How Happy Are We?
What's the world's happiest nation? A Time magazine article reports that pollsters have tried to find a definitive answer to that question—but without success.
Something To Sing About
Our family loves to listen to Christian music and attend concerts. There's always a tape of one of our favorite artists in the car tape player. We've had our kids in singing groups since the first one was 3 and now she's in college on a music scholarship.
A Common Mistake
An elderly woman told me that she loves Jesus, prays regularly, reads the Bible daily, and confesses her sins every evening. But she's afraid to die. She's not sure God will accept her. She also said that she was so eager to earn God's favor that she gave a large sum of money to her church without her husband's knowledge. She knew this was wrong, but she said, "I did it for my salvation."
Satan's Disguises
It's often difficult to understand why people give in to certain temptations. From our vantage point, their problem should be easy to handle.
The Teacher Is An Animal
Animals sometimes seem to have more sense than people. Because of their alertness to natural phenomena, they have at times helped us to avoid disaster.
In Light Of Eternity
After the 1991 military coup in Haiti, the international community imposed an embargo on the tiny Caribbean nation. Life for many Haitians became a daily struggle for survival.
Dedicated Donkey Work
People often speak of donkeys in belittling terms. You may have heard the expression, "I'm just someone who has to do all the donkey work." Or "So-and-so is as stubborn as a mule" (a mule is half donkey).
Who Gets The Credit?
A Grand Rapids woman was excited to have a visit from an old college roommate who lived in another part of the country. As she listened to her friend's story, though, she was touched by the problems her guest faced as a single mom struggling to keep things together.
Stay At Your Post
Eric was stunned by the certified letter he had received. He had been fired! His record with the company was good, and the reasons given for his dismissal were without substance.
Too Strict
The tempter knows his craft. After all, he has been practicing it since the world began. He tries to get us to forfeit God's blessing by urging us to ignore God's laws or by slyly getting us to add to them. He knows we can fall into a ditch on either side of the road.
Expected—Sooner Or Later
I heard of a popular senator who was swept out of office after only one term. His defeat came as a complete surprise to opponents and supporters alike. In his concession speech, the losing candidate wryly commented that recent events reminded him of an epitaph he once saw on an old tombstone. It said:
Vital Information
You're on vacation and evening is approaching. You spot a good motel and you pull in. The clerk tells you that a room is available, and she gives you a card to fill out. Without hesitation you write down your name, address, phone number, and license number. Depending on how you pay, you may also reveal your credit card number. You have given out a lot of vital information without thinking twice about it.
Turn Yourself In
The spiritual-sounding phrase "I am answerable only to God" may be a subtle excuse for not answering to anyone, including God!
Nobody Can Keep A Secret From God
Washington, D.C., is full of secrets. Some say as many as 3 billion! But not all of them are legitimate secrets that safeguard national security. Many are documents concerning hazardous medical experiments made years ago on human subjects without their knowledge or consent. Others are contracts and bills that civilian manufacturers, often guilty of excessive overcharges, labeled "confidential." But now, under a new policy inaugurated by the Department of Energy, "a pyramid-like tomb of classified documents" is being systematically exposed to public scrutiny. As a result, many people and companies are being sued.
It Makes Sense
In his book Life After God, Douglas Coupland writes about Scout, a member of "the first generation raised without religion." Scout lost his wife and son because she "just stopped being in love." He trafficked in drugs and lived in a spiritual wasteland, but for an instant at least he "came to his senses."
Gain By Giving
A visitor to a lighthouse said to the keeper, "Aren't you afraid to live here with the storms and high winds constantly lashing the walls?"
Death Wish
On a lonely 3-mile stretch of Florida beach, 100 pilot whales hurled themselves onto dry ground in an apparent mass suicide. It was another example of self-destructive behavior that continues to baffle marine biologists.
Easily Distracted
My son Steven is just beginning to learn the game of soccer. So we spend quite a bit of time kicking the ball around in the front yard. As I've tried to convey to Steven the little I know about the sport, he has developed some of his own strategy. For instance, he said, "I know how to get past my man. When I'm dribbling the ball, I can say, 'Hey, look over there!' When he does, I can dribble past him!"
In Honor Of Barking Dogs
In the jungles of eastern Sri Lanka, 15 soldiers of a government commando unit were saved by two dogs adopted as mascots. According to a news report, the soldiers were completing a 10-mile hike when their dogs sensed danger. Running ahead toward a water hole where the unit planned to rest, the dogs suddenly began barking and circling the area. The troops searched carefully and found 12 buried grenades attached to a taut wire trigger.
The Real World
The owner of a company was talking with one of his managers about an employee who was stealing from the firm. The owner, who was a follower of Christ, asked, "What do you think we should do about him?"
