Giving While Still Living

“Why is it,” said the rich man to his minister, “that people call me stingy when everyone knows that when I die I’m leaving everything to the charity?” “Let me tell you a fable about the pig and the cow,” said the minister. “The pig was unpopular while the cow was beloved. This puzzled theContinue

Flame of Love

“I can master it”, said the Ax. His blows fell heavy on the hard, strong steel. But each blow only made his edge more blunt until he ceased to strike. “Leave it to me”, said the Saw. With his relentless teeth, he worked back & forth. But to his dismay, all of his teeth wereContinue

How to Defeat Fear and Terror

Once there was a young warrior. Her teacher told her that she had to do battle with fear. She didn’t want to do that. It seemed too aggressive; it was scary; it seemed unfriendly. But the teacher said she had to do it and gave instructions for the battle. The day arrived. The student warriorContinue

Golden Windows

There was a small boy living on a farm which seemed like so far away from every where. He needed to get up before sunrise every morning to start his chores and out again later to do the evening ones. During sunrise he would take a break and climb up on the fence so inContinue

The Cost of Greatness

There is often a cost associated with a miracle. Mary carried a miracle in her belly. No other woman in history had the distinction of birthing the Son of God. It was a one-time event in history. However, for 30 years she was viewed as a woman who was often judged, shamed by public opinion,Continue

Francis Frangipane: The God of the Mountains and Valleys

The battles we face are often intense times of weakness, distress, and confusion. If the events of our lives were charted, these would be the lowest points. Yet God is no less with us during difficulties than at other times. In fact, these valleys are often as much the plan of God as our mountaintopContinue

Doing Your Best

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his goodContinue

When Jesus Pays a Visit

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter: Dear Ruth, I’m going to be in your neighborhood SaturdayContinue

Warm Socks

When I was a boy the one Christmas present me and my brothers never wanted but always got was socks. Every year under the tree there would be a package of thick, white tube socks for each of us. They were always quickly stuffed in a drawer and forgotten about while we played with ourContinue

Cure for Sorrow

There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. In her grief, she went to the holy man and said, “What prayers, what magical incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?” Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, “Fetch me aContinue