Seeing Spots
As a minister was addressing a group of men, he took a large piece of paper and made a black spot in the center of it with a marking pen. Then he held the paper up before the group and asked them what they saw. One person quickly replied, "I see a black mark."
Does He Want To Use Me?
The work of God is not done by great people but by ordinary people who are committed to Him. We may say to God, "I am nothing. I have no gifts. I often fail miserably. Do You really want to use me?"
Know To Grow
Several years ago I interviewed a student at Santa Monica College for a radio program I was hosting. He told me that he was interested in finding out all he could about religion. But when I asked him why, he explained that he wanted to expand his education. This student was curious about what motivates religious people to do what they do, but he said he was not the kind of person who gets up in the morning with a desire to do God's will.
The Bedrock For Wedlock
Some people would like to leave open the "lock" in wedlock. The vows "for better or for worse . . . till death us do part" sound too risky. One liberal minister said that marriage as we've known it is obsolete. Yet studies show that married people tend to be happier and healthier. A Gallup Poll revealed that 95 percent of Americans consider marriage and family life to be very important to them.
The List
At the beginning of this new year, many newspapers and magazines will publish a list of notable people and celebrities who died during the previous 12 months. The name of a person we admired may stir up memories that touch us in a special way.
