Encounters with Hope #19
Lincoln’s Challenge
Facing the issue of slavery and a divided nation, Abraham Lincoln saw his country go to war with one another. It may have been America’s darkest hour, a time of fear and confusion as peoples’ lives were torn apart by war.
You and I may not have to go through a Civil War like Lincoln did. But most likely we’ve fought our own battles. Cancer. Divorce. Break-ups and bullies. Losing our job, losing a friend or failing a test. Sometimes these battles leave us confused, afraid and torn apart.
In facing the Civil War, Lincoln did something really remarkable. He called for a National Day of Prayer. He said, “It is the duty of nations as… Read More
Encounters with Hope #18
Giving Yourself Away
In a famous speech, President John F. Kennedy said, “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” While serving his country in 1963, Kennedy gave the ultimate sacrifice as he was assassinated in Dallas. His sacrifice and the words he spoke inspire us to think about what it means to ask, “What can I do for you?”
The happiest people I know are people who are the most generous with their time, their energy and what they own. There is a reason for that. The greatest Giver of all, said, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken… Read More
Encounters with Hope #17
George Washington’s Birthday
Today is George Washington’s birthday. He led America through the Revolutionary War and served as the first President of the United States. He has been called the indispensible man for his rock-solid character and integrity that kept the country together during its beginning. Washington knew war and hard times. He knew victory and defeat. He knew power and position. In all of it, he could have led the country to see what he could get out of it. But in everything he did, he served the country he loved.
Washington once said, “I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles: the character of an… Read More
Encounters with Hope #16
President’s Day
Today is President’s Day. Not that it’s a holiday I normally get excited about, but it is worth knowing what some of the leaders of our nation have done and said. Especially the great ones. Several presidents have led our country through some really hard times. But I don’t know anyone who has led America through a harder time than Abraham Lincoln did. We were a country divided and engaging in a terrible Civil War.
Lincoln was asked about whether he felt God was on his side, and he responded, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side. My greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Through difficult… Read More
Encounters with Hope #15
The Power of a Servant
A British ambassador traveled to one of their colonies to meet with the chiefs of 5 important tribes. The chiefs had come together to demand their independence from colonial control. The ambassador took 5 chairs and placed them in the room where they would all meet together. But he instructed someone to cut the legs of the chairs, so that each one was a different height.
As the chiefs entered the room they looked at the chairs, and began arguing about who was going to sit in the tallest chair. Each chief was used to sitting in the most important chair and felt he deserved to sit in the tallest one. The argument grew more… Read More
