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When you are listening to someone . . .
I have been thinking about the unity of several messages that each supports the others. Recently, Bobby Schuller (Hour or Power, Crystal...
Nov 24, 2017
Love Is Not A Feeling
The directions we have from the Bible is that we are to "love one another". Though there is no definition of what that means or who that...
Nov 17, 2017
Prayer Sold the House
When we moved from Iowa City to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1969, we bought our first house. It was a pleasant three bedroom home with a...
Nov 10, 2017
This is Thanks-giving Month
(START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL) Much is now known about the benefits of practicing intentional thankfulness. It isn't just a high-level...
Nov 3, 2017
People Need People
Is it possible to be a whole person without relationships with others? Probably not, if we take seriously the Bible's creation story....
Oct 27, 2017
Small and Simple May Be Plenty
Did you know that a kind word spoken in someone's ear changes their body chemistry in a measurable and positive way? A kind word is a...
Oct 13, 2017
Happiness Is Possible
Happiness is a manageable goal. That is, we are not born with and or without it. Certainly, expanding happiness is not the same for...
Oct 6, 2017
Let's Start A New Wave
Empty your mind of all the positive thoughts stored there that are doing no one any good. Is that a surprising suggestion? Yes. Empty...
Sep 29, 2017
Tidbits About Care & Kindness
My activity in the care and kindness ministry has pushed me into staying active and even creative in actions and attitudes that fit the...
Sep 22, 2017
Kindness Is Not Kid Stuff
The most outstanding phenomenon I took home from our first vacation cruise was about people. It was not the Alaskans, nor the Tlingit...
Sep 15, 2017
Don't Just Do Something. Stand There!
JUST BE THERE!! We must think of every human being as 'the walking wounded', but we are not to think of how we must fix them. Our fixing...
Sep 8, 2017
Tips for Being a Good Listener
A person who practices care and kindness strives to be a good listener. Most of us are so conscious of ourselves — our ideas, our...
Sep 1, 2017
Listening Is Not Easy
"Listening is easy. I want to know what to say." Those words from a frustrated student. He was exasperated with such a big emphasis on...
Aug 25, 2017
God Isn't 'Practical'
God isn't 'practical' about our world, skimping on things that don't pay. He's got mountains and deserts that seem to be a poor idea when...
Aug 18, 2017
'Boldness' vs. 'Meekness'
Was Jesus meek? Â Â Â Â Was Jesus bold? Â Â Â . . . Â Â Â Â Â Â Yes! By meekness we mean an inner spirit motivated to do God's will, to...
Aug 4, 2017
Meekness is not Weakness
Meekness is not weakness. This quality has too long, and too generally, been identified with a kind of weak passivity or niceness that is...
Jul 28, 2017
Extremely Kind Gifts
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...
Jul 21, 2017
A Different View of 'Humility'
I once asked a group for a volunteer to play the piano. No one moved. Finally, someone coaxed a young woman forward. And then, she played...
Jul 14, 2017
Your Smile Can Heal
I was walking in the mall, pondering a couple of discouraging encounters I had had earlier in the day. Suddenly, a young boy was blocking...
Jul 7, 2017
This Is SO Important
I’m still thinking about how every one of us can do better at sharing and highlighting the joys of other people. Twenty-five years ago...
Jun 30, 2017
I'm Still Reminding You
I reminded you in our last commentary that inviting people to share their joys was a task you should give attention to. Most people are...
Jun 23, 2017
A Needed Reminder
I call this a needed reminder because I see it as a behavior we constantly need to keep working on. At first glance it seems obvious, but...
Jun 16, 2017
It's Easier To Live By Faith If You've Had A Good Night's Sleep
Sometimes cutting short your sleep to commune with God may undermine your ability to live close to God. A tired person is more vulnerable...
Jun 9, 2017
The Gift of Tears
Jerry Bronsma told how he once shared a painful emotional wound with a friend. "She began to cry as I shared", he said with amazement....
Jun 2, 2017
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