Many of the problems we have in life involve our relationships with people. We think our boss or teacher doesn't like us, or the folks next door are hard to get along with. Perhaps our marriage has soured and the children are in rebellion. If such difficulties are chronic in our lives, we need to ask a simple question. "Am I contributing to these negative situations?" If the answer is yes, we must then ask: "What should I do about it?"

America is indeed a nation of immigrants, but the trend of mass population movements is not unique to the United States.

In its early days, the religion of Islam was spread by the sword as it expanded across the Middle East, northern Africa, and into Spain. By 1683, a Muslim army had almost reached the gates of Vienna before it was driven back.

On this mid-August morning, as I'm writing, I can look out my home-office window and see dead yellow leaves falling from the trees in the yard. That's not supposed to happen in North Carolina until late September or October!

A powerful military establishment, a booming economy, food in abundance, healthy citizens, prosperity abounding – all that any nation could want or hope for.

But then a prophet of God sends a message to the leader of this blessed land which said in effect, "Because of your arrogance and pride and your failure to give credit to God, your mighty nation shall loose its blessings. You are cursed. Your nation shall be brought down, to become the lowest nation on earth, and foreigners shall rule over you – from now on!"