As I was watching the CNN coverage of the riots in Serbia the other day, the news camera zoomed in to some of the action on the street in Belgrade. Several protesters were standing in the back of a pickup truck as it made its way through the swarming throngs of people.

Intermittent fires were burning in buildings in the background. As the truck moved along, one of the men in the back of the pickup casually turned towards the camera, lifted a bottle to his mouth, took a long drink, and offhandedly tossed the empty bottle away.

"Don't sweat the small stuff – and it's all small stuff." So goes the popular saying. We look for a way to avoid stress and to avoid the consequences of our actions. Yet, when it comes down to it, we are ultimately responsible for our actions – and everything counts.

The Star-Spangled Banner calls the United States, "the home of the brave." Past generations were moved by the bravery and self-sacrifice of American soldiers during World War II.

My cell phone rang with an urgent call from my wife: "Daisy's out—I need your help!" I finished my business, hopped in the car and hurried home through the rain, thankful I was just a few minutes away.

"Temptations come, as a general rule, when they are sought." Those words from nineteenth century Scottish novelist Margaret Oliphant reveal a marvelous understanding of human nature – an understanding few today seem to possess.