Investment Advice

I want to help you invest wisely in your future.” That’s what the financial advisor said as he began his talk about investing in 401(k)s and retirement funds. He wanted his listeners to continue putting money in the stock market during all the ups and downs of the economy because historically a good return will eventually occur.

What Makes A Woman Beautiful?

By Edna Ho, 21, Malaysia It’s not about you having big eyes or small eyes. It’s not about your face shape—be it oval, round or square. It’s not about you having a sharp nose or a flat nose. It’s not about you having flawless skin or a pimpled face. It’s not about your skin color, [...]

God’s Unfailing Love

The Old Testament book of Hosea is the story of God’s faithful love for His unfaithful people. In what seems strange to us, the Lord commanded Hosea to marry a woman who would break her marriage vows and bring grief to him (Hosea 1:2-3). After she deserted Hosea for other men, the Lord told him to take her back—a picture of “the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods” (3:1).

Man Rebelling Against God’s Authority

By Ernest Teh Have you ever stayed up late at night wondering about what you’re doing with your life, and feeling entirely lost? I have, and I’m sure I’m not alone either. F. Scott Fitzgerald described it this way, “In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o’clock in the morning, [...]

Who Gets The Credit?

I’ve always been puzzled by the nursery rhyme “Little Jack Horner”: Little Jack Horner sat in the corner, eating a Christmas pie; he put in his thumb, and pulled out a plum, and said, “What a good boy am I!”

Spelling Mistake

By Tracy Phua, Singapore Sometimes when we type too fast, it is not uncommon for us to miss out a letter by mistake. It dawned on me recently how important that missing letter might be, and how it might totally spell (pun intended) disaster for missing that tiny detail! For example, you may have wanted [...]

Stick Together

For years, scientists have wondered how fire ants, whose bodies are denser than water, can survive floods that should destroy them. How do entire colonies form themselves into life rafts that can float for weeks? A Los Angeles Times article explained that engineers from the Georgia Institute of Technology discovered that tiny hairs on the ants’ bodies trap air bubbles. This enables thousands of the insects, “which flounder and struggle in the water as individuals,” to ride out the flood when they cling together.

When The Journey Gets Tough

In August 2009, Blair and Ronna Martin lost their energetic 9-year-old son Matti when he was dragged to his death by a family cow. I had a chance to meet this Kenai, Alaska, family and share in their grief. And I know how tough this tragedy has been for them.

For Whatever A Man Sows…

By Robin Zachariahs, 18 years old, India Many a time, we think we can “fool” God. We think we can commit wrong acts and get away with it. Yet even if one can deceive the 6 billion people living on the face of the earth, none can fool God. He sees our every move. The [...]

Open Doors

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) wrote: “If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but . . . for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible.”

BE

Written by Chia Poh Fang when she was fresh out of University. Ten years have since elapsed. Finding the right work is like discovering your own soul in the world. —Thomas Moore What should I be? Should I be a writer, a civil servant, or …? Somehow as I seek the Lord’s will concerning my [...]

The Power Of Soft Answers

My car broke down in a tunnel during rush hour in downtown Boston. Angry drivers expressed their frustration as they struggled past me. Eventually, the car was towed to a station for repairs. Later it broke down again, stranding me along the Interstate at 2 a.m. Back to the shop it went.

What is our role in giving to the poor?

Understand that Jesus assumes a concern for the poor.

"Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be secret;"

Hope For A “Mudder”

When my husband built a covered porch on the front of our house, he anticipated that someday a bird might try to build a nest there. So he built the top of the corner post on a slant. Later we laughed smugly when we saw robins trying their best to claim squatting rights to a new home. Piles of grass on the porch revealed their wasted efforts. But after 2 days of steady rain, we saw that a nest had indeed appeared in the very spot we thought was impossible. Because of the rain, Mrs. Robin was able to mix up a batch of mud mortar. Weaving it with twigs and grass, our determined feathered friend had built herself a new nest. She had persevered.

Discerning God’s Plan

By Julian Abraham, 19, Singapore Does God have a plan for me? Do I know what His plans might be? These are questions that many of us think little about. There’s always good excuse for not thinking about such matters for our lives are crowded with so many activities. We’re loaded with work, studies, and [...]