We love the idea of freedom, don’t we? Yet, freedom is delicate and subtle. Freedom used in the wrong way is easily perverted. As a result, freedom is squandered, and then the opportunity is lost. World history is littered with examples of nations that gained freedom for a short season and then lost freedom for a long season.

I hear many people talking today about karma. Karma is when justice catches up to us and does to us that which we have done to others, either positively or negatively. Most times, people use this concept in a negative sense. “They reaped what they sowed.” “Karma got them.” To karma people, life is cause and effect; there are no if’s, and’s, or but’s. Abraham Maslow once said, “It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”

Christianity began approximately two thousand years ago. A new supernatural leader, God’s own Son, introduced a new way and means of living. A new ethnos of people, indwelt by God’s […]

Last spring, something happened to me that propelled me to a higher way of living. The incident created a highway to a higher way. Interested?

There is an occurrence in the Ancient Scriptures that has a life lesson for all of us if we are open. Let me introduce this life coach and her claim to fame story. Warning: This life coach is not pretty, is silent most of the time, and comes across as stubborn and dumb, but when she speaks, angels listen.

President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt owned a little dog that was always getting into fights and consistently getting the worst of them. On one occasion, his dog tackled a mangy cur and took a beating. Someone said to President Roosevelt, “Your dog isn’t much of a fighter.” “Oh, yes, he’s a good fighter,” replied the President, “He’s just a poor judge of dogs.”

This coming May will be my wife Becky and my 40th Anniversary. That’s right. We established the Becky Bridges/Ed Delph corporation, collaboration, and combination, in 1983. There were still dinosaurs alive when we got married. Where did the time go?

For some time now, I have been thinking about the attribute of willpower. Other words for willpower might be determination, consistency, or perseverance. I admire folks with willpower. When the times get tough, the determined are not deterred or detoured. Instead, they have what I call ‘beginergy.’ They have spirit, grit, and mental toughness. They may not reach their ultimate dream or goal, but it will not be because of a lack of effort.

Where do you want to go today? Microsoft uses that slogan to convince you that you can head in any direction you please with their software. But Earl Nightingale, one of the great motivational speakers, said it better. “Imagine that you are the captain of a great ocean-going vessel,” he suggests. “Before even leaving the harbor, you lay out plans for your voyage. Using maps, choose a destination, then employ your navigational skills to arrive safely”.

Here’s a mind-popping story I found on the internet with two perspectives – one coming from Venus (the feminine perspective) and the other from Mars (the masculine perspective). The story is called The Wife’s Diary and The Husband’s Diary.

The phone rang, and the lady of the house answered. It was a salesman from a mortgage refinance company. “Do you have a second mortgage on your home?” “No,” she replied. “Would you like to consolidate all of your debts?” “I don’t have any,” she replied. “How about freeing up some cash for home improvements?” “I don’t need any. I just recently had some done and paid cash,” she parried. There was a brief silence, and he asked, “Are you looking for a husband?”

As we enter 2023, let’s look at what made the news in 2022. Perhaps the most memorable news people heard about was ‘Fake News.’ To understand fake news, let’s explore the concept of white lies.

I hope you are feeling well and not exhausted or frustrated from the past year or current events. However, if you are tired or frustrated, this short article may bring a little crispness and happy new cheer this holiday season. Let me give a few examples of people looking at real-life situations who may be worn down and need to refocus.

Let’s start this week’s article with a story from Peanuts’ comic strip.

Lucy decides that Linus (her little brother) must grow up and learn to live without his security blanket. So, when Linus falls asleep, she slips the blanket out of his hands, takes it outside, and buries it. Linus wakes up and discovers his missing blanket; he panics and falls to the floor. Linus can’t catch his breath. He gasps and screams, “I’ve got to have that blanket. I can’t live without my blanket.”

The San Francisco Chronicle reported a story about a humpback whale on December 14, 2005. On December 11, 2005, a female humpback whale entangled herself in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She had hundreds of pounds of crab traps and yards of lines wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, and even a line tugging in her mouth.

Well, the Holiday Season is in full swing, and now comes the capstone of the holidays, Christmas. Soon, Christmas lights, songs, and great expectations will be the norm. After a tumultuous mid-term election, I’m sure most of us “need a little Christmas now.”

This quote by Robert Lintner sums up Thanksgiving perfectly. “Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.” John F. Kennedy said, “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”

Did you know mundane structures communicate real-life lessons to us every day? Here is an example of seeing beyond what you see in the room of an unknown author’s home.

The story is told of a man who lives on a beautiful farm. When he died, the property, which had been in the family for over 200 years, was sold to one of the neighbors. One day, the new owner was walking in a field when he noticed an odd-looking rock sticking out of the dirt. He took it home, washed it, and then took it to the jewelers.

Here’s a story I think you will enjoy. The children lined up in a Catholic elementary school cafeteria for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note and posted on the apple tray: “Take only ONE. God is watching.” Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table, was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A girl had written a note, “Take all the cookies you want. God is watching the apples.” That girl is probably one of those characters that could use a bit of character.