by R. Herbert | Nov 30, 2014 | Positive Living, Strategic Articles
A wise man once said that the first things we do in life are to map our world and to want what we don’t have.
But do those things bring us happiness when we get them? In this season of frantic holiday buying and wanting, many find no real happiness in getting.
But human beings were clearly made to want things – with desires that are not satisfied by “things.” Our article “What Do You Want?“, uploaded today, looks at the story of human wanting and at some of the things that we can want that do bring happiness to ourselves and others. Read the article here.
by John Birch | Sep 18, 2014 | Growth, Strategic Articles
Perhaps the most difficult concept for the original hearers of the teachings of Jesus to understand was that of the Kingdom of God. Doubtless because of that fact, and its centrality in his message, Christ gave his disciples more parables on the Kingdom than on any other subject.
Many of those parables are short but full of meaning and t
oday we have uploaded an article by John Birch on one of them: “The Growing Seed: Mark 4:26-34“– which explains an important aspect of how God develops His Kingdom.
As John states in his article, the parable uses a simple analogy with which people who lived close to the earth would be especially able to relate, but no matter where we live it’s an analogy we can understand and by which we can grow. Be sure not to miss this exposition of the parable of the Growing Seed, here.
by R. Herbert | Oct 20, 2013 | Forgiveness, Strategic Articles
There are so many special “days” now, it’s impossible to remember many of them. I’m not talking about national holidays such as Thanksgiving and other significant days which apply to many of us, but the burgeoning number of days which seem as though they were mainly the idea of greeting card companies. A glance at an online calendar site shows there are now literally hundreds of “special days” to supposedly celebrate (and send a card) each year. In fact, every day of the year now has some significance, and many days honor multiple things. Some of these days may be perfectly appropriate to show appreciation or concern for others, but a lot of them seem silly at best. October 4 was apparently “National Frappe Day” and I fully expect to see “Second Cousin’s Day” cards soon.
But there is one day this month to which I do subscribe as being totally worthwhile: National Forgiveness Day. There are actually several “Forgiveness Days” which originated in different areas. Global Forgiveness Day and International Forgiveness Day are both celebrated in the summer months. In the US, “National Forgiveness Day” is on the last Saturday in October: this year, Saturday, October 26.
Forgiveness Day is a day that all people of faith can honor, if we choose to do so, and one to which even many people without religious beliefs can relate. For those of us who take seriously the words “Forgive us our sins as we forgive them that sin against us” (Matthew 6:12), the day is an opportunity to reflect on the need for forgiveness and how to make it a part of our everyday lives. This week’s article,
“A Day For Forgiveness”, gives some thoughts to start you on your own reflection on what it means to forgive.
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