Are You Ready?
The yard man was coming, and I wasn't ready. I had hired a lawn service to put some special ingredients on my grass so it would come up all green and happy when winter's chill finally headed out of town.
Encouraging Words
Amy had just about had it with her lively 2-year-old. The week had been difficult as she tried to stay ahead of her little tornado. Over and over again Amy had to say no or give patient reminders about correct behavior. It required vast amounts of emotional energy.
A Unique Sacrifice
What do you think of when you hear the word sacrifice? We may use the term when we see parents who follow a strict budget and drive an old car so they can send their children to college. It certainly is a good word to describe the selfless action of a soldier who throws himself on a live grenade to take the full brunt of the explosion and save the lives of his companions.
Lazy Man's Lawn
Someday I'm going to write a book called How To Have A Crummy Lawn. All the pages will be blank because that's what is required— nothing. Just leave it alone and in no time dandelions will sprout, crabgrass will spread, and weeds with Latin names will thrive where the lawn used to be. The magic formula for a bad lawn is no water, no fertilizer, no weed killer, no care.
A Living Hope
Life is hard for everybody, but it is much harder for some than for others. Putting our trust in Christ as our Savior does little to change that. Nothing in the Bible promises us a free pass merely because we are Christ's followers. In fact, some of our wounds may not heal and some of our deficiencies may not be corrected during our lifetime. They may even get worse. Yet all of our deformities and weaknesses are only temporary.
How To Deal With Criticism
Robert A. Cook, former president of King's College in New York, told a true story from the early years of his ministry. He had been receiving some rather pointed criticism, and he sought the counsel of a friend, pastor Harry A. Ironside.
The Law Of Confidence
Do your legs shake and does your mouth get dry at the thought of talking to a nonbeliever about Christ? If so, you're not alone.
Don't Say It!
In Discipleship Journal, Cynthia Heald told of a time she and her husband Jack were talking about remodeling their house. He said he wished he had his brother-in-law's skill for carpentry. "For a brief second," Cynthia wrote, "I was ready to make a snappy reply by saying, 'Maybe my next husband will be more handy.'" She went on, "For once in my life I thought before I spoke and asked myself, 'Will this benefit Jack?' Of course the answer was no! So I was quiet for a moment and responded in a much more positive way."
Foolish Knowledge
In the past few years, millions of people have discovered a fascinating new world of communication. By linking their computers to the electronic web known as the Internet, they now have at their fingertips vast resources of information and entertainment. No wonder Internet addicts are perhaps the fastest-growing segment of our culture.
