What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Who’s the wisest person you know? I think there are some important characteristics shared by wise men and women. They know they don’t know everything. They don’t have all the answers. They never stop seeking the truth. They never stop looking for answers. Wise men learn about the past…
Have you ever noticed the expression on a three-year old’s face when they sing Jingle Bells complete with jingling percussive accompaniment? Priceless smiles and joy-filled enthusiasm! It was one of my favorite parts of teaching pre-school music every year. Now I know you have looked at your calendar and realized that Christmas Eve is only…
I remember the first time I saw The Passion of the Christ. It was hard. I wanted to look away. Watching torture and suffering is horrible under any circumstances, but when I stop and realize Christ suffered my punishment. Wow! I know, the word cross doesn’t really start with the letter X… I’m going with the…
What is wisdom? There are varying thoughts on the subject; so, I thought we’d take a few minutes to look at what some scholars say, what the Bible says, what I think, and I’m hoping you’ll add your thoughts in the comments. What is wisdom? Scholars “Wisdom is the ability to think and act using knowledge,…
What kind of memories are you making at your house? Not just holidays and celebrations. Not traditions. Not even scrapbooks, digital photos, videos, or anything you put on social media to save for the future. But normal everyday moments that are planting seeds of memories in your children and your spouse. I’m talking about HOME! Family! People!…
What does wonderful mean to you? You want wonderful days. A wonderful family. A wonderful job. A wonderful vacation. Etc. But what is your definition of wonderful? Does wonderful make you happy? Should it? Why do I always have more questions than answers? Whew! I’m just thankful for easy access to information. Let me share…
C. S. Lewis published his first work in 1919 and went on to author more than 70 books the most famous being The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity. Countless Christians have been inspired by his life and writing. His quotes inspire me. Lewis knew life’s difficulties. His childhood faith rejected in college, describing himself as “the most…
I decided years ago that if I was going to get wrinkles anyway, I wanted smile lines. No frown lines dragging the corners of my mouth down to my chin for me. Nope, I wanted lines between mouth and cheeks created by years of intentional grinning. And that’s only one of the benefits of smiling. It also: Improves…
I think women want beauty because deep down we believe no we know that beauty is power. It starts when we’re very little girls and continues throughout school. It doesn’t take us long to realize that pretty girls are able to manipulate teachers, parents, boys, and even the other girls. [Tweet “We learn that to not feel beautiful…
Do you ever wake up in the morning and realize before you get out of bed . . . “Ooh, I’m in a mood today?” You don’t know why. Nothing particularly bad happened. But your nerves are on edge. Or the opposite is true . . . you’ve got the blues. And you just know the next 15+ hours…
True or false? [Tweet “The greater your willingness to invest in something, the greater its value to you.”] Whether it’s a relationship, a purchase, your education, or career . . . where you focus your time, money, energy, and thoughts is where you place the most value. That’s nothing new. Many have said it before…
Yesterday we looked at seven ways to bless your day with less. The following is a list of quotes and Bible verses that are encouraging me in my efforts to make these changes: Quotes to Bless Your Day with Less Less Talking – More Listening “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they…
Yesterday, I wrote about my need to “dance” to make people happy. I’m not just talking people pleasing, this was a deeply felt belief that I was responsible for their happiness. Thankfully, God help me understand that I was putting impossible expectations on myself and others. I’ve learned the best way to spread happiness is to be happy;…
God promises peace in His presence. Here is a collection of 25 verses that will bless you with the promise of peace. When stressors increase and anxiety levels rise . . . I turn to God’s Word. He promises that in His presence we will find peace that goes beyond our ability to understand. Peace…
They don’t know where to find peace or what it means to be just and good. They have mapped out crooked roads, and no one who follows them knows a moment’s peace. Isaiah 59:8 The above words were written by the Prophet Isaiah approximately 700 years before the birth of Christ Jesus. Yet – they…
You make goals and plans. You set high bars for yourself and your children. But what does it take to make those things happen? To be successful? “Four steps to achievement: Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently.” ~William Arthur Ward An achievement is the successful completion of an accomplishment either by hard work,…
Are you great? Do you want to be? What does it take? Here’s a list of important truths that promise to help you be great the person you were created to be! Are you great? Do you want to be? How would people in your life answer those questions about you? Greatness defined: The property…
I’m always looking for quotes by teachers who inspire me to be and do better coming from a perspective of faith—love for God and people. William Arthur Ward is one of those teachers. He authored Fountains of Faith and hundreds of articles and poems. Ward is one of the most quoted Americans of the 20th Century. Born in 1921, he served for…
The dictionary defines Sin as … deliberate disobedience to the known will of God. But that is a watered-down meaning of sin. If we believe that only deliberate disobedience is sin, it’s easy for us to think of ourselves as good. Are you seeing a little self-righteousness here? And if we don’t see our sin … we…
“Couples who are most committed, intimate, and satisfied in their relationship are those who appreciate each other’s achievements . . . the happiest husbands and wives were those who made the biggest deal out of good things that happened to them.” ~Ladies Home Journal Do you agree? Are you a celebrator of good things ….
“The best film of the year.”— Kyle Smith, New York Post EXPERIENCE THE SNIPER NICKNAMED “LEGEND”IN AMERICAN SNIPERNow available on BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK, DVD and DIGITAL HDFROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT “American Sniper” stars Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, whose skills as a sniper made him a hero on the battlefield. But there was much more…
