Early one chilly morning an American soldier was making his way back to the barracks in London. As he turned the corner in his jeep, he spotted a little lad with his nose pressed to the window of a pastry shop. Inside, the cook was kneading dough for a fresh batch of doughnuts. The hungry boy stared in silence, watching every move. The soldier pulled his jeep to the curb, stopped, got out, and walked quietly over to where the little fellow was standing. Through the steamed-up window, he could see the mouth-watering morsels being pulled from the oven, piping hot. The boy salivated and released a slight groan as he watched the cook place them onto the glass-enclosed counter ever so carefully.
Read MoreTag Archives: Proverbs
Wisdom and the Unsent Letter
Rash reactions are never best. In the moment, when we’re swimming in emotions and anger threatens to pull us under, a sudden outburst feels best. But if we give in, we say and do things we wish we’d never said or done. I remember, years ago, a certain man would write railing letters to me. […]
Read MoreShield Your Eyes, Guard Your Heart: A Message to Those Struggling with Pornography
If you’re reading this article, you may be searching for answers to a problem that’s eating you alive: pornography. If so, let me assure you— you’re doing the right thing by getting help. Pornography is more dangerous than you may realize. It isn’t just about what you see. With each illicit image comes a destructive […]
Read MoreUnwise Cracks
“There are no exceptions to the rule that everybody likes to be an exception to the rule.” This quip seems especially true for exceptional individuals. Take Solomon for example. God told him, “I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one […]
Read MoreDoes God Care about Our Suffering?
Agonizing in prayer over a difficult leader who was causing conflict in my church, I asked God to remove him and to protect my family and me. As senior pastor, I became the target for a few disgruntled people that this man had secretly poisoned against me. Eventually they demanded my resignation, threatening to disrupt […]
Read MoreThink Theologically, Not Logically
I confess to you, at times I doubt God’s purpose and promise. I say that to my own embarrassment. When things haven’t worked as I thought they would, when I received a no instead of a yes or a yes instead of a no, when I couldn’t unravel a situation and fit it with the […]
Read MoreWords
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.” Every child knows that’s not true. And as we get older, the more we realise just how untrue it is. James got it spot on in chapter 3:1-12, when he described how an object as small as our tongue has such enormous […]
Read MoreThree Cheers for Graduates!
If you are graduating this year, good for you! Graduation represents finishing . . . something a lot of people find hard to do. To broaden the words of the great apostle Paul, you have “finished the course.” I congratulate you. Your IQ, your exam grades or your class of degree do not interest me […]
Read MorePeace that Exceeds Understanding
Peace. Whisper the word to yourself and you can almost feel your heart relax. When you’re at peace, you feel an inner confidence that things are not running wild—regardless of the circumstances. Your mind is at rest. Your heart doesn’t flutter with anxiety. Your focus is clear. But far too often, peace is like that […]
Read MoreHow to Make Zero Progress this Year
With the dawning of a new year comes a deluge of resolutions, reminders, and exhortations. They all follow similar how-to themes—how to increase your efficiency, how to make every moment count, how to lose weight, how to invest your time wisely and productively. Well, just for fun, I’d like to take the opposite tack. I’m […]
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