Words Mean Things
By Ed Crumley
When our mothers said, “If you do that again, I’ll . . .”, did we believe her? I guess it depended on whether or not she followed up on the threat to do whatever it was she said she would do. Some of us knew her words were true, while others knew they might be true after a time of repeated threats but not when they were first uttered.
Water From The Rock
There’s a fountain on my property. Oh, it’s not one of those lovely Tuscan things I’ve drooled over while watching HGTV. It’s not even one of those fiberglass faux-rock models I could purchase in the lawn and garden department at WalMart. It makes a lovely sound, though. Gurgle, gurgle, splash, splash. The water is crystal clear and refreshingly cold. The thing is the fountain bubbles and flows in the middle of my asphalt driveway. I know what you’re thinking. Ritzy! She has a circle drive with an orb of lush grass right in the middle and center-stage is a concrete water feature to rival Buckingham Fountain in the heart of Chicago.
It Does Not Make Sense
By Bob Kaku
For years I had a difficult time managing my finances. I ran up my credit cards, paid portions of my bills, and incurred hefty interest and penalties when my payments were late. When I ran out of money, I borrowed from my parents.
When Should I Fast?
By Warren Mueller
I have wrestled with the question of when and how to fast. I must confess that I have fasted very little and have struggled with my motives in fasting. For example, I do not believe it is right to think that God owes me something because I am fasting and praying and thereby am adding extra effort to my prayers by fasting. He is sovereign God and I am but an imperfect creature. Therefore, I believe the Holy Spirit must move you to want to fast about something rather than think: "I will do this so that God will answer my prayer." I have been told that fasting is not for God but to help us focus on Him and draw us closer to Him. What pleases Him is what I must do.
Our Vanishing Heritage
By Ed Crumley
A Youtube video of Jay Leno interviewing people on the street came attached to an email sent to me by a friend. Jay asked them simple questions that anyone with a 4th or 5th grade education should know. Questions like: “Name two of the Founding Fathers. In what country would you find the Panama Canal?”, and “Who was the first man on the moon?” The answers were astonishing: “Founding fathers of what?”; “I have no clue,” and “Louis Armstrong?” The audience got good laughs out of all of the interviews, but a more thoughtful look at those answers should bring sadness or even fear to the hearts of viewers.
