5 days agoYou Are Far More Than You Think You Are!The newly installed hospital chaplain, a middle age pastor, exclaimed, "I don't have anything to offer her." He said this as he talked...
Apr 2910 Tips for Helping a Hurting PersonSadly, well-meaning people often feel awkward when dealing with a friend who is deeply hurting. And in their awkwardness, they grope for...
Apr 15Giving Improves Your HealthHold on a minute! Hear me out! You are approached with requests that you give or donate to something or other all the time, right? You...
Apr 1How Tall Are You?Here is an interesting experiment you can try. I have done this before groups of people, and the results are quite interesting. Stand,...
Mar 18Big Smile, Long LifePeople who smile a lot are usually happier, have more stable personalities, more stable marriages, better cognitive skills and better...
Mar 4EGO DETACHMENT: A Lesson We All NeedAn inability to speak your opinions and ideas in public is often due to a simple problem — ego attachment. What that means is that you...
Feb 18A Major Mistake When Helping the HurtingWhen visiting someone who is in grief, or who has recently been hit by a distressing or unsettling event there is a major temptation. It...
Feb 4Finding a Coin - Part 2Goodness is from God. So when good times pass our way, we are being caressed and nurtured by God, whether we know it or not. Such times...
Jan 17Finding a Coin Can Trigger LovePositive experiences are spiritual events. That is, something heart-warming or supportive that happens to us is more than just something...
Dec 27, 2021The Correct Perception of HumilityHumility is seen in the capacity to do what needs to be done. Humility includes not thinking oneself greater than others, but the...
Dec 10, 2021Life Is God's GiftDisbelief, shock, then anger are the initial responses to a personal announcement of imminent death. It is rarely an acceptable...
Nov 26, 2021This is Thanks-giving MonthSTART A GRATITUDE JOURNAL Much is now known about the benefits of practicing intentional thankfulness. It isn't just a high-level...
Nov 12, 2021More Acts of Kindness#1. I had just led the funeral of a dear woman. We were invited by her husband, Dave Cook, to come to their house after the general...
Oct 22, 2021Intentional Acts of KindnessOur Care and Kindness Campaign is to urge people to make INTENTIONAL acts of kindness part of their life-style. Everyone is familiar with...
Oct 8, 2021Understanding Our Influence Through PrayerI visualize the shape of prayer like an enormous triangle. Looking at the triangle, I imagine the top—the peak—is God. The left bottom...
Sep 24, 2021KOK's LAW‘Kok’s Law’ came into being as a means of survival in intimidating circumstances. No doubt, others have stumbled on its genius, too, but...
Sep 10, 2021More on loving my enemiesWhat makes that commandment so hard for us is that when we think of love, we think of the love we have for our spouse, or our parents,...
Aug 27, 2021Love My Enemies ?? Really !!?Love my enemies? Really !!? That’s a hard one, isn’t it? Luke 6:27 says, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do...
Aug 13, 2021The Profoundness of KindnessProverbs 16:24 I find myself warmed by reading how the different Bible translators have phrased the wisdom in this verse from Proverbs....
Jul 30, 2021Are You Contagious?It could be a good thing if you are! You are a positive person, but when you see the word 'contagious', you think of bad things, don't...
Jul 16, 2021The Five Side Effects of Kindness (5)5) Kindness is Contagious When we’re kind, we inspire others to be kind, and studies show that it actually creates a ripple effect that...
Jul 2, 2021The Five Side Effects of Kindness (4)4) Kindness Improves Relationships This is one of the most obvious points. We all know that we like people who show us kindness. This is...
Jun 18, 2021The Five Side Effects of Kindness (3)3) Kindness Slows Aging Aging on a biochemical level is a combination of many things, but two culprits that speed the process are Free...
Jun 4, 2021The Five Side Effects of Kindness (2)2) Kindness Is Good for the Heart Acts of kindness are often accompanied by emotional warmth. Emotional warmth produces the hormone,...
May 21, 2021The Five Side Effects of Kindness (1)When we think of side effects, the first thing that springs to mind are the side effects of drugs. But who’d have thought that kindness...
May 8, 2021People Need PeopleAs we have all struggled for nearly a year and a half with the restrictions of the pandemic, one of the things that I miss most is ...
Apr 23, 2021Unlocking a Satisfying LifeHere is the formula for effective, satisfying, and meaningful living. It is to behave in a way that is not naturally comfortable. It is...
Apr 9, 2021Small and Simple May Be PlentyDid 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...
Mar 26, 2021Clues About Finding HappinessHappiness is a manageable goal. That is, we are not born with and or without it. Certainly, expanding happiness is not the same for...
Mar 12, 2021Let's Start A New WaveWell, we are a little ways past the traditional time for making New Years Resolutions. But . . . it's never too late to make plans for a...
Feb 26, 2021Tidbits About Care & KindnessMy activity in the care and kindness ministry has pushed me into staying active and even creative in actions and attitudes that fit the...
Feb 11, 2021You Can PLAN To Be KindBefore I tell you my story, let me give you the punch-line right away. You do not have to be in the right mood to show kindness. You do...
Jan 28, 2021Don't Just Do Something . . . Stand There!My title may strike you as a little puzzling. We typically view the thought of 'just standing there' as not being helpful, not being...
Jan 8, 2021A New Years Resolution: You Can Change The WorldIt doesn’t require wealth, talent, or a huge investment of time. Right now, you, with your current limitations and abilities, have...
Dec 24, 2020When are the Twelve Days of Christmas?We love to sing that joyful, and slightly humorous, song at Christmas time. But does anyone know what those twelve days are about? Is it...
Dec 11, 2020Xmas vs ChristmasAs we are now halfway through December, anticipating Christmas, I would like to put the minds of many of you to rest over the widespread...
Nov 27, 2020Turning Junk into Good StuffIn today's world of COVID impact, in which EVERYONE has had their lives changed, we each struggle with how to deal with these changes. We...
Nov 13, 2020Listening 101"Listening is easy. What I need to know is what to say." Those are the words of a frustrated student who was exasperated with such a big...
Oct 30, 2020God Isn't Simply '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...
Oct 16, 2020A Phrase That You, Too, Can UseNear the end of a pastoral visit to a wonderful Christian lady, she interrupted the flow of our conversation with a concern she was...
Oct 2, 2020An Extremely Kind GiftThere 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...
Sep 18, 2020The Broken Window ApproachIn New York City, a unique philosophy guided efforts to make the city clean, attractive, safe and secure. It was known as "The Broken...
Sep 4, 2020Properly Understanding HumilityI 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, 2020Stop 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...
Aug 7, 2020Stop Worrying; The Lord Holds On To YouThe 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...
Jul 24, 2020Your Smile Can HealI was walking in the mall, pondering a couple of discouraging encounters earlier in the day. A young boy suddenly was blocking my path...
Jul 17, 2020Laughter 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...
Jul 4, 2020Laughter 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, 2020Laughter is Still Good MedicineWe 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, 2020We 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 ...