Topic > Life Struggles
What’s in the Bank?
In the winter of 2009, a large passenger plane made an emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River. The pilot, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, who landed the plane safely with no casualties, was later asked about those moments in the air when he was faced with a life-or-death decision. “One way of looking at this,” he said, “might be that for 42 years I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education, and training. And on [that day] the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”
Most of us will at some time face…
When Personality Tests are Damaging
Introverts are quiet, shy, and don’t like meeting people. Extraverts (or “extrovert” as this psychology term is often spelled) are loud, seek attention, and love meeting people. You’ve probably heard such descriptions of personality types.
Editor’s Picks: Top 3 Articles | Identity
Welcome to this brand-new section on Editor’s Picks. Throughout the course of the year, we’ve received some extremely helpful and well-written pieces that we think will be a pity to not share with you again—especially if you missed them the first time.
Job Hunting: Are You Relying on Yourself or God?
“You are the future generation and you can change the world.” So we are told repeatedly in university, and it is with this mindset that we enter the working world as bright-eyed fresh graduates, full of hope and expectation. But the reality is quite different.
When I was Angry with God
Have you ever been angry with God because of an illness, a physical disability, poverty, or family problems? I have. Several years ago, I felt some pain in my back, but didn’t think of going to see a doctor.
On the Wing
In his book On the Wing, Alan Tennant chronicles his efforts to track the migration of the peregrine falcon. Valued for their beauty, swiftness, and power, these amazing birds of prey were favorite hunting companions of emperors and nobility. Sadly, the wide use of the pesticide DDT in the 1950s interfered with their reproductive cycle and placed them on the endangered species list.
Interested in the recovery of this species, Tennant attached transmitters to a select number of falcons to track their migration patterns. But when he and his pilot flew their Cessna behind the birds, they repeatedly lost signal from the…
The Importance of How
While attending Bible college, my friend Charlie and I worked for a furniture store. We often made deliveries accompanied by an interior decorator who talked with the people who had purchased the furniture while we brought it from the truck into the house. Sometimes we had to carry the furniture up several flights of stairs in an apartment building. Charlie and I often wished we had the decorator’s job instead of ours!
During Israel’s 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, three clans from the priestly tribe of Levi—the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites—were assigned the job of transporting the Tent of…
Paradogs
I am amazed by the story of the World War II paradogs. In preparing for D-Day (June 6, 1944), the Allied troops needed the sharp senses of dogs to sniff their way through minefields and to warn troops of approaching danger. And the only way to get these dogs to troops behind enemy lines was by parachute. But dogs are instinctively afraid of doing this—and let’s be honest, they are not alone. Yet after weeks of training, the dogs learned to trust their masters enough to jump at their command.
I wonder if any of us trust our Master enough to…
Unpacking our doubts about God’s love
The “Discover the Word” group continues their series “She Did What She Could” today. After Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus with expensive ointment, Judas and others criticized her . . . until Jesus told the men to “leave her alone.” Join us as we unpack the concept of “leaving ourselves alone”. . . by not being hard on ourselves, or allowing others to make us doubt God’s love for us.
Quitting Social Media: What’s the big deal?
You must have heard of Essena O’Neill by now. If you haven’t, Essena is the massively popular 18-year-old Australian Instagram star who has amassed more than 500,000 followers on Instagram, 200,000 on YouTube and Tumblr, and 60,000 on Snapchat.
Angry Prayers
The neighbors probably didn’t know what to think as they looked out their windows at me one wintry day. I was standing in the driveway with a garden shovel clutched in my hands, whacking wildly and angrily at a clump of ice that had formed beneath a corner gutter. With each smack, I was uttering prayers that were variations on one theme: “I can’t do this.” “You can’t expect me to do this.” “I don’t have the strength to do this.” As a caregiver, with a long list of responsibilities to handle, I now had this ice to deal with,…
A Tribute to My Mother
My mother is one of the most amazing women I know. After my father died in 2011, she remained strong for the sake of her three children, making and selling Indonesian desserts known as “Lapet” and “Es Buah” to support us.
Should Christians Strive For Excellence At Work?
I enjoy work—both work itself and the act of working in a team towards a common goal and then enjoying the fruit of our labor together. In fact, depending on who you ask, I may even be a little too passionate (or obsessed) about getting the job done, and done well.
When Money is Never Enough
After completing my Master’s degree in Kuala Lumpur, I decided to stay and work in the Malaysian capital instead of returning to my hometown in East Malaysia. There, I took on two jobs. On weekdays, I worked as a full-time secretary at a real estate firm, and on Saturdays, as an English teacher at a language center.
