How do people find God? That is a profound question, but the answer is amazingly simple: to know how to find God, we simply have to look for him. Everyone’s spiritual journey is different, but there are some common ways people seem to find God … When we are struggling
Last Tuesday, I answered a call from a number I didn’t recognize, and the voice on the phone uttered words no parent ever wants to hear: “I’m sorry, but your son has been in an accident.” Instantly, the world stopped, and my stomach was filled with lead. That morning, my
What kind of poker player are you? In the Bible, Jesus often taught using parables, which were simple stories used to illustrate some moral or spiritual lesson. In this article, the discussion about “The Parable of the Poker Player” relates to how we choose to play the game of life
What was so important about the concept of self-awareness that it prompted Socrates to implore us to “Know thyself” and to declare that “the unexamined life is not worth living”? Do you know yourself? Do you even want to? God designed you in a special way–don’t you want to know
What would happen if you did one thing every day to reach out to someone else? Showing empathy, love, or forgiveness is a decision we can make, not just an emotion we have to wait to happen to us. By reaching out to others, we lift them up and help
Did you ever feel like you had gotten a glimpse of God at work? God could execute his plan for humanity in any number of ways. Amazingly, he has chosen to use ordinary, everyday people to accomplish his work on earth. To make that possible, each of us is given
Featuring a STEPS Story by Barbara S Note: This article is one of a series of STEPS Stories, which means it was created by and refers to someone else, not me, and was shared by them as a service to others. I learned about the Twelve Steps through six years
Did you ever feel you were at a fork in the road, and that the path you chose might change your life, perhaps forever? “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” (“The Road Not Taken” by
How would you like to improve your life? To change your life, you have to adjust how you live. That’s daunting if you focus on having to do something different for “the rest of your life” (that seems overwhelming, doesn’t it?). But you can take positive steps by learning to
Featuring a STEPS Story by Dave M. Author’s Note: This article is one of a series of STEPS Stories, which means it was written by and refers to someone else, not to me personally. Anyone is welcome to submit their own STEPS Story as a way to share their experiences
What do you think when you see someone in the armed forces walking through an airport? It makes an impact on me, and sometimes I pause to wonder about their story. Perhaps they are embarking on a journey that will put them in harm’s way, with their mission being to
We all want perfection, right? But is it realistic to aim for perfection? Is it even desirable? Setting high goals does help us strive toward excellence, and it honors God when we do our best with the talents and resources we have been given. Even using perfection as a measuring
Do you care about empathy? (Hint: Yes, this is a trick question.) Before you answer, consider how you unconsciously think about the word “empathy.” Does it seem like “touchy feely” emotional talk to you? Or, do you see it as an integral component of the person you are supposed to
You may be mistaken about your mistakes. Many of us think that when we do something wrong we become less of a person. Our pride kicks in because, whether we realize it or not, we define ourselves by what other people think of us. Or, we subconsciously drive ourselves to
In today’s self-reliant, never-give-in world we are taught that surrender is something to avoid at all costs. Stick up for your rights. Don’t go down without a fight. Winston Churchill’s words ring valiantly in our ears: “Never, never, never give up” and “We shall never surrender.” Paradoxically, though, sometimes the
Building a life plan is something many of us think about but do not get around to actually doing. Many people spend more time planning their vacations than their life. But we only get one lifetime, so we need to establish wise priorities to guide us along the way. God
Many people travel through life in a fog of pragmatic self-delusion. Don’t go down that path. Instead, embrace a process of self-awareness and learn to be truly honest with yourself, even if for the very first time. You will find relief, even freedom, as you let go of negative feelings
My sister used to live in Birmingham, and I live in Atlanta. One time a few years ago, I gave her a call to wish her happy birthday. A few days later, we talked again, and I asked her how her birthday turned out. She told me that she had
One night last week I was at home and feeling tired. I also knew that I had to work on paying bills later that night, and that always brings me down. Plus, money has been really tight lately, and I was worried about making it to the next paycheck without
Many people underestimate the contribution they can make to the world and to the people around them. They don’t realize or understand God has built into them a need for purpose, something more important and invigorating than a humdrum day-to-day existence. They may not normally think of themselves as someone
