By David Jeremiah EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) - Something strange happens to the psyche of a nation in difficult times. The downtrodden begin to resent government and wealthy corporations and individuals, seeing them as out of touch with, if not the cause of, their plight. Desperation can lead to a reversal of values so that any who rise up and strike back are cheered and viewed as heroes. Sometimes the rebel-heroes seem justified as in the traditional tale of Robin Hood, but others are simply lawbreakers like Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, who terrorized middle America in the early 1930s. While stories of their kindnesses to their victims made the rounds, such tales only confused the issue: Were they bad or were they good? The ambivalence toward this couple serves as a warning for us: It's important to discern good from bad in the spiritual dimension of life. And nowhere is that more necessary than when we are confronted by spiritual doubt. Modus Operandi Modus operandi is one of those Latin phrases that made its way from the pages of criminal investigation textbooks into our cultural conversation. Literally, it means "way of operating." Criminal investigators study the way a criminal operates to find patterns of … [Read more...]

By Stewart Holloway What does it take to be a champion? It has been fun to watch LSU football this year. Since I work Sunday, I usually go to bed on Saturdays long before the game is over, but I couldn’t do it this year. It was too much fun to watch the team work as a unit to execute amazing plays, and I loved the sincere passion of Coach O. The man is living his dream. Not many of us get to do that, but he is - and he is making the most of it. I’ve also enjoyed watching our oldest son fall in love with LSU. After making a few games at Tiger Stadium with my mom, he’s hooked. He may even rival Rebecca’s passion in the years to come (but good luck with that). As a leader, I’ve watched this season asking, “What’s the difference?” I’m sure there were a lot of football technicalities at work, but it was the leadership of Coach O that I think made the difference. It is obvious Coach O genuinely loves this state, LSU, his team, his staff, and the fans. While love motivates, it was wisdom that brought the difference. Coach O was wise enough to realize that he didn’t have all the answers, so he recruited the right players, hired the right people, and even brought in others to speak into his team through the year on key points. The … [Read more...]