The world lost a great actress a few days ago. Mary Tyler Moore brought laughter to millions of people, especially in her role as Dick Van Dyke’s sweet-spirited wife, Laura. Initially relegated to simply kissing her husband hello at the door, she matured into a...
Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures is one of the best movies I’ve seen in years. This recent release portrays the remarkable character and accomplishments of three brilliant African-American women who played key roles in one of the greatest engineering operations in history: the launch...
A Biker with Amazing Relational Skills
Mom’s Night Out (not to be confused with Bad Moms) provides some superb examples of relational wisdom … especially by a big, tattooed biker. The movie involves three mothers who decide they need a night away from their kids. In order to enjoy high heels, adult...
Good Cop, Great Cop
Deputy Matt Holman saved the life of a homeless man staggering toward destruction. His name was Robert Morris. He’d lost his family, become an addict, and was living in a tent in the woods … until it was washed away late one night in a flood. As Mr. Morris reported in...
Bridge of Spies
Bridge of Spies is one of the most inspirational movies I’ve seen in years. It reminds me why I went to law school -- I had a love for justice, a respect for the biblical roots of the U.S. legal system, and a desire to defend those who could not help themselves. It...
Magnificent Compassion at McDonalds
Last week a young McDonald's fast-food worker named Kenny provided a magnificent example of compassion. His selfless act was described by Destiny Carreno, whose report has been viewed over 2.3 million times on Facebook and other social media. Here is what she wrote:...
The World’s Best GPS
How much do you trust God? Really? Do you trust him as much as a blind teenage racer trusts her seeing-eye dog? Sami Stoner lost her eyesight just as she entered the eighth grade. She had to face the fact that she would never get a driver’s license, never again do her...
Inside Out
Do you sometimes find it difficult to understand your emotions … much less those of your teenager, spouse, coworkers or friends? Well, Disney and Pixar have just given you a vehicle to explore this issue at a whole new level. Their newest film, Inside Out, provides an...
Your Amazing Brain
When a pastor steps into a pulpit, he usually has two general goals in mind: to change the way people think and to change the way they behave. The pivotal human organ for both goals is the brain. And yet most pastors—as well as most of the people in the pews—haven’t...
Have You Ever Been This Kind?
When was the last time you did something that was so amazingly kind that others will remember your actions the rest of their lives? If it’s been awhile, I encourage you to take two minutes to watch a video clip of some young men who refused to play basketball against...
RW in McFarland, U.S.A.
If you’d like to see some vivid examples of relational wisdom, be sure to see Disney’s latest release, McFarland, U.S.A. The movie is based on the true story of a 1987 cross country team from a predominantly Mexican-American high school in McFarland, California. Kevin...
The Three Faces of Fear
Fear usually triggers one of three reactions: control, anger or withdrawal (the latter two actually being forms of the first). This is a key insight for improving both your self-awareness and your other-awareness: whenever you encounter control, anger, or withdrawal,...
Giving a Kidney Models RW
Before I became a lawyer, I worked as an engineer on a team that designed hemodialysis machines. While talking with patients going through dialysis, I learned how hard it is to live without a kidney. Therefore, when I heard about a taxi driver who gave his kidney to a...
Don’t Slap Mom
Many adult children are slapping their elderly parents these days. Not with their hands; with their words. When mom asks a question the first time, they may respond graciously. But when she asks the same question again and again, they often respond with words like...
Preparing for the End
Every relationship ends in pain. Whether it’s with a pet, a friend, or a family member. If the relationship was wonderful, we feel a great loss. If it was terrible, we’re filled with regret. There is no way to eliminate this pain … but there are ways to reduce it. One...