freely given, but costly
If you have the cash, you can buy almost anything you want. According to Michael Sandel, author of What Money Can’t Buy, a person can purchase access to the car pool lane while driving alone for $8, a prison-cell upgrade for $90 a night, an amusement park Front of the Line Pass for $149, your doctor’s cell phone number for $1,500, and the right to shoot an endangered black rhino for $250,000. Yes, if you have the money, you can buy almost anything . . .
the One who confounds
My 11-year-old son Wyatt loves to watch some videos called “Minute Physics.” They feature a young, genius professor who answers mind-boggling questions such as “What is dark matter?” and “How does the sun work?”
the gift of time
Our 5-year-old son lives by a simple credo: Never, ever be bored! He’s always investigating, always testing, usually grubby, never still—not even in his sleep. Liam doesn’t share his father’s fear of heights or snakes, nor does he possess his mother’s good sense. His favorite phrase typically occurs too late for Mom, Dad, or older siblings to intervene. “Watch this!” he’ll announce as he begins his incautious leap to . . . wherever.
a choice
One evening my family and I were watching an episode of the TV show Brain Games. It had a segment in which they tested the ability of people to make choices. One group went to an ice cream parlor that featured 50-60 flavors of the delicious dessert. The other group went to a shop that had only three flavors. The group who had to choose from many flavors experienced more anxiety than the group who had just a few selections. Having choices no longer liberated but debilitated.
search and rescue
Search and Rescue Stories is a website that captures the accounts of people who have participated in search and rescue missions or of the victims who were dramatically rescued from dangerous and life-threatening situations. There you’ll read nail-biting and heart-warming stories of the rescuers and the rescued.
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.”
firstfruits
John started his new job. When he got his first check at the end of the month, he wanted to celebrate by buying my lunch for me. During our meal, he told me that his first paycheck was his “firstfruits.” With a grateful heart, he wanted to give a significant portion of it back to God.
your story
As we make decisions in response to everyday situations, we don’t usually stop to unpack the why behind the what of our choices. We typically respond based on what we see; and, in doing so, we forget that almost every situation has a story behind it.
taken
There are three major events in Jesus’ life that most Christian churches commemorate with special services: Christmas, celebrating Jesus’ incarnation and birth; Good Friday, commemorating His crucifixion and death; and Easter Sunday,celebrating His resurrection—His coming back from the dead. Some churches include Pentecost Sunday as the church’s birthday. There is, however, one important event that is forgotten by most Christians: Ascension Day—the day Jesus was taken into heaven. For some reason, our Lord’s return to heaven is not given the prominence in the church that it deserves.
the promised Spirit
In a world where promises are easily made and broken, many people are skeptical about the value of them. We read quotes such as, “The problem with promises is that once you’ve made one, it’s bound to be broken. It’s like an unspoken cosmic rule.”
redeeming love
Go and love the person who has disappointed you!”
transforming grace
At the start of the 1998 film Les Miserables, recently released convict Jean Valjean staggers into a small village. Cold, starving, and out of options, Valjean receives a meal and lodging from a local bishop. During the night, however, Valjean repays the bishop’s kindness by running off with his host’s expensive silverware. He’s caught the next morning, but the bishop graciously saves him from being sent back to prison by claiming that the stolen silverware was a “gift.”
queen for a day
Following a meeting at Mildmay Uganda—a specialized center that provides holistic outpatient care for HIV and AIDS patients—I was summoned by Mildmay’s public relations director. “We are welcoming the Queen of England to Mildmay tomorrow,” she said. “Our pediatric patients are preparing to demonstrate their native costumes and traditional dances for Her Majesty. Would you kindly serve as the queen for the children’s final dress rehearsal?”
who are you?
Who are you?” boomed front man Roger Daltrey of The Who, channeling guitarist Pete Townshend’s angry lyrics. The 1978 song has attained iconic status, perhaps because it resonates with so many of us. Deep down, we really don’t care what we are. The real question is who we are.
unlikely candidates
According to Martin Luther, Jesus was standing with sinners even from His birth. Luther wrote, “Christ is the kind of person who is not ashamed of sinners—in fact, He even puts them in His family tree!” This was never truer than when Matthew wrote down his account of Jesus the Messiah. He included two people in Jesus’ family tree—Judah and Tamar—who were truly unlikely candidates.
