“First, I want to thank God.” That was a phrase I often heard watching winners at various award shows growing up.

In elementary school I was the kid some would label a “know it all.”

“Praise the Lord! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting!” (v.1, NLT).

Growing up, I was fascinated with fictional characters who had supernatural strength. I desperately wanted to activate this hidden strength within myself, yet I couldn’t even win an arm wrestling match.

The psalmist saw his world out of control and cried out, “Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (v. 1, NIV).

The American Cancer Society ran an ad on television showing a father lighting up a cigarette and smoking it. All the while, his young son is watching him.

At a high school graduation ceremony, the valedictorian of the class delivered a powerful message.

Several years ago there was a television commercial that said, “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.”

Many of us wish we knew what our future holds. Often it is not what we plan or think it might be.

Several years ago a father walked away from his family and left the mother to take care of several children. One of the boys became very bitter about what his father had done.