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As we pick our way through the maze of life, we find that wrong turns and misread maps cause inevitable delays. We get lost, and we have to ask directions; we take shortcuts, only to find ourselves struggling through jungles of error and heartbreak. And as we near the end of our journey, we look […]
Every great effort is fueled by a compelling vision. Sculptors see potential in a stone; builders begin with an edifice in mind; students see their names on a diploma; and parents nurture greatness in the most ordinary child. For millennia, the art of the possible has built cities, technologies, and people. It’s given hope to […]
One of the world’s best-known fictional characters is Lemuel Gulliver, whose travels were immortalized by Jonathan Swift. Gulliver, a seafaring doctor, first finds himself among a race of people only six inches high, then among giants who can tuck him in a pocket, and finally in a land ruled by wise talking horses. Gulliver is […]
Despite its tasks and trials, each day of life offers us opportunities to find joy in our daily activities. In a world filled with cares and sorrow, our Heavenly Father’s love is constantly displayed in the joy He provides along life’s journey. While joy is part of God’s plan for His children, we all experience […]
Great accomplishments almost always begin as simple ideas that we nourish in daydreams, until they blossom into action and make our visions a reality. Often our hopes and dreams are what keep us going: marching through snow during wartime, punching a time clock in a factory, struggling to overcome injuries. All tasks are made easier […]
When we’re young, we think about how much better life will be when we have more money. When we’re older and have more money, we look back and remember the happy times when we had so little. Almost everywhere we turn, money seems to be a focal point. Game shows and lotteries hold out the […]
It has been said, “Much of the world’s work is done by [people] who do not feel quite well.”1 The responsibilities of daily living are seldom easy. They especially weigh us down if we must perform when we are not at our physical best. If everyone waited until they felt perfectly well before doing any […]
Every child receives a surname at birth to identify it with its family. Often its given name comes from a friend or relative, the hope being that the child may take on the character traits or talents of that person. It isn’t long before the child’s personality flowers and a new identity asserts itself. As […]
“Once upon a time” is a phrase that starts many of our beloved fairy tales. Scholars tell us that storytellers used the words to alert their listeners to the fact that the story wasn’t factual. It was to be enjoyed and learned from, but it really didn’t happen. Have you ever thought about the meaning […]
Small children rarely walk anywhere. They leap, they dash, they run; the very words we use to describe their movement are as full of energy as are children. For a child, even the most commonplace sights and sounds are full of wonder. Above all, children live exuberant lives. The sight of a fire truck is […]
Probably every parent who tucked a child into bed has heard the plea, “Please don’t turn off the light.” Most parents find a way for at least a little light to illuminate their child’s room and chase away the fears. The German poet Johann von Schiller said: “. . . light is a noble gift […]
Many believe that happiness just happens to us, like the weather. But some have learned that they create their own “inner climate.” A woman who had endured serious problems in her marriage, her financial security, and her health explained: “I felt like an absolute failure. I had to make a conscious decision to be happy.”1 […]
Whether we sing, play instruments, or listen to what others create and perform, beautiful music offers each of us the opportunity to glorify God and draw closer to Him. Heavenly music inspires our hearts and turns our thoughts to God, drawing heaven nearer and making our earthly journeys less overwhelming. Sacred music is not only […]
Not many years ago, we looked to a new millennium as a distant, almost surreal event. It loomed like science fiction—like a horizon we couldn’t reach. While the world didn’t turn out to be as different as some had predicted, we were nevertheless caught off-guard, unsure of our lives. The passage of time, because it’s […]
Every time the sun sets, it rises in the morning and sheds new light on yesterday’s shadows. Whether a new century or a new day, life presents countless opportunities to begin anew. No matter our age or circumstance, today is a new day, and so is tomorrow. Think how wonderful that is! While yesterday—and all […]
As he arose a changed man on Christmas morning, a repentant Ebenezer Scrooge exclaimed, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”1 Like Dickens’s fictional character, we each learn that life’s most important moments are only transitory if they don’t become part of our everyday lives. Life’s celebrations […]
Jesus was born in Bethlehem and grew up in a country that became for Him, as for us, symbolic of the marvels of His mission. He was born at night under a brilliant star. He would call Himself the Light of the World. He was born near flour mills in a little town known as […]
Christmas is a joyous season, when our thoughts often turn to children. Their eyes sparkle as they see the colorful lights, smiles fill their faces as they see toys stacked to the ceiling in stores, and their hearts beat rapidly as they climb onto Santa’s lap to tell him what they want for Christmas. Loving […]
One of the most beloved Christmas songs celebrates that sacred, silent night when Christ was born. Other carols and hymns likewise call our attention to the stillness and the hush attending that holy birth. The gifts that come wrapped in silence are among the most cherished we know. Through the Psalmist, the Almighty gives us […]
This is a wonderful season. Around the world people and families gather to reflect upon their blessings and to thank God for His watchful care. As the seasons change, somehow our gratitude turns deeper, our devotion brighter. We feel more than gratitude for a delicious feast; we feel a longing to share our bounty with […]
The Psalms are filled with verses of thanksgiving and praise. In a repeated celebration of God’s goodness and mercy, the Psalmist connects these vital expressions: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.”1 Thanks and praise fulfill a similar purpose. In thanks, we […]
The word home can send a flood of emotions, feelings, and memories without another word being spoken. For some, single words, such as comfort, warmth, or safety spring to mind. Others recall the smell of Mother’s chocolate-chip cookies, the sound of Father’s shoes on the stairs, or giggles shared with siblings while playing under quilts […]
Who has not seen a little child holding out its arms and looking up to a parent—looking up for comfort, for security, for love? There’s safety in a parent’s embrace. There’s a feeling of well-being, where the world doesn’t seem as hurtful or frightening. It’s not long before that child is too big for laps, […]
Peace of mind is a treasure available to every person on earth, and is lost only when we allow it to be taken from us. There are many culprits that linger in the shadows of our existence, waiting to prey upon our peace. One of the worst of these is resentment. When someone does something […]
True friendship may be the highest expression of what it means to be human. Learning to rely on others and to care about them requires us to live outside ourselves and to suppress the selfish impulses that so often govern our lives. True friendship is a gift two people keep giving each other. Friendship expresses […]
What is this marvelous gift we call friendship? We say hello, we welcome or are welcomed, we chat, we become acquainted. Something draws us together. Most often, our closest friendships are harmonized in a symphony of shared tasks, goals, service. We struggle with problems together, we raise children in the same parks, backyards, family rooms, […]
One of the difficult things about life is deciding what’s worthwhile and what isn’t. Many of us have had the experience of pursuing something, only to be disappointed when we finally obtained the goal. Sometimes we’re surprised by the fact that what we thought was so important has brought us no joy or benefit. At […]
Faith is essential to life. Almost intuitively, we recognize a need for it. We seek it; we live by it. But sometimes we yearn for more. Even a child draws on reserves of faith when faced with questions that remain unanswered for a time. A four-year-old boy lost something that was most dear to him. […]
Many adults remember a familiar summons from childhood days—a wake-up call that urged us to “rise and shine!” Arising itself was often enough of a challenge for a sleepy boy or girl, but the possibility of “shining” seemed so unlikely as to be a bit of parental irony. When we understand the origin of the […]
A father recently dropped his young daughter off at school and watched as she hurried up the steps. Then, just before opening the door, she turned back and waved. It was one last way to connect—one last assurance that everything was all right. We see it as passengers board trains and airplanes, as we drive […]