The Reality of Our Present World

In a recent Gallup poll, when asked about the overall state of moral values today, only 15% of Americans see moral values in the U.S. as “excellent” or “good,” while a significant 49% view the state of morality as “poor.”[i] In many ways, I’m not surprised; are you? Just look around us, at least from a media perspective. When I talk to my neighbors or friends, it’s not as obvious. Maybe I am hangin’ out with people that…

In a recent Gallup poll, when asked about the overall state of moral values today, only 15% of Americans see moral values in the U.S. as “excellent” or “good,” while a significant 49% view the state of morality as “poor.”[i] In many ways, I’m not surprised; are you? Just look around us, at least from a media perspective. When I talk to my neighbors or friends, it’s not as obvious. Maybe I am hangin’ out with people that…

We’re havin’ a heat wave. At tropical heat wave. At least here in Pennsylvania, USA. For those in the Southern Hemisphere experiencing something quite a bit different, sorry! It’s hot, hot, hot up here. I’m reminded of the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in the Gospel of Luke verses 19-31. Laid outside the gate of a rich man’s house was an extremely poor man named Lazarus who simply hoped “to eat what fell from the rich man&rsquo…

According to Gallup, while only 6% of adults in Vietnam (the lowest worldwide) felt lonely during a lot of the day in 2023, 45% of people in Comoros (the highest) said the same. When people feel lonely, they are more likely to feel anger, sadness, stress, worry, and physical pain. They are also less likely to experience positive emotions. That’s a disturbing fact. Can you relate? In 2023 United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General…

There it was, 5 yards of black triple-shred mulch towering in front of my garage, leaving no access to cover for our vehicle parked behind that pile, for over 5 weeks. Why, you say? Two reasons. Number one, I’m not in my 20’s, 30’s or even 40’s anymore and had no desire to wheelbarrow endlessly in 90-degree weather to spread the load. The second, and more disturbing reason, the guy who promised months ago to do so, ghosted me; only 2 days after…

There it was, 5 yards of black triple-shred mulch towering in front of my garage, leaving no access to cover for our vehicle parked behind that pile, for over 5 weeks. Why, you say? Two reasons. Number one, I’m not in my 20’s, 30’s or even 40’s anymore and had no desire to wheelbarrow endlessly in 90-degree weather to spread the load. The second, and more disturbing reason, the guy who promised months ago to do so, ghosted me; only 2 days after…

We live in a world that is constantly vying for our attention. Even now, as you take the time to read this article, a decision has been made that the next couple minutes in your life will be invested in learning something that might be helpful. If not, you just wasted it, or did you? We get that online and offline marketers are clamoring for real estate in our brain. But so are our colleagues, friends, and family. According to a survey conducted by Gallup in 2019, American…

I heard Dr. George Barna, a well-known Christian researcher, speak on the topic of what he called Christian Invisibility. A recent survey by Barna, director of research of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, shows that the majority of tweens are rejecting core tenets of the Christian faith, and that issue stems from the syncretic worldview of their parents and even children’s pastors. When asked if they believe that Jesus Christ is the only…

"Comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt Some days this quote runs laps in my mind, as I struggle to push back against the very loud voice of not measuring up. The voice that tells me others have found the secret recipe to perfection in their parenting, marriage, career. The voice that sows seeds of discontent, self-doubt, and envy. On these days, I swear I can feel the battle for my soul raging in the spiritual realm. "...envy rots the bones.;…