A study by Robert Emmons divided volunteers into three groups that each made weekly entries in journals One group wrote five things they were grateful for One described five daily hassles And a control group listed five events that had impacted them in a small way The results of the study reveal that those in the gratitude group felt better about their lives overall were more optimistic about the future and reported fewer health problems Giving thanks has a way of changing the way we look at life Thanks-giving can even make us happier The Bible has long extolled the [... more]

Something was eating my flowers The day before blooms proudly lifted their heads Now they were headless stems I prowled the perimeter of my yard and discovered a rabbit-sized hole in my wooden fence Bunnies are cute but the pesky animals can mow down a garden of flowers in minutes I wonder might there be ldquo intruders rdquo shearing off the blooms of God rsquo s character in my life Proverbs says ldquo Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control rdquo In ancient days the wall of the city protected it against invasion [... more]

A nursery owner set out to sell peach trees She considered various approaches Should she line up leafy saplings in burlap sacks in a beautiful display Should she create a colorful catalog picturing peach trees in various seasons of growth At last she realized what really sells a peach tree It rsquo s the peach it produces sweet-smelling deep orange and fuzzy-skinned The best way to sell a peach tree is to pluck a ripe peach cut it open until the juice dribbles down your arm and hand a slice to a customer When they taste the fruit they want [... more]