When I was in grade school, an award (along with a patch) was given to the top 15% of students as part of the President Physical Fitness Award Program (PPFAP) created by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Each student was put through a battery of seven physical tests: 1) Pull-ups (for boys), modified pull-ups (for girls), 2) sit-ups,
Fitness Is a Way of Life Read More »
I was having a conversation with some folks the other day about how we, as humans, are prone to focus on things that detract from our joy in life. We could have a hundred good things happen in a day and one bad. Which would we perseverate over? The conversation reminded me of the parable
Singing a Song of Gratitude In the Face of Sadness Read More »
There’s a natural tension that persists in the lives of believers. Although we’d love it if once saved our fleshly tendencies were suddenly gone and the world left us alone; the truth is that our enemies will remain until the day we die. We must learn to cope with this reality, namely stress borne by
Suffering Outside the Camp Read More »
I’ve been teaching about stress from the pulpit lately. The series has been wonderful for the congregation. The last key principle from our most recent message was: When experiencing stress, pray to God for faith to deliver you. In other words, if you lack faith, then go to the one source who is capable of
Obedience Relieves Stress Read More »
Most of us exist in a bubble. We’re comfortable there. The older we get, the smaller the bubble becomes, in general. We cordon off aspects of our lives that either no longer interest us or pose a threat to our peaceful little existence. By the end of our lives, most of us will be pretty
Stepping Outside of Your Comfort Zone Read More »
A fisherman sets out for the day. He pushes off the shore in his fourteen-foot aluminum boat. He has his tackle box, and the gas tank is full. He’s not going too far this morning as he still has some yard work to do before the party this weekend. He’s glad he took his wife’s
How to Handle Stress Read More »
When I was a kid, random noises were nigh debilitating to me when focusing on a single task. This “handicap” affected all aspects of my life, including my work and behavior at school, my athletic endeavors (try making a free throw when you can’t focus on the hoop), and even my relationships. I’m convinced, as
Cows were a prevalent part of the scenery when I was growing up. There was a bull inside of an electric fence down the street whom my junior high school friends and I used to dare each other to sneak up on, smack on the behind, and then sprint back before getting run down by
I was a nerd in college. My best friend at the time was arguably an even bigger nerd than I was. We studied hard and both graduated a grueling engineering course of study with highest distinction (summa cum laude). Looking back at those days you might think that it was all ups and no downs.
Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh Read More »
Arguably, one of the greatest inventions is the automobile. Very few people call it an “automobile” anymore; rather, it’s typically called a “car” or “vehicle”. The word “automobile” is derived from two root words, “autos” (Greek meaning “self”) and “mobile” (French meaning “moving”). Combine these two meanings together and you get “self-moving”. From a driver’s perspective, an automobile is
Freedom vs. Autonomy Read More »