But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.   2 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV) Let’s do an experiment. Go get that special cup of gourmet coffee (or tea, if that’s more to your liking), take out a blank sheet of paper and [...] Read More

Ordinarily, we would be finished with February about now. Yesterday would have been the last 24 hours in this month. But 2012 offerered the wonderful blessing of twenty-four extra hours.  It’s a bonanza! Here are some ways you can soar into March with a bound.  These four steps will give you guaranteed triumph: Lift—Elevate the [...] Read More

Back in March I authored a post about God’s awesome creation, the sun.  We rarely stop to think about how incredible it is.  I (reverently) called our marvelous sun a Bad Mama Jama. Well, just a few days ago, NASA issued a new high definition video taken from the spacecraft which has been in operation [...] Read More

This is your year! God has plans for you to do great things in 2012.  These are the things He wants to accomplish through you.  The God Who is holy and true has set before you an open door.  Your job: take the first step; walk through the open door.  Entering in is both your [...] Read More

Living an hour and twenty minutes from O’Hare Airport was equivalent to being within shouting distance of a front-row seat to the world. On the down side, it sometimes required setting the alarm for four a.m. When we would awake, after a night of sleep—or, more often, a three to four hour nap—it was time to begin our journey. Read More

The Christmas following my sixteenth birthday, I bought the prettiest dress I have ever owned— off-the shoulder, silver lamé, tapered sleeves—it was the bomb. Thanks to my sister, Lois, here it is. She saved this photo of me coming down the stairs in our home in Ohio wearing my sparkling find. Read More

“Ye shall have a song, as in the night … and gladness of heart…
and the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard…
Isaiah 30:29-30 How is it possible to encounter the will of God? We so often pray…”Thy will be done.” Yet, the words have little depth for us. We repeat them mechanically and thoughtlessly, without any real consideration for their meaning. Read More

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, Ephesians 1:11 NIV There was a sudden sadness that I felt…as did so many others…when it was announced that Steve Jobs was leaving his post as Apple CEO. How would Apple…trend-setter of so much that we enjoy today…get along without him? Read More

This is not like a lesson in physics or quantum theory. It is, however, a lesson designed to show that the catalyst for our joy is a fundamental constant. How much joy we have depends on how much joy we want! Most people think in the context that joy is like the weather. Our joy is either hot or cold, present or absent, on or off. We incorrectly assume that fixed external factors determine the scale of joy we experience. We believe we have no personal, individual control over our joy. Read More

You are powerful! You exist to make a difference. You are an integral part of God’s plan for His universe. In his New York Times best seller, The Butterfly Effect, author Andy Andrews explains how everything that we do sets something else in motion somewhere on the planet. As Andy describes in his tiny, illustrative book, everything you do matters. And not just for you, but for everyone—both now and for all of eternity. Read More