One week ago today, the world woke up to the news that China had been rocked by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. Yesterday, the China Seismological Bureau revised the magnitude to 8.0. Whatever the number, the reality defies comprehension. The shockwaves from the epicenter in the Sichuan Province were felt several thousand miles away in Hong Kong. Some perspective: that’s like an earthquake in Los Angeles, California being felt in Atlanta, Georgia. This earthquake was so powerful, tremors could be felt in Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Russia.
There’s More To Life Than Winning
My dad was passionate about baseball.
As a young boy, I remember listening to my dad telling stories about the year he played for the Detroit Tigers. As I mention in my book FINDING HOME, there are two reasons why it’s a bit difficult to prove whether or not Dad actually wore the Tiger’s uniform for a season.
First, he’s dead. This, of course, complicates asking him any follow-up questions on the subject.
The second issue has to do with my last name.
NDP: 7 Days and Counting
On May 1st millions of Christians from all walks of life, and from across the country, will unite their voices in prayer as part of the 57th annual National Day of Prayer. Why should believers take a day to focus on prayer? Why pray for our families, our friends, and the needs and challenges facing America?
Simply put, God invites us to do so and promises a blessing when we do. In the book of 2 Chronicles, God says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (7:14).
Monkey Business
He’s written sixteen books. He starred in some 75 movies. He was a speechwriter for President Nixon and President Ford. And, he was awarded seven Emmys for a game show on Comedy Central. I’m referring to actor, author, columnist, lawyer, and movie producer Ben Stein.
Last week, while attending the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville, I learned that Ben Stein (yes, the same guy from Win Ben Stein’s Money) was on hand for a screening of his new film called EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed.
Life on the Edge
If Robert Ripley, creator of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, was still alive, he’d probably have his doubts about the story I’m about to share with you. And, yes, I’ve checked this out on several hoax-buster websites. In a moment, you’ll understand why I felt the need to verify the story’s truthfulness.
According to police reports, on December 30, 2006, a pickup truck was speeding eastward on State Route 59 just outside of Hurricane, Utah.
I Don’t Know, But I Still Care
As you probably know, last week a young man wearing black, carrying four guns, opened fire on students at Northern Illinois University. Six are dead. Many more are wounded. Once again, Americans struggle to understand what prompted Stephen Kazmierczak, 27, to snap. Scrambling for answers, the media, as they typically do, turned to the “experts” for their insight. One authority claimed Stephen was “unbalanced” and had stopped taking his medicine . . . another pundit pointed his finger at the role of violent video games in many of these school shootings .
Go for the Gold
How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? If you’re like many, you might have purchased a treadmill with an eye on walking more this year. Perhaps it was a membership at the YMCA or a health club, the purchase of a stationary bicycle, or simply buying a new pair of walking shoes to encourage a regular cardiovascular routine.
Perhaps you cut up the credit cards in an effort to dig yourself out of debt.
The Applause of Heaven
The battle over who gets to compete for the coveted Super Bowl XLII ring comes down to how the Patriots, the Packers, the Chargers, and the Giants perform in the final playoff round. Personally, I had been pulling for the Colts to do a repeat performance of last season. After all, head coach Tony Dungy is such a class act, both on and off the field. He’s one of the best role models to come along in a long time.
Garden Variety Marriage
Happy New Years!
If you live in New Jersey, and if you believe marriage should remain the union between one man and one woman, I’ve got great news for you. Come to think of it, this victory is good news regardless of where you live. After all, what happens in one state ultimately impacts the rest of us. Here’s what happened.
A number of heavily funded groups in the Garden State with a radical agenda have been working behind the scenes to redefine marriage to include same-sex partners.
Name That Christmas Carol – #1
Here’s a fun group activity a friend sent to me that you might enjoy using with the family over the Christmas holiday. The goal is to see who can identify the real song title from this list of twenty-one hints. You could divide the guests or family members into two teams or simply make it every person for him or her self. Maybe sweeten the pot with a White Elephant gift for the person or team who gets the most correct answers.
