Daily Got a Minute Message with John Ed

Sometimes a law’s influence goes way beyond what was intended. This happened recently at a Ford-Lincoln dealership in Kansas. They had a sale for a F-250 pickup truck, but then realized that a robin had built a nest on one of its tires and laid four eggs in it. A federal law kept the company from moving the Ford pickup truck. They advertised they had the only F-250 in America that was protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. When the eggs hatched, the nest was removed but the people at the dealership became too invested in the babies to rush them out. The buyers understood and they were thanked for being “incredibly understanding” about the situation. How understanding are you about situations that arise that might be beyond your control?

When somebody puts you to the test, how far will you go to prove your point. If you are sure you are correct, what is the limit? A man in India was trying to access the account of his dead sister. The bank staff indicated that he would have to bring the account holder to the bank in order to access her deposited assets. When he explained to him that she was dead, he said they did not listen to me. He went and exhumed his dead sister and carried her skeleton to his local bank. This was pretty good proof that he was telling the truth. The new digital term is “two-factor authentication.” I guess this action satisfies that. If you know that you are correct on some issue, how far are you willing to go to prove your point?

Some games may have gone out of style in the past and then made a comeback. Do you remember playing with hacky sacks years ago? You would volley a crocheted bean bag with your feet. That’s coming back today among students, and they are even hacky sacking in competitive leagues tracked by dedicated social media accounts. This created a real demand for more hacky sack bags. A 41-year-old high school teacher, Chris Grouzes, in Pennsylvania almost daily has people asking to buy some of his dusty hacky sacks. It’s becoming a good business for somebody. God’s game of redeeming people who have gone astray has never gone out of style, and is more in need and preference today. Be sure you win at that game.

At Texas Tech University commencement this past June, a service dog named Sadie was invited to walk on stage and receive her own diploma, alongside her owner, graduating senior Makaela Muse. Muse adopted Sadie and trained her as a service animal when she was diagnosed with a genetic disorder after starting college. Sadie helped get her master through school. I love that the Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec came up with the idea of recognizing the service dog. He awarded Sadie a ribbon-wrapped bone as a “special treat for a sweet doggie.” Muse was most pleased that the university recognized her service dog. She confessed that “Sadie’s honestly smarter than I am most days.” Who do you need to recognize and encourage today?

The Libertarian National Committee had a proposal at their convention that they would have a “business casual” dress code. The committee deadlocked 5-5 in voting. The party chairman even said that if the measure had passed, “one thing about libertarians is if you tell them what to do, they’re probably going to do the opposite.” I don’t think that’s limited to libertarians. I believe that when America adopts a standard for conduct, we ought to follow it. I think if I agreed to be a member of some organization, I need to follow what the rules and requirements are. If I don’t agree with them, I either need to try to change them or leave the organization. It’s important to be a responsible member of a group. It doesn't mean that you have to agree with everything about the group, but you have to be comfortable in following the rules.

Affordability is a big issue today. I read recently where there is an issue that both democrats and republicans were agreeing on—it deals with rotisserie chicken. Currently, SNAP benefits cannot be used on hot prepared food, but the “Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act” is being supported by people on both sides of the aisle. A democrat supporter of the republican legislation has even given a big shout out to Costco. He must have a good lobbyist. He says that “America’s best and delicious affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken.” I wish politicians would find a lot more things that they would agree on and work toward unity rather than diversity. Rotisserie chicken might a good starting point.

A recent study at Harvard showed that A’s now make up 60% of all course grades, which is up 24% from 2005. A new proposal would cap the number of A grades at 20% per course. Maybe 60% of A’s indicate that a lot of students are working harder today, or are smarter, or doing something to earn more A’s than they did in 2005. The students are protesting because they say that giving out grades should be based on performance. Competition might not always be fair, but it is an important ingredient in evaluation. It will be interesting to see whether the Harvard students or the faculty wins this issue. How do you think we are being graded in life? The Bible has a simple standard that God uses for grading our life—it’s grace. But, grace must be received.

Every person has to decide how to let your light shine, be the salt of the earth, and share the Good News. How do you do it? Rev. Phillip Thornton of the Dauphin County’s Legacy Faith Church in Pennsylvania used a unique but questionable way. During his preaching, he pulled out an AR-15-style rifle and started waving it around. It was reported that he even pointed it at the congregation. The authorities checked it and it was unloaded. Thornton’s friend said that his intentions were to “encourage spiritual violence toward unbelief.” I like his intention, but I think he needs to re-evaluate and get a better way to communicate it. Sometimes we just need to use good common sense. How are you encouraging people to help eliminate false faith and unbelief?

Be sure you pick your battles. Neil the Seal is a 2,200-pound elephant seal who goes on a rampage in southern Tasmania crushing fences, obstructing roads, tearing down bollards, and crashing into parked cars. He seems to do this every year at about this time in the town of Hobart. It is common for male seals to try to have dominant battles with other seals, but Neil prefers to go after manmade objects. One local resident, Dale Creamer, said, “It’s Neil’s world and we are just living in it.” Pick your battles carefully. There is enough to confront without trying to prove your dominance and battles that will not make any difference. Use your energy in an effort to combat the things that can be detrimental to you.

Recently, an English dog trainer, Christina Bluhme, was mountain climbing with her black Labrador. The dog must have found a cannabis gummy on the trail and ate it. The five-year-old dog named Tokyo began swaying and got really weak in her hind quarters. Christina had to call for help, and a rescue crew put Tokyo on a stretcher and carried him to a vet who was able to diagnose the problem and treat it. Even a dog had to be rescued from cannabis. The dog may or may not have been able to sense the danger of eating the gummy, but it was true that his choice did lead to a consequence that could have been detrimental. When you make a choice, be sure you remember that choice will have a consequence. Good consequences are the result of good choices.

Sometimes a positive action can become contagious for other people to follow. Kaedi Cecala was diagnosed with a deadly bone marrow disease. She waited for two months on a stem cell transplant registry. She was finally matched with a lady named Karol who offered the transplant, and Kaedi became cancer-free. When Kaedi got married, Karol and her husband flew to be guests at her wedding. Guess what? Each guest was encouraged to take a simple cheek swab and join the transplant registry. Karol said, “Somewhere out there your Kaedi may still be waiting.” Karol not only helped save the life of Kaedi but suggested a procedure that will probably help a lot of other people to live. What can you do today?

Relationships are often the best medicine to help with healing—even in animals. Barley is a golden retriever who is recovering from epilepsy on Long Island. She started treatment in 2024 and slowly lost her playfulness. Then the family brought home a Pekin duckling and a relationship was developed. Every morning, Barley would go to the duck’s outdoor pen which has a wind-protected shed and a small pool. They enjoy each other’s company. The owner said, “Louie the duck has no idea that he’s a duck. He thinks he’s a dog.” The dog and the duck have become almost inseparable. The family says that the relationship has brought back the joy and playfulness of Barley. The relationship has certainly cured his loneliness. How good are your relationships today?

I remember several times in my life experts saying that it is healthy to drink coffee. Then they said that it is unhealthy to drink coffee. Then a few years later, that changes. Just recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) has advised that drinking up to five cups of coffee a day is not only safe but also may lower the risk of stroke, heart failure, and type 2 diabetes. A New York-based cardiologist, Dr. Eugenia Gianos, after reviewing the AHA's research findings, was quoted saying that physicians may be able to recommend coffee to patients in the future. That health advice may fluctuate and change. One thing that never changes or fluctuates is God’s promise to walk with us in all phases of our life, even those we think are good or bad, or even if we drink coffee or don’t drink coffee. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The headlines read that Christmas has come in July this year because 36 Santas and Mrs. Clauses and elves met in Denmark for the 69th World Santa Claus Congress. It’s a time when employees of the yuletide season begin to talk about making Santa look more real, swap interesting stories, and try to sharpen their skills. They have Santa impersonators that come from as far away as Japan and the U.S. One person said, “Christmas isn’t a season, it’s a feeling.” I believe that Christmas is more than a feeling. It’s a gift of God’s Son to the world. Santa Clauses are impersonators—the Giver of Life is for real. Every day ought to be a celebration of the joy and happiness that He brings. Christmas doesn’t only come in December and July, but can come every day.

A rapper paid $600,000 to Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman to get them to secure a pardon for the rapper from President Trump. They actually told him that they had secured the pardon but now have discovered that they haven’t given it to him, and they have said that they are effectively bankrupt and cannot return the cash. The rapper has been rapped. I’m glad that God will give us a pardon and we don’t have to pay $600,000. We do have to be honest and sincere and understand that we receive the pardon with no intent of being guilty of it again. Receive God’s pardon for your sins. You can’t pay for it and you can depend on it.

When you become the recipient of a mistake which was either deliberate or not deliberate, how do you handle that mistake? Nancy Stritto is 76 years old and lives in a Pompano Beach retirement community. She ordered a new car tag, and the license plate number came by SQZA55. The problem was that the 5s looked like S’s and she went ballistic. The county officials said they would replace the plate, but her friends encouraged her to keep it. She decided to do that. She said, “I can handle if I get a few honks. Actually, being over 70, I might like a few honks.” When you face a situation, mistake or not, how do you handle it? You will have consequences.

When Marcus Wright reached the summit of a Swiss mountain in the spring of 2026, he pulled out a cold beer and snapped a photo of himself. This 31-year-old has a goal to drink 1 million beers with 1,000 strangers. They have to take a photo of every beer they drink, and it is logged in the group tally. I guess he’s got a thousand buddies who are not worried about their livers or their health. One of the people with him said, “Drinking beer is a big pastime.” There’s a better way to pass your time and not be engaged in something that’s going to help your time pass quickly and lose your health, and be in the past. What is your goal for 2026? Are you accomplishing it? Who is on your team? Is your goal contributing to your health? Is your goal worth striving to reach?

Some people have a knack for turning trash into treasure. Dustin Crum owns a pizzeria in Florida. He has begun accepting dead snakes killed during the python hunting contest and using it as payment for a pizza. He doesn’t sell them; he just receives them as payment for a pizza. He turns the carcasses into pizza toppings, skin care products, and jewelry. I think he is actually within the law because he is not selling them but using them in a barter system. I don’t think I want to eat one of his pizzas, but all of us ought to be learning how to take things that are being discarded and turn them into something that is useful as a treasure. God is good at that. What trash can you turn into a treasure today?

It’s so important in life to know what is valuable and to know that some people can turn things of no value into things of value. Justin Gignac salvaged trash after the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey wedding at Madison Square Garden. There was a lot of trash. He picked up things like cigarette butts, bent up programs, and candy wrappers. He put them in plastic bags and sold them for $25 apiece. He took trash and turned it into a small treasure. That’s what God can do with our lives. He takes situations that are tough for us to handle and uses them to become stepping stones to something better. Let Him show you how He can change a problem into a possibility, and how He can take what you consider trash and turn it into a treasure.

When we make a mistake, we should not look for somebody to cover up our mistake for us or fail to acknowledge that we were wrong. This happened in golf recently in the British Open. Bryson DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty because he improved his lie by mashing down some of the grass. Bryson initially threatened to call President Trump to see if he could remove the penalty. Many of the golfers playing with him were disappointed in his reaction to the penalty. When you receive a correction, justified or not, how do you react to it? If you are wrong, are you willing to admit that you are wrong and move on to doing something better? If you are right, are you willing to humbly accept the fact that referees and officials sometimes make mistakes, and move on? It’s your choice.

It has just been revealed by Peruvian authorities that 91 newborn babies were named “Erling Haaland” during the FIFA World Cup. Another 486 babies were named Haaland. All of this was a tribute to Norway’s star striker, Erling Haaland. That influence in the present that will have a huge influence for the future. What kind of difference are you making today that will also contribute to a difference in the future? One football or soccer player will see his name in over 575 new babies. I hope that you are doing something that will be really great. It would be a great failure to live your life and make an excuse rather than making a difference. The greatest danger is succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter. What are you doing for the future?

Josh Kerr set a goal this year to break the record for the men’s mile. Roger Bannister was the first to break the 4-minute mile in 1954. The last time the world record for the mile was broken was in 1999. In July 2026, Josh broke the world record by running the mile in 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds. It took a lot of discipline and hard work. He utilized altitude training and technology and had several people who paced him. Goals are easy to set, but difficult to attain. God has a great goal for you to be the person that He created you to be. How well are you reaching that goal? Run well your race. Be sure you can say with Paul that you have run a good race and you finished the course and you have kept the faith. That’s achieving the best goal in life.

Victoria Nodiff-Netanel wanted to teach miniature horses to play a portable piano. It sounds impossible. Instead of finding an excuse, she started teaching them to run their muzzles across a keyboard creating tunes that might not be totally correct but are at least very entertaining. They visit hospitals and try to offer encouragement to children who have been rescued from abusive households and families that have been displaced by last year’s wildfires. She said, “It’s pretty hard not to smile and feel joy when you see a little tiny horse playing a keyboard.” Today, are you willing to quit making excuses and try something that most folks say can’t be done? If Victoria can teach a miniature horse to play the piano—God can help you accomplish what He leads you to do.

What is America’s greatest unsung innovation. I saw that title and it intrigued me. It was not the internet or the light bulb or airplanes or refrigerators, but it was one guy named John Dorr who proposed as a lifesaver a white line on the right side of the road. You depend on it every day without thinking about it. The white line gives drivers somewhere to aim their eyes at night other than oncoming headlights. It was cheap and helpful to everyone who drives. A simple white line, and some special paint, and a great idea have reportedly saved the lives of thousands of people. What you do might seem to be simple and not cost very much, but could be extremely important. How creative can you be today?

What do you do to make yourself appear that you are really tough? There’s a new craze in Russia where a person who wants to be extremely masculine looking can pay to get “cauliflower ears” which is usually seen on boxers and MMA fighters. It costs about $80 per ear. The cauliflower ears naturally develop when frequent blows to the ear cause blood clotting and fluid around the cartilage. A psychologist said that this simply gives an appearance of “ostentatious masculinity.” The psychologist goes on to say that it’s really not as convincing as the people who pay $160 think because it can be so easily spotted. Don’t try to put up a false front—just be the person God created you to be and don’t try to make a false appearance.

Some things seem to never go away, even if we try to forget about them. You can ask a Chinese man named Deng who is 67 years old and was recently hospitalized with excruciating abdominal pain. Thirty years earlier, he had swallowed a cigarette lighter when he was drinking and took a dare. His mistake is still plaguing him 30 years later. He underwent a gastroscopy to find the source of the pain and the doctors saw it. It was actually a blackened object that had been corroded by stomach acid. To their amazement, when they retrieved it, the lighter still worked. Deng said that he had tried to forget all about it. He didn’t expect it to stay that long. When you do something wrong, it will show up later with bad consequences. Confess, receive God’s forgiveness, and you can have a different future.

How is the best way to relate to someone going through a tough time? Sam Aggarwal owns a bagel shop in Wyckoff, New Jersey. He has a customer, Megan Ragucci, who is 10 years old and has lost her hair because of an autoimmune condition that has no known cure. People stare at her and think she has cancer. She is quick to say, “I’m bald, not sick, so it really bothers me when people treat me like there is something wrong with me.” When Megan came into Sam’s bagel shop for her regular visit, Sam invited her to watch as he shaved his head. He said he wanted to look like her because she was so pretty. It was the best medicine that Megan could’ve received. Sam put a big smile on Megan’s face. He said he had never seen her so happy. What can you do today to make somebody happy?

Bryan Johnson is a former tech CEO and famous for saying that he expected to live to be 160 years old. He discovered that he has autoimmune gastritis. Bryan put together a team to look for a cure for this disease, which reportedly has no cure. He doesn’t believe that any disease is incurable. He is a determined man with a positive goal. Don’t count him out. He wants to cure the source of the problem and not just the symptoms. We have physical, mental, and spiritual challenges. Do you just treat the symptoms, or do you ask God to help you treat the source? He is the Great Physician and He can help you live beyond 160 years—His cure for your problem can help you live for eternity.

Be ready at all times to offer help to an individual in trouble, even if you think it’s just a learning experiment. EMT students at Wisconsin’s Fox Valley Technical College were taking a practical exam to see how they could handle a simulated heart attack exercise involving the instructor, Karl Arps. He was the “patient” but he underwent an actual heart attack. The EMT students knew what to do. He later underwent triple bypass surgery. I guess he wondered how well his students were listening. When he was actually having a heart attack during a practical test, he discovered that they had really listened well. When you are in a learning process, listen well. When you have an opportunity to exercise what you have learned, do it with excellence.

When do you call off an event because you think it might be too dangerous? Western Australia has an annual Lake Argyle Swim and has over 400 swimmers who compete in the contest. A day before the contest, a freshwater crocodile attacked four people in that same lake. They went ahead with the event and maybe the crocodile was scared to attack 400 swimmers. The secretary of the Darwin Swimming Club said that the crocodile may have given all of them motivation to swim faster. I’m not affirming the decision to have the contest a day after the attack by the crocodile. I’m not sure what would be the best decision—but it’s one of those things that happen in life where somebody has to decide. How do you make tough decisions?

A French professor wanted to be recognized so he designed a glitzy international gala and awarded himself the top prize. He actually is a professor of Philology which is the study of language through historical texts. He accepted the Gold Medal of Philology at an event at the National Assembly in Paris. They had Novel laureates and government ministers attend and discovered that the whole thing was a hoax and a poor creation by a man who wanted to be recognized. The best way to be recognized is not doing something for yourself, but doing something that makes a difference in the life of people. Receiving the applause of your peers is nothing compared to hearing God say, “good job.” Where do you get your affirmation?

Kayla Kunz was eating lunch with her two sons, Oscar and Harrison, at a Panda Express in Pooler, Georgia. They saw two soldiers eating there and asked if they could go and say thank you to the guys. They approached the soldiers and in a simple but powerful gesture thanked them for their service. We were able to celebrate a 250-year birthday of America because of men like those two soldiers who served our nation and many of them died. The 250-year celebration needs to go on every day as we thank people and God for how they have given us a future. We need more boys like Harrison and Oscar. Are you willing to offer a thank you today to people who are making a difference in our country? That doesn’t take much talent, but it does take a thankful heart to give the time to say thank you.

Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft is a 72-year-old grandmother who had always wanted to be a medical doctor, but there were a lot of things that stood in her way, and she could never accomplish it. She did have a long career as a nurse practitioner. When her husband died in 2020, she decided it was time to try to go to medical school. She enrolled in the St. James School of Medicine in the Caribbean. In May 2026, she became the school’s oldest graduate and just started her three-year residency in family medicine at a Michigan hospital in July. It took a long time, but she finally did it. Her motto is “never say never.” That’s a good attitude. Has God asked you to do something, but you have never been able to do. Never say never. Today is the best day to start.

Don’t complain about your personal inconvenience when that complaint might hinder somebody in need. This happened in a wealthy Seattle neighborhood that continually pressured Seattle’s Children’s Hospital to either limit or quit their emergency helicopter landings where they were carrying critically ill kids to the hospital. This neighborhood was demanding that the helicopters would land elsewhere. This would require them to transfer their patients to ambulances. Personal inconvenience should never stand in the way of helping save lives. Children need the best opportunity to get to the Children’s Hospital for treatment. A helicopter landing in an upscale neighborhood might be annoying, but it also might save a life or get earlier treatment. Please don’t complain about an inconvenience that’s making a difference.

Some topics are controversial and might be appropriate or inappropriate. A commencement speaker at the University of Central Florida learned this recently. He was introducing some ideas about artificial intelligence and earned a lot of boos from the graduates when he declared that artificial intelligence would be “the next industrial revolution.” Then a little later, he remarked that “only a few years ago, AI was not a factor in our lives.” This earned cheers. Obviously, there were differences of opinion. Experts described artificial intelligence as a bipolar topic with that group. When you address a topic, if you really believe that you are speaking the truth, speak up. If you are not sure whether you are speaking the truth or not, it’s best to pick another subject. Bipolar topics must be carefully selected and dealt with.

When you have been blessed, are you willing to be a blessing to others? A North Carolina textile school invited one of its former graduates to speak at graduation. The speaker said that his father had studied at the school in the 1950s and was not only able to get an education but an opportunity to build a successful life. The former graduate’s son said that he and his family were going to pay for the final year student loans of those graduating. You can imagine the surprise and shock of the students. The speaker said that he wanted the graduates to leave “with greater freedom to pursue your goals, take risks, and build the lives that you have worked so hard to achieve.” Where have you been blessed that you can be a blessing to help other people get a better start in the things they want to accomplish?

On January 1, 2026, a wholesale furniture gallery caught fire in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was next to a Vietnamese restaurant whose owner, named Sak, helped save some of the furniture. The gallery owner picked up and left. This spring, Sak noticed a sunglasses case containing a stack of $100 bills. The NBC affiliate at Myrtle Beach came and interviewed Sak and that interview produced the former furniture store owner. Sak returned the money to him. Sak could have kept the money, and nobody would have ever known—except Sak and God. Sak said that it is always best to do what is honest. The TV exposure made him popular, and he today is known as “the guy who always does the honest thing.” Do people recognize you as “the guy who always does the honest thing?” 

You can always be sure that your sins will find you out.  You can’t hide from them. Ask Kimberly Carroll who is a Michigan woman who was testifying in a scheduled court hearing via Zoom. The problem is that she was driving a car. Judge Michael McNally was irate when he asked if she was driving. Kimberly claimed to be a passenger. The Judge said that she was sitting on the left side and asked her to show him the driver. She politely said that she had to ask the driver’s permission and then jumped out of her car. Of course, she had no chance to get away. I bet she wished that she hadn’t been trying to drive and Zoom at the same time, and I expect she will think next time before telling a lie. Your sins will always find you out.

You can always be sure that your sins will find you out.  You can’t hide from them. Ask Kimberly Carroll who is a Michigan woman who was testifying in a scheduled court hearing via Zoom. The problem is that she was driving a car. Judge Michael McNally was irate when he asked if she was driving. Kimberly claimed to be a passenger. The Judge said that she was sitting on the left side and asked her to show him the driver. She politely said that she had to ask the driver’s permission and then jumped out of her car. Of course, she had no chance to get away. I bet she wished that she hadn’t been trying to drive and Zoom at the same time, and I expect she will think next time before telling a lie. Your sins will always find you out.

We have many dangers that face us. Some people are utilizing creative technology to deal with them. There are some high schools in Georgia and Florida who can deploy security drones to take down active shooters. These drones are mounted on the ceiling and remain dormant until activated. They then can fly down hallways at over 100 miles an hour. The drones engage shooters with strobe lights and pepper gel. Chief drone pilot, Christian Can Sloun, from the drone company says that we don’t have to worry about getting shot. “We are metal and plastic.” I have a feeling that you won’t have active shooters in those schools in Florida and Georgia and hopefully other states. What are you doing today to help find a solution to major problems confronting us?

There is a name for a new behavior called “Kittenfishing.” This is a term used with people on dating apps who fudge on telling the truth so they will appear better. Kittenfishing makes you feel like it’s okay to add an inch or two to your height and maybe say that you studied at a prestigious university when you only walked through the library. Kittenfishing is especially good at putting your picture on a dating app that’s several years old. The interesting thing about Kittenfishing is that it will always have bad consequences. At some point if you make progress in getting a date with a person, they will soon discover that you are not truthful. Kittenfishing may gloss over the situation initially, but eventually the truth will sting and bring not so pleasant consequences. Tell the truth.

Simple mistakes can be costly. Be careful. A market in Scotland’s Orkney Islands intended to request 750 pounds of bananas. Instead, ordered 380 boxes containing 100 bananas each. That’s 38,000 more bananas than ordered, and because of strong winds, the ferries were cancelled and the bananas couldn’t be returned. Little mistakes can happen by mistake. We are human. Distractions and lack of focus are often the culprit, so eliminate the cause. The market did invite community groups and local schools to come have some bananas. Little mistakes can have big consequences—and if there is a problem, figure out a way to help make it somewhat useful.

Almost everybody carries either a watch or a phone so they can check the time. Time is important in almost every aspect of our culture. It was just announced that a new nuclear timepiece is the most accurate timekeeper in the world. It is advertised to keep time more accurately than atomic clocks or other timekeeping methods. The nuclear clocks could eventually be used in navigation systems, gravitational sensing, and tests of fundamental physics that today’s instruments can’t measure. I don’t think we need more accurate timekeeping as much as we need to know how to use wisely the time that we might be inaccurately keeping. I applaud the advancement in accurate timekeeping, but I challenge you to join me in making better use of our time in doing what God wants us to do.

We desire certainty, but we are constantly confronted with uncertainty. Being certain about something appears to give a stronger, positive sense of moving in that direction. Uncertainty easily raises a level of stress. Watching the stock market is a good example. Some people are suggesting that maybe our faith can be stronger not by just “playing it safe” with things that are certain, but being willing to confront things that are uncertain, and then invite God into the situation and work with us and through us to change uncertainty to certainty. People are uncertain about what happens after death—Christian faith gives us complete certainty in knowing that when we take our last earthly breath, our next breath will be a Heavenly breath. That’s the most important certainty for all of us.

How do you combat something that you feel is bad for society? We dream up a lot of ways to do that, and sometimes it works better than it was ever intended. Officials in Anchorage, Alaska started levying a 5% tax on cannabis products. Officials announced recently a $462,000 budget shortfall due to residents buying less weed. Often times, these things are referred to as “sin taxes,” they are meant to discourage harmful behavior. I think Anchorage has discovered that it does work. What “sin challenges” are prevalent today and what could we do to help discourage them? It would be a great joy to be surprised at how effective we could be.

A lot of things in life focus on minimizing a number of negative things. Some of those are very good. Recently, there has been a lot being written about a new kind of therapy that deals with depression that focuses on positive paths to joy. It is called PAT, Positive Affect Treatment.  It focuses on doing positive things that can help treat mental health challenges. I like that idea. In all of life, I think it is more healing and effective to focus on positive things that lead to more positive things rather than trying to simply eliminate the number and effect on negative things. Paul tells us how to do that in Philippians 4:8.

At a Maryland animal rescue, French bulldog mix puppy Blueberry and a 9-month-old black cat Meadow came to the Last Chance Animal Rescue separately. Each had severe injuries, but they became inseparable during their recovery. Each had lost a limb. The animal rescue unit advertised on Facebook for someone to adopt both Blueberry and Meadow together and they immediately had a couple to volunteer. Guess what? The couple already had one three-legged cat. So, they had two cats and a dog who were severely handicapped, but they are extremely happy together. There might be someone today who has tough challenges. Could you be the person who could help them discover that they have value and that there are good people to whom they can relate? Learn from Blueberry and Meadow.

There are always some outstanding plays in sports that capture our attention. One such action is when an outfielder is able to leap high above the wall and rob someone of a home run. Recently, Joe Adell, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels, did this three times when he caught three potential home runs during the Angel’s 1-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Now that is really something. Think about this. No player ever managed more than four home run robberies over the entire 2025 baseball season. That’s a real defensive accomplishment. What are you willing to let God use you today to do something that may go fairly unnoticed, but can make a big difference in life today?

Ben O’Reilly is a 7-year-old boy at Compton Elementary School in Compton, NH, who is deaf and can only use sign language. He had difficulty relating to his classmates and even the teachers. He only could communicate with his aide, Cheryl. One of his classmates, Reid Spring, wanted to relate to him so he started learning sign language. Other kids started doing that. Would you believe that the entire elementary school decided to learn sign language. All of a sudden, Ben could communicate with everybody. He could become a part of the class. His aide said, “His whole world opened up. It was amazing.” You will meet a lot of people whose world is somewhat closed due to different circumstances. What will you do today to open up the world of some people around you?

It’s interesting to me how different foods all of a sudden become popular. Now they are saying that pumpkin spice is being replaced by pickles. That’s right pickles. Pickles were once just associated with burgers but today you can get pickled flavored chips, nuts, smoothies, popcorn, dill pickled baked beans, dill pickle mayonnaise, lollipops, snackable cheese, and many other things. I enjoy playing pickle ball. I’m sure somebody will give pickleball credit for the new tasting crave of pickles. I don’t know how long the pickle craze will last. I do know if you are following God’s purpose for your life, that won’t be just a short craze but will have a lasting effect. Enjoy some pickle flavor, but really enjoy the taste of following God’s purpose for your life.