“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” It took a simple prayer to help guide millions through recovery over the last 70 years. This anchor of 12-step programs, penned by “Bill W.” and “Dr. Bob,” is tremendously effective in its simplicity. We often want complicated solutions to our modern problems. But sometimes, all it takes is a simple word or... Read more
Hundreds of thousands of fresh new faces are entering the workforce, ready to take on the world with budding new careers, accompanied by big hopes of success. But just how long will it take before these hopes crash headlong into reality? The group, Addison Road sings the story of the American Dream. “He sees his life just pass by, Just another number in a suit and tie, No purpose here nothing to give, Is this what it means to really... Read more
Whoever does not love his work cannot hope that it will please others.— Unknown “I love my work.”“I love my job.”“I love my coworkers.” These expressions are pretty rare in our modern landscape. Instead, in the break rooms, in the hallways, in the kitchen and at the timeclock, there is angst, frustration and resignation. Love and work seem to be polar opposites. Those that do expression admiration for their employment are met with ridicule or regarded as shameless stooges sold... Read more
“Why a carpenter?” High school senior Weston Wax asks over at the Kingdom People blog. It’s a interesting question for those of us who are trying to live out the words of Christ in this everyday world. Weston says this, “Wood. Nails. Hammers. Frustration. Smashed thumbs. Jesus would have spent hours working with wood, gradually sculpting the raw material into masterpieces. The Divine would have built homes, fences, and other necessities for every day life in the first century. His... Read more
Americans are notorious for long work days, short vacations and plenty of overtime. We work and push and never escape the fray. Even when we are off, we are consumed with our work.Why do we find so hard to duck away, to take a moment, to find retreat? Could it be that we have overwhelming sense that we are indispensable? “Who will answer my emails? Who will do my work? They need me!”There is a high calling to retreat. When... Read more
Our world is increasingly hostile to faith. Christians are marginalized at every turn. Our not-of-this-world ways are dismissed. We are mocked at every turn. Whether it’s big media or at your workplace, we are seen as out of touch.Ben Stein – who is Jewish, by the way – stars in a movie, Expelled, previously mentioned last week in this space. The film simply documents how honest intellectually inquiry isn’t given consideration in the hyper-polarized academia. In this interesting documentary, he... Read more
“It’s not foresight or hindsight we need. We need sight, plain and simple. We need to see what is right in front of us.”— Gordon Atkinson, Real Live Preacher One of the biggest impediments to living out my faith is the inability to see things as God sees them. I want desperately to see into the future, to divine tomorrow. And equally, I want to look in the rear view mirror with the sage understanding of experience. But most of... Read more
Whose opinion do you value? When you need advice, are there those that you can turn to? How do you know the difference between a good decision and a bad one? Often, I act upon my own thoughts and charge ahead, confident in my judgment, absorbed with the liberation of my choice. But far too often, the bridge ahead is out and if only I would have listened to someone else, I could have stopped this foolish course. Most of... Read more
Iowa State University Astronomy Professor Guillermo Gonzalez will soon be packing up his office. The Board of Regents rejected his final appeal for tenure after seven years. It seems that Gonzalez, peering out into the vast heavens, could not reconcile evolutionary chance, especially when multiplied by the millions and millions of heavenly hosts. His book, “Privileged Planet” dares to tread into intelligent design, suggesting that the odds are just too great for all of this to just happen. His firing... Read more
Or is it 10,000? I often think about my purpose here on earth. I’ve always assumed there was one BIG purpose, one overriding reason I was put on the planet by God. Lately I’ve been having different thoughts about this issue. Do I have one big purpose to fulfill or thousands of little ones?Maybe I’m supposed to do God’s work by doing something small each day. Assuming I have 30 good years left that would mean I have more than... Read more
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