No Wonder We Have So Much Trouble Understanding Faith Bill Nichols, PhD. Ask ten people, “What exactly is faith?” You’ll probably get ten different answers. If you think about the many ways the word faith is used today, it’s no wonder people have so much trouble understanding what faith is. Mother Teresa’s sacrificial work helping impoverished…
Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, The Mona Lisa, is valued at one billion dollars, making it by far the world’s most valuable painting. Can you imagine the kind of security system and extreme protective measures the Louvre Museum in Paris uses to guard this matchless piece of art? As valuable as The Mona Lisa is, it…
Several years ago I visited the Greek island of Crete where I saw what is considered the oldest tree on earth—an olive tree. It’s estimated to be 3,000 years old and is still producing olives. Later, Phyllis, my wife, and I visited the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where we saw olive trees believed to…
3 Reasons to be SILENT in the Face of Pain. Minutes after my sweet mother passed away, her pastor called to let me know Mama unexpectedly died from a stroke. I caught the first plane home. A large crowd had gathered in Mama’s living room. As I was about to enter, I remember thinking, “The…
The moment a newborn cries out a collective sigh of relief echoes through the delivery room. The baby is alive and breathing. Air can be life-giving. On the other hand, air can be life-taking. When air moves at speeds over two hundred miles per hour in a killer-tornado, air becomes a horrific, destructive force. Our…
Don’t Miss Your Shot. When my son-in-law, Mike, took this photo he calls “Moon Over Tapatio,” he had only a few seconds to get the shot before the clouds moved in and he missed his opportunity. That’s the way it is with many important decisions in our lives. We see a chance to do something…
Have you seen the popular TV commercial about calming vests for dogs with anxiety issues? After seeing this curious spot, my wife and novelist, Phyllis Clark Nichols, shared some laughable and helpful spiritual insights in her brief blog “Troubled or Tranquil? That is the question!” You’ve got to read this one.
From my earliest memory, my dad taught me to live by Booker T. Washington’s aphorism, “Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.” Later in life, I learned that Washington’s old saying sounded true, but it was not. The fact is most successful people in any arena…
Does One Light Really Make Any Difference? I love the Christmas Eve candlelight service in our church. All the lights in sanctuary are slowly turned off until the room is pitch black symbolizing the world’s condition before Jesus was born. About the time our eyes get adjusted to the darkness, our pastor lights the…
Incredible Art. Seemed Worthless You can’t miss this unusual yet brief video of an incredible work of art. Before you watch it, think about all the significant news happening around us this Christmas season like the San Bernardino massacre, the Stars Wars $238 million debut, the unprecedented landslides in China, and the headlines continue. With…