In 1853, America hosted its first World’s Fair in New York City. The man who stole the show was Elisha Otis, who introduced the first elevator brake. Until then, very few buildings in New York had more than five stories, because nobody wanted to climb that many steps. Thanks to Otis, by 1900, New York…
One year ago today, my pastor and spiritual father died. Dr. Cecil Sewell led me to faith in Jesus, baptized me, conducted my wedding, and conducted my dad’s funeral. He was always there when I needed him. His loss leaves a huge void in my life. But in death we can see our God. The…
A recent Psychology Today article describes happiness as “an electrifying and elusive state.” The writer offers research that suggests that happiness is not as much tied to our circumstances as it is to our state of mind. Marcus Aurelius agreed: “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” Scripture offers several…
On this date in 1964, The Beatles landed their first #1 hit on the Billboard list. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, I Want to Hold Your Hand sold 12 million copies, more than any other song from the Beatles’ incredible run. The opening lyrics are as follows. Oh yeah, I’ll tell you somethin’…
Billy had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while, he emerged and told his mother that he had thought it over and had said a prayer. “Fine,” said his mother. “If you ask God to help you to not misbehave, he will help you.” Billy said, “Oh, I didn’t ask God…
Father O’Malley answered the phone. “Hello, is this Father O’Malley?” “It is.” “This is the IRS. Can you help us?” “I can.” “Do you know a Ted Houlihan?” “I do.” “Is he a member of your church?” “He is.” “Did he donate $10,000 to the church?” “He will.” It would appear that Ted Houlihan attempted…
By the end of World War 2, General Dwight D. Eisenhower was smoking four packs of cigarettes per day. Then he quit cold turkey. How did he do it? “I gave myself an order,” he said. No one was there when Ike gave himself that order. As C.S. Lewis said, “Integrity is doing the right…
Just days before her wedding, a young woman wanted to be certain of her fiancée’s fidelity. So she set up a date for an attractive woman with her soon-to-be husband. She told the woman, “I’ll arrange for Jack to take you to dinner, then for a walk on the beach under the moon. To put…
Life is all about routine. A study by Duke University found that 45 percent of our behavior is automatic. Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink, writes, “I have a new way of doing things, and I don’t care if you think I’m crazy.” Sometimes, “a new way of doing things” is crazy. There are some routines…
The battle for sobriety can be viewed in one of two ways. You can see it as a temptation from the enemy that sets you up for failure. Or you can see it as a test from the Father that sets you up for success. As I remember my academic career, I fondly recall those…