Costly Rescue
All America waited anxiously. Many of us prayed. Captain Scott O'Grady's F-16 had been shot down as he was flying over Serbia. Had he been killed or captured? Was he seriously injured? The hours ticked by. Five days passed. On the sixth day another pilot picked up a faint message from O'Grady's radio. He was alive, managing somehow to hide from hostile soldiers.
The Gain Of Loss
When she was a child, Nancy was taught that winning isn't everything; it's how you play the game that counts. But when she became an adult, she adopted another approach to life. As the wife of Dick Howser, manager of the Kansas City Royals baseball team, she agreed with her husband's philosophy that it doesn't matter what you do—as long as you win.
Finished!
Outside Madrid stands an ancient monastery where the kings of Spain have been buried. The architect designed an elongated arch so flat that the reigning monarch insisted it could not hold the structure above it.
The Hunger Of A Black Hole
A black hole is a swirling mass deep in outer space that like a ravenous beast swallows any bit of matter that comes close to it.
Open Their Eyes
Do you agree with the apostle Paul that nature bears witness to the wisdom and power of God the Creator? (Acts 14:15-17; Rom. 1:20). Or do you think that everything accidentally evolved? According to astronomer and writer Carl Sagan, "Nature does not require a Designer. Maybe there is one hiding, maddeningly unwilling to be revealed."
Because We're Forgiven
If somebody killed your child, could you ever forgive him? By God's grace the raging desire for revenge might eventually die down within our hearts, but most of us would probably prefer never to see that person again nor to help him in any way.
From Podunk To Eternity
Norman Kotker decided to find out for himself whether Podunk, which in our language serves "as a symbol of utter insignificance," actually exists. He learned that there are several US towns bearing that name, including one in his home state of Massachusetts. His search for the town was an amusing, somewhat frustrating adventure. But finally he found Podunk Road which led him to a housing development and the old Podunk cemetery.
The Mystery Of Tragedy
When we suffer pain and loss, we sometimes ask the question, "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened?" While the Bible tells us the future of human history, it supplies no specific explanation of the events that take place daily in our lives. Sometimes when tragedy strikes we understand a little, but as a rule we are unable to fathom the mystery of disease or accidents.
Joy On The Journey
What the evangelist said shocked many in his audience: "Heaven is my home, but I'm not homesick." He wasn't downplaying the anticipation we should have for heaven. He was reflecting the truth that our heavenly Father wants us to enjoy with gratitude the good things He has provided for us in this world. This old Jewish proverb reinforces the idea: "In the judgment, a man will be held accountable for every blessing he refused to enjoy."
