Do you pray for your spouse?Of course you do. You’re a good Christian. But here’s the real question…Are you praying for your spouse the right way? Because there’s a big difference between praying for your spouse and praying for God to fix your spouse. If we’re honest, some of our prayers sound less like worship and more like a […]
Years ago in the New Yorker, H. G. Wells wrote a story about an Episcopalian clergyman. The bishop was the kind of man who always said pious things to people. When troubled folks came to him, he found that a particularly helpful thing to say, if said in a right tone of voice, was, “Have […]
This Christmas, I’m reminded of a story that was one of my late wife Gayle’s favorites to tell. It is a story we’ve shared with friends and loved ones through the years. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. It was going to be the best Christmas ever! I was six years […]
Writing in a book entitled With Open Hands, Henri Nouwen asserts: “The challenge of the gospel lies precisely in the invitation to accept a gift for which we can give nothing in return. For the gift is the very life-breath of God, the Spirit who is poured out on us through Jesus Christ. This life […]
The administrator of a large mental health clinic once described what he called the BYMF factor. A BYMF is a Beautiful Young Male or Female. This administrator noted that whenever an attractive-looking young adult entered the clinic, the receptionist immediately gave that person attention and was more detailed than usual in giving directions. In the […]
In the Ken Burns PBS series on jazz music, Duke Ellington was asked how it felt to be unable, due to segregation, to stay in the guest rooms of the very hotels where he and his band performed. Duke said, “I took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.” I’m a big […]
Malcolm Muggeridge is remembered as one of the most notable figures of the twentieth century. The wit and style of the self-dubbed “fatally fluent” journalist was endearing and yet, controversial. He was present in print, on the radio, and television. With over fifty years in the public eye, Muggeridge knew well the effect of publicity […]
Do you ever wonder about the value of prayer? Do you wonder if there is really such a thing as a direct connection to Heaven? And if there is, does it make any difference on Earth? Christians are frequently and regularly admonished to pray. We use catch phrases, such as “I’ll keep you in my […]
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while […]
The romantic words of a husband to his wife were carefully written in pencil on the back of a mail-worn postcard. With thousands of other notes and letters like it, the postcard arrived at an Ohio post office, a minuscule part of a routine shipment from the U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Toledo. But […]
