His feet bled from open blisters, and his hands and legs cramped as the young man pushed on, nearing the end of a three-day, 65-mile march. He carried 125 pounds of gear, slept no more than four hours a night, and had just enough food for 2 1/2 meals. He had struggled through obstacles day and night. Yet he had one more major challenge: to climb the rugged mountain ahead. He forced his mind to ignore the pain and focus on the goal, whispered a prayer to his Lord, and with all his remaining...

Have any of your plans and dreams been crushed? “In a certain old town many years ago, there was a great cathedral famous for its unique stained-glass window. People came from miles around just to gaze on its magnificent beauty.  One day, the force of a tremendous storm forced the window in, and it shattered into a hundred pieces onto the marble floor below. The town’s people were heart sick. They gathered up the pieces, put them in a box, and stored them in the cellar.    One day, a stranger...

As we begin 2026, no one knows what lies ahead. We know there will be new challenges, opportunities, disappointments, and difficulties. However, these do not keep us from planning special events such as graduations, weddings, a new baby, a job change, or a move. Even though we don’t know for sure that these plans will come to pass, we still plan for them. I used to enter each new year with fear of planning and dread because of all the negative what-ifs I could imagine. I imagined current...