In a twist on the famous quote, Desmond Tutu once said, “We learn from history that we don’t learn from history!” In other words, humans keep making the same mistakes. A recent reading in 2 Chronicles highlighted this truth for me. After King Solomon’s death, Israel divided into two separate entities, the southern and northern …
I recently had a cyst removed from my jawbone. The oral surgery took less than an hour, and I woke from the general anesthesia surprised at how swiftly those sixty minutes went by. My sense of time differed from the doctor’s because he was conscious of its passing while I was not. We travel through …
I remember as a teenager watching Soviet Olympic weightlifter Vasily Alexeev set a new world record lifting over five hundred pounds in the clean and jerk. Reported to have eaten 26 fried eggs and a steak for breakfast before a competition, Vasily set 80 world records and reigned undefeated for eight years. Feats of strength …
Whether it’s losing weight, saving money, or trying to develop a new habit, we often give up because we don’t see results fast enough. In much of the western world, we are programmed for immediate gratification. I read recently that in the United States, 70% of economic growth comes from consumer spending. The huge advertising …
I don’t know about you, but I sometimes confuse how things are with how they should be, holding tightly to the latter in defiance of the former. Some very stubborn behavior has accompanied my insistence on enforcing “the principle of the thing.” Yesterday, I was walking with a friend and where the trail crossed a …
You could sense their hesitation as the captains took turns choosing their players. Of course, they’d started with the fastest and strongest, but at this point, we were well past the elite and down to the dregs. No doubt they’d have preferred to stop while ahead, but they were obligated to include everyone in the …
As part of my job, I attend monthly meetings with IT providers from all over North America. Their unique personalities intrigue me and I learn something new at each group’s gatherings. When put on the spot or held accountable to a previous commitment, they respond in interesting ways. Some stay silent until forced to answer. …
As I write this, JB and I are in Moab, Utah. Yesterday we explored Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction, CO and today we experienced Canyonlands National Park here in Utah. Countless times we followed snake-like roads, curving right, then left, then right, then left again through unimpressive, monotonous desert scapes. Then suddenly we rounded …
The 1991 movie “What About Bob?” depicts a neurotic, obsessive-compulsive man who latches onto his therapist. In desperation, after countless pleading phone calls, Bob cunningly tracks down this therapist, who thought he’d escaped on a peaceful family vacation. As the therapist tries to shake off his clingy, high-maintenance patient, Bob begs, “Gimme! Gimme! I need! …
Have you ever felt like you were facing something that felt too big for you? It might have been graduating from high school or college. Or the responsibilities of parenthood after learning you had your first child on the way. Perhaps it was a job that felt a few sizes too big for you. When …
Have you ever seen a lion? Perhaps at the zoo? And how did it behave? When I was in South Africa a few years ago, I enjoyed a small safari on a wildlife refuge where we saw a number of lions. Lying placidly under a shade tree they seemed little threat. But when the food …
Do you know how much God cares about you? I mean, how much He cares about you personally, and not just as part of the world He created? I was thinking this morning about how God cares for us so much, He anticipates our needs even before we ask (Matthew 6:8). Sometimes He sends the …
