C'mon, Get Happy!

Thirty years ago, 36 percent of Americans said that
they were "very happy" and another 53 percent called

themselves "pretty happy."

In 2006, only 32 percent called themselves "very happy"

and 55 percent said they were "pretty happy." Our sense

of happiness has barely budged despite increased prosperity

and even greater improvements in our standard of living.

LISTEN!!!

MORE!!!

Faith & Fathers

In study after study, the absence of fathers is linked
to a host of what social scientists call "adverse outcomes"
in the lives of children. These adverse outcomes affect
all of society—increased crime, substance abuse, and
dropping out of school, to name but a few.

LISTEN!!!

MORE!!!

Exploring The Neighborhood

The literature I have loved most has taken me to windows
of other worlds and other countries. Whether a Hobbit in
the Shire or...

MORE!!!

What Do You Think Of Slavery?

I suspect most readers would immediately denounce
slavery as a scourge on humanity. But in the eighteenth
century, much of western society accepted slavery and
the slave trade. It took heroic efforts by dedicated leaders
to turn the tide...


MORE!!!

Does the phrase "rest for the weary" evoke in you
feelings of longing? In our society, although our
conveniences are always increasing, our obligations
and worries seem to increase at least twice as fast.

We may get adequate physical rest, but many find
themselves with nowhere to go to find rest for their
souls. Although our fast-paced lifestyles may add
to our exhaustion, soul-weariness is symptomatic
of a universal human need for rest.


MORE!!!

Hero Hunting

You may have to look beyond the silver screen
to find the truly great heroes.


MORE!!!

The Wildness Inside

There was a movie a few years ago called "The Horse
Whisperer." I thought it was about a man with laryngitis,
but it's actually about this man who has an amazing ability
to gentle horses - horses that it seems no one else can tame.

In fact, the main character was modeled after a real man
whose skill in gentling and training wild mustangs is almost
legendary. In the past, people have used some pretty brutal
methods to force a horse into submission. But the real horse
whisperer doesn't "break horses." He uses body language and,
yes, some quiet talking as his tools to gentle a horse that other -
wise would be uncontrollable.

LISTEN!!!

MORE!!!

The "MORE" link only works

correctly for 24 hrs. however

the "LISTEN" works forever!

Is Our Future Determined Or Free?

The issue of free-will and predestination is one that has
raised its head in every generation. Do we exercise choice,
or has everything already been decided? The resultant
mental gymnastics leave many feeling confused, and others
feeling disappointed. Did you choose to read this article,
or...

MORE!!!

Moving The Equator North

Like other northern European countries, Denmark has
historically been a homogeneous society. Also like its
neighbors, this has changed in recent years with the
arrival of immigrants from what's called the "Global
South."

The religious fervor of some of these immigrants, like
that of immigrants to other European countries, has
shaken things up among the "notoriously staid" Danes.
But if you're thinking this is "another story about Muslims
in Europe," guess again.

LISTEN!!!

MORE!!!

Whatever Happened???

Whatever happened to Jesus' Disciples???


FIND OUT!!!

Coming To Ourselves

There is a line in the story of the prodigal son that is
easy to miss. It comes as the transition in the story,
but it also seems to mark the transition in the son.

Not long after the younger son demands the right
to live as he pleases, after he leaves with his father's
money and gets as far away as possible, and after
he loses everything and is forced to hire himself
out in the fields, the story reads that the prodigal
came to himself and, at this, he decides to turn
back to the father.


MORE!!!

The Me-Centered Family

The lead in a recent Washington Post article paints a disturbing
picture: "Children rank as the highest source of personal fulfillment
for their parents but have dropped to one of the least-cited factors
in a successful marriage, according to a national survey."

What's the matter with that sentence? Too much to unpack entirely
in a few minutes, but let's zero in on those two enticing words:
"personal fulfillment." The emphasis on that idea tells us a lot
about what's really wrong with marriage and family today.

LISTEN!!!

MORE!!!

Lead Our Age

Throughout history, 20-somethings have made
remarkable leaders. Will you be one of them?


MORE!!!

In Office

The word "pardon" finds its roots in the Latin "perdonare,"
which means to give wholeheartedly. In countries all over
the world each year, such pardons are given by sovereign
powers to accused persons, conveying the forgiveness of
crimes and their associated penalties.

In the United States, the authority for granting pardons
for federal crimes lies with the president. It was on his
final day in office that George Washington granted the
first high-profile federal pardon. Today, U.S. presidents
receive upwards of 600 petitions for forgiveness a year.
The percentage granted varies from president to president.


MORE!!!

A Mysterious Exchange

English mystery writer Agatha Christie is treasured for
the detective stories that got her dubbed the "queen of
crime."

Waxed mustache and all, Hercule Poirot, the professional
sleuth who appears in more than 30 of her books, is considered
one of the most enduring characters in fiction.

He is remembered as the egotistical Belgian detective who
solved multifaceted cases with the help of his "little grey
cells"; he is also an amusing source of useful quotations.

In one of his meticulous investigations, Poirot tells his
sidekick, "There is nothing so dangerous for anyone who
has something to hide as conversation! A human being,
Hastings, cannot resist the opportunity to reveal himself
and express his personality which conversation gives him.
Every time he will give himself away."

MORE!!!