Taking Risks

In his book Stuntman! My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life, Hal Needham reflects on taking risks. Needham has slugged it out in fist fights, raced cars at high speed, walked on wings of airborne planes, fallen off horses, and has even been set on fire! He risked his life to entertain film audiences and to distinguish himself as a top Hollywood stuntman.

Fear and Hope

By Sunil T, Nepal I could not sleep for the entire year when I was studying in Grade 10. I was gripped with fear as I was sitting for my School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations that year. It would be a test of my years of learning. I feared I would flunk the examinations as [...]

Loneliness and Being Alone

By Jan Sullivan, USA Have you ever felt totally alone in a room crowded with people? Have you ever been totally alone without feeling lonely? Loneliness is different from being alone. Being alone means there is no one physically close to you. So, you can still be in relationship with people, but still be alone. [...]

Prepared For The Real Thing

Through the years, quite a few people have predicted the return of Jesus at a specific time. Just last year an American radio preacher stirred up the interest of the mainstream media with his prediction that Jesus would return on May 21, 2011.

Not What I Planned

This isn’t the way I expected my life to be. I wanted to marry at 19, have a half-dozen children, and settle into life as a wife and mother. But instead I went to work, married in my forties, and never had children. For a number of years I was hopeful that Psalm 37:4 might be for me a God-guaranteed promise: “He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

A Yellowstone Reflection

By Jill Phua, 18, Singapore Click  to download this wallpaper This is one of my favorite photos. It was taken in Yellowstone National Park, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA. The picturesque scenery reminds me that God is our Creator and that He is sovereign. In comparison with the majestic mountains and lakes that our Lord has [...]

Fear

By Issac Tan, 20, Singapore Fear is a funny word. The very essence of the word can send shivers down our spine and stop us dead in our tracks. From the uncertainty of what lies ahead to the imagining of what sleeps under our beds, a variety of things could bring on this crippling oppression. [...]

Seeing Near And Far

Having two healthy eyes is not enough to see clearly. I know this from experience. After a series of eye surgeries for a torn retina, both eyes could see well but they refused to cooperate with each other. One eye saw things far away and the other saw things close up. But instead of working together, they fought for supremacy. Until I could get new prescription glasses 3 months later, my eyes remained unfocused.

The Old Windmill

A man who grew up on a ranch in West Texas tells about a rickety, old windmill that stood alongside his family’s barn and pumped water to their place. It was the only source of water for miles.

Closer

By Debra Ayis, Nigeria Hold me close in Your embrace; Safely clasped in Your strong arms. O Lover of my soul, My life belongs to Thee. Heart, mind, soul and strength, I surrender all. May I forever be in Your presence, Loving you beyond all measure. To Thy love alone I shall stay true. Pure [...]

Outside The Boat

Katsushika Hokusai was one of the most prolific and celebrated artists in Japanese history. Between 1826 and 1833, when he was in his mid-60s and early 70s, he created his greatest work—a series of color woodblock prints titled Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji. Among those paintings was his masterpiece: The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. This painting, created during a time of financial and emotional struggles for Hokusai, shows a towering wall of water edged with clawlike foam about to crash down on three slim boats full of rowers.

A Sense Of Concern

Statistics are tricky. While numbers give us information, sometimes they can also desensitize us to the people those numbers represent. This hit me recently as I read a statistic: Every year 15 million people die from hunger. That’s chilling, and for those of us who live in cultures of plenty, it’s hard to fathom. In 2008, nearly 9 million children died before their fifth birthday, with a third of those deaths related to hunger. These are staggering numbers, but they are much more than numbers. They are individuals loved by God.

This Mother’s Day Will Be Different For Me

By Tracy Phua, Singapore I recently spent a full 10 days with a mother and her two young boys. The older one will be 4 in two months, and the other one is 15 months old. As much as I enjoyed playing with the boys and getting hugs and kisses from them, I emerged from [...]

Discover why prayer is an indispensable part of a healthy relationship with God

Thursday, May 10, 2012, Part 2

“But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:7-8).

IDEA: Prayer enables us to live in communion with our Father in heaven.

PURPOSE: To help listeners think about what happens when they pray.

Prayer is a key ingredient in nurturing a relationship with God

Wednesday, May 9, 2012, Part 1

“But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:7-8).

IDEA: Prayer enables us to live in communion with our Father in heaven.

PURPOSE: To help listeners think about what happens when they pray.