I was bringing in spaghetti squash from my garden and reflecting on the amount of green plants spilling over my garden boxes. I thought about how it took so much plant to produce about 15 squash. When it is time to eat I think more about the squash than the green plant I picked it from. However, without a healthy green plant there’s no squash.

I thought about how plants are like a business. 

I’ve covered many elements important to effective websites in this blog.  I want to reinforce an important point.  When someone establishes a website to generate business, the website needs to target a specific audience. The more specific the targeting, the hotter the customer button will become. The business owner must identify the hot button.

Every day the news gives us more salacious allegations of malfeasance by high profile individuals. We shake our heads, wonder why, and act judgmental as we call for their heads. Frequently the issue is one of addiction.

We pass an alcoholic on the street and wonder how somebody ends up in that circumstance. Addiction starts with one step. Perhaps a 14-year-old snuck a few drinks from their parent’s liquor cabinet or engaged in underage drinking with friends at some social event. They became addicted to alcohol before they realized what they had experimented with. They probably can’t tell you the day it happened. Addictions are sneaky and can destroy anyone.

At times some have asked how to become an established leader in a volunteer organization. My short answer is that you become an effective leader by becoming an effective follower.  Spiritually, we should know this is accurate. Unless you obediently follow the precepts in scripture, you cannot be an effective leader in the church. Jesus said, “But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.” (Luke 22:6, NIV) 

            The Bible provides a very clear account of the birth of our Lord in human form. Interesting physical evidence also supports the validity of this birth that changed the world.  However, few connect coins to this event.  Archaeology unearthed a coin minted in 6 AD with an imprint that that records an astronomical event very much like the one the Bible tells.