We desire certainty, but we are constantly confronted with uncertainty. Being certain about something appears to give a stronger, positive sense of moving in that direction. Uncertainty easily raises a level of stress. Watching the stock market is a good example. Some people are suggesting that maybe our faith can be stronger not by just “playing it safe” with things that are certain, but being willing to confront things that are uncertain, and then invite God into the situation and work with us and through us to change uncertainty to certainty. People are uncertain about what happens after death—Christian faith gives us complete certainty in knowing that when we take our last earthly breath, our next breath will be a Heavenly breath. That’s the most important certainty for all of us.

How do you combat something that you feel is bad for society? We dream up a lot of ways to do that, and sometimes it works better than it was ever intended. Officials in Anchorage, Alaska started levying a 5% tax on cannabis products. Officials announced recently a $462,000 budget shortfall due to residents buying less weed. Often times, these things are referred to as “sin taxes,” they are meant to discourage harmful behavior. I think Anchorage has discovered that it does work. What “sin challenges” are prevalent today and what could we do to help discourage them? It would be a great joy to be surprised at how effective we could be.

A lot of things in life focus on minimizing a number of negative things. Some of those are very good. Recently, there has been a lot being written about a new kind of therapy that deals with depression that focuses on positive paths to joy. It is called PAT, Positive Affect Treatment. It focuses on doing positive things that can help treat mental health challenges. I like that idea. In all of life, I think it is more healing and effective to focus on positive things that lead to more positive things rather than trying to simply eliminate the number and effect on negative things. Paul tells us how to do that in Philippians 4:8.

At a Maryland animal rescue, French bulldog mix puppy Blueberry and a 9-month-old black cat Meadow came to the Last Chance Animal Rescue separately. Each had severe injuries, but they became inseparable during their recovery. Each had lost a limb. The animal rescue unit advertised on Facebook for someone to adopt both Blueberry and Meadow together and they immediately had a couple to volunteer. Guess what? The couple already had one three-legged cat. So, they had two cats and a dog who were severely handicapped, but they are extremely happy together. There might be someone today who has tough challenges. Could you be the person who could help them discover that they have value and that there are good people to whom they can relate? Learn from Blueberry and Meadow.

There are always some outstanding plays in sports that capture our attention. One such action is when an outfielder is able to leap high above the wall and rob someone of a home run. Recently, Joe Adell, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels, did this three times when he caught three potential home runs during the Angel’s 1-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Now that is really something. Think about this. No player ever managed more than four home run robberies over the entire 2025 baseball season. That’s a real defensive accomplishment. What are you willing to let God use you today to do something that may go fairly unnoticed, but can make a big difference in life today?

Ben O’Reilly is a 7-year-old boy at Compton Elementary School in Compton, NH, who is deaf and can only use sign language. He had difficulty relating to his classmates and even the teachers. He only could communicate with his aide, Cheryl. One of his classmates, Reid Spring, wanted to relate to him so he started learning sign language. Other kids started doing that. Would you believe that the entire elementary school decided to learn sign language. All of a sudden, Ben could communicate with everybody. He could become a part of the class. His aide said, “His whole world opened up. It was amazing.” You will meet a lot of people whose world is somewhat closed due to different circumstances. What will you do today to open up the world of some people around you?

It’s interesting to me how different foods all of a sudden become popular. Now they are saying that pumpkin spice is being replaced by pickles. That’s right pickles. Pickles were once just associated with burgers but today you can get pickled flavored chips, nuts, smoothies, popcorn, dill pickled baked beans, dill pickle mayonnaise, lollipops, snackable cheese, and many other things. I enjoy playing pickle ball. I’m sure somebody will give pickleball credit for the new tasting crave of pickles. I don’t know how long the pickle craze will last. I do know if you are following God’s purpose for your life, that won’t be just a short craze but will have a lasting effect. Enjoy some pickle flavor, but really enjoy the taste of following God’s purpose for your life.

Police in Lima, Peru, used the popularity of the World Cup matchup between Mexico and South Africa to capture a highly sought after drug king, Carlos Cabera. They found out that he was a big fan of football, or as we call it soccer. They dressed up as mascots Clutch and Maple as a disguise and were able to approach him and apprehend him without raising suspicion. Now that’s creativity. Of the 48 teams competing in the World Cup, Peru just had two big victories—one in their first game and one in their ongoing game to eliminate drugs. How can you be creative in doing something that will be extremely helpful for all people alive today and you don’t have to be a soccer player to do it.