Stories & Articles

Reader, The most recent episode of our You Were Made for This podcast, no. 211, was about a group of guys and what they did at a Saturday morning breakfast to honor their wives. If you haven’t heard it, click here to listen to the “Men with Waffles” episode. Today’s episode, no. 212, describes what happened ten years later to the men at that breakfast, especially one in particular. Click here to listen to examples of how the little things we do for people often matter the most to them. One...

Reader, One of our You Were Made for This listeners once told me, “I really enjoy hearing feedback from other listeners to the podcast.” I’ve have some for you today. An episode from a few weeks ago, no. 210 - “Word of the Year for 2024: Curious” referred to another show on the same topic, no 063, “Six Reasons Why We’re not More Curious About People.”​ Episode 063 was from a few years back, and a listener by the name of Amy recently listened to it and left this comment: I bookmarked this...

Reader, Last week’s podcast episode, no. 211 “A Men’s Breakfast Like No Other,” is one of my favorites. Click here if you missed it. Especially if you’re a woman and want to know what men talk about when you’re not around. Today I'm sharing an example of what I’ve been saying at the end of every podcast episode (I think) since the very first one back in November of 2018. It’s an encouragement to Spread a little relational sunshine around the people you meet this week. Spark some joy for...

Hi Reader, A few weeks ago a friend who moved away texted me to ask if we could meet for breakfast while he was in town over the Christmas holiday. It’s always a delight when we get together and get caught up on each other’s lives. We picked up where we left off the last time we talked. It was like he had never moved, even though it had been almost 9 years since he did. Today’s podcast episode is about what our breakfast reminded me of - another breakfast we were both involved in 13 years...

Reader, In episode 210 of last week’s podcast, I announced my choice for Word of the Year for 2024: Curious. Click here if you missed it or want to hear it again. In that episode I explained one issue always comes up when I talk about this topic with a live audience. It’s the fear some people have that being curious about about someone could mean you'll be perceived as “nosy.” There are big differences though between curious and nosy: Being nosy doesn’t enrich your life. Curiosity does. Nosy...

Reader, Yesterday morning I googled the phrase “2024 Word of the Year.” A mere 3,220,000,000 results popped up. Today I’m adding one more entry with my own pick for the word of the year. You can hear (or read) about it in today’s podcast. In it I tell several stories that illustrate this word in action. Stories that inlcude: A best-selling author’s dinner party experience Two moms who take someone under their wing A man who confesses in church to killing someone What a highly rated law school...

Hello Reader, Last week’s podcast episode was the last one for 2023. I understand you may not have had time to listen to it, given all the activities surrounding the end of the year. But if you click here you can still catch episode 208, Christmas - A Time to Reflect. It’s about how Mary processed her experience in giving birth to Jesus and the things she reflected upon over and over again. One listener said it was the best Christmas episode in the six years I’ve been doing the...

Merry Christmas Reader, Today’s podcast episode takes us back to the very first Christmas and how one of the main characters responded to it. They set an example for all of us in how we can respond to Christmas in 2023. It will enrich our lives when we do as they did. Click here to listen to episode 208, Christmas - A Time to Reflect. Until next week, I wish you all the joy that you can wish.* John Certalic You Were Made for This is the podcast sponsored by Caring for Others, a missionary...