Doubtless many would have heard about, or read, Newsweek cover story on Billy Graham: . I read with great interest Graham shares from the wisdom of his years of living and serving. Graham is noted as the man who has preached to more human beings than anyone else in history, and who has served as the “nation’s pastor” and spiritual counsellor to more Presidents than any other minister, is now frail and weak, battling the ravages of age and disease.

A key observation:

“All my life I’ve been taught how to die, but no one ever taught me how to grow old.”

His daughter, Anne Lotz Graham sums it up aptly:

“When you get older, secondary things, like politics, begin to fall away, and the primary thing becomes primary again—and for Daddy, the primary thing is, as Jesus said, to try to love God totally, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.”

Some other key passages from the article: Read the rest of this entry »

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Stories, as I said in my previous post on this subject, are important aspects of our lives. We all love stories. Stories not only help to give us our identity, they also help us to identify with one another. Stories also remind ourselves of our humanity and brokenness. Perhaps maybe that is why gossip can be so juicy. When we gossip, we get to hear someone else’s story, usually something that is less than glamorous. We get to connect with someone else, although in a less than edifying manner, but it is also a way for us to realize, that we are not that bad after all, and that behind all the razzle-dazzle and masks, other people are rather like us, behind our own glittering facades.

Regardless, stories are the building blocks of our lives. It is through stories that we learn lessons that we can apply to our lives. You can talk about courage all day long, but it is only when you hear about the young man who has to overcome poverty, prejudice and hardship throughout his life to rise above the norm, and achieve greatness in an environment that usually belongs to only the privileged, that you understand in a more intimate manner what courage means. Read the rest of this entry »