When All Is Lost
I was rummaging around my son's garage and found all the trophies he had won in his years of athletic competition. There they were in a box—about to be thrown out.
Getting Ready For Christmas
I glanced through some magazines and saw article after article warning about holiday stress and telling people how to prepare for Christmas. They gave the usual advice: Do your baking early; wrap your gifts as you purchase them; don't fill every minute with activity. These are good ideas, and I'm sure you've thought of some yourself. Personally, I like to shop through catalogs when I can.
Human Love Isn't Enough
Security and significance are two essential elements of emotional health. If we feel we are safe from harm as well as safe from rejection and loneliness, we are blessed with those two essentials. Additionally, if we know that we are viewed with affection and appreciation by at least some of the people who matter to us, that gives us a sense of value.
The God Of Hosea
At the end of Marc Connelly's play Green Pastures, old Hezdrel says he's not afraid to die because he believes in the God of Hosea. The Lord then speaks to him and asks if he didn't mean to say the God of Moses. Hezdrel says no, and explains that he saw the Lord of Hosea as being full of mercy and not fearsome anymore.
The Courier
Among his duties as a soldier during World War II, my friend Oscar was a military courier. He would carry messages to other units near the front lines. At dark he made his way through brush and trees to deliver information vital to the battle plan. Several times he ran into enemy patrols and had to change his course. More than once he was shot at.
Noise Pollution
Profanity and crude language are becoming more common on prime-time television programs. Many writers and producers seem to be intent on pushing the limits of how much immoral and offensive speech the public will allow.
Spend Less, Give More
Michelle Singletary and her husband decided to reduce their Christmas spending. They made some presents themselves and thought of creative ways to give their time and service to others.
Refusing The Easy Way
Looking out the window of an airplane, you can see the winding paths of rivers below. Except for some man-made waterways, all rivers have one thing in common—they all are crooked. The reason is simple—they follow the path of least resistance. Rivers find their way around anything that blocks their flow because they take the easy way.
What Type Are You?
There are two types of people in the world," someone once said, "those who come into a room and say, 'Here I am!' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are!'"
