Lower your expectations to live a happier life — Satisfaction guaranteed? You’ve probably heard more than a few advertisements with promises of, “Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!” I think the advertisers are confident most people won’t bother returning the product for a refund even though they’re not satisfied. Most of us are used to not being “100% satisfied.” We accept…

Sometimes we need to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving — The importance of thankfulness As the end-of-year holiday season gets in full swing, I know it’s not a time of pure joy for everyone. My family and I look forward to all the festivities and food, but I realize many people struggle with various concerns, hurts, and memories as the holidays hit full stride. …

Every life has a literal deadline and is shorter than we’d like — Changing and Unchanging Wisdom I remember my first class in Philosophy 101. I could tell right away it was all about being able to defend your position on various topics. And when your opinion didn’t line up with the teacher’s, you’d better be ready for a dressing down in front of the class. I…

Finding the brighter path — Most of us have a fascination with sunrises and sunsets. Consider how many paintings and photos feature either a sunrise or sunset. Seeing them in person is the best of all. The beginning and end of a day — whether along the coast, the desert or plains, or high in…

When foundations seem to crumble around us — How should we respond when the foundation of moral goodness seems like it’s crumbling around us? Some of us may try to fight for what’s right. Others look for ways to avoid it all. I’m reminded of the anti-war protests of the ’60s. Rallies full of emotion and rhetoric formed…

The resurrection is essential to the Christian faith — As director of a Bible school in the Philippines, I got together with a group of teachers every Friday afternoon. We talked about the progress of the students and challenges in the classroom. It was also a time for me to be their mentor. We worked on ways to improve…

A story of hope restored in remembrance of Easter — Early remembrances of Easter mornings As a young pastor, Easter sunrise services were memorable occasions, especially when our children were young. We have four children within two and three years of one another, so we made many preparations the day and night before Easter. …

The correct answer to this question should be obvious — The big question Who’s in charge of the church? Who has authority over the church? The pastor? A bishop? A priest? A group of elders? A board of directors or deacons? The pope? The correct answer — the biblical one — is none of the above. Jesus Christ alone is the founder and…

A question to answer when observing Good Friday — I will join millions around the world to observe Good Friday this week. Of course, millions of non-believers won’t do this and wonder why Christians do. And sadly, a growing number of Christian believers aren’t sure why we celebrate Good Friday either. Does a Good Friday service have meaning for…