Genuine Faith
He said he had trusted Jesus as his Savior, but he was involved in an illicit affair. His buddies were men who bragged about getting away with dishonesty and immorality. I wanted to encourage him to live for Christ, so I met with him weekly.
The Hope Of Heaven
A woman in her eighties was bedridden in a nursing home. When a preacher came to visit her, she asked him the same question she had asked of other preachers: "Why am I here like this? I've been a Christian for years and have always served God. I taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, and brought up my children as Christians. Now look at me. Can you tell me why I'm here like this?" To her surprise, he answered, "Yes, I can." "Then tell me," she begged. He took her hand and said gently, "Old age."
Bloom Where You're Planted
A friend of mine used to operate a ranch in the Owyhee desert south of Boise, Idaho. Once when I was visiting his old homestead he pointed out a gnarled juniper tree, the only one in sight. You wouldn't travel very far to see it and it wasn't much to look at, but it was doing its job—providing shade for a cow or two. My friend said that it was the best illustration he had ever seen of the principle: "Bloom where you're planted."
The Book Of Hope
Writing in Texas Co-Op Power magazine, Donna Chapman described the excitement generated on her family's farm in the 1940s by the arrival of the Montgomery Ward catalog. Often called "the wish book," its pages were filled with images of items ranging from clothing and cookstoves to furniture and tools. The catalog's warm, friendly tone seemed to invite people to picture themselves as they lived, worked, and dressed at the time, and as they hoped to become.
Run To Win!
It's as true in life as in running: Only the determined achieve their goals. Olympic medals don't go to overweight businessmen who occasionally puff around the track for exercise.
First Fish
In one of my photo albums is a picture of a friend cradling—no, hugging—a large fish to his chest as if he'd just found a long-lost friend. I ask myself, "Why is he sliming himself with that fish?" Then I remember: It was his first steelhead—ever!
Good But Guilty
Was the apostle Paul right when he declared that "there is none righteous" and "all have sinned"? (Romans 3:10,23). Or is that verdict of condemnation too sweeping?
Unexpected Costs
According to The Blunder Book by M. Hirsh Goldberg, the company that won the bid to construct the 100 miles of track for the Washington, DC, subway system projected the cost to be $793 million. When the job was completed, however, it cost $6.6 billion. Goldberg said the same company that built the subway received a contract to build the Saudi Arabian city of Jubail. The initial estimate was $9 billion. But when the project was finished, the bill came to $45 billion. That's a cost overrun of $36 billion!
Showers Of Blessing
When it rains, most people go inside to avoid getting wet. But I remember a summer day in Texas when people ran outside their offices and homes to stand in a downpour. Some shouted, others danced, and everyone was happy. After months of scorching temperatures and crippling drought, the sheer joy of a life-giving rain made getting soaked a pleasure.
