The Value of Walls

The scripture tells us that there were three groups of Jews who returned from exile in Babylon. Zerubbabel led the first and largest group (about 49,000) in 539-537 BC. He was focused on rebuilding the temple. Ezra led a smaller group of just 1754 people. They...

Humility

This is one of my favorite illustrations. It is the transcript of an actual radio conversation between a U. S. naval ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October 1995. Americans: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a...

Real Freedom

This week our country celebrates our Declaration of Independence, the birth of the United States of America. But actually, the declaration was declared two days earlier on the second of July. On the fourth, they just finally agreed on all the edits and changes. It...

Money

I like the musical group, Abba (probably showing my age with that comment). One of their songs is entitled, “Money, Money, Money.” And that chorus has been rolling through my mind this last week or so. In case it’s not at the tip of you memory, it goes like this:...

Dealing With Opposition and Discouragement

Recently, I have been teaching a series on leadership insights that can be gained from the book of Nehemiah. And right in the middle of the exciting part (the rebuilding of the wall), Nehemiah faces a boatload of criticism. The complainers were local civil leaders who...

How to be Happy

Currently, the most popular course at Yale University is called PSYC 157: Psychology and the Good Life and it teaches students how to be happy. It is a response to the fact that we live in a world filled with overwhelmed, stressed, anxious and depressed people....