I help the Mustard Seed Communities for Disadvantaged children in Nicaragua to serve desperately poor children who usually are disabled in one or more ways. I invite you to join me for a fun 5K on Sunday August 25 at 8:00 a.m. in Newtown Park (Johns Creek, GA).

All proceeds benefit these children. You can register to run or sponsor help here.

I've got marriage on my mind. My wife and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary today. Plus I'm also working on writing a book on marriage. I'm gonna call it "21 Undeniable Secrets for a Satisfying Marriage."

I'm still discovering what those secrets are, so I've read ten books on marriage this month. I share with you the two best ones. Highly recommend them both if you'd like more wisdom to grow your marriage forward.

"His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage" by Willard Harley, Jr.

and "The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts" by Gary Chapman.

Both of these books emphasize making deposits in your spouse's "love bank." I.e., give your spouse what he/she needs most. Satisfy their deepest emotional needs, and express love in a way they understand it. For example, I like to hear kind words and compliments from my wife. That makes me feel loved. Anita, on the other hand, would much prefer that I vacuum the house or mop the floor. That makes her feel loved.

So, for our 25th anniversary, you'll find me vacuuming. And, if I get lucky, she'll give me a big, fat compliment when the floor is clean. That way, we'll both know that we're loved. And then we'll enjoy a nice dinner together as we give thanks for God's grace in our lives together. After all, He joined us together in the first place.

Great piece here from Forbes regarding the sociologist, Peter Berger, and his analysis of how religion drives culture and ultimately economic growth and prosperity. 

Do you ever wonder how much good you actually do in the world? Most of us have a pretty good sense of where we struggle. But often we underestimate the moments when we are at our best.

A friend and I recently began to take a hard look at the places in life where we actually produce good in the world. It's pretty simple, and I think you'll find it helpful.

St. Paul teaches us (Phil. 4:8) to focus on "whatever is True, whatever is Honorable, whatever is Just, whatever is Pure, whatever is Lovely, whatever is Gracious, Excellent, and anything worthy of Praise." So at the start of each day, we write down those eight words: True, Honorable, Just, Pure, Lovely, Gracious, Excellent, Praiseworthy. Beside each word, I write down thoughts about what I did the day before. Can I remember a moment where I did something pure? Offered something lovely? Said something gracious? 

That simple exercise allows me to see just where I produced good in the world. And if I struggle to remember something in one or two areas, I know I failed to offer as much good in the world as I could have.

Best of all, those eight words start becoming a part of my whole day. I remember them when I am at work or with friends or running errands. Simply remembering the words, and knowing that I will write down my actions for the day, actually causes me to focus on doing more positive good.

True. Honorable. Just. Pure. Lovely. Gracious. Excellent. Praiseworthy. Or THJPLGEP for short!

Focus on THJPLGEP, and watch your goodness begin to grow. Then watch the people around you benefit from your new focus.

Lives will be different.

What a great day we shared at our annual motorcycle rally to benefit Georgia's most viciously abused children. Not only did the ride double in size from last year's fun, we shared in the very first days of Murphy Harpst Children's Center's brand new recreation center facility. 

Best of all, we generated more than $15,000 in gifts to help serve children, and we got to spend time enjoying a beautiful day and meeting many of the children being served there. 

Thank you to Sharon Rocchio of Your Seamless Event for her excellent coordination of the entire ride. Thanks to Chick Fil A operators Kurt Davis, Andrew Farr, and Wayne Farr, for providing the food for that day as well as the coupons for free sandwiches in the coming days. And most of all thanks to you for praying, giving, and even, perhaps, riding.

Hurting, broken children will find help, healing and hope thanks to you. God is good.

As shared on the show.

From "Loaded Bear"

Dear Allen

Just another day in Chechnya. I don't think these guys are Christians. With 193 countries and 21 major religions; why do we choose to import our enemies into the country; and grant them absolute citizenship so easy? The proxy wars, have come home to roost it seems. It is easy to see who won this exchange. A teenager and his big brother; injured over 150 people, severed limbs, killed 4 including a cop, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, an entire day of business plus marathon revenue. Long term market affect, impossible to calculate. Not only future security, but markets and the like. If he faces civil trial; that will likely be a million dollar trial or more. If not for a lucky tip; this guy may have escaped down a manhole, and locked up the city for days, killed some more. If there was a third bomber; he may have walked into the crowd celebrating, and detonated himself. Good thing it was not an Italian family, or Mormons. with ten kids. When you have a culture that is suicidal, and void of empathy; that is a difficult enemy indeed, as we found out in WW2 with the Kamakazi over Japan. Before we use the excuse to limit our liberties; we should limit the liberties of the outside world coming in. Before we allow more cameras on our streets; start watching our borders, shores, and mosques. Start making it harder, for non assimilated entities, to colonize here. Know who you are letting in. I bet there are a lot of peaceful Christians around the world, who would like to come in to this country, and are waiting in line patiently. Sounds like we had warning, but wouldn't, or couldn't take it. That needs to change; because all those who are missing limbs, will never forget this week

IED's and terror attacks on civilians have come to America. With the horror of two bombs at the Boston Marathon, you and I both again woke up to the fact that evil is not easily removed. 

Thos tragedy reminded me that the apostle Paul describes two patterns for living. 1) The pattern of the world. And 2) the pattern of God. In fact, Paul says, "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world." You and I have a higher calling and a different way of living than that of the world.

And what does that look like? Love. Romans 12 ends with these words, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Violence cannot be ended with vengeance and more violence. Violence begets violence.

In the face of evil, you and I are called to respond with extraordinary love and good. Law enforcement will do their jobs and find the doer of this evil. Our job is to sow seeds of goodness as generously as we can to overwhelm evil with good.

Take a moment this week to pray for the Boston victims and their families, but pray also for the perpetrator. Then pause to do something kind and loving for a person nearby you. Repair an elderly widow's broken door, or teach a child to read in an after-school program, or offer a bowl of soup to a man who has none. Together, our seeds of extraordinary love will force evil out and let light and goodness in.

I had lunch with "Tina" last week. She's working on getting her high school diploma. She's also working on coming to terms with her past. Severe abuse by a parent. Sexual abuse by a family member. 

"Tina" is a new resident at the Murphy Harpst Children's Center. The staff says you can recognize the new residents in two ways. First, they won't look you in the eye. They've been so abused that they struggle to trust anyone. Second, they hoard food. They stuff their pockets, their backpacks, and any spare space with food from the cafeteria. They simply have not lived in a setting where meals come consistently each day, so they grab food in order to be prepared should they not get another meal for several days.

Good news: "Tina" says she has found a home for the first time. When I asked her what her plans were. She said, "I want to graduate so I can become a hair dresser. Then I plan to move to a town away from my mother. I've learned that that is a part of my life that I have to close off now." Although her eyes were sad, Tina's voice was filled with hope. 

I invite you to be a part of our April 20 motorcycle rally to benefit Murphy Harpst by clicking here. You need not be a rider. You can meet us there for lunch that Saturday. You'll get to meet some of the kids who live there, and receive a tour of the campus. Or you can make a generous gift to offer help, hope, and home to Georgia's most viciously abused children. Every dollar of every gift or registration fee goes directly to help these children. All the costs of the rally have already been underwritten by a generous donor.

Thank you for being my friend. And thank you for caring about children whom the rest of the world has not only abused, but often forgotten. You are the BEST!

My CPA friend, Dan Lucas, is teaching people how to use Quick Books. Great especially for small business leaders. April 23 and 24th in Alpharetta. Limited seats. Just email him Dan Lucas <dlucas@credofinance.com>.

And he is willing to give a free seat to one of my FB friends who makes a gift to our motorcycle rally to benefit the Murphy Harpst Children's Center. Let me know and that seat is yours!

April 20 is almost here. The date for our motorcycle rally to benefit the children of Murphy Harpst, a place that does special and unique work in helping children who have been viciously abused. Many of them have been broken in ways that most of us cannot even begin to imagine.

Details on the ride can be found by clicking here.

And Murphy Harpst has a recently produced video that you will find helpful and inspiring. CHeck it out here.