An interesting story is told of Col. Joahnn Gottlieb Rall, commander of the Hessian troops in Trenton, New Jersey, during the Revolutionary War. It is reported that the colonel was playing chess when a courier brought a letter containing an urgent message stating that Gen. George Washington was crossing the Delaware River. Rall, engrossed by his game, put the missive in his pocket, choosing to read it at a later time. His procrastination, however, proved to be his doom. When Washington Continue Reading
Finding Peace in the Midst of the Storms – Atlanta Journal Constitution Column
Shortly after midnight on Oct. 23, hurricane Patricia became the strongest Pacific hurricane on record in the Americas. My phone started buzzing with texts from my family and friends that morning, since my name was soon to be associated with the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Pacific coast. I watched as real-time videos of the horrific storm popped on my computer screen, praying for the areas on its path. As it turned out, Patricia’s intensity decreased very quickly as the storm’s Continue Reading
Packing God’s Love – My Atlanta Journal Constitution Column
One hundred million shoe boxes. From Uganda to Indonesia, from Ecuador to the refugee camps in the mountains of Iraq, 100 million children received a gift of love in the form of a shoe box in the last two decades. To some of these children, the small shoe box contained the first gifts they have ever received. To others, the box contained essentials that they had never owned before. To children whose lives were forever changed as their families fled to the mountains from the terror of Isis, this Continue Reading
Be Sure to Give God Credit for Your Victories (Atlanta Journal Constitution Column)
Niccolò Paganini was a virtuoso violinist and composer who lived in Europe in the early 1800s and was thought to be the greatest violinist of all times. His technique while playing was unparalleled. His compositions, unique and of vanguard style. His playing of gentle passages was so beautiful that his audiences often burst into tears, and yet, he would perform some pieces with such vigor and velocity that one listener at a concert in Vienna became half-crazed and declared for days that he had Continue Reading
90 Minutes in Heaven (Column for the Atlanta Journal Constitution)
In the summer of 2004, the book “90 Minutes in Heaven” was released with a modest first printing of 7,500 copies. The author, Don Piper, was at that time an unknown pastor with a bold story. In the book, Piper shares the true story of the accident that claimed his life for 90 minutes, his near-heaven experience and the horrific months that followed, as he recovered from the devastating injuries. The publisher was unsure what to expect in response to the book release. Would Piper’s message be Continue Reading
You’re Never Too Old to Say Yes to God’s Call (My Column for the Atlanta Journal Constitution)
“The class of 2015: 600 Game Changers, in 20 industries, transforming the world.” The headline on the cover of the famous business magazine announced the article featuring the astonishing list of 30 people under 30 years old who are making history with their fast-growing businesses and discoveries. They are scientists, app developers, on-line attorneys and social media moguls, to name a few. It’s pretty amazing to see these young faces invading the headlines, with bank accounts and estates that Continue Reading
