My wife and I once had the opportunity to rescue a baby deer that had become separated from its mother and was on the verge of dying. While we were driving to and from a deer rehabilitation center in North Carolina, we began discussing our experience, and it became quite apparent that there is a great deal of responsibility and joy associated with taking care of God’s creation. We saw this experience as a God-given opportunity to help us learn some vital lessons in how important it is to tend and keep the earth.

It seems that every generation has its own style of music. Someone who grew up in the 1940s probably enjoys the sounds of the “big band” era. Then, in the late 40s and early 50s, the plaintive sounds of country music filled the airwaves as tales of heartache and hard times were set to music. From the classics to the singing celebrities of the “Grand Old Opry” to the age of electronica today, music certainly seems to “tug at the strings” of the human heart.

The ability to see is a wonderful, incredible gift from our Creator. You may have an eye exam to check your vision. What about your spiritual vision? How well do you see?

My wife had a cousin who was a world champion body builder. This cousin worked hard to develop and maintain her physical condition, and her bodily health was her key asset. Just consider the hours spent in exercise for the purpose of show! Is there something more to strive for, with an asset that we can exercise for a more lasting “physique?” The answer is yes!

The world has been riveted to the headlines coming from the Vatican since the resignation of Pope Benedict and the installation of Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope in the long and colorful history of the Roman Catholic Church. Devout Catholics—along with nominal believers and hundreds of millions of non-Catholics—have been fascinated by the pageantry, formality, wealth, and deeply ingrained traditions of this ancient church.