Why is television nowadays so filled with violence, cheapo sex, negativity, disrespect, and crudeness? What motivates and drives this degrading programming?

The producers and providers of television are driven by a desire to make money, so they (at least theoretically) are going to provide the programming that will draw the largest audience. But why, in America, do lewdness and rudeness appear to be the themes that attract the largest audience? Could it be because of insanity, perversion, and meanness?

Insanity? People's behaviors are influenced by what they see and hear on TV. That is why advertisers pay millions of dollars for TV commercials. When people allow themselves to be influenced and passively partake of portrayals of senseless violence on a daily basis, couldn't that be insanity?

Perversion? When people take pleasure and entertainment from watching people disrespect and violate common decency and historic moral principles, couldn't that be perversion?

Meanness? If someone sees a person drinking mental poison and instead of warning him of the danger, the person chooses to drink mental poison with him, couldn't that be meanness? If I encourage people to self-destruct, could I be being mean to them?

Could a better name for television be sickovision?

Here are two powerful formulas for forming your future:

1) Good thinking + good actions + loving God = joy & contentment

2) Bad thinking + bad actions + running from God = misery & guilt

The formula most frequently and faithfully followed will form your future.

Motivation Quotation: "Hope for our world lies not in the manufacture of greater weapons or the implementation of more repressive laws; hope lies in our capacity to love and to forgive and in our desire to live reconciliation and to grow in love for our enemies." --Jean Vanier

Here's Some Motivation For You: When people feel loved, accepted, and appreciated, they have hope. When people know they have been forgiven for the bad things they have done, they have hope. When people are reconciled to others, when their fractured relationships have been healed, they have hope.

When people are willing to show heart-felt, sacrificial love to others, they have hope. When people sincerely forgive those who have hurt them, they have hope. When people celebrate healed, renewed, and restored relationships, they have hope. When people see that the power of love has the ability to change, even their enemies, they have hope.

Hope or despair, which do you wear? Hope is happy -- despair is devastating. Here's to heart-felt hope!

For 8 or 9 months, I've been having a health problem and going to a specialist every few weeks, however the problem isn't getting any better. About a month ago the specialist examined me once again and this time, instead of telling me he needs to see me again in two or three weeks, he said: "Call and schedule an appointment if you need to see me again."

I didn't understand why I wouldn't need to see him again since nothing has improved. So I scheduled an appointment with my primary care doctor and got a referral to another specialist.

Several times in this process I've have started to worry, but every time I do, these words come to my heart: "It's going to be okay. I am healing you."

I went to the new specialist the day after writing the previous post. Since I just recently started a new job planting an inner city church for a well known Christian denomination, I listed my occupation as "pastor."

When the new specialist can into the room to see me he said: "So you're a pastor, I enjoy meeting pastors." He then proceeded to tell me that in his free time he memorizes entire books of the Bible "for fun." Then we had a wonderful discussion about Christianity and spiritual growth and he told me about some of his spiritual experiences. I asked him how he got so interested in the Lord and he said: "My wife and I got every thing we had ever wanted and we still weren't happy."

When he examined me he told me that there is another level of tests and treatments that can be done and scheduled me for a procedure. It was great to be given some practical encouragement. And the spiritual encouragement was wonderful.

Was this a coincidence? No way! The living God is still working in today's world!

Oftentimes in my life, something amazing will occur. Here are a few examples: I will be thinking about a certain subject and later in the day a book on that subject will come my way. I'll be thinking about a person and he or she will call me. I'll be fighting discouragement and someone who knows nothing about my struggle will say just the thing I need to hear. I will ask God to do something for me and "out of the blue" it happens.

When something amazing happens in my life, I usually ask myself, "How likely was that to happen." Then I realize that the statistical odds against it are tremendous. If I should think of all the amazing things that have happened to me, the odds against them all happening are impossible. Therefore, they cannot be coincidence.

So what does that leave me with? This: There is supernatural intervention in my life!

If you will observe the unusual things that happen in your life and become aware of the statistical odds against their occurrences, I think you, too, will realize that something supernatural is going on with you. We are living in the age of miracles.