prosopagnosia

As many as 2.5 percent of people suffer from prosopagnosia, or face blindness. Someone with prosopagnosia might not be able to recognize his or her spouse, long-time colleagues, or his or her own children. 

For example, author Heather Sellers once tried to kiss the wrong man at the airport—she thought she recognized her husband’s distinctive gait.

On another occasion, Sellers introduced herself to a new professor at the university where she taught, only to find that he’d been working across the hall from her for 15 years. People with prosopagnosia often work very hard to recognize people based on their clothing, hair color, body shape, voice, and other characteristics. 

It seems that quite a few Bible characters had momentary face blindness when first meeting Jesus after His resurrection. Mary Magdalene met Jesus at the tomb but didn’t recognize Him until He spoke her name John 20:14. The disciples saw Him on the shore while they were fishing and didn’t know it was Him until their nets were miraculously filled with fish John 21:4. And the two disciples on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize Him until they saw Him break the bread. What was it about that simple act of breaking bread that opened their eyes? 

Let’s consider the story closely. Jesus reached out for the bread, took it in His hands, broke it into pieces, and then handed it to each disciple. As they took the bread, the disciples must have taken a second look at His hands … and the scars from the nails of His crucifixion. Perhaps they knew Him when they saw His scars. 

Then and for all eternity, Jesus’ scars are a reminder of what He suffered for our sake. 

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."Isaiah 53:5

-doug batchelor

...children

1. Pray that NOTHING hinders your child from accepting Christ as his/her personal Lord and Savior early in life. (Matthew 19:14)

2. Pray that your child learns to know God and will have a deep desire to do God's will for his/her life. (Psalms 119:27,30,34,35).

3. Pray that your child hears stories from the Bible that will be a basis for his/her decisions throughout their life. (Ecclesiastes 12:1, Psalms 71:17).

4. Pray that your child will develop a keen sense of right and wrong and that he/she will truly abhor evil and cling to that which is good. (Psalms 139:23-4).

5. Pray that your child will increase in wisdom (mentally) and in stature (physically) and in favor with God (spiritually) and man (socially). (Luke 2:52). This prayer covers his/her total development to their full potential.

6. Pray that your child will develop a thankful heart and a positive mental attitude. (Psalm 126:2-3, Romans 8:31)

7. Pray that God protect your child from Satan and his wiles in every area of their life. (John 17:55, Psalm 121)

8. Pray that God would destroy the enemies in his/her life whether they be weaknesses, lying, selfishness etc. (Psalms 120:2; 140).

9. Pray that God would make him/her successful in the work God has called them to do. (Psalm 118:25, 139:9-10)

10. Pray that your child will have a strong sense of belonging to a family that is loving and dwells together in unity (Psalms 133, Colossians 3:12-14).

11. Pray that your child will respect authority. (Romans 13:1, Ephesians 6:1-4).

12. Pray that your child's entire life will be a testimony of the greatness and love of Christ. (Phillippians 2:15-16 Thess 5:2-3)

If you pray one of these a month, you will have your child covered for a year!

...humility

Vin Scully is a legendary baseball broadcaster, the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 2016. Now ninety-two years old, he joined Fox News to discuss the delayed start to this year’s Major League Baseball season.

Scully, a devout Christian, said, “Now that I have some leisure time and we’re all locked in at home, I read an article and it was talking about what happened to Americans in World War II. It was such a terrible time. Three-quarters of Americans belonged to a house of worship. Today . . . half of Americans are involved in a house of worship, prior to this pandemic. So there’s your answer . . . Although they might not be able to go to a house of worship, probably more Americans will be praying since World War II.” 

“More people will be coming back to the faith,” Scully went on. “And now that this terrible thing is upon us, people might very well get back to the center. And it’s a better world. We’ll see . . .” 

“With the humble is wisdom” 

I referenced the same Wall Street Journal column in yesterday morning’s Daily Article. Scully is right: the anxiety of this crisis may well be a catalyst for the spiritual renewal we need so urgently. 

Sometimes we need to get so far down that we have nowhere to look but up. Such humility is the foundational step to the spiritual awakening we need so urgently today. God’s promise to his people that he would “heal their land” is tied directly to their response to his call: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turned from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14

God requires humility as a necessary precursor to spiritual awakening because he cannot give what we will not admit we need to receive. He cannot lead us if we will not admit we need his leadership. 

This is a problem for all of us. 

C. S. Lewis was right: “If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.” 

If our nation admitted our desperate need for God, we would pray to him, seek his face, and turn from our wicked ways. You and I cannot make such a commitment for our nation, but we can make it for ourselves. And we can pray for others to see our humble reliance on our Lord and seek to make our faith their own.

-jim demison

?...God

Lulian Urban Lorenzo is a thirty-eight-year-old doctor in Italy, where coronavirus is especially virulent. He has released this statement, which was translated into English: “Until two weeks ago, we and many of my colleagues were atheists. One hundred percent believed that science excludes God because we are doctors" 

“I used to look at my parents at church and mock them. A seventy-five-year-old clergyman arrived here nine days ago. A poor man. He was struggling to breathe. But he always had a Bible in his hand. He reads it to the patients who are dying and reads them quickly. He places the Bible in the hands of some and we looked at it intently.” 

Dr. Lorenzo and his colleagues came to see that “as human beings, we have reached our limits. There is nothing we can do except increase the death toll of the people we care about.” Then, he says, “We began to notice his work. We began to feel that God begins where man ends. Slowly we approached the priest.” 

As a result of his influence on them, “We who were atheists until yesterday, now pray to God for peace" Pray for us to help care for the sick. The courage that was supposed to be lost has somehow returned. We are more energetic now. 

“Yesterday, that seventy-five-year-old priest died. 

That means 120 deaths in three weeks. 

He helped to give us the peace we never expected in just nine days, when all hope was shattered. Remembering that we were helped by his weakness . . . the good shepherd slept.” 

Dr. Lorenzo closes: “Now I realize I am nothing on this earth. But I will live like that priest until my last breath for others.”

What do you need to do today to join him?

-jim demison

...friendship

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. —mark 16:9

Strong, ongoing relationships positively influence our physical, mental, and emotional health. A 2009 New York Times article attested to the importance of friendship, citing a study done at the University of Virginia. Thirty-four students were taken to the bottom of a steep hill and given a heavy backpack to wear. They were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill. Some of the students were allowed to have friends standing next to them, while others stood alone. Those individuals with friends by their side gave lower estimates of the hill’s steepness. The hill seemed much steeper to those who faced it alone.Tara Parker-Pope, “What Are Friends For? A Longer Life,” New York Times, April 20, 2009. 

Jesus and Mary Magdalene were friends. She was part of Jesus’ inner circle, often mentioned along with the Twelve. While we don’t know much about her backstory, we do know that she had been demon-possessed and that Jesus had set her free. While others may have received their healing and moved on, Mary lingered. She chose to stay close and became a constant presence in Christ’s life. 

While others were afraid to be associated with Jesus, Mary was there as He made His way through the towns, teaching and healing Luke 8:1–2. When others betrayed Him and turned away, Mary stood by the cross as Jesus suffered Matthew 27:56. Others returned to their homes after Jesus’ death, but Mary was an eyewitness to Jesus’ burial Mark 15:47. 

And when His body was gone, she begged the man she thought to be the gardener to tell her where Jesus’ body had been taken. Why? Because she was willing to go and get it back John 20:15! And, because of her absolute devotion to Christ, she was in a position to be the first to see Him risen from the grave Mark 16:9! 

That is devotion.

Let’s be that kind of friend. We can be the ones who stay when others walk away. We can be present in the midst of people’s joy and pain. And then, we can be the ones to witness God raising them from the ashes and using it all for His glory. 

-stacy j. edwards

...fire

On April 18, 1906, a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of San Francisco. While the quake was felt from Oregon to Los Angeles and as far inland as Nevada, it was the resulting fires that did most of the damage. The fires raged for four days and nights and left 490 city blocks charred—a total area of about 4.5 square miles.

According to the San Francisco Museum, the fires initially started because of ruptured gas lines and toppled stoves resulting from the earthquake. However, subsequent fires were started by firefighters improperly demolishing buildings to create firebreaks and by property owners burning their own buildings in an attempt to collect insurance money that would otherwise be denied if the damage had been caused only by the quake. Thus, already horrifying destruction was exacerbated both by greed and by well-intentioned but poorly executed attempts to stop the fires’ progression. 

The Bible tells us that “scoffers set a city aflame” while “wise men turn away wrath” (Proverbs 29:8). The San Francisco fires demonstrate mankind’s natural tendency toward destruction, both by accident and on purpose, but this Proverb warns us that “scoffing” can make that tendency worse and result in total destruction. Scoffing is a form of mocking or jeering. 

Such behavior often stirs up the wrath of the person being scoffed at, and the results can be violent. 

God calls us to behave wisely by turning away wrath whenever possible. This means avoiding mockery and scoffing in our own lives but also speaking gently toward others to diffuse potentially disastrous situations. This kind of wisdom comes only through the process of sanctification, when we surrender our hearts to Jesus and allow Him to live through us. 

We must surrender anew each day. Have you surrendered to God today? 

"I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Galatians 2:20

-doug batchelor

...on

"Failure is never final for the person who gets up one more time than he stumbles, falls, or gets knocked down. The crucial thing, whenever we fail or fall, is that with God's help, we get up, go on, and learn from the experience." (Dick Innes)

Four years ago, in the 2020 Rio Olympics, Usain Bolt won yet another gold medal in running,  Known in the sports world as "Lightning Bolt", Usain holds the title of "The World's Fastest Man." He holds multiple world records, Olympic records and he is the reigning World and Olympic champion in three events. 

However, Usain was not successful in every Olympic race he ran. In his very first Olympic race, the 2004 Olympics in Athens, he was hampered by a leg injury and he was eliminated in the first round of the 200 meters. 

He failed. He did less than his best. But he didn't quit. He didn't give up. He didn't give in. He continued to work, He continued to practice. He continued to run. And in the last Olympics, he won another gold medal. 

The Apostle Paul knew that there is a race and a prize that is so much more important than any Olympic race or gold medal - the race of life. In that race, we can not quit. We can not give up. Even if we have failures that seem overwhelming, failures that seem insurmountable, we must keep pressing on toward the prize that God has called us to - because "Failure is Never Final". 

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14 

"For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.." Proverbs 24:16

Press On!!!

-david langerfeld

...places

The bristlecone pine is the oldest living single organism on our planet. 

One tree called “Methuselah” is estimated to be 4,789 years old. 

Its location in the White Mountains of eastern California is undisclosed to protect the tree from vandalism.

Bristlecone pines are a group of small trees believed to live for about 5,000 years. There are three species: Rocky Mountain (Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona), Great Basin (Utah, Nevada, and eastern California), and the Foxtail (California). They grow in isolated groves at or just below the tree line. Because of high winds, dry soils, and cold temperatures, seasons are very short and the trees grow very slowly. The bristlecone’s wood is dense and resinous, so it is resistant to pests like insects and fungus. 

These special trees can remind us of a Bible verse about the Lord: “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones” Isaiah 57:15 

Perhaps we can learn from the humble bristlecone pine. It can live at such a high elevation because it stays low and close to the rock, sending its roots deep down so it can hang on during the storms that strike the mountain. We, too, can come close to the “High and Holy One” when we are humble. When you are blown about by winds of strife, bow down like the bristlecone pine. Send your roots deep down into Jesus and hang on to Him as you grow slowly and strongly. 

"Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God."Psalms 92:13

-doug batchelor

...worry

"Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. 

They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

With everything happening in the world around us these days, it is only natural for people to start feeling a sense of worry and anxiety. Every night the news seems to state that there are more confirmed cases of the virus, schools remain closed, non-essential businesses have closed, and we are encouraged to stay home. 

In addition, going to the grocery store and seeing empty shelves can be a little concerning, especially when it has been going on for a couple weeks. We are living in a time where people are acting in panic, and although a pandemic can bring great uncertainty and worry, we can find peace in the midst of it.

Does this mean we should ignore the precautions our government has established? Not by any means. Romans 13:1-2 reminds us to be subject to the governing authorities because God has established them. We are wise to heed advice for preventive measures, but worry should not dominate us.

As Christians we have the certainty that God is faithful. He will provide all we need according to His will when we seek Him first. He cares for us and calls us to cast our anxiety (worry) on Him. Let us choose to trust the One who holds the future and may we actively live out our faith by being a presence of peace and generosity to others.

-dick innes

...promise

Each year, 171,000 Christians are martyred for their faith, and 100 million Christians endure arrest and interrogation. Persecution is especially severe in North Korea. Worship of anyone other than the “dear leader” is illegal. 

Parents are unable to share their faith at home until their children are old enough to understand the risks. There are an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Christians in labor camps. 

Yet Christianity is growing there, with an estimated 400,000 believers.

Hebrews 11, commonly called the faith chapter, ends its chronicle of Bible heroes with this statement: “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and” Hebrews 11:32. 

The author goes on to catalog the things that have been done to people of faith, including persecution and death: “Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. … They were stoned, sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword” vs. 35, 37. 

Yet in spite of the things these faith heroes suffered, Hebrews makes it clear that they haven’t received their reward quite yet: “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise” v. 39. The promise referred to is what God promised Abram: the land of Canaan. The land of Canaan never became the paradise for the Jews that God intended. 

Why would God make these faithful wait? 

The answer becomes clear when we consider how the persecution of God’s people continues today. God chose not to reward some of the faithful until all of the faithful could enjoy the promise together, and thus decided on an even better promise than the earthly land of Canaan: “God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us” vs. 39, 40. Instead of the earthly Canaan, God has prepared the heavenly New Jerusalem. 

"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."Hebrews 11:16

-doug batchelor

safe

By the time he was five years old, my dad had discovered that the world is not safe.

He was the youngest of three children, and his boyhood was traumatic. After his parents divorced, Dad found himself pulled between two dysfunctional homes. In one, alcoholism wreaked havoc. In the other, mental illness and promiscuity. I’ll spare you the details, but trust me, it was nothing a child should ever know.

Somehow he stumbled through grade school and high school and made it to college before spending two years in the army and the Vietnam War. More pain, more trauma.

Until the day his life was spared when it shouldn’t have been. 

Somewhere outside of Phu Loi, Vietnam, the companies in front of and behind his were ambushed. His unit was spared. 

Months later he returned home to his young wife with a Bronze Star, physically unscathed. 

Less than a year later, I was born.

But Dad was never the same. He returned from war a different man, both for good and for bad. War, especially a politically charged one like Vietnam, has a way of tearing at the fabric of a man’s soul. Even so, a small spark of new life had also taken hold. In spite of a lifetime of pain, he believed there had to be a reason he was still alive. 

So he started searching for its source, for the God his faith-filled grandma had often told him about.

A year later, a coworker invited him to church.

And that’s when God started rebuilding the broken boy turned man. 

The world still wasn’t safe, Dad knew that. He faced plenty more challenges, as we all do. 

But he’d found a refuge. A God who had laid down His life to save another’s.

Some of you discovered that the world wasn’t safe early in life, too. 

Perhaps you had a parent with mental illness. 

Or maybe a neighbor who took advantage of you. 

For some it was a teacher who constantly criticized or a foster care system that failed. 

The possibilities are so varied and painful, I can hardly write them out. Even beyond the acute traumas, ordinary days can be riddled with the unexpected.

Busy streets, sharp objects, threatening strangers. With each passing year, each step closer to adulthood, a child’s fear is confirmed again and again. Danger is everywhere and hardship cannot be avoided.

This life can be dangerous and terrifying.

Psalm 91 gives us a glimpse of the various sufferings we can expect:

“the fowler’s snare” (Psalm 91:3)

“deadly pestilence” (Psalm 91:3)

“the terror of night” (Psalm 91:5)

“the arrow that flies by day” (Psalm 91:5)

“the pestilence that stalks in the darkness” (Psalm 91:6)

“the plague that destroys at midday” (Psalm 91:6)

“a thousand may fall at your side” (v. 7)

Disease. Conflict. Terrorism. Unrelenting fear. Injustice. Death. At morning, midday, and night. Under the cover of darkness or in the bright light of day. Pain will come. Period.

It sounds morbid and overwhelming. Unless we find the one place of safety even a war can’t crush

The psalmist knew this, which is why he doesn’t leave us in a pit of despair. Instead, he describes a refuge so secure we can rest in spite of the war.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” — Psalm 91:12

Choosing God as your safety doesn’t mean the struggles will cease. The cave doesn’t lessen the intensity of the storm outside. It doesn’t still the thunder or cease the lightning or keep the rain from falling.

The cave provides a place of peace. Even when the storm continues to swirl.

This is what Dad discovered as he fought wars both at home and abroad.

No, the world is not a safe place.

But there is no refuge like our God.

-michele cushatt

trust

A teenager really wants to go to a party, but she's sure her mom won't let her go, so she and her friend concoct a false cover story. If she's asked whether she finished her homework or cleaned her room, she's prone to lie.

What's the big deal? Most kids lie to their parents from time to time, and their parents probably lied lots of times to their parents. Despite rhetoric about virtue being its own reward, a great many adults—and a higher proportion of kids—are more likely to make their choices based on a calculation of risks and benefits rather than on moral principle.

Since young people are particularly susceptible to choices that indulge impulses and favor immediate needs and wants, we need to teach them how bad choices made to gratify an immediate impulse can sabotage their most important relationships and impede their more important life objectives.

Every dishonest act has at least two potential consequences: 

1. the actual penalty and 

2. loss of trust. 

The second is by far the more important and underestimated.

This is especially true in parent-child relationships. Where trust is important, there are no little lies. When parents aren't sure they can believe their children, the cords of control will be tighter and held longer. 

The price of lying is lost freedom.

It's often difficult to predict how a decision today will affect tomorrow, but dishonesty often has a lasting negative impact on relationships and reputations as well as self-image and character.

From both a moral and practical perspective, honesty is the best policy.

-character counts

?pornography

In recent years, a number of psychologists and sociologists have joined the chorus of religious and political opponents in warning about the impact of pervasive pornography.

They argue that porn is transforming sexuality and relationships—for the worse. Experts say men who frequently view porn may develop unrealistic expectations of women's appearance and behavior, and have difficulty forming and sustaining relationships and feeling sexually satisfied. 

Fueled by a combination of access, anonymity and affordability, online porn has catapulted overall pornography consumption—bringing in new viewers, encouraging more use from existing fans and escalating consumers from soft-core to harder-core material. Cyberporn is even giving rise to a new form of sexual compulsiveness. According to Alvin Cooper who conducts seminars on cybersex addiction, 15% of online-porn habitues develop sexual behavior that disrupts their lives.

"The internet is the crack cocaine of sexual addiction," says Jennifer Schneider, co-author of Cybersex Exposed: Simple Fantasy or Obsession?

Tim McLaughlin

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:8).

-kneemail

break

Highly creative people tend to have fluid, flexible, adaptive minds. Here are three statements that creative people can make easily and which you learn by regular practice.

Admit It When You Are Wrong. 

The first is simply, "I was wrong." Many people are so concerned with being right that all their mental energy is consumed by stonewalling, bluffing, blaming and denying. If you're wrong, admit it and get on to the solution or the next step.

Face Up to Mistakes. 

Second, non-creative people think that it is a sign of weakness to say, "I made a mistake." On the contrary, it is actually a sign of mental maturity, personal strength and individual character. Remember, everybody makes mistakes every single day.

Be Flexible With New Information. 

The third statement that creative people use easily is, "I changed my mind." It is amazing how many uncomfortable situations people get into and stay in because they are unwilling or afraid to admit that they've changed their minds.

-brian tracy

truth

"It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. 

It is better to speak the truth that hurts, and then heals, than falsehood that comforts, then kills. 

It is not love, and it is not friendship, if we fail do declare the whole counsel of God. 

It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie. 

It is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a power for God who did not have enemies and was not hated. 

It's better to stand alone with the truth than to be wrong with a multitude. 

It is better ultimately to succeed with truth than to temporarily succeed with a lie."

-adrian rogers

...quacks

When Nehemiah and the Israelites had almost completed rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem several centuries BC, enemies were strongly opposed to their progress and sought through trickery to deceive Nehemiah and get rid of him. They tried to lure him away from his work and invited him to meet with them in the Plain of Ono.

But Nehemiah's reply was, "O no!" He knew their stories were fabricated and that they were lying. Just as well he did, otherwise he would have been destroyed and God's work frustrated. Nehemiah stuck to the job God commissioned him to do until the work was finished and the walls rebuilt. He didn't allow himself to be sidetracked. 

Whenever we get involved in God's work, there is always opposition. 

The enemy attacks at every opportunity and usually at our most vulnerable places. He is a master of deceit and we, like Nehemiah, need to be aware of his devices.

More often than not, he comes as an angel of light—seemingly as a teacher and promoter of truth. But many a sincere Christian has been deceived and led astray by these often authoritative-sounding, silver-tongued orators, and deceptive leaders who claim to be coming in the name of the Lord."Be careful," Jesus said to them [his disciples]. "Be on your guard against the yeast [false teaching] of the Pharisees and Sadducees [the religious leaders of Jesus' day]."Matthew 16:6

At the risk of being overly repetitious, when in doubt, always pray for God to reveal to you the truth. And the more connected we are with our own inner truth—that is, the more honest we are with our own self—the easier and quicker we will "smell" (sense and discern) the false teachings of those who are not for real.

So, be on your guard and watch out for phony people with phony solutions.

...timing

Trustworthiness is essential to good relationships, and honesty is essential to trustworthiness. But being honest isn't simply telling the truth. It's also being sincere and forthright. Thus, it's just as dishonest to deceive someone by half-truths or silence as it is to lie.

But when does honesty require us to volunteer information that could be damaging or hurtful?

Should you say something when a good friend at work has begun to dress or act in a way that's damaging his or her credibility and generating ridicule? What if you find out a friend's husband (who is also your friend) is having an affair? Do you tell your brother bad things about a woman he's involved with?

These types of situations are extremely volatile, and it's easy to rationalize silence. It's a lot easier on you and, besides, telling hard truths, however well intended, can seriously damage relationships. Yet silence could also be viewed as a betrayal of trust when it's later discovered that you knew important information and withheld it.

When the ethical principles of honesty, respect, and caring are in conflict, there's no single right answer. If you're faced with such a situation, consider these four critical factors: motive, tact, tone, and timing.

Be sure and pure about your motive. 

Your intentions must be honorable, and you must have the well-being of your friend at heart. 

It's not about you.

Choose your words very carefully.

Avoid self-righteousness or accusations.

Choose a time and place that lends itself to a frank interchange.

-character counts

...path

Peak Performers, Dr. Charles Garfield describes how the astronauts keep their spacecraft on course.

"On their flights between earth and the moon, it was said, the Apollo ships were off course much of the time. In each instance, the spacecraft would wander off its path and the crew would correct—wander off and correct, again and again. 

And do you know what? It didn't matter. What mattered were the results. They got to the moon. They got home. They did it by having the discipline and knowledge to get themselves back on course. 

They followed not a perfect path, but a critical path.

Whether we're shooting for the moon, seeking to achieve a better personal or family life, or seeking to obey and serve God, whatever our goals, the principle is the same. There are always unpredictable and unexpected events that call for change and adjustment. 

Although the astronauts had to be precise in their calculations, they still allowed for mistakes and corrections. The person who doesn't allow for such adjustments will probably not reach his or her goals. As Garfield said, the critical path is the way to reach any target.

For the Christian, our goal is to obey and serve God and to go on to maturity. 

We will stumble at times, make mistakes, fail, and hit many a bump in the road. 

When we fall, however, the important thing is to get up, correct our course and go on. 

This is the critical path for us.

And as one author reminds us, "The bumps are what we climb on!"

-dr. charles garfield

...little

In 1964, a young woman named Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death outside her apartment building in Queens, New York. She was attacked repeatedly over the course of an hour. Despite her screams, none of the 38 neighbors intervened or called for help. 

Some were afraid. 

Some didn't want to get involved. 

Some thought someone else would do it.

The incident became a symbol of the increased callousness, self-centeredness, and fearfulness of a society where brutes, bullies, and other bad guys act with confidence that onlookers won't interfere.

The long array of billion-dollar scandals rocking corporate America is not so much the result of growing hordes of clever scoundrels as it is the product of passive complicity of innocent people who are willing to look the other way to protect their job, their relationship with the boss, or their incentive compensation.

The moral root of the issue is responsibility. 

As Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing."

We aren't obligated to put ourselves at risk to right every wrong we witness, but we should do so when the consequences are serious. We're accountable for creating an environment that is hostile, not accommodating, to illegal and unethical conduct.

The duty of responsibility requires both good sense and courage to help us avoid the extremes of doing nothing and trying to do everything. 

One thing is certain, though. The world will be better if we all do a little more.

-character counts

...driven

Being values-driven means two things:

1. Doing what's right—following our conscience; refusing to compromise ourselves, or our principles, despite pressures and temptations to the contrary, and

2. Taking a stand against what's wrong—speaking out, and acting out, whenever we see others do things that are incorrect or inappropriate.

Individuals who do this consistently are truly courageous people.

-ray lamie

memory

A friend of mine tells of the day he went with a group of people to a nursing home, to the ward that cares for those suffering from Alzheimer's.

Most of the residents were, to put it as kindly as possible, no longer there. Their stares were vacant, their memory as empty as a Montana prairie. They remembered nothing, knew no one, not even themselves. It was a heartbreaking experience.

What could the visitors do? What could they say? Because they didn't know what to talk about, they sang hymns, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," and "Jesus Loves Me, This I Know."

And something astonishing happened. These elderly people began to sing along! Silver heads perked up, feathery thin voices were raised in song. Apparently the earliest childhood memories are the very last to go, and these poor victims of this dreadful disease remembered the songs they sang in Sabbath school. 

? And they say that children don't learn anything

The Teacher said it best: 
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" matthew 19:14

prosperity

"I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. 

In this world you will have trouble [tribulation]. 

But take heart! I have overcome the world."John 16:33

If God has gifted me to be a good businessman and to make money, and I can do that honestly, then I'd say it would be my responsibility to make money ... not for personal indulgences, but so I would be able to give generously in supporting the Lord's work on earth.

I for one, however, don't have that gift or that calling. Neither am I a gifted fundraiser, so financing God's work for me has always been a challenge and probably will be until the day I retire or die ... whichever comes first!

However, to some degree I have been gifted with an ability to communicate. Thus it is my responsibility to be trained in this area and communicate God's truth and the gospel to the best of my ability. Not to do so would be a sin for me. 

As the Bible says, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."James 4:17

To claim that everybody is gifted to make money or to communicate effectively is not true—and, if claiming this to be true, could lead many to doubt God's blessing on their lives. The same goes for those who are led to believe that it is God's will for every Christian to be financially prosperous.

Think of Jesus, for example. Was he prosperous? Not financially here on earth. Were the twelve disciples prosperous? Matthew, the tax collector, may have been at one time—but through questionable methods. Peter and the other fishermen and disciples probably made just enough to make ends meet. True, Moses came from a well-to-do background, having grown up in Pharaoh's household, but he gave it all up to serve God and lead the people of Israel.

If, however, prosperity is God's will for everyone, then let's take this message to the poverty-stricken parts of the world where untold thousands of people are dying of malnutrition.

For the rest of us less prosperous ordinary folks, let's do the best we can with the gifts God has given to us to help make our world a better place in which to live.

decency

Sara Tucholsky, a 5-foot-2-inch softball player in her senior year for Western Oregon University, was playing in a big game with Central Washington University. Both teams were vying for the Division II NCAA playoffs. Sara, who was batting less than .200 all season, hit the ball over the fence with two runners on.

She had never hit a ball out of the park before, even in practice. 

She was so excited, she missed first base. 

Realizing this, she turned to go back but collapsed in agony as her knee gave out. 

Her first-base coach yelled that she had to crawl back to first base because if anyone on Sara's team touched her, she'd be out and her home run would be nullified. 

Her coach encouraged her to try to crawl around the other bases to preserve her home run, but it was out of the question.

That's when the star player on the other team, Mallory Holtman, asked the umpire if she and a teammate could carry Sara around the bases. It was an unprecedented request from an opponent fighting for a playoff berth, but the rules allowed it. Without hesitation, Mallory and shortstop Liz Wallace lifted Sara and carried her, lowering her to touch each base with her good leg.

To Mallory it was simple: "In the end, it's not about winning and losing so much; it was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain and deserved a home run."

Mallory was right. It's just common decency.

Sadly, such kindness isn't common at all in sports, and that's why all the coaches, players, and spectators who were stunned by this spontaneous act of sportsmanship wept. 

And that's how Mallory became a national hero.

By the way, her team lost 4-2, but in my eyes, everyone won.

-character counts

...hope

You may have read the story about the piano teacher who was affectionately known as Herman. One night at a university concert, a distinguished piano player suddenly became ill while performing an extremely difficult piece. No sooner had the artist retired from the stage when Herman rose from his seat in the audience, walked on stage, sat down at the piano and with great mastery completed the performance.

Later that evening, at a party, one of the students asked Herman how he was able to perform such a demanding piece so beautifully without notice and with no rehearsal. He replied, "In 1939, when I was a budding young concert pianist, I was arrested and placed in a Nazi concentration camp. Putting it mildly, the future looked bleak. But I knew that in order to keep the flicker of hope alive that I might someday play again, I needed to practice every day. I began by fingering a piece from my repertoire on my bare board bed late one night.

"The next night I added a second piece and soon I was running through my entire repertoire. I did this every night for five years. It so happens that the piece I played tonight at the concert hall was part of that repertoire. That constant practice is what kept my hope alive. Every day I renewed my hope that I would one day be able to play my music again on a real piano, and in freedom."

Some at this time are facing great hardships and may even be in peril for their life. The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to experience great hardships, shipwreck, whippings, and being thrown into prison for his faith, he teaches us to find encouragement and hope in the Word of God. 

"Dear God, in times of hardship, despair and suffering, please help me to keep practicing my faith every day, putting my trust entirely in you. And please bring me through triumphantly to the last day when I will see you face to face and know you as you are. Grant that this hope and the encouragement from your Word will keep me enduring to the end. Gratefully, in Jesus' name. Amen."

listening

The virtue of respect is demonstrated by being courteous and civil and treating everyone in a manner that acknowledges and honors their essential human dignity.

An important but often neglected aspect of respect is listening to what others have to say.

Respectful listening is more than hearing. 

It requires us to actually consider what's being said. 

That's hard when we've heard it before, aren't interested, or don't think much of the person talking. 

It's even worse when we act like we're listening but are really waiting for our turn to speak.

The fact is, most of us don't listen very well, certainly not all the time, and especially with people closest to us. 

Kids are especially adept at tuning out their parents, but parents are equally skilled at ignoring or dismissing as foolish or irrelevant what their kids have to say.

Disrespect is most apparent when others ignore or patronize us. 

Like when they roll their eyes or betray fake interest by vacantly staring or letting their gaze wander.

We all want to know that what we say and think matters. 

But if we want others to care about what we say, we need to care about what they say. 

Like all the important virtues, we teach respect best by demonstrating it.

So listen up! It'll make people feel better, and you may even learn something.

-character counts