One day a father says to his son, “Son, don’t swim in that canal.” “OK,  Dad,” he answered.  But, that evening the young boy came home carrying a wet bathing suit.

“Where have you been?” demanded the father.

“Swimming in the canal,” answered the boy.

“Didn’t I tell you not to swim there?” asked the father.

“Yes, Sir,” answered the boy. “Then why did you?” he asked.

“Well, Dad,” he explained, “I had my bathing suit with me and I couldn’t resist the temptation.”

“Why in the world did you take your bathing suit with you?” the father questioned. “So I’d be prepared to swim, just in case I was tempted,” he replied. Continue Reading…

The following is a poignant story that illustrates the value of  life. The great violinist, Niccolo Paganini, willed his marvelous violin to Genoa — the city of his birth — but only on the condition that the instrument never be played. It was an unfortunate condition. Continue Reading…

In Colossians 1:27 we read, “And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”  When I read this passage I am reminded of a story about a father and his two sons. The father was dying. The boys had always felt that he had gold hidden away somewhere. The father had never been a strong man, so his farm had never really been fully developed. In back of the house was ten acres of stump land. When the father was dying he said, “The stump lot.” Again and again he said, “The stump lot.” Continue Reading…