Abraham Lincoln captured my fascination when I read my very first book about him in grammar school. I was intrigued by the pictures of the tall, lanky young Lincoln. Since that time I have read numerous books on Lincoln, perhaps more than any other individual. Even now I have two books that I plan to read this year. There have…
It just naturally happens; you get carried away. The next thing you know, you are the hero of your own story - the knight in shining armor. You saved the day, the company, the youth group, the church, the marriage, even helped transform a life. Stop! Hold everything! Are you and I really the ones who bring change or are…
Few things are more powerful than a generation of students awakened to prayer. History is replete with examples of young men and women in prayer groups under haystacks, and in churches or school rooms. Most were armed with nothing more than burdened hearts and a belief in God. It is not pushing a point to draw lines of correlation from…
“I’ve always been drawn to hands. I think it’s because it’s the way we touch people,” wrote Rachel Joy Scott in her journal. “If one person could go out of their way to show compassion, it could start a chain reaction.” Based on her honest and heartfelt journals, this hope-filled story reminds us that when we put our lives in…
She was just 15. The stray bullet was not meant for her. The news commentator said she was a victim--Caught in the Crossfire, but Trinity was still dead. Trinity’s high profile death exposes a larger epidemic that youth face globally--a fear for their own safety. Students are Caught in a Crossfire of Fear--and not just from a hail of bullets.…
“That comment hit me where it hurts!” Most people understand that criticism comes with the territory of just living life. However, some are surprised to discover they receive more criticism than positive reinforcement. Unfortunately, people are prone to air their complaints rather than their compliments. When we receive criticism, it can be incredibly difficult not to become defensive. Our natural…
Casual Leadership extracts its greedy tariffs on corporations and classrooms. Only making withdrawals, Casual Leadership always leaves a deficit in lives. It manifests itself in the marketplace, halls of higher learning, and sports arenas. There seems to be a new trend - or should I say plague - in college football these days which illustrates this undesirable leadership trait. Football…
I have always been inquisitive, having a desire to experiment. When I was only ten, I had a chemistry set. But only for a few months because I blew up my mother’s kitchen cabinets. I found out too late that the chemicals I used needed a converter. I also tried experimenting with electricity before I understood there was a difference…
Culture can possess a dominating, mesmerizing force over a person or generation without absolutes. I am not talking about youth culture nuances such as clothing or music preferences. This is beyond global demographic distinctions. One of the cultural traits manifested by two recent generations but mastered by the Millennials is performance. Unfortunately, this cultural trait seems to have “found religion”…
My life has been deeply marked by godly men and women serving God globally. One of those couples is Carlos and Zeza Nogueira who serve with Word of Life in Mozambique. Carlos was a Pastor in Brazil for many years before becoming a missionary. One night while we were enjoying some exceptional Brazilian coffee, he shared with me his thoughts…