The best summer days are those that are simple. We don’t have to complicate things. As kids, all you really need for a fun summer day is a ball, a stick and a box. The best-selling toys from this last Christmas season were hi-tech inventions, full of innovation and wizardry. Many of them need batteries or a manual. If I was a kid, I might be fascinated with them for a while, but then go back to something simple. If you... Read more
Jim Carrey speaks the language of redeemed men and women when he says, “Suffering leads to salvation.” Read more
Have you ever ignored the instructions, not even bothering to read them? Call it pride. Call it over-confidence. Sometimes you call it stupid. Read more
If you’re a pessimist, these are the best of times. Read more
There was one thing I wanted from God. It was virtuous. It was honorable. It was good. So I prayed. And I asked. And I exhorted. And nothing happened. Maybe He didn’t hear my prayer. Maybe He didn’t care. The prayer was for a miracle for someone else, for a change of heart and direction. I prayed boldly, after all we’re told that with “the faith of a mustard seed,” we can move mountains. I believed. But it didn’t happen. The Prodigal’s... Read more
What if you were faced with a challenge to your faith by the full weight of politics, culture, and popular opinion? What if your entire livelihood came down to one choice between right and wrong? Read more
It was just two years ago that the world was riveted by a the sight of a little boy face down on a beach, one of millions who were rushing to flee terror, bedlam and war in the Middle East. From Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and others they banged on Europe’s door, lining up against the barbed wire fence, braving treacherous seas. Perhaps they read about freedom in a book. Or they saw it in a movie. Or heard it... Read more
Eventually, it comes to everyone. You can’t really plan for it, because it sneaks up in the middle of the night, or it raids your happiest moments in life, or destroys the ending to the perfect story. If you’re human, you will have some sort of trial come your way. It’s a guarantee. You may lose a job, have a spouse walk away from you, or contract a life-threatening disease. There are smaller trials – like an relenting boss, a... Read more
I don’t always like rules of society, at work, or in my faith. But they are there to keep structure and to keep our silly human ways from wandering. Read more
Since the overthrow of the government in 1979, The Islamic Republic of Iran has a number of restrictive laws. Women can go to the gym, but they must stay in their Hijab. They can sit in restaurants and cafes, but they cannot smoke in public. There are more than 100 offenses that carry the death penalty. And executions are often public. A curious restriction concerns live music performances on television. The imagery of instruments being played has been banned. The... Read more
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