to give or not to give
Some days I find only one. Other times they fill my mailbox. Not to mention the phone calls. Help the children, feed the homeless, care for the wounded. Worthwhile requests, yet it’s impossible to meet them all. Even with the contributions we make, I feel strangely guilty whenever I throw away a letter requesting donations or when I tell a contribution-seeking caller: “No, thank you.” The tension I experience is another reminder of the calling I must live out in a less-than-perfect world. Give selflessly, just like Jesus.
relative peace
A 60-year-old man, atop a John Deere tractor, charged at his 69-year-old brother-in-law who was harvesting hay astride his own tractor. The collision resulted in a damaged tire and the tractor-crasher’s arrest. One law enforcement official commented, “We’ve responded on prior occasions to calls because of differences between the families.” While it’s a bit unclear what the man hoped to accomplish by confronting and crunching his brother-in-law, the story shows that family feuds can escalate to ridiculous levels if they’re not resolved.
experiencing community
Respondents to a recent Barna Group survey listed the following as key elements of their church life: connecting with God, experiencing transformation, gaining new insights, and feeling cared for. All of those things happen as individual believers come together and use their gifts to bless and edify one another.
good men
The opening line of the 1984 song “Holding Out for a Hero” asks, “Where have all the good men gone?” That’s a fair question in a world that has seen more than its share of passive or violent males.
beyond reciprocity
If there’s one law that pervades the world, it’s the law of reciprocity. Simply put, reciprocity is the notion of mutual exchange or fair return. It’s the basis of many social interactions:
• Business: where a fair exchange of goods and services is made between parties.
• Politics: where one country helps another to maintain positive relations, alliances, or other…
love hurts
Olivia Wilde is a film star who divorced her Italian prince because their marriage was requiring more effort and returning less fun. “I don’t think love should be work,” the actress told an interviewer, “My parents have been married for 35 years. They said, ‘You have to work at it. That’s what it takes.’ But we tried, and it wasn’t…
there you are!
"There are two kinds of people,” said advice columnist Abigail Van Buren. “Those who walk into a room and say, ‘There you are!’ and those who say, ‘Here I am!’” The one Person who could have rightly declared, “Here I am,” seemed oddly reluctant to promote Himself. Jesus was much more interested in others. At His first miracle, He admonished…
the xy factor
Strategy games have never been my desire on game night. I remember the first time my husband taught me how to play RISK. Being a strong melancholy woman, I was devastated when after 2 hours of playing I had only a handful of soldiers to show for my efforts. In contrast, my husband had amassed a huge army—wiping me off…
called to kindness
The baby threw up her breakfast—all over the kitchen. She was crying and both of us were covered in pureed pears. Then, a telemarketer called, followed by a prerecorded political message. When the phone rang a third time and it was the handyman announcing his imminent arrival, I yelled: “Will you have to come inside to fix the vent?” As…
knowing God
Pastor A. W. Tozer wrote, “What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” If Tozer were alive today, he might discover that his quote is obsolete for many Christians. Our problem is not so much what enters our mind when we think about God, but rather that we’re not thinking about Him…
