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And now we have it….born again Christians have smaller brains than other members of the population. So says a recent article in USA Today, based on a study at Duke University.     But you might want to read the fine print. The study involved the difference in size of the hippocampus region of the brain, not generally viewed as a major contributor to intelligence (if at all). Most Scientists view the cerebral cortex, and it’s related partner, the corpus collosum, as contributi

Last month in New York City, 45 year-old Harold Luken walked into a Bank of America and announced that he had a gun and was going to rob the place. He then went to the teller line and told those in front of him to carry on their business. When he finally reached the teller, he again announced that he had a gun and told her to empty the contents of her register. Knowing the police were about arrive (since he had given them plenty of notice :-), she refused. So he then gave her

I doubt Joel Dobrin’s dog is, at least not anymore.     Dobrin was pulled over a few days ago for a routine traffic stop in Moro, Idaho. He had a stash of drugs stuffed in a sock, sitting next to him, and not wanting the officer to see it, flung it onto the floor of the back seat. Dobrin’s dog saw this as an opportunity for a game of fetch and jumped back to get it. The officer was still in the car awaiting radio response from the license check, so Dobrin reached for the sock

In the aftermath of Osama bin Laden’s death, I’ve been a bit surprised by the buzz among Christians all over Facebook and Twitter, and in private conversations, over whether or not it was appropriate for Americans, Christians specifically, to celebrate.     The arguments against rejoicing go something like this–– “Osoma bin Laden may have been an enemy, but Jesus taught us to love our enemies. The death of any human being is a tragedy, and we should never rejoice over any man

That’s the slogan of the Seabees, that group of over 300,000 courageous, hard-working men first called up during World War II who followed combat units into newly conquered territory. From the island hopping of World War II to the cold of Korea, to the jungles of Vietnam, to the mountains of Bosnia, and now to the desert of Afghanistan, the Seabees have built entire bases, bulldozed and paved thousands of miles of roadway and airstrips, built bridges and military bases and ha

My heart was broken as I read of the two fourteen-year-old girls who died together in a suicide pact last Saturday. Haylee Fentress and Paige Moravetz were found over the weekend, having hung themselves in one of the girl’s homes in Minnesota. Both girls had been struggling in school and saw themselves as outcasts. They were made fun of repeatedly by classmates. The one girl had recently moved from Indiana and was never accepted in her new school, other than by another bullie

Even those who have little interest in the Bible, Christianity or religion in general, have heard the hype, reactions and turmoil surrounding Rob Bell’s latest book, in which he reveals his latest theological thoughts. Bell, always the cutting edge hipster pastor/theologian, has embraced an old form of 19th century liberalism: universalism. He splits hairs with definitions and thereby refuses to call his position, “universalism”, but most of us would be hard pressed to see an

In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. “Your Majesty,” said Prior Richard, “do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.”     “I understand,” said Henry, “The rest of my life I will be obedient

Things are looking pretty scary. If you are even a casual student of the Bible, you are aware that in the end times, around the world and particularly in the mideast, events will unfold much like we are currently observing.     If you know me at all, you know I am not an alarmist. And I’m pretty skeptical of those guys on TV and radio who make a living on convincing their audience that the world is on the brink of Armageddon. (Then the audience in turn sends them a bunch of m

Stuart Briscoe shared the following account in his book, : "I visited a church in Florida, where the congregation had just built a new auditorium that cost $5 or $6 million. With great glee the people told me they had moved in debt free; they had paid for it in cash before they opened the doors. When I asked how they had done it, they told me, "Part of our membership requirement is that people tithe." Then they took me outside and showed me a three-or four-story, $11 million

There’s nothing like a bout with the flu to help you appreciate good health.     Brock, Linda and I went to Texas for the weekend, to visit my uncle and cousins. It was a great break from the weather here to enjoy sunny, 75 degree days, hiking and riding trails in east Texas.     But one of my cousins came down with something while we were staying at her house. She had a high fever, body aches, chills, stuffed head…..you know what I’m talking about. We soon left her house for

I just learned that another friend of mine is dying. Without previous warning, he began to experience what he thought were mild symptoms that gave him concerns and went for a check-up. Stage four liver cancer. A follow-up CAT scan revealed tumors in both his liver and his lungs. He still is unsure what he will do, but the prognosis offers no hope.     Death is all around us. Every time I visit someone in the hospital I am reminded that in that very building, someone is in pro