Have you ever faced your own mortality? People who know they should be dead, but got a second chance at life often make changes. It is as if they suddenly realized what matters most. A man on TV’s “I Should Not Be Alive,” was lost 20 days in the jungle at Cozumel—he had no food,Continue reading “Life is Short.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Obituaries.
One of the most popular sections of the newspaper is the obituaries. Friends of mine scour the obits, collecting nicknames. “Oh, look at this name: Booboo Eddie! I love that!” I’ve also heard: Bingo Willie, Rookie Amtrak, Sugar Foot, and Momma Peaches. But an obituary is so much more. It is a chance to sumContinue reading “Obituaries.”
The Prayer of Jabez.
Have you heard of it? Bruce Wilkinson wrote a bestseller about this obscure verse in the Old Testament: “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because she said, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez called out to the God of Israel: ‘If only you would bless me indeed,Continue reading “The Prayer of Jabez.”
The Time Machine.
What if you could go back to the days of Job or Abraham? There are no written scriptures. Everything you know about the One True God came to you by word of mouth passed down through generations: stories about families and wars and the flood and animal sacrifices and a God who might be listeningContinue reading “The Time Machine.”
Better is One Day.
Most days are average. Hum-drum. Boring, even. Most are regular—not great, not awful. We love mountaintop days. Who doesn’t love those greatest days, days of excitement and joy, victory and success, achievement and celebration? Every life has rare days you look back on, islands of excitement in a sea of the ordinary. I look backContinue reading “Better is One Day.”
The Rich Man.
The news is filled with the rich because the non-rich are intrigued by them. Whether it is the Hebrew shepherd who wants to hear all about King Solomon, or today’s housewife watching documentaries about Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, “regular” people remain fascinated by rich people. But what good are riches, really? Wealth affords food,Continue reading “The Rich Man.”
Wealth ≠ Credibility.
If a famous person endorses a product, we are more likely to buy it. If a movie star talks about recycling, we are more likely to start sorting our trash. This is even true with people like Paris Hilton and the Kardashians—celebrities who are famous for what? For nothing. They are famous for being famous,Continue reading “Wealth ≠ Credibility.”
What is Your Joy?
With two older parents facing grim medical problems simultaneously, I catch myself having a stray thought: what if I lose them both at the same time? Could I weather that storm? Yes. The answer is yes. I would put one foot in front of the other and move forward. But then I think about anotherContinue reading “What is Your Joy?”
The Fool.
Do you know any atheists? Some have made significant contributions: Sigmund Freud (father of psychology), Stephen Hawking (physicist who wrote A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME), Ayn Rand (a libertarian/conservative writer), Karl Marx (inventor of Communism). There are also famous agnostics: Thomas Edison (inventor of light bulbs, record players, motion pictures, and more), and Albert EinsteinContinue reading “The Fool.”
Journaling for Faith.
In high school I kept a “visual journal” full of pictures (that I often drew during down time in class). The pics illustrated my emotions that day. When I got home, I would put them in a binder and write something to explain them. And the more I wrote—analyzing my troubles—the more I felt compelledContinue reading “Journaling for Faith.”
Household Words: 