I used to be a consummate Christmas shopper. By the time December hit, I was way ahead of the game. I would have a mountain of bargain finds, admired goodies and toys to die for tucked away on a shelf just waiting to be wrapped and stowed lovingly under the tree. I found that shopping ahead spread the financial burden throughout the year and helped me avoid the last-minute holiday shopping rush. read more

I recently celebrated a birthday and was blessed with a barrage of cards and gifts. Well-wishing friends and relatives called, sent cards, gave gifts and took me to lunch.

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. I felt loved and special. The years, which are considerable, seemed richer as I faced yet another chapter of my life. read more 12:00AM EST 11/22/2010

Someone once said, "One man's junk is another man's treasure." Or woman's in my wife's case. She loves yard sales—a lot. On Saturday mornings, when I should be allowed to sleep in, she wakes me up at dawn. She is already dressed and has the newspaper spread out on the counter. The classified section is open, and the page is covered with bright yellow circles. read more

Removing jealousy from our own lives is hard enough. It's even more complicated when we encounter jealousy from others. How should we handle another's jealousy? What is the proper response? Again, Jesus is our perfect example: We should overlook it.

Jesus did not say to those who were jealous of Him, "The trouble with you is that you're jealous." That would never do. read more

1:00AM EDT 10/25/2010