In some respects, progressing through life is like running a marathon.

Marathon runners set explicit goals.

Some of the choicest blessings of my life have been the close friendships I have experienced over the years. Often, these friendships have been forged in the fires of shared experience.

When some people have a difficult job to do, they give up everything else until that job is finished. Others just give up.

Some carry the burden of bitterness and resentfulness for many years.

The light from the sun breaks through space, bathing our planet as it encircles the sun with life-giving warmth and light. Without the sun, there could be no life on this planet; it would be forever barren, cold, and dark.