Christmas: Material or Miracle?
Black Friday... Small-Business Saturday... and Cyber Monday... all have come and gone. I for one am grateful. Don't misunderstand... I like giving and receiving gifts as much as anybody. But I wonder... in the middle of the annual buying frenzy... how many of us...
Nuking the Moon
According to the website todayifoundit.com... the United States once planned on firing a nuclear bomb at the moon. The motivation behind this insane idea was the desire to one-up the Soviet Union during the 1950's space race. Fortunately, the idea was abandoned due to...
The Aptitude of Gratitude
Gratitude and contentment are not natural responses for most of us humanoids. Something in our psyche seems to be wired to default to complaining and negativity. Even the Apostle Paul said: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." And a bit later he...
Good vs. Evil
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil." When the prophet Isaiah spoke those words 2700 years ago, it seems he was speaking directly to our generation... although history teaches us there were former generations who fit this description as well. I don't have...
Living In Between
The Opalewski family is in the middle of moving to a different house for the second time in nine months. Bring on the boxes... the planning... the long hours painting and cleaning... the overall disruption that moving your home inflicts on you.Moving can be...
Are You Busy… or Productive?
2 Chronicles 23:6 says "... all the other men are to guard what the Lord has assigned to them.Assignment... a critical word for a leader. One of the most relentless challenges of leading is staying on mission. Much of the work that confronts a leader pulls him or her...
Forecasting Your Future
"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20 (NIV). When my boys were young, I would repeat the mantra... "Your friends are your future... your friends are your future." I made a few unwise friend choices in my early...
The Perfect Job?
It is the dream of many Americans to make a living doing what they love. When you find yourself working in an area that fits your gifts and passion... it can be exhilarating. It can also be exhausting. In the Old Testament, God promised Joshua that He would give the...
The Real Dirt on Abuse
In the United States, 60% of young women in dating relationships report some form of physical abuse. Nearly 80% of them continue to date their abuser. According to a UNICEF survey, the percentage of women aged 15-49 who think a husband is justified in hitting or...
Anger: Friend or Foe?
The apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4:26 - "In your anger, do not sin." I wonder how much better life would be if we followed Paul's counsel here? Anger is a tricky emotion. Some well-meaning people have taught us to avoid it at all costs... that the emotion itself is...
Is Emotional Fitness Overrated?
This morning... 23 million Americans woke up suffering with clinical depression... 40 million with anxiety disorders. Staggering numbers. Depression and anxiety are becoming the top health issues worldwide. They cut across all lines of age, race, gender, and social...