Diseased Hearts
During excavations of an ancient French convent in 2011–2013, archaeologists made a discovery regarding the ancient nature of heart disease. They came across five heart-shaped urns made out of lead, containing embalmed human hearts. Of the four well-preserved hearts, three showed severe signs of atherosclerosis—a heart disease that’s very common today. According to one of the researchers, the fact that humans had atherosclerosis 400 years ago is one of the most important findings of the study. But, then again, human beings have been dealing with spiritually diseased hearts for a long time. . .
To Make Them Better
After the initial performance of Handel’s Messiah in Dublin on April 13, 1742, George Frideric Handel received acclaim much greater than any expectation he could have imagined. The Dublin News-Letter gushed how the oratorio “far surpass[ed] anything of that Nature which has been performed in this or any other Kingdom.” In a letter Handel penned to a friend soon afterwards, however, he wrote, “I should be sorry if I only entertained them. I wished to make them better.”
Looking for Work?
National Football League player Joe Anderson was released from his first team due to injuries. But possessing a powerful physique, Anderson knew he was uniquely qualified for an athletic career. To try and join a new team, he stood outside an NFL sports stadium holding a hand-made sign. The sign read: “ . . . starving for SUCCESS!!!” and had hashtags: #whateverittakes and #ibelieve. During his job quest, which ended successfully, he commented: “I’m outside [the stadium] . . . every morning, because I know what type of gift God has blessed me with!”
Out of the Blue
Sometimes I receive unexpected Facebook messages from people I haven’t talked to in a long time or from those I don’t know well. Some ask me about what it takes to be a writer or if I’d be willing to read something they’ve written. Others message me with prayer requests or life updates. But every now and then, I get a message of encouragement or unexpected good news. Someone thought of me, appreciated me, and simply wanted to tell me! Sometimes they want to know if I’ll use my gifts to minister in their church or ministry. It’s good news right out of the blue—totally unexpected.
Joy and Sadness
The 2015 Pixar film Inside Out is about the emotions inside an outgoing 11-year old girl named Riley. The movie is fresh and original, cleverly portraying each of Riley’s emotions as its own character—Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and last—but not least—Sadness.
Passion Unleashed
Emmett J. Scanlan, the actor who played Saul in the TV series A.D. The Bible Continues did a fantastic job of painting a passionate portrait of his character. His portrayal of Saul’s efforts to eliminate believers in Jesus made me wince. I had trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that this man would become the beloved apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament!
Thankful for What?
On the fourth Thursday in November, US citizens celebrate Thanksgiving Day. History reveals that for the first few years after the English pilgrims made their home in the New World, they were beset by famine and cold—surviving only through the assistance of friendly Native Americans. And so when they were finally able to have a plentiful harvest in 1621, they celebrated Thanksgiving as a way of remembering both the blessings and the hardships they’d endured.
Where Desire Takes Us
A pair of 5-year-old boys with a fascination for luxury cars decided to try to buy one—a real one. First, they used small sand spades to dig under the playground fence at the school they attended—burrowing each day until they made their escape. Once free, they walked more than a mile to a car showroom. There, the boys met a woman and told her they wanted to buy a Jaguar—with no money. She took them to the police, who promptly returned them to their parents.
Nursing a Grudge
Author Marilynne Robinson wrote, “I have always liked the phrase, ‘nursing a grudge,’ because many people are tender of their resentments, as of the things nearest their hearts.”
A New Person
Aiko stopped sleeping with her boyfriend when she gave her life to Jesus. Eventually he broke up with her and later she fell in love with a man who was a devoted believer in Jesus. She was much happier, yet felt guilty because of her previous lifestyle. She cried out to her friend Midori, “I just wish I could have a fresh start. I want to be reborn!”
Wexting?
A pedestrian is startled as a car screeches to an abrupt halt—just inches from his body. He lifts his head and thumbs from his glowing smartphone screen, scowls at the driver, and keeps walking. This scene plays out every day somewhere in the world. Texting walkers are the latest concern—doing something called wexting.
A Better Question
When he was a child, Auschwitz survivor Elie Wiesel’s mother would greet him the same way each day after school. She never asked, “What did you learn today?” Rather, she always asked: “Did you have a good question today?”
Winning Wars
Yesterday, someone wrote and asked me to help with a large event she’s overseeing. Time constraints made it easy for me to reply, “Sorry, but I’m unavailable.”
Blinding Blue Pants
Oh, Dad . . . Dad,” he said with equal parts love and horror. Pointing at his father’s shocking blue pants, he went on: “It looks like you’re an aging youth pastor trying to look young.”
Big Cats and Confidence
I was 8 years old when we went to South Africa’s Kruger National Park as a family. We’d seen many amazing animals but no lion as we concluded our safari by car, and I felt bitterly disappointed. As we stopped at the exit gate, I took one last look down the dusty road behind us and there she was! Without thinking, I jumped out of the car and began running towards her shouting, “Lion, it’s a lion!”
