Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Oct 27, 2008
When I was in high school Go-cart tracks were a fad. A friend of mine named Steve went to the local go-cart track a couple of times a week. One crucial fact about high school boys and go-carts: teen age boys will go as fast as that go-cart can possibly go every time. Combine that with the fact that
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Oct 27, 2008
But let’s take a little reality check and think for a minute about how our society has changed over the last twenty-five or so years in terms of how we think about money and possessions, about what we need and what we want. Before Melissa and I got married we took a pre-marital course with our
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Oct 27, 2008
In August an article in Parade Magazine quoting the Federal Reserve Board said, “If you’re like most Americans, you have four credit cards in your wallet—and you use them more than you should. Credit-card debt in the U.S. has reached a record high —nearly $1 trillion, according to the latest
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Sep 22, 2008
Many years ago now I served a small-town church in north central Kansas. The first week I was there two elderly ladies—twins named Mamie and Edith—asked me to visit them. They wanted to talk about being baptized and joining the church. They went to church every Sunday. As faithful and sweet as
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Sep 22, 2008
Healthy Shame
Healthy shame is that inner compass—-the gentle voice of God-—that tells me something is amiss in my life, and it motivates me to change or make amends so that I can be true to myself.
My first year of college was a bit of an exercise of 'livin la vida loca.' I didn't do well in
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Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Oct 9, 2006
based on 1 rating
| 2,318 views
Have you seen the movie Antwone Fisher? It’s the true story of a young man abandoned at birth by his mother and then raised in abusive orphanages, foster homes, and reform schools. Denzel Washington adapted the story into a movie that was released a few years ago. After his 18th birthday, Antwone
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Jul 11, 2002
based on 13 ratings
| 3,093 views
FULFILLING MY TASK
“[Most people] act as if they were simply dropped down in creation and have to entertain [them] selves until [they] die. But we [Christians] were sent into the world by God, just as Jesus was. Each of us has a mission in life.
Jesus prays to his Father for his followers,
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Jul 11, 2002
based on 4 ratings
| 2,487 views
The McIlhenry Tabasco Sauce folks have adopted the Scoville Heat Unit scale to rate the spiciness of their sauce. To give you an idea, catsup would be about a zero on the Scoville heat unit scale. Their mild Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce would rate about 600 Scoville Heat Units; their medium
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 29, 2001
based on 85 ratings
| 2,501 views
One of the greatest marathoners in the world is a Kenyan woman named Tegla Loroupe. She is also one of the smallest. Tegla Loroupe is just under 5 feet tall and weighs a mere 88 pounds. For more than five years she’s been among the top marathoners in the world.
Tegla said in an interview that
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 29, 2001
based on 135 ratings
| 2,932 views
In the 2000 summer Olympics, the USA women’s softball team won its second gold-medal. Lisa Fernandez is their pitcher. One commentator says that she is “arguably the best women’s softball pitcher the world has ever seen. She has found a source of strength and support that bridges all the highs
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Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 29, 2001
based on 156 ratings
| 6,775 views
One of the most touching moment in the Sydney Olympics was when Eric "The Swimmer" Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea swam in the 100-meter free style qualifying heat. The 22-year-old African had only learned to swim last January, had only practiced in a 20-meter pool without lane markers, and had
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Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 22, 2001
based on 92 ratings
| 2,001 views
Dr. Henry Cloud and John Townsend teach that, ?as a rule, children don?t know what they are doing. They have little idea how to handle life so that it works right. That?s why God gave them parents ? to love them, give them structure and guide them into maturity. [From Focus on the Family website:
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 22, 2001
based on 93 ratings
| 1,793 views
[Children have] a great need to know where behavioral boundaries are and who has the courage to enforce them. Years ago, during the early days of the progressive-education movement, an enthusiastic theorist decided to take down the chain-link fence that surrounded the nursery-school yard. He
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 22, 2001
based on 93 ratings
| 1,929 views
Mary Pipher, the author of Reviving Ophelia says children need both and control (limits) and affection (grace). ?These two dimensions interact to produce different outcomes for teenagers. Low-control and low-acceptance parents produce teens with a variety of problems including delinquency and
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United Methodist
Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 7, 2001
based on 66 ratings
| 2,150 views
On a scale of 1 to 10, how optimistic are you about your future? In that great mid-life crisis movie, City Slickers, Billy Crystal’s character Mitch attends career day at his son’s grade school. Mitch is anything but optimistic. His son had told everyone that his dad was a submarine captain, but
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United Methodist