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One of the oldest epics in literature dates back to the ancient kingdom of Sumeria more than 4,000 years ago. Written on clay tablets and preserved in an ancient Assyrian library, it chronicles the adventures of Gilgamesh the King, who determines to learn the secret of immortality. His odyssey takes him over mountains and into […]
If we rate the importance of historical events by how much they impact the world and for how long the impact lasts, we would have to rank the life of Jesus Christ as one of the greatest of all events. Even two thousand years after He lived, scholars still study the words He began to […]
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 an energetic and clever traveler, but he makes one very serious mistake with each group he encounters: he lets their opinion of him become his own opinion of himself. Among the little people, he soon acts as though he too is but six inches tall; and after living with the disdainful horses, he comes to believe that he and all human beings are worthless.
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.
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 by keeping our eye on a glorious goal—freedom, food and clothing for one’s family, physical survival. The prospect of a brighter tomorrow gives us renewed vigor for our tasks and strengthens our commitment.
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 succulent carrot of being rich. It becomes the dream of many—too often at a very high cost.
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 good, not much would get done.
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.
“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 of “once upon a time”?
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 greeted with excited shouts, while the play of a squirrel can be utterly engrossing. Children celebrate life with every romping game they play.
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 of heaven! All beings live from light; each fair created thing, the very plants, turn with a joyful transport to the light.”1 Light warms us, comforts us, and guides us safely to our destinations. The dawning of each new day, with its welcoming rays of sunlight, gives hope to all.
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 Her experience supports the wisdom of the saying, “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” We observe people who are discontented despite great good fortune, and others who, in the face of problems and hard times, still enjoy life each day.
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.
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.
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!
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 are not left behind us if we let them live on in our hearts, embracing the present and shaping the future. By letting life’s special moments live on in our hearts, we can make a “holy day” out of each holiday, can experience a rebirth on each birthday and a new beginning with each new year.
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.
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 parents yearn to give their children the gifts that will make their sugar-plum dreams come true, but, in the process, too often forget to give the best gifts of all.
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.
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.
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 turn heavenward. In praise, we glorify God. We are lifted as we worship the Giver of all good gifts.
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 hung on kitchen chairs.
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.
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 that causes pain in our lives, we can deal with it by taking action, trying to resolve it, dismissing it; or we can languish in feelings of resentment.
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 love in many ways, including listening, sharing, trusting, and serving.
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, and churches. We serve on committees together, and we share tools, talents, and troubles. We sing together, play games together, pray together, weep together. And liking grows to love. Then, too soon a new job, new house, or new opportunity arises, and it’s time to pack the boxes and hug the hugs. It’s time to say good-bye.
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 other times we find that what we’ve been pursuing didn’t get us even close to where we wanted to be—like climbing a ladder, only to find that it’s resting upon the wrong wall.
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.