Man Encounters Lazy Shoe Repair Shop

I read a story in the L. A. Times a long time ago. A guy goes to the house where he grew up and knocks on the door. Because he hadn't been there for ...

"The Power of Forgiveness": Beyond Human Evil

The Power of Forgiveness is a collection of seven short stories that, taken together, reveal the limits, difficulties, healing qualities, and unforeseen ...

Balloon Stomp Game Raises Interesting Question

Robert Roberts writes about a 4th grade class in which the teacher introduced a game called The Balloon Stomp. A balloon was tied to every child's ...

"Song for My Sons": Sara Groves on Leaving a Legacy

In an interview with Carolyn Arends, singer and songwriter Sara Groves explains why she begins her 2007 album Tell Me What You Know, which primarily addresses ...

A New Life from One Red Paperclip

Stuck in a dead-end job and strapped for money, Kyle MacDonald came up with an improbable plan: starting with one red paperclip, he would trade on the ...

Gratitude Is Good for Your Health

Robert Emmons, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, and psychology professor Michael McCullough of the University of ...

Fire Victim: "We Have a Lot to Be Thankful For"

Fire swept through Southern California from the north of Los Angeles to the Mexican border during October, 2007. Five hundred thousand acres were burned ...

Drought Uncovers Treasure

The summer drought of 2007 allowed scientists and archaeologists in Florida to look through a window into the state's past and uncover hidden treasures ...

No Fishing Out Hotel Windows

Haddon Robinson writes about something the apostle Paul could certainly identify with, namely, the tendency of the law to put ideas in our heads:

The law ...

The Risk of Hope

To hope is to risk frustration. Therefore, make up your mind to risk frustration.

—Thomas Merton, Trappist monk and writer (1915–1968)