The magi bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh is a familiar part of the Christmas story. What happens next is less familiar. Warning signs start popping up. They are a part of the story that is often overlooked.

In the 19th century, American settlers attempted to guard against grass fires—or snuff out an uncontrolled blaze—by deliberately setting small controllable fires. It was called “fighting fire with fire.” Some say one of today’s uncontrolled blazes is crony capitalism. If so, the Sisters of St. Francis are well suited to fight fire with fire.

Watching reruns isn’t necessarily a waste of time. For a while it appeared NBATV would be stuck with reruns. But then the NBA struck a deal. The season gets underway December 25th. Until then, NBATV will show reruns. That’s not necessarily a waste of time. You can catch John Stockton, the all-time NBA assist leader….

The IRS only has a 36 percent approval rating. At the height of the oil spill, British Petroleum scored only 16 percent. But Congress is the worst. It has a nine-percent approval rating. It is presently a failing institution. Would Congress benefit from seeing how the institution of family, as defined by the Christian faith,…

“Houston, we’ve had a problem.” In that instant, Jim Lovell’s dream died. The promise of walking on the moon went poof. Americans have been promised a plethora of benefits. Now they face a debt problem. The super committee is tasked to find a solution, but the bigger problem is how people typically react when promises…

Last year, as the University of Oregon football team whipped the Tennessee Volunteers 48-13, a Vols defensive end pled for mercy. “If you guys run two more plays at this speed, I’m going to fall over dead.” Oregon runs a no-huddle offense that’s changing football. Would it also be an effective offense for the faith…

As clocks are wound back and we watch days grow darker, my wife Kathy says my mood also seems darker these days. I think I’m in good company. Critics often asked Flannery O’Connor why her writings were so dark. She said it was the only way to be a “counterweight to the prevailing heresy” in…

Try singing The National Anthem and stopping abruptly at “through the perilous night.” It doesn’t work. We feel there’s more. It’s due to musical structure—what we feel in songs, stories, sex, seasons, and stages of life. It’s eerily everywhere, which is a reason to enjoy Halloween. C.S. Lewis said we would benefit from evoking a…

In a recent New York Times column titled, “Something’s Happening Here,” Thomas Friedman suggests “two unified theories” clear up questions about the Occupy Wall Street movement. Why only two? In the Buffalo Springfield song “Something’s Happening Here,” the next line reads: “what it is ain’t exactly clear.”

by John Seel We have to breathe—in and out. The human body cannot function by only inhaling or exhaling. In the same way, a healthy business must breathe. Sadly, many Christians don’t know what breathing is for a business. As a result, they either only inhale or exhale as healthy businesses die. This is not…