Looking Good
To a greater or lesser degree, all of us have something about our looks that we don't like. When we become preoccupied with it, though, there's a fancy name for it: Body Dismorphic Disorder. It afflicts people who are so dissatisfied with their appearance that they have a difficult time functioning normally.
Of Pigs And Sheep
When author and preacher David Field arrived at the country church where he was to be the guest speaker, he was introduced to a choir member. He asked her what she did. "I keep pigs," she replied. "How many do you have?" he inquired. Without hesitation she answered, "A hundred and ninety-two at the moment." Laughingly he responded, "Really? Are you certain of that?" With indignation she retorted, "Of course I'm sure. I've got names for all of them, haven't I?"
Are You Losing Touch?
A number of years ago in Rochester, New York, 30 people competed in a charity fundraiser called a Touch-A-Thon. A new car was to be given to the person who could touch a red spot on the car for the longest time, not counting the 15-minute breaks that were allowed every 4 hours.
Someone Special
A postcard arrived in the mail. Then another. And a third. They were unsigned, but I could tell they came from the same person—an elderly mother who had given her all for her son but was getting only cruel abuse in return.
Victory Day
I spent the first 2 weeks of May 1997 in Magadan, Siberia, teaching at a Bible college. May 9 was V-Day, a national holiday in the former Soviet Union. Schools were closed, as well as most businesses. In the town square, military leaders and city officials made speeches. A band played patriotic songs, and there was a parade and fireworks.
The Joy Of Spring
During Passover week, Jerusalem was swarming with visitors, including some Greeks who asked Philip if they could see Jesus. In response, Jesus simply said, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified" (Jn. 12:23). Then, contrary to what His listeners may have anticipated, Jesus compared His life to a seed, which must die in order to live and bear fruit.
Pray: God Listens!
When I was a boy, I wondered how God could listen to so many prayers at the same time. How could He possibly hear each one and yet keep the babble of voices separate? And how could He answer those prayers when one person asks for rain and another for sunshine— both on the same day?
Withstanding The Storm
When we stand together as Christians, we can endure the fierce onslaughts of adversity and the subtle attacks of our spiritual foe. But when we isolate ourselves, or if we're abandoned by those who should be there to uphold us, we are more likely to fall.
Room For Advancement
After Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, issued his famous "I do not choose to run" statement, he was besieged by reporters wanting details. One persistent journalist kept asking, "Exactly why don't you want to be president again?" "Because," Coolidge replied, "there's no chance for advancement!"
