A Good Teacher
While a student at Bryan College, I came to know Bible teacher Irving Jensen. He was well-known for his course on Bible-study methods, and he has published dozens of books and magazine articles on the subject. He believed deeply in what he taught and was a very effective and influential teacher.
Everyday Disciples
When I am asked how I'm doing as a man in his eighties, I reply, "My life moves along contentedly in well-worn grooves." As I observe my friends and neighbors around me, I realize that most of them are also following a basic routine. Although not trapped on a treadmill, they are working at their jobs, raising families, and serving in their churches. There's nothing necessarily heroic or exciting about their lives, nor is there about mine.
Our Substitute
Ed Leonard, an employee of a Canadian mining company, was working in Colombia, South America, when he was captured by rebel soldiers in 1998. In an unprecedented move, Norbert Reinhart, the owner of the company, secured Leonard's release by taking his place. Reinhart was then held hostage for 94 days.
Are You Full?
As a boy, I laughed and cried as I read The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. I gave little thought to the author of these books, though, until I saw a dramatized version of Mark Twain's life.
Voice-Activated
Some technology experts believe that computer keyboards will become obsolete in the next few years as more and more functions become voice-activated. Instead of typing a letter to a friend, we will speak the words to a computer that will print them on paper or send them as e-mail. Voice-activation will so permeate daily life that instead of pressing buttons and twisting dials, we will give verbal instructions to everything from the television to the toaster. When we speak, it will be done.
Beautiful People
Nowhere in Scripture are we told to value people on the basis of how they look. We shouldn't measure people's worth by whether they are good-looking, have beautiful hair and trim bodies, or dress in the finest clothes.
Going Bald?
Barney had always been proud of his thick, wavy hair. But then he began to lose it. Finally just one lone hair remained on top of his shiny dome. One morning Barney awoke, looked at his pillow, and was shocked to see that last hair lying there. Jumping out of bed, he ran downstairs crying, "Martha, Martha, I'm bald!"
Not Remote Control
Years ago television didn't have remote controls. To turn the TV on or off, to change the channels, or to adjust the volume, you had to leave your chair, go to the set, and get personally involved. Now, through remote controls, your favorite chair is like a distant throne from which you can make your TV do your bidding.
Surrounded With Songs
In November 1942, the students and teachers of a school for missionary children in China were imprisoned by occupying Japanese military forces. As they traveled toward their place of confinement, someone began singing the words of a familiar song. Soon all the prisoners joined in: "God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own; though trials may press us and burdens distress us, He never will leave us alone." It remained their theme song for nearly 3 years until they were released at the end of World War II.
