There’s a story about a boy who was acting up and was sent to his room for a little time out. When his mother finally went in to talk to him, the child said, “Momma, I’ve been thinking about what I did, and I said a prayer.” “That’s fine,” she responded, “If you ask God […]
Not long ago, as I was reading through the Bible for my devotional time, I found myself being drawn to all the places where people cry out to the Lord. It was striking to me that throughout scripture people cry out to God – a lot – both individuals and the whole community together. They […]
I’ll never forget the time when I went surfing with a good friend who had been out of the water for over a year and a half. He was injured while surfing and had a hard time recovering. The pain was so intense that ordinary activities like climbing stairs and holding his child became impossible. […]
There’s an old story I love about a shark and a whale. Both were swimming in the sea when the shark swam up to the whale to engage in conversation. As they swam along, the shark said to the whale, “You are so much older than I, and wiser too. Could you tell me where […]
There is an old legend about a man who was shipwrecked on a deserted island for two years. He actually did pretty well for himself. He made a home and grew a garden. He found a freshwater spring and often caught fish. One day, a boat appeared on the horizon. A small rescue boat was […]
Today is Independence Day. And many of you will celebrate with pool parties and cookouts and fireworks. I hope you will pause to give thanks to God that we live in a country where we have all kinds of freedom. We are free to worship God – or not; free to choose where we live, […]
The other day, I was listening to an interview with, a Benedictine monk, David Steindle Rast. He was talking about anxiety – which so many of us have been feeling these days. He said, “We have to acknowledge our anxiety, but we must not fear. (And) There is a great difference. See, anxiety… or being […]
Yesterday I spoke about the connection many have found between being generous and deeper happiness. Indeed there are so many ways we can learn to be generous… with our time, our energy, our creativity, our hospitality, and our money. But in light of all that is happening in the world around us, today, I want […]
I noticed recently that Yale University is offering a 10-week online class called “The Science of Well-Being.” Just this semester alone, 2.5 million people have enrolled, making it the most popular course in the university’s history. On campus, the course is titled “Psychology and the Good Life,” also known as “The Happiness Course.” The topic […]
There is a story about an old-time revival preacher who began his message by holding up a $20 bill. He turned to the crowd and asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?” Hands started going up. He started to crumple up the $20 bill and then asked again, “Who still wants it?” All of the […]
