The Bandjoun nomad

Inspirational Photos by Neil Armstrong – Primary Photographer on the First Successful Manned Mission to the Moon : Photo: Neil Armstrong/NASA Neil Armstrong passed this weekend. I was sad to hear the news that the man who spoke those immortal words that inspired the world: “It’s a small step for [a] man, a giant leap for mankind,” had left us. He was a hero to many. President Obama said of his passing, “Neil Armstrong was a hero not just of his time, but of all time. Thank you, Neil, for showing us the power of one small step.” His work inspired millions, not only with his famous landing on the moon, but with the photos he took while there. Click through some of the image tabs above to see some of Armstrong’s photos from the surface of the moon. Many are from a Life magazine feature that ran after the lunar landing. As the primary photographer of that first successful manned lunar mission in 1969, Neil Armstrong, was responsible for some of the most iconic images of the mod...

Meet the Very First Rover to Land on Mars : It didn't get anywhere, but the Soviets put a robotic rover on Mars in 1971

Be Confident in God's Strength : "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13 NASB) God wants you confident in the truth that, through him, all things are possible. Every day of your life, you have a choice: You can focus on the obstacles before you, or ... You can be confident in the truth that God is pouring his strength into you. When the Israelites first approached the borders of Canaan, Moses sent scouts into the Promised Land to assess the situation. Ten of the scouts came back with reports that focused on the giants in the land, men so big and powerful the scouts feared they could not be defeated. However, two of the scouts remained confident in the promise from God that he would hand the land over to the Israelites. One of those scouts, Caleb, silenced the others when he said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it" (Numbers 13:30b NIV). He was focused on the magnitude of God and no...

Try Harder or Trust More? : "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace." (Matthew 11:28-29a MSG) Most of us would like to live a life of extraordinary quality that is not only fulfilling but also carries significance beyond ourselves. That's most likely one of the reasons you became a Christian, and it is exactly the kind of life Jesus promises if we will follow him. So why isn't it happening? Why, instead of the abundant life, do so many of us end up living lives of quiet desperation? We go to church; we read the Bible; we pray; we try to be good people and to serve others. Yet, our life with Jesus doesn't seem to be much more than an add-on to our increasingly complex lives. So we try harder to live the abundant life. We work harder, pray harder, study harder, and ke...

Only God's Approval Matters : "Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others." (Galatians 6:4 CEV) The Bible warns us never to compare ourselves with others (Galatians 6:4 CEV). There are two reasons why you should never compare yourself with anyone else:  You will find someone who seems to be doing a better job than you, and you will become discouraged, or You will find someone who doesn't seem as effective as you, and you will become full of pride.  Either attitude will take you out of service and rob you of your job. Paul said it is foolish to compare ourselves with others. He said, "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV). The Message paraphrase says, "In all this comparing and grading and competing, they quit...

The Issue Is Not If God Can Be Trusted : "For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." (Psalm 33:4-5 NIV) If we doubt God, the issue is not over God's ability to support us. He clearly can do that. God is the sovereign, supreme ruler of the universe, powerful enough to overcome any problem or defeat any enemy: "Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him" (Romans 11:36 MSG). God is love (1 John 4:16), so we know he is patient and kind. He's never rude or self-seeking; he's not easily angered, and he keeps no record of wrongs. He does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. He never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). God is always fair (Deuteronomy 32:4); he's pure and honest (Hebrews 6:18). He cannot break a promise (Number...

Jesus Never Looked Down on Others : Think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. (1 Corinthians 1:26 NIV) Jesus never looked down on others, and that gave him the ability to see them as people. They weren't users, consumers, or customers. They were people in need of a relationship with him, not a dos-and-don'ts religion. Once we understand our identity in Christ, we will begin to see people in a similar way. We will see that they are eternal beings, created in the image of God. We will no longer use their circumstances or sins to define who they are; we will see who they are through the eyes of Jesus. This perspective, so different from our natural tendencies, brought out the best in the people Jesus met. He saw their true value, and, as a result, they came to know their true value. Consider: Jesus saw a woman who would sin no more when others saw a woman caught in adult...

Get on God's Timetable : "You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come." (John 7:8 NIV) We fly through our weeks at an Internet-access, call-me-on-my-cell pace, with barely enough time to breathe between the persistent beeps coming from the PDA. Even in the church, we over-schedule meetings, ministry, and meals. In our efforts to become like Jesus, we're developing a very un-Jesus-like characteristic: busyness! You never think of Jesus as a hurried person. He never seemed stressed over getting more things done. Can you hear the efficiency experts? "Jesus, you'd get a lot more done if you had more assistants than just the 12." "You really need to attend that council meeting in Capernaum if you want to make headway with the Pharisees!" "Why are you still here in Galilee? Your ministry would be so much bigger if you'd move to Jerusalem. Such talent going to waste!" Jesus...

What Curiosity Will and Won’t Teach Us About Martian Life : NASA’s new Mars rover boasts an unprecedented suite of instruments, but it won’t be able to answer all our questions

To Fulfill Your Destiny, Use Your Gifts : "Each of us, as a good manager of God's different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God." (1 Peter 4:10 TEV) Do you know what God created you for? Do you know what your destiny is? The first thing you must do to understand your destiny is to recognize the gifts God has given you to use. They include the things you can't control: your parents, your nationality, your race, your first language. They also include your S.H.A.P.E.: your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. These are the things that make you uniquely you. Now, you are not responsible for the gifts God didn't give you. In other words, if you are not artistically gifted, you are not expected to paint pictures like Rembrandt. But you are responsible for the ones he did give you. When you get to Heaven, God isn't going to compare you with anyone else, but he will compare you with yourself...