The Price of Throwing Christmas Trees

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…

Who Needs to Know?

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…

Holy Spirit

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…

Mushroom vs Oak Tree

“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…

New

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.…

Don’t Forget the Little Stuff

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…

Addictive Personality

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.…

Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon was a prolific author and speaker. Born in 1834, he produced over 3,600 sermons and dozens of books before his death in 1892. Spurgeon came to the Lord as a teenager, apparently by “accident.” En route to an appointment, he was sidetracked by a snowstorm and took refuge in a chapel, where he…

Jabez

Are you familiar with the Prayer of Jabez? “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep…

A Truel

Words matter, but not as much as the meaning behind those words. A duel with three people isn’t actually called a duel. It’s a truel. Three-way duels have been described since at least the nineteenth century, but the word “truel” was not introduced until the 1960s, in books about game theory and gambling. In recovery,…