When faced with destruction, we may feel inclined to focus on the loss. But we can shift our focus to realize that God is meeting our every need.

Although the design of the Martin Luther King Memorial may be a talking point for some into the years ahead, the spiritual essence of King’s mission is more durable than the stone out of which the memorial was made. The fruits of King’s efforts to achieve equality and civil rights evidence the effect of spiritual truth at work in the world.

People are working longer hours, taking fewer vacation days, and finding it more difficult to “unplug” than they have in decades past. In a study published several years ago, one third of American workers reported feeling chronically overworked, and the issue certainly isn’t limited to the United States.

How natural it is for all of us to want a happiness that doesn’t vacillate or vanish. Yet projects that seek happiness indices suggest that people are still on the search for its deeper meaning.

Many governments the world over are dealing with varied and sometimes seemingly insurmountable challenges. These governments need our prayers. As I’ve thought and prayed about the idea of government, it occurs to me that our concept of God plays a part.

Have you ever felt pushed around? Or criticized? Or maybe you’ve been on the other side of things and have been too pushy or critical. There’s a problem here that relates in varying degrees to many people and to our society as a whole.

“Better one safe way than a hundred on which you cannot reckon.” So ends one of Aesop’s fables comparing the survival instincts of a fox and a cat. The moral is that too much consideration of our options can be unproductive, even dangerous.

The spiritual education essential to parenting brings a closeness to God that gives a young girl a strong, steady foundation. Knowing her coexistence with God, her best friend, keeps her grounded, balanced, and helps her make sound choices; she learns to say no to destructive influences and to say yes to God’s infinite possibilities, always available to her. 

These indeed are the seasons to contemplate – our growth spiritward, our acknowledgment of all being created by Mind, God, and the fact that we live under His divine care, in the season of His eternal love.

Warnings come at us every day – about what to eat or not eat, the importance of having the right insurance coverage, saving for retirement. While they’re usually well intentioned, these warnings tend to paint a picture of helplessness against chance and change. We can become fearful of participating in the very life God gave us to enjoy and prosper in. So, how do we prepare for the unexpected? How do we know what decisions to make?