Illusionary Living
An illusion is defined as "an erroneous perception of reality." Magicians depend on it to trick their audiences. But some illusions can be fatal. If I chase a mirage in the desert, thinking it's water, I could die of thirst.
Don't Play 'What If?'
In the opening game of the 2001 football season, a mistake by the University of Colorado cost the team a chance to play for the national championship. When coach Gary Barnett was asked about it, he said, "We don't think about it. I learned a long time ago: Don't trip on something behind you." Barnett was busy recruiting new players and preparing for a holiday bowl game and had no time to dwell on the past.
Plenty To Praise
God—have you ever just sat back and marveled at how grand and glorious He is? Today, let's pause to ponder His majesty and greatness.
How Much Are You Worth?
A bored student at the University of Washington used an Internet auction site to sell his soul to the highest bidder. As it turned out, the top offer was only $400.
Learning From The Past
We all have some regrets about the past and try to forget our sins and mistakes. We feel a lot like the Peanuts comic strip character Linus, who said, "Maybe we should think only about today." Charlie Brown disagreed, "No, that's giving up. I'm still hoping yesterday will get better."
Signet Ring
In some ancient kingdoms, a king who wanted to mark or secure a document with his seal used his signet ring. He pressed it into softened wax and allowed it to harden into an unbroken seal that bore the mark of his ring. The signet ring represented the honor, authority, and personal guarantee of the king, so it was highly valued.
A Wonderful Life
Each December, millions of people around the world watch Frank Capra's 1946 film It's A Wonderful Life. Although it wasn't a hit when it debuted, it has become a Christmas classic.
Weighed Down At Christmas
During a December visit to New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, I paused to admire the magnificent Christmas tree. It was covered with angels and surrounded at its base by an elaborate 18th-century nativity scene. Nearly 200 figures, including shepherds, the Magi, and a crowd of townspeople, looked in anticipation toward the manger or gazed up in awe at the angels.
Nahum's Message
If you ever read the book of Nahum, you're likely to say, "There's not much joy in that book!" That's because Nahum spoke of the destruction of Assyria and its capital city Nineveh.
Something Happened Here
Christians are divided in their views of Christmas. Some want to give up on it and hand it over to the stores. Others want to salvage it and use it to say something important about the birth of Jesus to a weary secular world. I, for one, would like to take my place with the second group.
The Greatest Treasure
What is the world's greatest treasure? Some people might say it's all the gold stored in Fort Knox. Others might suggest it's the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Still others would think of the fabulous wealth once displayed in the czarist palaces of Russia. The answer that I hope would come to your mind is the Bible, God's Word.
The Shepherds
The angel bypassed Jerusalem, the religious center of Israel. He didn't go to Herodium, Herod's villa near Bethlehem. He appeared instead to a band of shepherds tending their flocks (Luke 2:8-9).
Seeds And Fruit
I read a fable about a man who was browsing in a store when he made the shocking discovery that God was behind a sales counter. So the man walked over and asked, "What are You selling?" God replied, "What does your heart desire?" The man said, "I want happiness, peace of mind, and freedom from fear . . . for me and the whole world." God smiled and said, "I don't sell fruit here. Only seeds."
Home At Last
An elderly missionary couple who had served God for 50 years in a remote African village returned to the United States for a well-earned retirement. When they arrived, however, no one was there to greet them because of some confusion at the mission office. They had no one to help them with their suitcases and trunks, and no one to move them into their home. The old gentleman complained to his wife, "We've come home after all these years and there's no one who cares."
A Straight Wall
When I was a young boy, the kids in my neighborhood built a clubhouse. We were able to get the floor level, but we were having trouble making the sideboards fit because we didn't use a plumb line. The finished product looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Spectator Risks
Even the weakest among us can participate in sports, but only the strongest can survive as spectators. According to a heart specialist, when you become a spectator rather than a participant, the wrong things go up and the wrong things come down. Body weight, blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, and triglycerides go up. Vital capacity, oxygen consumption, flexibility, stamina, and strength go down.
Sand In Your Shoes
Imagine the obstacles a person would have to overcome to walk from New York City to San Francisco. A man who had accomplished this feat was asked about his biggest hurdle. He said that the toughest part of his trip wasn't walking up the mountains or crossing hot, dry, barren stretches of desert. "The thing that came the closest to defeating me," he admitted, "was the sand in my shoes."
Praiseworthy
The Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Choir were presenting their annual Christmas concert. Near the conclusion, they were joined by the 4,000 members of the audience in singing, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King." I got chills when we sang the words, "And heaven and nature sing."
When All Is Lost
I was rummaging around my son's garage and found all the trophies he had won in his years of athletic competition. There they were in a box—about to be thrown out.
Getting Ready For Christmas
I glanced through some magazines and saw article after article warning about holiday stress and telling people how to prepare for Christmas. They gave the usual advice: Do your baking early; wrap your gifts as you purchase them; don't fill every minute with activity. These are good ideas, and I'm sure you've thought of some yourself. Personally, I like to shop through catalogs when I can.
Human Love Isn't Enough
Security and significance are two essential elements of emotional health. If we feel we are safe from harm as well as safe from rejection and loneliness, we are blessed with those two essentials. Additionally, if we know that we are viewed with affection and appreciation by at least some of the people who matter to us, that gives us a sense of value.
The God Of Hosea
At the end of Marc Connelly's play Green Pastures, old Hezdrel says he's not afraid to die because he believes in the God of Hosea. The Lord then speaks to him and asks if he didn't mean to say the God of Moses. Hezdrel says no, and explains that he saw the Lord of Hosea as being full of mercy and not fearsome anymore.
The Courier
Among his duties as a soldier during World War II, my friend Oscar was a military courier. He would carry messages to other units near the front lines. At dark he made his way through brush and trees to deliver information vital to the battle plan. Several times he ran into enemy patrols and had to change his course. More than once he was shot at.
Noise Pollution
Profanity and crude language are becoming more common on prime-time television programs. Many writers and producers seem to be intent on pushing the limits of how much immoral and offensive speech the public will allow.
Spend Less, Give More
Michelle Singletary and her husband decided to reduce their Christmas spending. They made some presents themselves and thought of creative ways to give their time and service to others.
Refusing The Easy Way
Looking out the window of an airplane, you can see the winding paths of rivers below. Except for some man-made waterways, all rivers have one thing in common—they all are crooked. The reason is simple—they follow the path of least resistance. Rivers find their way around anything that blocks their flow because they take the easy way.
What Type Are You?
There are two types of people in the world," someone once said, "those who come into a room and say, 'Here I am!' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are!'"
The Gift Of Thought
In some ways humans are inferior to animals. I have seen some incredibly strong men, but never one "as strong as an ox." Men can run 100 meters in under 10 seconds, but that doesn't begin to compare with the speed of a cheetah. There are people who have an uncanny sense of direction, but even they can't explain how migrating swallows can return unerringly to the same place year after year.
Celebrate The Man
A survey of visitors at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, revealed that many of the park's guests under the age of 15 didn't know that Walt Disney was a real person. They thought that "Disney" was just a company name. When corporate officials planned the celebrations commemorating the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney's birth, they made a special effort to highlight the life and impact of the real man.
The Benefits Of Communion
The Lord's Supper. Communion. Whatever you call it, there's nothing quite like this solemn and important act of worship.
