In Hiding?
My parents didn’t have much money, so when Dad gave me a small pocketknife, I treasured it. The gift came with one caveat though. Because I was only eight years old, I couldn’t use it—I could only carry it in my pocket!
Distraction
Students of a large university have a funny way of distracting opposing basketball teams during free throw attempts. They place a “curtain of distraction” beneath the basket in plain view of players on the opposing team. Just prior to shot attempts, the students open the curtain to reveal something unusual like dancing unicorns, a purple-haired “grandma” waving a cane, or a lion wearing a tutu. Recently it was US Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, wearing his gold medals while pretending to swim.
you choose Q: will God forgive me if i keep on sinning?
Q: Does God continue to forgive if we keep on sinning in the same way again and again? I'm not able to overcome a specific temptation and find myself circling through forgiveness and sin again and again. Will God kill me as He did in Old Testament for sin? I am scared and worried. —Ebenezer
A: A Christian is forgiven of his sins,…
you choose Q: how do you deal with betrayal?
Q: I've been severely betrayed by someone who I thought was a true friend. Every time I see her at church I am reminded of how she hurt me and it angers me. I want to leave my current church now and move to another one. If has been almost a year since this happened and it has been the…
out of season
One year, spring in the US arrived with unseasonably balmy temperatures that broke records and elevated spirits. But the mid-80 temps (30 C) came with a price. Soon a cold snap hit, freezing all the blossoms. The budding flowers withered. Fruit farms were devastated. Food prices rose substantially.
forgive the shark
Lucy Magnum was boogie boarding in the ocean when a shark sank its teeth into her leg. Her parents acted quickly to save her leg by applying pressure to it until paramedics arrived. Later, Lucy understandably said, “I hate sharks.” Her parents gently replied that the shark had simply acted instinctively. Lucy then responded with grace: “I don’t care that the shark bit me. I forgive him.”
no fish story
Why is God so big on judgment? Perhaps a better question is: Why is God so patient with us?
sculpting a stump
One morning, I noticed a man with a chainsaw cutting down a large tree in front of some local farm buildings. He was still there in the afternoon, working on the tree stump with his power tool set at an unusual angle. Days later, I passed the place again and noticed the stump had been transformed into a replica of a corncob. The man hadn’t been merely toppling a tree; he had sculpted vertical rows of corn kernels framed by a husk—the agricultural icon of the Midwestern United States.
you choose Q: how do I deal with the guilt of my past?
Q: How do I deal with the guilt of my past? —Shellie
A: You’ve asked how you can deal with the guilt of your past, presumably due to some sin—something you regret. Perhaps you feel entrapped by these memories.
Jesus assured us that “every sin can be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31). If you have confessed and repented, God will forgive you (1…
roaches are forever
For a $10 donation to the Wildlife Conservation Society, you can name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after someone you love. This fund-raising event for a New York City zoo targets sweethearts who want to pay tribute to the long-standing nature of their love. The zoo claims that the cockroach symbolizes resourcefulness and resiliency, and says, “Flowers wilt. Chocolates melt. Roaches…
forgiving and forgetting
Philippians 3:13-14: No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Have you ever gone to a public laundry…
forgetting
The river bulkhead where the Augusta Canal and Savannah River meet is one of the most scenic places to go in our hometown. Swirling in giant eddies, the canal moves from placid to turbulent as it flows against the foundation of the canal works. One day as a friend and I took our children walking there, I tossed a rock…
simply profound
A Malaysian gangster was extorting money from a dental clinic. When the dentist gave him the cash “payment” he was forced to make, he also gave him a booklet. He said, “Read this. It’s good for you.” The gangster was angry with the dentist for giving him a religious booklet—a copy of Our Daily Bread (sister publication of Our Daily…
lost
Soon after Charles Lindbergh completed his monumental transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis, the US Ambassador to Mexico asked Lindbergh to make another flight in order to foster positive US-Mexico relations.
Taking off from Washington DC on December 13, 1927, Lindbergh began the 24-hour flight to Mexico City. After navigating through dense fog, Lindbergh lost his bearings. With only…
