Editor’s Introduction
Night vision
In one of his psalms, King David wrote, speaking to God, “To you, the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”[[Psalm 139:12 NLT]] I’ve alw … »
“Who’ll take the Son?”
I recently reread the touching story of a wealthy man and his son who loved to collect works of art. (The story appears in several sermons and books, but the original aut … »
The quest for success
We may not all have the same definition of success, but who doesn’t want to be successful? And rightly so. The desire for comfort and security and the yearning for meanin … »
The treasure
God only knows why He put so many of this world’s most precious commodities in such hard-to-get-at places. If it was to test our wills—to see to what lengths we would be … »
Happy birthday, Activated!
This introduction page has traditionally served to present the issue’s topics, highlight an article or sometimes to share an anecdote or personal reflection. In keeping w … »
Keeping Christmas
Another Christmas is almost here, and if you’re like most people, you’re probably so busy with all that goes into Christmas that you haven’t yet found much time to stop a … »
The miracle berry
You may have heard about the miracle berry, which is an amazing little red berry found in West Africa that causes sour foods, like citrus fruit or hot sauce, to taste swe … »
A life well lived
The Bible has a lot to say on the topic of what our purpose in life should be. King Solomon, described in the Bible as the wisest man of his time, [[See 1 Kings 4:30.]] d … »
The best things
You may have seen the quote by American syndicated humorist Art Buchwald, [[1925–2007]] “The best things in life aren’t things.” It has a way of popping up in my mind whe … »
The cork and the steel bar
The Bible tells us that “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” [[James 5:16 NIV]] But most of us have probably wondered if our prayers really make … »
Nourish and flourish
It’s human nature to form quick opinions based on the things we see and hear, without taking the time to dig deeper. “Do you look at things according to the outward appea … »
Compelled and propelled
I’m sure most of us would look at Mother Teresa and people like her and think we could never be like that; we could never be so saintly or make such a difference in the l … »
Highs and lows
The Christian life is made up of mountains and valleys. There are times when we’re on exhilarating peaks of joy and happiness. And then there are times when we feel demor … »