The other day a friend said to me, “Jim, do you have any idea how many men in our church have passed away in the last two to three years?” She went on to say that in most cases this leaves some woman alone to have to fend for herself. I told her that I knew of several, but I did not realize how many until she told me the number. This is a real problem, not only for women but for men who are up in years. This was…

My friend, if by chance you are having serious money problems, I hope you will really tune me in today, as I have a proven idea that could help you get your finances in better shape. To begin, allow me to tell you a true story that could help you get your finances in better condition. One year at tax time, my friend Rodger the Plumber came over to our house, and we were kind of comparing notes. He saw my income and then told me what his was. Even…

During our visit today I would like to tell you about an interesting experiment that contains a life-changing principle. The experiment begins in this manner: one time some research scientists took a large glass tank and filled it with water. Inside the tank they placed a large fish and a good number of small minnows. At this point, what do you suppose happened? If you said, the fish ate the minnows, give yourself one correct answer. You see, we are off to a good start already, but we continue, and…

Each and every year in our country there are thousands and thousands of people who are fired from their jobs. This is true for a plethora of reasons, not to mention those who are laid off during a downturn in the economy. Of course, most of these people are hired back when things pick up again. My wife Janis tells me that back in the days when Pickles Gap Village was going strong, she had a unique way of firing employees who were not working out. She said she semi-fired…

If I gave you a verse of scripture from the Bible with all but the last three words, what are the odds that you could finish it? Here it is: “Be sure, your sins will …”. If you know the Bible at all, you know those last three words are “FIND YOU OUT.” Here God is saying that when you commit sin, sooner or later someone is going to find out about it, and in most cases they will tell others. For me personally, and for millions of other Americans,…

A few days ago one of my friends in another state sent me something titled, “It Can’t Be My Boy.” For many people, this contains a very sobering message. Since I started writing this column, I have learned that you can be “sobered up” without having ever been drunk. Unfortunately, too many people are “sobered up” by something that happens to a loved one that has far greater consequences than simply having too much to drink.             As I have gotten older, from time to time I look back over…

To be sure, life is an exciting adventure, especially if you are always looking for new and exciting things to do. Sometimes we find exciting things in the most unexpected places. This is certainly true for me, as I discovered something truly exciting this past week. I read a fantastic book titled, “Free and Fearless: The Amazing Impact of One Precious Life”, by Phil Moser. After reading this book, I wrote Phil a note saying that, “if the position of president of your fan club is open, I would like…

As many of my readers know, I am the founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. This project was started in 2005 because of the terrible problem of illiteracy we have in our nation. There are 42 million American adults who cannot read at level one, the fifth grade. If you have any idea of what life is like without being able to read, then you can understand the cascade effect of illiteracy on individuals with this challenge, and on society.             To be sure, this is a generational…

If you are up to it, today I have a true story to tell you about a pastor and his cat that will make you chuckle each time you think about it. As I write this, only a few days after the snow, ice and frigid weather conditions, I certainly need something that will bring a smile to my face, and I hope you do, too.             This story was told some time back by Dwight Nelson about the pastor of his church, and as I said, this story is…