After a game a college basketball star stayed behind to help workers throw out empty cups and food wrappers When a fan posted a video of him in action more than nbsp eighty thousand people viewed it One person commented ldquo The young man is one of the most humble guys you will ever meet in your life rdquo It would rsquo ve been easier for the basketball player to leave with his teammates and celebrate his role in the team rsquo s victory Instead he volunteered for a selfless job The ultimate spirit of humility is seen in Jesus [... more]

When my son was nearly three I needed an operation that would require a month or more of recovery In the days leading up to the procedure I imagined myself in bed while stacks of dirty dishes accumulated in the sink I wasn rsquo t sure how I rsquo d take care of an active toddler and couldn rsquo t picture myself standing in front of the stove to cook our meals I dreaded the impact my weakness would have on the rhythm of our lives God intentionally weakened Gideon rsquo s forces before his troops confronted the Midianites First [... more]

When my daughter received a pair of pet crabs as a gift she filled a glass tank with sand so the creatures could climb and dig She supplied water protein and vegetable scraps for their dining pleasure They seemed happy so it was shocking when they disappeared one day We searched everywhere Finally we learned they were likely under the sand and would be there for about two months as they shed their exoskeletons Two months passed and then another month elapsed and I had begun to worry that they rsquo d died The longer we waited the more impatient [... more]

Catherine and I were good friends in high school When we weren rsquo t talking on the phone we were passing notes in class to plan our next sleepover Sometimes we rode horses together and partnered on school projects One Sunday afternoon I started to think about Catherine My pastor had spoken that morning about how to have eternal life and I knew my friend didn rsquo t believe the Bible rsquo s teachings the way I did I felt pressed to call her and explain how she could have a relationship with Jesus I hesitated though because I was [... more]

During a summer study program my son read a book about a boy who wanted to climb an Alpine mountain in Switzerland Practicing for this goal occupied most of his time When he finally set off for the summit things didn rsquo t go as planned Partway up the slope a teammate became sick and the boy decided to stay behind to help instead of achieving his goal In the classroom my son rsquo s teacher asked ldquo Was the main character a failure because he didn rsquo t climb the mountain rdquo One student said ldquo Yes because it [... more]

In the city of Mysore India there rsquo s a school made of two refurbished train cars connected end-to-end Local educators teamed up with the South Western Railways Company to buy and remodel the discarded coaches The units were essentially large metal boxes unusable until workers installed stairways fans lights and desks Workers also painted the walls and added colorful murals inside and out Now sixty students attend classes there because of the amazing transformation that took place Something even more amazing takes place when we follow the apostle Paul rsquo s command to ldquo be transformed by the renewing [... more]

After a holiday meal at my house everyone opened party favors filled with candy small toys and confetti But there was something else in the favors mdash a paper crown for each of us We couldn rsquo t resist trying them on and we smiled at each other as we sat around the table For just a moment we were kings and queens even if our kingdom was a dining room littered with the remnants of our dinner This sparked a memory of a Bible promise I don rsquo t often think about In the next life all believers will [... more]