As a golfer, I was impressed with a short story by Zig Ziglar. It’s called Never Follow a Bad Shot with a Bad Decision. This story is in Ziglar's book Something Else to Smile About. Here's the story. In this story, the golfer is a man but could be, just as easily, a woman.

Here is a story that someone sent to me this week in my email. I think there is some real wisdom in it for us.

A professor at a large university and an exchange student had an interesting discussion one day. The student asked a strange question to the professor. "Do you know how to catch wild pigs?" The professor thought it was a joke. "You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come every day to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they eat the corn again, and you put up another side of the fence."

Let’s start with a thought that could change all our lives. Opportunity is in the person, not the job.

Here's an account of someone who could have given up, thrown in the towel, and lived in bitterness the rest of their life. This person chooses to overcome, not to be overcome. Zig Ziglar writes about this person in his book Something to Smile About. Read on.

If you have read my article through the years, you will know that I collect thoughts and one-liners on Facebook and social media that don't need clarification or explanation. Some are witty, profound, funny, and hard-hitting, but all are worthy of our consideration or enjoyment.

I saw a car bumper sticker on a truck today. It said, “Do you always follow Jesus this close?”

The beginning of Christianity was full of challenges. Christianity was a reformation. Christianity was a whole New Covenant given a New Testament by a new supernatural Leader with a new group of people indwelt by God's spirit who would reform how life and culture were perceived and lived. They were there for liberation, not domination, contribution, not conquest. Christ changed everything. It was an upgrade for all of humanity.

Did you know that there are two main stages in our physical lives? It doesn't matter what gender, race, nationality, or preference we choose; life has two main stages.

Have there been moments in your workplace or personal life when you thought you were right and did not see the need to change, only to face a big disaster? Many of you have heard of the following anecdote, which illustrates the perils of stubbornness and the need to change.

Let’s start with a true story.

The story is about an old steamship that pulled into Southampton Harbor in England years ago, and the passengers got off. Helium-filled balloons rose filled the air, and the crowd went wild as a young Hollywood starlet walked down the gangplank to be greeted by her family and friends. The last person off the ship was an older man who had spent more than fifty years as a missionary in India. All his earthly possessions were in a tattered suitcase he carried by his side.

A few weeks ago, I was the officiant at my youngest son's wedding in South Bend, Indiana. Since my 33-year-old son has often heard me perform marriages, I wrote a new message for his ceremony. Here is a summary of what I said that might help someone in the reading audience.

My parents owned a cattle ranch around Forest Lakes, Arizona, for 40 years. One of the most memorable horses during those 40 years was a true cattle horse named Apache. In his earlier years, Apache was raised on Red Lake Ranch, 60 miles southwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The ranch was situated on a high-altitude plateau with very few trees. While there, Apache had the horrible experience of being bitten on his nose numerous times by rattlesnakes.

Lately, I've been getting a lot of 'thank you' and 'that article you wrote was just for me' emails from you, my readers. That's what it's all about for me. I don't write these articles for me; I write them for you. I call this article series, Equipping People for Life.

Years ago, I wrote an article in this newspaper entitled, It Is What It Is, or Is It? Sometimes things are not as they appear. We tend to think, "It is what it is, that's it, nothing's going to change, turn out the lights, the parties over, end of story" Then God quietly, “Is it?” Let's explore some 'It Is What It Is, What It Is or Is It?' perspectives below.

Last week, we started a two-article series about love. This article is the second installment of the series. Incidentally, love is the answer to the 'fill in the blank' above. But what kind of love are we talking about? Unfortunately, in today's agenda-driven world, the message and meaning of love have been lost in translation. So, let's explore what love is, what love isn't, and where love comes from.

Do you see it? It’s all around you. It’s here, there, and everywhere. It’s shouting in the news. It’s screaming in the movies. Politics is polarized because of it. Corruption is rampant because of it. Technology can’t replace it. John Lennon wrote a song about it. Jesus noted that in the latter days, it would grow cold. What is it? It’s the lack of real love. And, in my opinion, it’s killing us and our culture.

Last week, I started a two-part series about grace. This article is the second installment of the series. We focused on two sentences in a statement by author Max Lucado. Here are the two sentences. “Those who scramble at quitting time get the same wage as those who beat the morning whistle. I guess that's what makes grace, grace." So this week, let's explore the question, "What Makes Grace, Grace?

Last week, before Easter, I decided to revisit an old friend. My friend is a book entitled God Came Near by Max Lucado. I call the book my old friend because I grew so much from reading God Came Near years ago. So rereading the book before Easter was like renewing an old friendship. What the book contains was good then and even better now.

That’s quite a title, isn’t it? But addressing three vampires that cause people to underachieve is an excellent subject to consider with all the challenges people encounter today. Maybe this article will shift someone thinking, “Why me?” to thinking positively, “What’s next?” And perhaps this article will elevate someone from being a ‘Wanna-be’ to a ‘Gonna-be’ to an ‘Is-a-be.’

This week is Easter week: Christians call Easter, Resurrection Day. Easter is about how Jesus was crucified, dead, buried, and rose again after three days on the Jewish calendar. It was like, "Will the real Son of God please rise from the dead?" Jesus did, and it reset the world. What was going down now came up.

You may remember the story of Palm Sunday. At the height of His ministry, Jesus came into Jerusalem days before He will go to the cross. He rides into the city on the colt of a donkey as a Servant King, contrary to the day's culture. Multitudes of people spread out their clothes and tree branches on the road for Jesus as He enters the city.

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.