Focusing intently on Christ naturally results in a lifestyle of increasingly greater selflessness. And it has another benefit. Gazing on Christ gives us greater ability to look past life's trials and remain calm in the midst of what others would call chaos.

Thanksgiving is a time of quiet reflection; an annual reminder that God has, again, been ever so faithful. The solid and simple things of life are brought into clear focus.

Courage is not limited to the battlefield or the Indianapolis 500 or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody's looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you're misunderstood.

I believe firmly in God's control in life.

We aren't just thrown on this earth like dice tossed across a table. We are lovingly placed here for a purpose

Tell yourself right now and throughout today, that it's okay to draw away from the maddening crowd. Jesus did; so can you.

When a church is spending more of its budget on media than shepherding, something is out of whack. We have gotten things twisted around.