If you know anything about old movies, you are familiar with this iconic line from the classic, Casablanca. “Play it again, Sam.” The problem is that Sam, in the movie, couldn’t actually “play it again,” because he was a drummer, not a piano player. We know that nothing is impossible with God. Jesus said it…
Okay, fellow Barry Manilow fans, get ready to be disappointed. You are familiar with his most popular song, I Write the Songs. Here’s the sad part. Barry Manilow didn’t write that song. I Write the Songs was actually written by Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys. The 1976 hit won the Grammy Award for “Song…
With all famous people, there is something you didn’t know. For example: It gets worse. Think about your personal heroes. I have had several. Many of them are in heaven now. A couple of them are still living, in their 90s. But here’s the thing. Heroes have faults. I was rocked to my core when…
A woman lost her $823,000 injury claim after lawyers found a photo of her winning a Christmas tree-throwing competition. Yes, you read that correctly. Kamila Grabska, age 36, was in a car accident which she claims left her unable to work. When her insurance refused to pay, she sued them for $823,000. Her case looked…
Be wise about who you tell your story to, how much of it you tell, and when to stop talking. Henri Nouwen wrote, “There is a false form of honesty that suggests that nothing should remain hidden and that everything should be said.” He then talked about “protecting your inner sanctuary.” There is often a…
Let’s talk about the Holy Spirit. Oswald Chambers once said, “The Holy Spirit is the first practical power we come to experience. But he’s the last power that we come to understand in the Christian life.” Benny Tate, in his groundbreaking book, Unlimited, writes, “Many times, we’re seeking something rather than somebody. There are fruits…
“And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Sometimes, change is gradual. Rick Warren writes, “The Holy Spirit works within us to make us gradually more and more like him.” Paul said we become different people…
November 22, 1963, is a date most of you will recognize. It was on that Friday that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as his presidential limousine made its way through downtown Dallas, bringing an end to the innocence of America. But I would argue that May 29, 1917, was an even more important date.…
It’s the little stuff that matters. We think it is the big things in life that create character. Not true! It is the little things. The big things reveal character. What matters is what you do that no one sees. The glance at an attractive person, quick fantasy, white lie – they all matter. Here…
Dr. Mark Griffiths is a psychologist and professor at Nottingham Trent University. He has done extensive research on the causes of addiction. His conclusion: “There is no personality trait that predicts addiction and addiction alone.” Griffiths writes about what he calls “the myth of the addictive personality.” With two colleagues, Dr. Griffiths did extensive research.…