Did famous and influential people have it as their goal in life to be famous and influential? When they were children, did they say, “I am going to be famous author”, then charted a path to be a famous author? Or “I want to be a real estate tycoon” and designed their life to buy […]
My sister took me to Alicia’s for lunch today. Alicia’s is a quaint cafe with hefty signature sandwiches, fresh baked goods (muffins, cookies, cakes), and a friendly atmosphere run by the owner, Alicia, and her 3 daughters. I want to own a place like Alicia’s. I know it’s hard work – Alicia said she works […]
After I finished reading The Life You’ve Always Wanted by by John Ortberg last year, I wanted to read If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat, as recommended by Nat. But I don’t spend money to buy books (I read what I can borrow from people or […]
…is they die. Unless you have a turtle, chances are your pet will die before you. And if you have more than one pet like we did, you have to go through grieving several times. It’s too sad, too emotionally draining. Our bunny Smokey died today…
I learned that if I try to manipulate a situation, God will allow my plans to change so that His will be accomplished. In the recent one-day Mexico mission trip, I asked people to volunteer at various locations. But I also used my “executive power” to put certain people in specific locations with the intent […]
Orson Scott Card, the author of Ender’s Game, wrote a series of fiction on the women of Genesis – Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel. When you read the life of Rebekah in the Bible, many questions come to mind: What made Rebekah agree to leave her family to go so far to marry a man she’s […]
I often hear people say “You have to do what you love.” It would be nice to be able to be able to make money doing something you love. But in the real world, that doesn’t always happen. Does that mean you should only do what you love? And if you don’t love what you […]
We take a lot of things for granted here in the US. Our speaker at last year’s church retreat says that what Jesus did on the cross should not become too familiar with us, such that we take him for granted. As Easter approaches, I think it is an appropriate time for us to reflect […]
A discussion came up – why doesn’t God answer seemingly “good and reasonable” prayers like healing a child of cancer? Isn’t it weird why God doesn’t answer some prayers and answer others? Elliot: It would be more weird if God answered all our prayers. Thanks, Elliot. That actually helps me a lot.