Blog | Care + Kindness

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Oct 16

A Phrase That You, Too, Can Use

Near the end of a pastoral visit to a wonderful Christian lady, she interrupted the flow of our conversation with a concern she was carry...

Oct 2

An Extremely Kind Gift

There is one incredibly kind sentence we can say to everyone. It is a gift that can be given to everyone. There are no exceptions. The se...

Sep 18

The Broken Window Approach

In New York City, a unique philosophy guided efforts to make the city clean, attractive, safe and secure. It was known as "The Broken Wi...

Sep 4

Properly Understanding Humility

I once asked for a volunteer to play the piano. No one moved. Finally, someone coaxed a young man forward. And then, he played superbly! ...

Aug 20

Stop Worrying; the Lord Holds On To You (part 2)

One of the most heart-breaking experiences I have had as a Pastor or friend is hearing fears from dying people about their eternal securi...

Aug 7

Stop Worrying; The Lord Holds On To You

The saddest visits I have made as a Pastor are those in which God's good people were scared about their eternal security in their dying d...

Jul 24

Your Smile Can Heal

I was walking in the mall, pondering a couple of discouraging encounters earlier in the day. A young boy suddenly was blocking my path an...

Jul 17

Laughter Is Still Good Medicine (Part 3)

I have been sharing with you, in the previous two blogs, my thoughts on the fact that cheerfulness, hope, laughter, and spirit-lifting en...

Jul 4

Laughter is Still Good Medicine (Part 2)

Reader's Digest has made the claim for decades that laughter is the best medicine. Several very convincing stories have been published ...

Jun 19

Laughter is Still Good Medicine

We had finally settled on the suitcase we wanted to buy and had made our way to the checkout to make the payment. Having completed this,...

Jun 5

We Showed Up . . .

As most of my readers know, we held an annual Care and Kindness Conference at the Crystal Cathedral years ago. At our request, some of ...

May 23

The Gift of Tears

Jerry told how he once shared with a friend a painful emotional wound he had suffered. "She began to cry as I shared," he said with amaze...

May 9

Positive Proof About Prayer

Years ago, someone did some 'care'-ful scientific research on prayer. Milton A. Drake, Jr., M.D., wrote a summary of the study, Positive ...

Apr 10

Easter Means Life; Easter Shows Love

One short sentence, spoken by Jesus, is occupying my heart and mind. Jesus said this on the cross in the middle of his unspeakable pain....

Mar 27

A Soft Answer DOES Turn Away Wrath

It's reassuring to doubters, such as I, to find science reinforcing Biblical ideas. Here's a new development I read about in a magazine:...

Mar 6

Do You Have Trouble Accepting Compliments?

The man had done something very helpful for me, so I gave him a small gift in appreciation. He took it, wadded it up, dropped it on the ...

Feb 8

Friendliness Is Not A Feeling

When you meet someone, or merely pass a person on the sidewalk, a friendly greeting is called for — most of the time. You do not have to ...

Jan 11

That's Phony!

"I couldn't put my arm around her and hug her if I wasn't feeling like it. That would be phony." 'If it's phony you shouldn't do it', is ...

Jan 8

Thank Someone This Week

I think it would be a good idea if someone promoted "Thanksgiving" cards. No doubt Hallmark is trying, but people don't buy the idea beca...

Dec 29, 2019

Check Your Story at the Door

Note to my long-time readers: You've read my thoughts on this topic before, BUT . . . It is So important. It is a lesson that we constant...

Dec 29, 2019

Check Your Story At The Door

I was sitting outside the car wash waiting for my Buick to emerge. The guy next to me on the waiting bench reeked with sociability. "How ...

Dec 14, 2019

A Christmas Joke

In a small southern town, there was a Nativity Scene that showed that great skill and talent had gone into creating it. One small feature...

Nov 23, 2019

Don't Keep Everything Secret

"Rev., I want to tell you something, but you have to keep it conﬁdential. We don't want anyone else to know this." "Sure Pete, you know I...

Nov 9, 2019

Acts of (un)Kindness Stick, Also

We speak of how an act of kindness sticks in our memory. But . . . acts of unkindness also stick. A writer tells of going down a lane wit...

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