mistaken identity
Although we’re 5 years apart, people often confuse me with my older sister. From the staff at my favorite coffee shop to my sister’s nursing students, we have many stories of people who try to ask me a medical question or who talk to her about writing. The mix-up seems humorous to us, because we don’t see the similarities that others view so clearly.
diamond in the rough
Michael Dettlaff’s visit to Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2013 turned out to be one gem of a trip! The 12-year-old ended up leaving its confines with a truly precious stone. The park, where visitors can dig up and keep jewels, has given up more than 75,000 diamonds since it was discovered in 1906. Michael’s glittering find was a whopping 5.16 carats, much to the delight of his whole family. He named the diamond, valued at nearly $15,000, “God’s Glory.”
give what you have
Last year, a few foreign exchange college students from Saudi Arabia celebrated Christmas with our family. When they arrived, they told us they had never experienced a Christmas in the US and were looking forward to it with great anticipation.
investing for eternity
Jesus said that those who would be His disciples must do three things: “Turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). Then He raised the bar even higher: “You must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). Considering the hard realities of these requirements, why would anyone want to follow Him?
truly human (again)
Last year at an international summit of world powers in Doha, the capital of Qatar, global leaders launched the Educate A Child project. The project seeks to build bridges between nations, calling us to recognize our shared humanity and to intervene on behalf of those at risk. Further, the project believes that funding children’s development will ultimately yield to a more peaceful world.
indicted or invited?
There are two ways most people tend to read the Bible. One is to read it mostly as an indictment of the human race. In other words, we’re sinful rebels who are bent on finding life apart from God.
true identity
Peter Chiarelli, a 4-star general and the second highest-ranking US Army officer, attended a Washington, DC, dinner last year. Valerie Jarrett, a presidential adviser, was seated at a table when Chiarelli passed behind her. Chiarelli’s uniform had a stripe down the side of the pants, almost identical to the wait staff’s uniform. Seeing only his striped pants, Valerie asked General Chiarelli for a beverage. Without skipping a beat, the general picked up Jarrett’s order and brought it to her. She was mortified at her mistake, but Chiarelli brushed the mishap off. He even invited her to join his family for dinner at his home.
the greatest gift
My 9-year-old Ugandan son and I often list the things he’s done the past few years—activities that he could not have done if he were still orphaned and living in extreme poverty. In his village, he never would have received a formal education, eaten sushi, gone surfing, read books, flown in an airplane, played tennis, or even had running water and electricity in his home.
money or mobility?
I hardly ever encounter beggars on the streets. But in some countries, you can find them begging at the markets and shopping malls. Once, when visiting a neighboring country, my hosts told me that for my own sake I had to ignore the beggars. If I showed the slightest interest in one, he would pursue and pester me until I gave him some money. And the moment I gave to one I would be very quickly swarmed by many others.
all things new
Russian scientists recently discovered plant matter in the burrow of an Ice Age squirrel—stuff that had been frozen for thousands of years. They took the material to their laboratory, where they successfully regenerated a thriving Silene stenophylla plant. The scientists will continue to dig through the Siberian permafrost in hopes of finding frozen matter from other plants and animals. They would love to uncover tissue from a wooly mammoth, which they think they could parlay into a living version of the real thing, à la Jurassic Park.
dying for Jesus?
At a missions conference, the director challenged the participants to consider fulltime missionary work—calling for those who were willing to die for Jesus to stand up and to receive prayer. No one did. Discouraged, he complained to the senior pastor. The pastor said, “Don’t fret if no one is willing to die for Jesus. Worry if no one is wanting to live for Jesus!”
no different?
Conned out of a large sum of money by a business partner, who claimed to be deacon in a church, my friend’s anger and disenchantment ran deep. He said, “How can a Christian do this kind of thing? I trusted him. Now I know he’s no different from a non-Christian!”
heart transplant
Dan Olson is a marathon runner and long-distance cyclist. He’s also a heart transplant recipient. Dan thought his athletic lifestyle would ensure having a healthy body. But at age 38, he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy—the weakening and thickening of the heart muscle.
Damaged beyond repair, Dan needed a heart transplant. His donor was a 15-year-old car accident victim. Making the…
a thousand words
In a cartoon strip, a typist asks an artist: “Why is a picture worth a thousand words?” The artist replies, “Hmm, how fast do you type?” “About 25 words per minute,” answers the typist. “That’s it! When I finish my drawing in 40 minutes . . . you would have already typed 1,000 words.” That’s funny, but (obviously) it’s not…
thank you, Lord
This poem was written because of Gods love for me; it has been a journey of failures and trials for me to accept His unconditional love. I have wasted time and energy in the pursuit of trying to escape pain through drugs and alcohol. Ii has only been recently that I have come to realize that God loves me just…
