In 1789, James Madison, who later became the fourth president of the United States, introduced 12 amendments to the First Congress, 10 of which would become the “Bill of Rights.” These amendments, defined in the Magna Carta, contain rights considered fundamental to America’s peace, liberties, and prosperity. The First Amendment provides that Congress cannot make laws respecting any religious establishments or prohibiting its free exercise. Likewise, it protects freedom of speech, the press, Continue Reading
‘Help Is Here’ – Max Lucado’s New Book (Interview & Column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
“The Spirit is the dove of peace who calms us, the gift giver who equips us, the river of living water who flows out of us to refresh the world.” Max Lucado – “Help Is Here” Fifteen minutes into my conversation with New York best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado, I was surprised by how much I did not know about the beloved author. For starters, I was unaware that he had lived in my country, Brazil, for five years and speaks Portuguese with unlikely fluency for someone who has not Continue Reading
Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}
“Nothing changes if nothing changes.” The quote scrolled across the TV screen while the leader talked. I immediately started thinking about the truth behind those words. It was one week before the beginning of the new school year, and I knew it was time to practice some of the changes I had committed to making during the summer. Let me rephrase it: It was time to start implementing some of the changes I felt God was instructing me to make. Leave it to me, and I will keep doing things Continue Reading
Help for our Boys’ Mental Health {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}
“It’s easier to build strong children than repair broken men.” Frederick Douglass, abolitionist Recent research on men’s mental health revealed a shocking reality: Globally, one man dies by suicide every minute. In the U.S., statistics show that men die by suicide at a rate four times higher than women. In the same bleak reality, an article published by the New York Times on Dec. 7, 2021, concerning a rare public advisory from the U.S. surgeon general office, warned the public of a Continue Reading
Looking Back to Move Forward {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}
Early in the spring, I had the opportunity of interviewing Laureus “Sport for Good” Ambassador Grant Lottering. After reading about his extraordinary story, I was curious to meet the man who escaped death. While training for the 2013 World Masters Championship in Italy, Lottering was pronounced dead after a horrific accident. He was revived on the scene and taken to the local hospital, where doctors worked strenuously to save his life. For the next 12 months, Lottering underwent 11 surgeries, Continue Reading
LINKUP: Lessons from the Parable of the “Rich Fool” {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}
A substantial part of the preaching of Jesus in the New Testament is recorded in parables. Parables tell a story, not about something that happens in real life, but a one-time fictitious event written in a simple, vivid way that engages the audience. One cannot underestimate the importance of the parables in the gospels, especially since scholars generally regard them as words that we can confidently credit to the historical Jesus. When Jesus spoke in parables, he did not create a new Continue Reading
