Planting trees
“The Man Who Planted Trees,” by Jean Giono, is the allegorical tale of Elzéard Bouffier, a humble shepherd who single-handedly transformed a barren region of southern Fra... »
Articles
Shine your light!
I first met Marina almost 20 years ago at a workshop organized by a Japanese NGO for Bosnian refugee women. She was warm and friendly and was definitely adding her own ve... »
How to make a difference
A sad part of my day is when I listen to the news. Almost everything is about people facing terrible situations. Both Christians and non-Christians face very painful suff... »
Who is my neighbor?
I was reading the familiar story of the Good Samaritan [[See Luke 10:25–37.]] from a well-illustrated cartoon Bible to a group of eight- to nine-year-old Sunday school st... »
George’s story
“This humanitarian work you do—is there some religious motivation? If it’s religious, I’m an atheist.” The old bum tugging at my arm looked more like a beast than a man.... »
The power of a smile
Smiles are powerful. You’ve probably met a few gifted people, like I have, who radiate warmth and friendliness all the time. They smile so much that just being around the... »
The joy of serving
For the last few years, I’ve volunteered in a project teaching underprivileged youngsters. I was brought up in a typical Indian upper-middle-class family, and for most of... »
Looking outwards
Life can be so incredibly busy, and that can hinder our spiritual lives. It can be a struggle to find the time to commune with God, to spend time in His presence and in H... »
Make someone’s day
Have you ever had a bad day just because you crossed paths with someone who was in a foul mood? Maybe it was someone on the bus or another customer in a store—someone who... »
To learn and to grow
Children are natural learners. As long as their basic needs are met, their thirst for new information and experiences is boundless. If they’re happy and have interesting... »
Don’t roll over, Beethoven
When my father had me listen to Beethoven's 6th Symphony for the first of many times, he was undoubtedly trying to impart to me his passion for classical music. I was on... »
Chasing problems?—Or pre-empting them?
Most of us are pretty busy people. We usually have more to think about and tend to than we can actually fit into our day. We all want to stay on top of our lives, but for... »