No matter who we are, no matter how or where we live, no matter our station in life, there comes a time when we all need somebody to “stand by us.” To stand by us and hold us up as we, too, need to be there to hold others up. In essence, to stand in the gap wherever the “wall” of rightful faith and living is breached.

When I was a child in the 1950s, I remember the shocked look on my mother's face when she heard the news of a neighorhood couple who were getting a divorce. Divorce wasn't so common back then—at least not in the rural Midwest where we lived. And a man and woman didn't live together unless they were married, or if they did, they were shamed and shunned.

Many people realize that Jesus Christ was not born anywhere near December 25 and that Christmas is rooted in ancient paganism, but will still proclaim that Jesus is “the reason for the season.” Is this true? Who is really being celebrated on December 25? Why the evergreen tree? And most importantly, is Jesus Christ really pleased?

When I was in grammar school, I shared a class with a young man who became known as "Stevie the Liar." If anyone told of an event that they had actually experienced, Stevie developed a more extravagant fabrication that overshadowed that occurrence. Stevie constantly shared "points of fact" that upon closer scrutiny proved to be more of his vivid imagination. In fact, Stevie's reputation was such that he was credited with the dispersing of any misinformation, no matter which of our classmates relayed the telling. Stevie was the teller of tales.

We have all been lied to.

There is a lot to be said for being grateful. In fact, it has been a subject of research at universities by psychologists during recent decades. This research has concluded that those who are grateful are happier. They also earn more money, are better students, have more friends, and enjoy better health, to name a few of the benefits derived from an attitude and practice of gratitude.

Is this just so much "pop" psychology, or is it for real?