The Bible’s Old Testament tells the story of God’s gift of free will and how humankind turned that free will into self-will. The narrative of this self-will rebellion unfolds throughout the books of the Old Testament. God’s rigorous response and unfailing compassion become clear as we read through this account. Genesis 1-11: The Primeval Story…
The Great Divorce, a novel by British author C.S. Lewis, explores his concept of purgatory. The ideas presented in the novel draw upon the writings of St. Augustine, Dante Alighieri, John Milton, John Bunyan, Emanuel Swedenborg, William Blake, Lewis Carroll, and George MacDonald. According to Dante Alighieri, C.S. Lewis, and others, purgatory represents a spiritual…
After describing the creation of the cosmos, the Bible focuses on Adam and Eve, the first humans. They lived in the Garden of Eden, where the LORD God made all kinds of trees to grow out of the ground–trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden…
In the year 2025, I propose to write a synopsis of the Bible with my personal commentaries appended. Whether I turn out to be the hero of my determination or whether that station will be held by someone else, time will tell. The Bible tells the story of God and His relationship with humankind. Using…
Mark Twain wrote: “Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong word. To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. Take the time to find those words. The difference between the almost right word and the right word is a large matter. ’tis the difference between the lightning bug…
The purpose of prayer is to develop a relationship with God. When we have a relationship with God, he blesses us. God desires for his children to prosper, but prosperity doesn’t refer to acquiring material possessions like money, success, or power. Instead, God wants us to prosper spiritually, to grow spiritually, to thrive spiritually. He…
The Hebrew Bible, known as the Tanakh, is organized into three main sections: The Mishnah was created to preserve Jewish law and guide daily life. Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi, also known as Judah the Prince, compiled the Mishnah in Palestine around 200 CE. The Mishnah is divided into six primary sections: The Talmud, a commentary on the Mishnah,…
A recent survey of 35,000 Americans by the Pew Research Center found that nearly one in four adults in the United States reported no religious affiliation. Economic uncertainty, global instability, technological advances, and demographic transitions have created a crisis within the church. The traditional definition of family has evolved; it is no longer just a…
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For several decades, I have recognized that attention deficit disorder can linger into adulthood. Finally, research confirms my convictions. Truveta, a healthcare data and analytics company, found that from January 2021 to 2024, the rate of first-time diagnoses rose 60 percent among those ages 30 to 44 and 64 percent among those ages 45 to…
Psilocybin, LSD, and other psychedelic drugs have been federally prohibited since the early 1970s. However, government restrictions have not stopped people from using them. Researchers from the RAND Corporation estimate that eight million adults in the U.S. used psilocybin in 2023. A December 12, 2024, article in the New York Times highlights the growing popularity…
Traditional computers process information by manipulating numbers stored in siliconchips as “bits.” Each bit can represent either a 1 or a 0. These computers rely on acentral processing unit (CPU), which consists of circuits of bits that interpret programinstructions and execute arithmetic and logic operations. A supercomputer consists of multiple CPUs. Unlike traditional computers,supercomputers can…
There are many theories about who wrote the plays attributed to William Shakespeare.One theory suggests that Francis Bacon may have penned some of these works, whileanother posits that a woman could have been the true author. Recently, several fictionalaccounts have been created around these ideas. However, the straightforward historicalevidence indicates that Shakespeare himself wrote the…
Three decades ago, I burned myself out trying to keep up with all the brilliant doctors at DukeUniversity Medical Center. I was stagnant, frustrated, and apathetic. I felt like the student whenthe teacher asked, “Johnny, what’s apathy?” Johnny answered, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.” One Sunday morning, I dragged myself out of bed…
A couple of days ago, I had a pity party. The problem with a pity party is that nobody comes, soI wallowed in my misery alone. Then I reminded myself: Anybody can have a positive attitude when things are going well. It’show you act when things are going badly that determines the strength of your character….
All of us who have ever filed a tax return are familiar withThe United States Tax Code, but few have actually laideyes on it, and I highly doubt anyone has had the patienceto read this 74,608-page monstrosity.I decided to look online. Within two minutes, I fell asleep.It is Ambien in print.The tax code is not…
I’ve lost my hairLosing my mindNo breath to spareNo teeth to grindMy joints have woreMy feet are soreMy chin has tripledMy legs are crippledIf I think of youMy troubles are fewYou make life newWhen I’m with you
The lazy, crazy hazy days of summer are over. Time for school. Time for work . Time tobegin the fiscal New Year. Time for priorities. From your dreams come goals. From your goals come a list of activities. From youractivity list come priorities. From priorities come the fulfillment of your dreams. Dream expansively. Dream luxuriously….
The 80/20 rule comes from Pareto, an Italian economist, who found that: Focus eighty percent of your energy on the 20% of the activities that pay dividends.