Houdini’s secret, part one

Hebrews 12:1–3

Erich Weiss was a remarkable man. 

By the time of his death he was famous around the world. 

Never heard of him, huh? 

Maybe this will help. He was born of Hungarian-Jewish parentage at Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1874. He became the highest-paid entertainer of his day. 

That still doesn’t help much, does it? This will. 

The problem with progress, part one

1 Kings 17–19

Progress seems like a two-headed giant, doesn’t it? 

Looking back on it, it is admirable, almost heroic. We salute visionaries of yesteryear. They emerge from the pages of our history books as men and women of gallant faith. We shake our heads in amazement as we imagine the herculean courage it took to stand so confidently when the majority frowned so sternly. Yesterday’s progress earns for itself today’s monuments of stone. 

The turning point, part one

Jonah 2:1–9

I remember it well. Almost as clearly as if it happened last month. But it didn’t. It happened deep in the summer of ’58. I was a Marine. Almost eight thousand miles of ocean between me and my wife. One-word descriptions of my condition? Disillusioned. Stretched. Learning. Lonely. Determined. Sincere. Uncertain. Afraid.

A round tuit, part two

Proverbs 16:3–9

In Part One, I presented you with your own (round) tuit—the solution to those procrastination problems you’ve been having. Yep, no longer will you need to say: 

“I should take care of that—and I will as soon as I get a (round) tuit.” 

You’ve got it! 

Now, let’s take a look at what the Bible says about this. I’ll bet Solomon had a (round) tuit. Maybe he got his from Moses, who once wrote: 

Understatements

Proverbs 10:19

You’ve heard of “too little and too late.” 

How about “too many and too much”? That’s the way I’d describe our times. In a society overrun with overstatements, I find an occasional “not quite enough” a sheer delight.