Real Rest
During the long, harsh Alaskan winter, Denali National Park rangers rely on teams of sled dogs to help them patrol the vast, snowy wilderness. Dogsled patrols can last up to 6 weeks, and the dogs are always raring to go.
sweet sleep
Recent research concluded that Americans are among the world’s worst when it comes to sleep deprivation. The published statistics reveal: The US (along with France and Taiwan) ranks among the top three most sleep-deprived nations in the world. Indians (54 percent), Americans (49 percent), and Singaporeans (43 percent) reported not getting enough rest due to being too worried or stressed out. Most sleep-deprived Americans (66 percent), however, can’t sleep because they’re anxious about finances and paying their bills.
Your Body
I like to write out my thoughts before I type them. But when I use an old pen that rolls roughly across the paper, my thoughts thump along in fits and starts. When I can’t squeeze the ink out, I can’t squeeze the words out, and I quickly toss the pen aside for a better one. A free-flowing pen opens my mind, and the words often come pouring out as fast as I can write them.
Lord of the storms
When Hurricane Katrina hit the US coast, Reverend Jones—a retired pastor—and his wife left their home and went to a shelter. The pastor’s daughter pleaded with him to come to Atlanta to stay with her, but the couple didn’t have any money to make the trip because the banks were closed.
voice of faith
The news was numbing. The tears came so quickly that she couldn’t fight them. Her mind raced with questions, and fear threatened to overwhelm her. Life was going along well, when it was abruptly interrupted and forever changed without warning.
healed
Healing has never been a clear-cut issue for me. While I have never experienced a miraculous physical restoration, I have seen God’s hand of provision at work in my body and others’ bodies.
truth in love
Have you said something to someone that you later regretted? Perhaps you needed to speak hard words, and the person needed to hear them, but you feel bad because of the way you communicated your message. So you’re saddened that you failed to “speak the truth in love.” But what does that really mean? Is it about honesty? Is it about sweetening the cold, hard truth to make it more palatable?
three wishes
If you were granted three wishes, for what would you wish? Would you wish for the eradication of global poverty? Would you wish for financial security? Would you wish for good looks, good health, and long life? The question itself isn’t as important as how we answer the question; for our answers reveal our character and what’s important to us.
content with contention?
With its uncomfortable booths and tiled floors, the restaurant reflected the chill of the winter air. Having recently made the decision to take in foster children, my family sat waiting to meet a 7-year-old girl who needed a home.She was accustomed to transient relationships and began calling my parents “Mom” and “Dad” at that first trial meeting. Filled with great optimism, we believed we could make her world different—that she might be grateful and understand the nuances of healthy family relationships. We quickly learned her sense of normal was our definition of chaos.
earthly loss, heavenly gain
What is the most valuable thing in your life? Some would say family—a spouse, children or parent. Others would list career, education or material possessions. Those struggling with sickness would likely say that health tops the list. Jesus illustrated this same question with two tiny parables (Matthew 13:44-46).
He told of two people who stumbled upon treasures. In both tales…
ready, set, rest!
Pedro Soria Lopez is a champion sleeper. He won first place in Spain’s national napping competition. The contest was held in the middle of a bustling Madrid shopping centre where hundreds of participants vied for victory. Pedro’s prizewinning siesta lasted for 17 minutes and earned bonus points for his ‘thunderous’ snores.
What I find most amazing about Pedro’s feat is…
a blink of time
In a blink of time, measured against eternity, our life on earth takes many twists and turns. We laugh, we cry, we have successes, and we have failures. Our hearts are broken, our spirits soar to the mountaintops, and we are blessed and sometimes even cursed. Yet we think our lives here will never end. Sometimes we’re so burdened and…
redeeming illness
It’s easy to miss today’s short passage when reading the book of Galatians. We rightly focus on Paul’s important teaching that salvation is a gift from God, and nothing but faith (rather than keeping the Jewish law) is needed in order to receive it. These few verses in chapter 4, however, have a beauty all their own.
It seems that…
divine invitation
The best party invitation we ever received featured a picture of a little boy wearing funny yellow sunglasses. His smile extended from ear to ear. It was a photo of my son’s playmate, and the text read: “Please join us for Daniel’s first birthday.” Every time I glanced at that invitation, I felt a twinge of joy. Recently, I had…
a healthy lifestyle
Recently, I attended a presentation on heart attack prevention. The speaker reminded us to make healthy lifestyle choices that help reduce the risks of having a heart attack. We were told that not smoking, eating the right foods, maintaining a proper weight, reducing and managing stress, and participating in physical activities can contribute to a healthy heart.
In Proverbs we…
