I'd like to think I'm going upriver in talking about world-view topics rather than particular political or controversial topics.

Do you purchase the first tree you see? Of course not. You search for the right one. You walk the rows. You lift several up and set them down. You examine them from all angles until you decide, This one is perfect. You have a place in mind where the tree will sit. Not just any tree will do. God does the same.

The Scripture says, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" [Psalm 118:24].Glory days are days that can happen right now. The key is understanding some basic principles that don't just apply to any one season of life but transcend all seasons of life - not allowing our circumstances to define our outlook on life, but allowing what God's Word says about life to define that outlook.

Do you believe that God is near? He wants you to. He wants you to know that He is in the midst of your world. Wherever you are as you read these words, He is present.

I believe for God not to allow pain to happen in the world is for Him to extract free will from the world.

You may be transferred, enlisted, commissioned, reassigned, or hospitalized - but brand this on your heart - you can never go where God is not.

Reading the Bible can be like meeting someone you don't know who, oddly, somehow seems to know you deeply. It's uncanny.