The pawns in chess get a bad rap. They are perceived as useless in the game. Not true. Now I’m no chess expert, but I love the game and I have studied it. Here’s a few things to remember about pawns in order to utilize them in your game.

Connected pawns are much stronger. Avoid breaking them up into small, isolated pockets across the board. This is practically unavoidable late in the game, but try and keep them connected in the beginning.

Pawn chains that look like /\ from your side of the board are better than chains that look like V. They are stronger. The pawns provide the most protection when they are centered on the board. Keeping control of the center is always a good idea. Read the rest of this entry »

No sugar plums for me last night. I dreamt of former President Ronald Reagan. As strange as it may be, the dream was quite vivid. He approached me out of nowhere and said, “I am Ronald Reagan.” (As if he needed an introduction.) I responded, “Yes sir. It’s an honor.” This is the dialogue that followed:

Reagan: Speak the truth at any cost.

Me (thinking): What truth? Bible truth? Political truth?

Reagan: The world has become naïve and foolish. They do not see what there is to see. Read the rest of this entry »

I remember my days in high school when I sported clothes that were far from name-brand, drove an ‘89 Escort, and never dated the most popular or prettiest girls in the school (no offense to any of the girls I dated). Did I ever feel envious of other guys? Sure. I wanted to wear Abercrombie, drive a Trans Am, and date a cheerleader. Did I survive without those things? Of course. Did I ever outgrow all feelings of envy toward others? Nope.

All in all, I have a pretty good life. I still do not wear the best brands of clothing (nor do I care at this point). I drive a ‘99 Bonneville (well, I did until it recently got water in the pistons). Did I ever get the cheerleader? No, I did not. Do I care that I never got the cheerleader? Not at all. In fact, I cannot imagine finding a better girl than the one I am currently dating. She’s got beauty, brains, and she compensates for my many flaws (in the words of Jerry Maguire, she completes me). Read the rest of this entry »

Job was told, “Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.” I think about this verse a lot. There are so many wonderful things in God’s creation that I find myself awe-stricken by.

Today, I am traveling from my home in North Carolina to see my girlfriend, family, and friends in Indiana. As the plane departed and eventually rose above the cloud cover, there was a fantastic example of God’s wondrous works outside my window. No matter how many times I have flown, the spectacular sight of endless billowing clouds with a sunset on the far side never becomes old to me.

I thank the Lord for views like this. They are a reminder of His power and glory.

“…for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.”

Jealousy is easy to feel but dangerous and difficult to overcome. There is no telling how many relationships have been destroyed by jealousy. I have been given plenty of reasons in the past to be a jealous person, but thankfully, I am not. I suppose my past experiences with it have made me to numb to it rather than influence me to be prone to jealousy today.

The principle trigger of jealousy is fairly obvious: insecurity. When Adam sees Eve (Adam’s girlfriend) talking to Fabio, Adam feels jealous because he is insecure. In his mind, she could and may very well like Fabio more than him. He approaches her and speaks his mind…well, not his whole mind. He finds a coy way to tell Eve that she should not be talking to Fabio. She does not agree and asks, “Why are you acting this way?” He will then say something like, “If you wouldn’t _____ then I wouldn’t react this way.” In other words, “I feel powerless and insecure so I’m going to turn it back around on you.” Read the rest of this entry »