The desire to fit in is as common to humanity as goose poop on a sidewalk beside a pond. It's everywhere, homes, schools, workplaces, and yes even the church.
I love top-ten lists. My favorite part of watching the daily ESPN broadcast in high school was their Top 10 segment. It was always at the end of the broadcast which led me to believe I wasn't the only one who loved the Top 10. However, there are top 10 lists that are negative, such is the case when we consider...
"Hey, do you want to know a secret?", he asked with a boyish grin on his face. My reply was one of intrigue. "Do you know the best way to eat the french fries here"? he continued...
Stories are fascinating. They draw us in. They enamor us. Stories compel us toward compassion and action. They often teach in a far more effective way than any didactic monologue ever could. The greatest teachers of history knew the power of story.
Gasoline was my accelerant of choice that day. And it didn't take much. A small cup of gas, another match, and the same pile of wood, and the fire was blazing in just a few moments. That day I learned a valuable lesson, accelerants simply increase the speed in the direction in which something was already heading.
They say you should try walking in someone else's shoes. This is especially the case when it comes to compassion and sympathy. There are so many people that I have never walked in their shoes, including my children.