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Showing posts from November, 2014

Wisdom of the World

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“I will . . . lie down in peace . . . for you alone . . . make me dwell in safety” – Psalm 4:8  Billy Graham says, by any measure drug and alcohol dependence has become one of our greatest social problems.  The issue isn't just illegal drugs; many depend on alcohol or over-the-counter or prescription drugs just to face each day or to get to sleep at night. We are not the masters of our fate.    We think we control our lives---but we don't.  In an instant life can radically change---a car accident, a heart attack, a pink slip, a child's raging fever.  Frustrated researchers conquer one deadly virus, only to discover one even more lethal. I am not a doctor, of course, and I fully realize some drugs have a legitimate place under careful medical supervision.  But in my experience far too many people turn first to drugs or alcohol instead of to God.  Rather than face their problems and deal with them (with God’s help), they use drugs or alcohol to escape. Op

Heroes

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You are no stranger to trials. The lab report came back malignant. The school called, demanding that you pick up your child who has just been expelled. Your husband informed you that he no longer wants to be married to you. Your boss called you into his office to let you know that you are being fired. Financial disaster seems certain while dependable friends seem to vanish. Yes, storms will come, and bad things will happen – even to fully devoted followers of God. No one would call George Smith a coward. Smith was a daring jet test pilot in the 1950's when the sound barrier was first being broken. He could face anything - until he had to bail out of a jet going 805 miles per hour. Smith survived, but was hospitalized for weeks. Smith shared his fear of ever flying again with one of the nurses who had become a friend. The nurse smiled and said, “I have an antidote to fear. It is courage. To have courage is to know the worst, and to discover that, in God's economy,

A lot can happen over a Cup of Coffee

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Let’s create a culture of kindness where acts of generosity and compassion permeate our days. These small acts of kindness are the force that will change the world. How might you contribute to that change in your “world” today? While most people walk through life asking how they can be blessed, the question we ought to be asking is, “How can I be a blessing to others?” Here’s why: When we bless others, it means that we have so much blessing in our own lives that we can share with others; we can lend and not borrow. When we bless others, we receive a joy that ironically is even greater than when we are the recipients of blessings from others. Most significantly, when we bless others, we please God, and God blesses us even more in return. We should start every day asking how we might be a blessing today. Explaining what it means to be a social entrepreneur, Kosaraju said,“Being a social entrepreneur means leveraging business principles and sensibilities to create