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Andrew Smith played basketball for the Butler Bulldogs, and was part of the two final four Butler teams. After he married his high school sweetheart, Samantha, and moving to Lithuania to continue his basketball career, he was diagnosed with cancer. Samantha blogged the struggle the couple had with the…

In his book, Thanks: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make you Happier, Robert Emmons writes, “A longitudinal study of college students found that happiness levels in college predicted income sixteen years later. The most cheerful students earned $25,000 lore per year than their more dour classmates.” —Jim…

Studies have shown that children who grow up in poverty do poorer in school than those who do not. Now, a new study suggests part of the reason stems from changes in how the brains of these children grow and work. The study, which combined the expertise of neuroscientists and economists, found that the…

A British paintball company says they were surprised by the number of applicants for a job post they put up. The company is looking for a ‘bullet tester’ with a ‘relatively high pain threshold’ and has received about 10,000 applicants. They are looking for a person willing to be shot at to ensure that…

Authorities in Seattle say an attempted carjacking failed when the three would-be carjackers tried to steal a car none of them could drive. A 70-year-old woman told police that she was getting something out of her trunk when she turned around to see a gun in her face. Three teens demanded her keys and…

Inventors in Scandinavia are almost ready to bring a translator to the market that will communicate nothing but the truth. It is a dog-to-human translator called “No More Woof.” It will “interpret the electroencephalography of dogs and match it with one of a few premade English audio recordings.” “According…

In Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt writes, “I am part of a system that has created a whole host of means and methods, plans and strategies for doing church that require little if any power from God. And it’s not just pastors who are involved in this charade. I am…

New research suggests that the best way to reach a goal is make a specific plan and follow it, but for those striving for several goals at once, planning is not as effective. The study which appeared in the Journal of Consumer Research, compiled results from several experiments, which found that people…

GOD’S POWER In Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt writes, “God delights in using ordinary Christians who come to the end of themselves and choose to trust in his extraordinary provision. He stands ready to allocate his power to all who are radically dependent on him…

Fruit Farmers in California are turning to a new type of cannon to protect their crops. The cannons, called hail cannons, use explosive acetylene gas to shoot 200 mph sonic shockwaves into the air. In theory, the shockwaves break up hail in the clouds and turn it into extra rain before it hits the ground.…

INFLUENCE Recently the website, Askmen.com asked readers to cast votes for the man they thought was the most influential of 2009, resulting in a list of 49 men. Each had several qualities that made them influential. In some cases, it was wealth, in others ability in sports, celebrity status or media…

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier - not that the nature of the task has changed, but our ability to do has increased." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Albert Einstein

Starting Over I was working at a gas station for a short time when I was a teenager. On some days I busted flats in the back room. On other days I worked at a satellite station across town running the cash register. My boss let me work on my own pickup in the grease pit when the business was slow. My…

ABILITY In college we used to sell coupon books door to door, and we used to have a term--- “Create our own reality.” This meant that as soon as someone broke a sales record, it changed our entire outlook on our job. For example; If the record was 20 coupon books in four hours ( atypical workday) and…

Use what talents you have. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those which sang the best. Speakers Sourcebook; Eleanor Doan, page 244

Our gifts and talents should also be turned over to him. They should be recognized for what they are, God’s loan to us, and should never be considered in any sense our own. We have no more right to claim credit for special abilities than for blue eyes or strong muscles. “For who maketh thee to differ…

Shamgar had an oxgoad, David had a sling, Samson had a jawbone, Rahab had a string, Mary had some ointment, Aaron had a rod, Dorcas had a needle, All were used for God. Speaker's Sourcebook, Eleanor Doan, page 276

God does not want extraordinary people who do extraordinary things nearly so much as He wants ordinary people who do ordinary things extraordinarily well. And Jesus Said, William Barclay, page 165

My reflections {Geo Knox},usually weekly, will focus on the Lord's Supper with occasional comments on other topics, such as books I am reading, or thoughts inspired by something I have read. HOW MUCH DID JESUS WEIGH? How much do you think Jesus weighed? I imagine him as being about 5' 10" and maybe 142…

As one education expert put it, “Out current ceiling for students is really much closer to where the floor ought to be.” Harris, Alex & Brett, Do Hard Things, Multnomah Books, Portland, OR. Page 36

John Piper, pastor and author, defines a holy ambition as something that you really, really, really want to do—and that God wants you to do also. Some people would call this passion, but it’s passion under the lordship of Jesus Christ. What’s yours? Harris, Alex & Brett, Do Hard Things, Multnomah Books,…

For all of us, expectations are a self-fulfilling prophecy. In the words of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” Harris, Alex & Brett, Do Hard Things, Multnomah Books, Portland, OR. Page 41

The Secret of Our Power to Love Legend has it that a wealthy merchant traveling through the Mediterranean world looking for the distinguished Pharisee, Paul, encountered Timothy, who arranged a visit. Paul was, at the time, a prisoner in Rome. Stepping inside the cell, the merchant was surprised to find…

Joshua Bell emerged from the Metro and positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket. By most measures, he was nondescript—a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet,…