John Mark Comer says that most ethicists have historically defined happiness as a kind of contentment that comes as the result of disciplined desire. In every area of life, happiness is a result of disciplining our desires. In other words, we have to curb some of our wants and desires and then cultivate others. However, […] Read more

Often I encounter powerful stories that I feel are worth sharing with you the reader. Recently, I stumbled back upon a story from one of my favorite books, What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancy. He uses this story to end his book. Bill Moyers’ documentary film on the hymn “Amazing Grace” includes a […] Read more

I am often asked what books I am reading and can recommend. I am an avid reader and read several books a month. I’d like to share six books that have impacted me and that I reference often in my teaching and writing. And if you’re interested in the books I’ve written, they all can […] Read more

Over the past few years, I have written several blogs on the meteoric rise of depression and unhappiness in our society. Back in March, I wrote a blog titled, “The Adolescent Crisis,” where Dr. Jonathan Haidt, a professor at NYU, reports that young adults today have the worst mental health of any generation. We have […] Read more

Today’s blog comes from an essay I wrote over twenty years ago. I found it in an old folder that was buried under a stack of papers sitting in the corner of my office. It is still very relevant today. I remember writing the essay because of a book I had read by Brian Mahon. […] Read more

I have always been intrigued by C.S. Lewis’s words describing how you can change your heart over the long haul through your actions. He says once you recognize this to be true, you will have discovered one of life’s great secrets. Lewis says, “When you are behaving as if you love someone, you will soon […] Read more

I recently gave a presentation titled, “Does the Resurrection Really matter?” I proceeded to ask the audience, “What does the resurrection mean to you personally and how has it impacted your life?” I realize that there are many people that may not have given that question the consideration it deserves. One of the ways it […] Read more

Ten years ago, I was persuaded to write a weekly blog and this past Christmas we reached our 500th blog. Over the past weeks I have posted my favorite blogs from each of the ten years I have been writing. Today’s blog is from April 10, 2023. I hope you will find this meaningful. **** As […] Read more

I have become a big fan of Jonathan Haidt after reading his book, The Happiness Hypothesis. Haidt, a social psychologist who teaches at the business school at New York University, recently wrote an article about American adolescents (those born after 1996) that I found to be quite disturbing. He reports that these young adults have […] Read more

Every quarter I like to share quotes that I have encountered in my reading and research that have been meaningful to me. I call them “Nuggets of Wisdom.” ***** “Wherever you find excellence, you find continuous learning. They go hand in hand. Wherever you find that continuous learning is missing, you find mediocrity.” —MATHEW KELLY   […] Read more