Broken Trust

Therapist Darlene Lancer suggests seven steps to rebuilding trust with the one you have hurt. Listen to her pain. Empathize with her.  Ask what you can do to gain her trust again. Change your behaviors. Take responsibility for what you have done. Express genuine regret. Embrace open communication.  The Bible is pro-trust. Paul wrote, “Love…

French Fries and English Muffins

The English language can be confusing. Consider the following evidence. There is no ham in a hamburger or egg in eggplant. English muffins were not invented in England and French fries did not originate in France. Quicksand takes you down slowly. If vegetarians eat vegetables, why don’t humanitarians eat humans? We park on driveways but…

Just One More Hour

The next time you are tempted to do something stupid, try this – wait one hour before you do it.  If ever there was a man who wished he had put off his disobedience for just one more hour, it was King Saul. The Book of 1 Samuel tells the story. Samuel assured the Israelites…

Self-Control

That great theologian Lucy, of Peanuts fame, once mused, “I can change the world; it’s me I have trouble with.” I can relate. Fixing everyone else is far easier than fixing myself. Francis of Assisi said it well: “Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming…

Toothpaste

A hundred years ago, only seven percent of Americans brushed their teeth.  In 1929, a company called Pepsodent set out to change that. Within a few years, more than half of all Americans had become daily brushers. The company’s strategy was not to invent a substance that would clean teeth – that was the easy…

Frog with No Legs

A scientist did a study on frogs. He told a frog, “Jump!” And the frog jumped four feet in the air. The scientist wrote in his journal, “Frog with four feet can jump four feet in the air.” The scientist cut off one of the frog’s legs and said, “Jump!” The frog jumped three feet…

Your Past

In The Green Mile, Tom Hanks’ character said, “I guess sometimes the past just catches up with you, whether you want it to or not.” Way back in the early part of Scripture we find this verse: “If you have sinned against the Lord, be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Translation:…

When Life Begins

A pastor, priest, and rabbi debated the subject of when life begins. The priest said, “Life begins at conception.” The rabbi argued, “Life begins at birth.” They waited for the pastor’s response. After much thought, he said, “I have five kids. For me, life began when the last of them finally left home.” When our…

Keeping Score

Do you need to lose a few pounds? Chances are, the answer is yes. The average person weighs 35 pounds more than the average person weighed 60 years ago. The average man stands 5’9” and weighs 198 pounds, with women at 5’4” and 171 pounds. So how do you lose weight? Here’s one simple trick. …

Dinosaurs

Several visitors to the Chicago Museum of Natural History marveled at the site of the dinosaur bones. “How old are those bones?” they asked one of the workers. “This particular dinosaur is three million, seven years, three months, and five days old,” said the worker. The visitors were impressed with the specificity of the man’s…