Think about these scenarios: Both of your parents are killed in an airplane crash and you are suddenly rich because of the insurance settlement you receive. Will you be comfortable investing that money or spending it on big ticket items since you have it only because of the tragedy that took your loved ones’ lives? Your spouse dies and you inherit a vast sum of money. Do you feel   [Read More …]

In his book, Hometown Tales, Quaker pastor Philip Gulley discusses two ways to measure growth. The first is a traditional method which has been used by parents for eons. Once a year, you stand the kids up next to a wall in their stocking feet and draw a line on the wall to measure the past year's growth. Gulley's parents measured him that way for years, and he measured his sons that way too. The   [Read More …]

When we listen to our dysfunctional congress and our eyes glaze over from the nightly news, it’s time to remind ourselves of Margaret Mead’s famous quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.   Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Our last column on Inequality: a Global Problem highlighted the work being done by four individuals who   [Read More …]

Several years ago I read that if you aren’t working on a problem that can’t be solved in less than a hundred years, you aren’t working on a big enough problem. Today there is one problem that is so big it is felt in every corner of the world. That problem is Inequality. Awareness of the impact of inequality on every aspect of our lives is growing and as a result an increasing number of people   [Read More …]

John D. Rockefeller was once asked by a reporter how much money is enough. His famous answer was, “Just a little bit more.” Really folks, that’s what America’s first billionaire said: “Just a little bit more.” What do you suppose his answer would have been if he had been asked, “How much less is enough?” Do you know what your answer would be to that question? And if you discovered you   [Read More …]

Ironically, one of the most expensive gifts in the world doesn’t cost a cent. It is a gift we give ourselves, even though we think we are giving it to someone else. Hard won and often years in coming, it is the gift of forgiveness. Whether we recognize them as such or not, the words Jesus spoke on the cross, “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing,” are meant for you and me,   [Read More …]

While tiny houses are a small but growing trend in the United States, there are many countries where they are the norm--not by choice, perhaps, but by local custom and/or necessity caused by lack of land, building materials, and financial resources. The tiny, circular homes in this picture are typical of those found in Botswana. While the structures provide sleeping quarters and shelter from   [Read More …]