I remember sitting with my family being entertained by the Hee-Haw gang as they sang in quartet – fashioned in hillbilly garb, bordered by moonshine jugs and a miserable countenance – "Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me!"  The song was hilarious back then, as its singers depicted in "deep dark depression, excessive misery" and of course without bad luck, they'd have no luck at all!

The young athletes battling for Olympic gold are impressive with their show of grace and strength. But, behind the bright lights of the 2008 Beijing games are lesser–known stories much more worthy of our attention. These are also stories of grace and strength, but more importantly, of mercy, of suffering, and of sacrifice.

As I watched the Chinese and American women's gymnastics teams compete, one such story came to mind. These young gymnasts are not much older than the girl whose story I recall.

The latest "study" of male juvenile delinquency has apparently revealed to some experts that men may be genetically wired to become criminals. Based on a twelve-question survey about delinquent tendencies, and the genetics of those questioned, one can now assume the male species is damaged goods.

As United States citizens execute their democratic right to elect their next President, a true Christian should pause and ask a more fundamental question—is there a better answer?

Disaster after disaster, misery heaped upon misery—drought, fires, floods, earthquakes, wars, diseases—dominate the news these days. Does it seem as if these things are growing more intense, or is it just that they are “better reported” than ever?

The age-old debate intensifies, as the “realists” disdain the “doomsayers” and the “doomsayers” point accusatory fingers at the “realists.”