Child's Play
After a surprise storm blanketed the Middle East with snow, a newspaper photo showed four armed men smiling as they built a snowman outside the battered walls of a military headquarters. The wintry weather also caused a protest to be canceled and delayed a debate over parliamentary matters of pressing importance. Men wearing long robes and women in traditional black dresses and headscarves were seen playing in the snow. There's something about snow that brings out the child in all of us.
Well-Known
Arctic sea birds called guillemots live on rocky coastal cliffs, where thousands of them come together in small areas. Because of the crowded conditions, the females lay their eggs side by side in a long row. It's incredible that a mother bird can identify the eggs that belong to her. Studies show that even when one is moved some distance away, she finds it and carries it back to its original location.
Anger Management
In James 4, the writer swung his axe at the root of one of our deepest problems: a smothering absorption with our own desires—getting our own way and having our own needs met. When that passion is frustrated, it can quickly become blind rage that demeans others and debases us. Though we may get what we want, we're left feeling unsatisfied.
Sing Of Your Love
I was driving to work and listening to a local Christian radio station. Amid the usual morning banter came the song "I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever."
The Ethics Of Good News
If a scientist discovered the cure for cancer, we would expect the discovery to be shared with the world. Basic ethics requires that good news not be kept secret.
A Reason For Optimism
The Bible isn't a psychology textbook, but it gives us the wisest counsel for experiencing happiness here and now. Proverbs 17:22, for example, assures us that "a merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones."
News Bulletin
The news bulletin commanded attention. Several inmates had escaped from a penitentiary. They were armed and considered extremely dangerous. A police spokesman stressed to the community the importance of caution. He said, "These men are desperate. They have nothing to lose. They have killed and could kill again."
Did You Thank God Today?
On my way to work one day I saw a bumper sticker that read: "Did you thank a green plant today?" Plants are essential to the balance of nature. They release oxygen into the air. They're also a source of food, fuel, medicine, and building materials.
