advice, and sometimes it is. But not always. It depends on the dream. Eighteenth-century composer Giuseppe Tartini once had a dream that he handed the devil his violin to see what he could do with it. The Prince of Darkness played the most amazing piece Tartini had ever…
It was another long night for the Uber driver. Over 12 hours, he drove countless people from restaurants and bars to their homes. The driver’s work wasn’t done until the dawning of the next day. Just another Friday night in a string of Friday nights over a period of two or three years. Drunks, profanity,…
A young boy was standing in the middle of the block, not on the corner. A businessman saw him and told him that the bus wouldn’t stop in the middle of the block. “You need to go to the corner where there is a bus stop,” he said. But the boy just replied, “I have…
Recovery is a long journey, not for the faint of heart. Since my first meeting 12 years ago, I have been in well over 2,000 recovery meetings, including those that I lead. I have seen the spectrum – guys with 30 years of sobriety and those who struggle to get 24 hours. Sadly, I have…
In his message to the exiles, Jeremiah declares a word of hope from the Lord: “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). We’ve all read that verse, memorized that verse, and quoted that verse many…
It finally happened. On February 14, the Detroit Mercy College men’s basketball team won a game. Their record 27-game losing streak had come to an end. With a win over IUPUI, the Titans notched their first win of the season on their home court. The fan went nuts. Yes, the fan. Not “fans.” A lone…
As Paul Harvey used to say, let me give you the “rest of the story.” Let’s talk about rest. Rest has dozens of great benefits for the addict, or anyone else. Here are just a few. There is a reason we often “sleep on it.” A time of rest puts us in a better position…
Let’s talk about endurance running. Let’s talk about Kim Allan. She set the world record for women’s endurance running in 2013 when she completed 310 miles in just over 86 hours – with no sleep. Before you give up on such feats yourself, consider the benefits of running 310 miles, a distance greater than New…
Would you like a good laugh? I’ll give it a shot. Pick from among three jokes: Laughter is biblical. The Bible says, “We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, ‘What amazing things the Lord has done for them’” (Psalm 126:2). Did you catch that? When God’s people…
The fear of long words is called “hippopotomonstrosesquippeda.” Makes sense. It took a 36-letter word to define a fear of long words. This word was first used by the Roman poet Horace in the first century to criticize writers with an unreasonable penchant for long words. God is all about simplicity. The Message Bible reads,…