In his book Are You Fascinated? management consultant Ken Tucker shares a story about the great lengths a person will go to find something of great value:

[Bill Adams, CEO of a large hospital in Virginia, received a frantic call from a woman.] "My mother came into your hospital with her wedding ring, and now we can't find it," [she] said. … "I want to make an appointment to discuss this with ...

Since becoming an internet juggernaut, Facebook has taken some real hits from folks. That tends to happen when something takes off in popularity. But the next time you wonder if it's of any value at all, especially for the church, you might want to consider the story of Avril Grube—a story that teaches us that the social networking giant can be used for a lot more than just cute status updates ...

In his book Please Don't Squeeze the Christian, Scott Sernau reflects on the danger of cynicism—especially in the life of believers who claim a "living hope." He writes:

Cynicism kills in the manner of frostbite: the only symptom is a deadening numbness. And even Christians are often tinged with this frostbite. Callousness and doubt numb us to life and joy. We find ourselves leaving the triumphant ...

Acclaimed newsman Walter Cronkite hosts PBS's 2003 documentary Heroes of World War II, a look at the many American military officers who won the second great war through dedication, sacrifice, and bravery. In this scene Cronkite describes the battle Americans and Germans fought over territory near Bastogne, France.

"The U.S. forces in Bastogne were now surrounded by the Germans," Cronkite says in voiceover ...

In his book Exodus and Revolution, Michael Walzer shares three lessons we can all learn from the Exodus event of the Old Testament:

What the Exodus … taught: first, that wherever you live, it is probably Egypt. Second, that there is a better place, a world more attractive, a promised land. And third, that "the way to the land is through the wilderness."

When Michelle Attaway moved in with her boyfriend, Jay, for a life of drugs and partying, she assumed Jay's parents would turn their back on them in disgust. So it was a bit shocking when Jay and Michelle were instead invited over for dinner. She writes about the events that followed:

I was incredulous because I knew that Jay's parents were "normal" people, the type that crossed to the other side ...

The Color Purple, based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, tells the story of a girl named Celie (played by Whoopi Goldberg), who grows up in the rural South. Fourteen-year-old Celie is forced to marry Albert Johnson (played by Danny Glover), a widower farmer who treats his teenage bride more like a slave than a wife. When Celie's sister, Nettie (played by Akosua Busia), comes for a visit, ...

On September 30, 2007, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre broke Dan Marino's record for throwing the most touchdown passes in football. His new record stands at 421 passes and counting.

Two weeks later, Favre broke another record. His 278 picked passes made him the most intercepted quarterback in National Football League history.

Brett Favre reminds us of another famous athlete. Babe Ruth once ...

Authorities believe that sometime on September 3, 2007, Steve Fossett, the first person to circle the globe in a hot-air balloon, made an emergency landing in the vast Nevada landscape. Hundreds of search teams have been hired to comb the rugged terrain, using planes, helicopters, and the latest search technology. In order to help alleviate the stress, officials recently added a new type of search ...

In Cremona, Italy, where most experts believe history's best violins were made, Andrea Mosconi has the tall task of keeping the precious instruments in shape. For the past 30 years, six days a week, the old musician has gone to the museum in Cremona's city hall where the 300-year-old violins are stored in display cases. Each morning, before the museum opens to the public, Mosconi plays each violin ...