In their book, The Power of Half, Kevin and Hannah Salwen discuss the power of sharing. They write, “Ever notice that when marketers want to show how enjoyable their products are – the images are often about people sharing? So is the way many products are packaged. Two Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, one for you, […]
I remember my friend Tasha was telling me about the time when her nephew was trying to learn the Lord’s Prayer. The family would say it together each night before dinner and he would pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. My kingdom come, my will be done, on earth as […]
Today we celebrate the life and ministry of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of my favorite quotes is his bold claim that “Life’s most urgent and persistent question is, what are you doing for others?” Dr. King gave his life for others. He lived what he taught. And because of his life, […]
There is an ancient tale of three horsemen who were riding through a desert at dusk. As they crossed the dry bed of a river a loud voice spoke to them out of the darkness, “Stop where you are!” They obeyed. Then the voice instructed them to dismount, pick up a handful of pebbles, put […]
There’s an old story about a boy named Tyler who sat down to write a letter to God asking for a baby sister. He started the letter out: Dear God, I’ve been a very good boy… He stopped, thinking, “No, God won’t believe that.” He wadded up the paper, threw it away, and started again: […]
I remember one year when I was serving a church in Sarasota, we hosted a regional gathering of Stephen Ministers. And they sent in an older gentleman to come and speak on grief counseling. Right away it was clear that he was speaking out of a deeply personal experience. He had grown up a nominal […]
At this time of year, at least in the northern hemisphere where I live, the days are fairly short. I love the summer months and the long evenings filled with light. We can stay outside sitting on the beach or surfing well past dinner time. However, even as we head into the dead of winter […]
Yesterday in many churches around the world, we celebrated the baptism of Jesus. Imagine the scene for just a minute, nearly two thousand years ago. Jesus is standing in the mud with a crowd of sinners. John the Baptizer is wrapped in camel’s hair, eating locust and wild honey. He stands on the bank of […]
There is a story told by Mary Hollingsworth about the acclaimed director, Cecil B. DeMille. When they began working on the movie Ben Hur, DeMille talked to Charlton Heston, the star of the movie, about the chariot race scene. He decided that rather than using a stunt double, Heston should actually learn to drive the […]
There is a story about two brothers who went to see their minister to settle a long-standing feud. The Minister got the two to reconcile their difference and shake hands. As they were about to leave, he asked each one to make a wish for the other. The first brother turned to the other and […]
