At one time Bulstrode Whitelocke was England's ambassador to Sweden, and then, as now, life was chaotic and uncertain.

It happens almost every day.  You read a headline such as, "Truth Catches Up with Accused Storyteller," or "Top Historian Becomes Tangled in Fictions," or "Corporation Mogul Embarrassed by New Allegations," "Law School Dean Denies Plagiarism," and so forth.  It doesn't stop as our integrity seems to unravel.

How much is enough?  Have you ever pondered the question in relationship to your own lifestyle?  When John D. Rockefeller was asked how much money it would take to be satisfied, he replied, "Just a little bit more!"

"I really need that!"  How many times have you said those words this past week?  Or maybe it was your eight-year old who has been impressed by the commercials on television who says, "I really need that, Dad!"  And, of course, we quickly think of Philippians 4:19, which brings God into the process of canceling out our need with His provision. But what really constitutes a need?

Some folks measure time by years--January 1 to December 31.  Some folks keep track of it by birthdays.

I did something I rarely do: I wrote a letter to God about the year that is upon us.  I suspect some of my thoughts may mirror yours as well.  Listen in.

Abraham Lincoln, the American president who faced tremendous personal struggles in his life, once said, "I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."

The barrier that keeps us from prayer is not whether or not we think God is strong enough to help us, but whether we are humble enough to bow the knee and admit that we need help.

Christmas is over, at least it is for most of you.  However, in some places such as in Russia, Christmas is observed in early January.

The two were arrested and thrown into prison.  Days turned into weeks and weeks into months.  China is a vast country, but what many do not realize is that in the northern part of China it gets very cold as the Siberian winds come whistling from the north.