http://www.pittsburghexperiment.org/

The Pittsburgh Experiment, 106 Highcroft Circle, Eighty Four, PA (2026)

10/05/2026

Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) was a minister and bestselling author best known for The Power of Positive Thinking, whose preaching and media work made him one of the most influential religious figures of mid 20th century America. I re-read the book every year. It’s a great reminder that our thought life greatly influences our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Below are some principles Dr. Peale espouses to start your day.

1. Start off with affirmations and positive thoughts
He repeatedly recommends replacing negative thoughts with positive ones each morning. Affirmations are central to his method: they “reshape your thought patterns” and build confidence.
2. Visualize yourself succeeding
Visualization is one technique many people use today. This is true of many high level athletes. This is presented as a daily discipline: “Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding”

3. Create inner peace before the day’s demands
A peaceful mind, he argues, improves clarity and resilience.
Peale stresses the importance of a peaceful mind. He recommends quiet moments, prayer, inspirational reading, and calming imagery to establish inner calm before engaging with the world.

4. Use prayer as a source of strength and guidance
Prayer is central to Dr. Peale’s philosophy. He presents it as a practical tool for confidence, emotional steadiness, and problem-solving. Morning prayer is implied as part of the daily rhythm of drawing on spiritual strength.

09/30/2026

🎶 The Lunchtime Concert Series Returns! 🎶

📅 Tuesday, September 22
🕛 12:00 PM
📍 First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh
320 Sixth Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh

Step away from your desk and treat yourself to 30 minutes of inspiring music in one of Pittsburgh’s most beautiful sacred spaces.

We are excited to welcome Alexander Richard Straus-Fausto, whom the Spoleto Festival USA has called “an organ virtuoso to watch out for.”

Whether you're looking for a midday break, a moment of reflection, or simply exceptional live music, this free concert is the perfect way to refresh your afternoon.

Come celebrate God's gift of music with us. We look forward to seeing you there! 🎵✨

09/21/2026

Monday mornings can be difficult, especially when they are rainy and gray—and even more so when the first appointment on your calendar is with an oral surgeon to have two teeth extracted and an implant placed. That was how I began my day. Although it was an uncomfortable start to the week, one difficult hour in the dentist’s chair brought long-term relief from the pain and infection caused by two bad teeth. I am grateful to my oral surgeon for removing them and relieving my pain.

Keep that in mind as you begin your workweek: serving someone well may simply mean easing their burden or taking a task off their plate. Sometimes the best way to lead is by taking away rather than adding more.

Helping by Taking Something Off Someone’s Plate
• Real support isn’t always giving more; it’s removing what weighs heavy.
• Lightening someone’s load can be the most practical form of love.
• A small task lifted from another can feel like a mountain moved.
• Relief is often more valuable than advice.

09/08/2026

During the terrible storms Thursday night we got hit hard. Our power went out at 6:15 pm. It was not restored for 26 hours. Not too bad. A couple of years ago we were without power for 6 days! But even being without power for a little more than a day is disruptive and throws off your routine. Since we had no lights, we went to bed early. Friday morning, I had two meetings but I was back at my office in my house at 1030 am. It was frustrating, I felt like I couldn’t do anything without internet or computer access. I was hot with no air-conditioning. I couldn’t use my coffee maker. During my whining my wife mentioned she enjoyed the silence. No TV blaring. No music on Spotify. The refrigerator wasn’t running nor the dishwasher humming. Just quiet. A forced upon us moment of silence.
In a world that runs on constant connection, the ability to “turn off” has quietly become one of the most important disciplines we can practice. We live with notifications tugging at our attention, news cycles that never sleep, and responsibilities that follow us home. Without intentional pauses, the mind never fully resets — it just keeps absorbing, reacting, and pushing forward.
Turning off isn’t laziness. It’s stewardship. It’s recognizing that we were never designed for uninterrupted output. Even the Bible builds rest into the rhythm of creation: evening and morning, work and Sabbath, labor and renewal. When we ignore that pattern, we eventually feel it — in our patience, our creativity, our relationships, and even our spiritual clarity.
Stepping away for a moment — shutting down the screen, silencing the phone, walking outside, sitting quietly with no agenda — gives the soul room to breathe. It allows thoughts to settle instead of churn.. It restores perspective that gets lost in the noise. And often, it’s in those quiet spaces that we hear what we’ve been missing: a fresh idea, a needed conviction, a reminder of gratitude, or simply the sense that life is bigger than the next task.
Turning off is not escape. It’s recalibration. It’s choosing to live as a whole person rather than a constantly running machine. And when we return to our work, our families, and our responsibilities, we do so with more clarity, more patience, and more strength than before.
A life that never pauses eventually frays. A life that learns to turn off — even briefly — becomes more grounded, more present, and more human.

08/31/2026

Jim Valvano was a successful college coach and broadcaster. Valvano is also remembered for an inspirational and memorable speech delivered at the 1993 ESPY Awards while terminally ill with cancer. His speech is a passionate reminder that life is meant to be lived with purpose, joy, and relentless determination. He urges people to embrace three daily practices — laugh, think, and be moved to tears — because they keep the heart awake to what matters. Even while battling cancer, he insists that the human spirit is stronger than any illness, declaring that disease can touch the body but never the mind, heart, or soul.
At the center of his message is the line that became his legacy: “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” He calls people to keep fighting for their dreams, their relationships, and their lives, no matter the obstacles. His speech ends with a challenge to live fully and persist boldly — because perseverance is the path to hope, impact, and meaning.

Perseverance isn’t flashy — it’s steady. It’s choosing, again today, to keep moving toward what matters even when the path feels slow or the progress feels small. Jimmy V’s words remind us that hope becomes strength when you refuse to quit.
Don’t ever give up. Not on the work you’re doing. Not on the people you’re serving. Not on the prayers you’re praying. Not on the quiet growth happening inside you.
Every step forward — even the ones no one sees — is shaping the future you’re building. Stay faithful. Stay steady. Keep going.

08/24/2026

I tend to look down the road, eager to see what comes next. But there are problems with that. Since I cannot predict the future, I often imagine what lies around the next turn—and I’m often wrong. Worse, when I focus too much on what’s ahead, I miss the blessing of the present.

In May 2001 I embarked on my second international trip, which was to London. I flew from Pittsburgh to Newark Airport to make my connection. About 1hour before departure I was called to the desk. There I was asked if I would be willing to be upgraded to 1st Class to which I quickly replied in the affirmative! I had never flown 1st Class and have not since. But it was awesome! For the first hour or so. But then my “look down the road” mind kicked in and stole my joy. I started thinking about the trip home at the end of my week, sitting back in economy. I thought about how tight and close the seats were. I thought about the difference in the food and service. My concerns about my return flight stole the joy of my current situation.

Don’t look past the present moment. That’s the whole message, and it’s harder than it sounds.

We rush toward the next thing—next meeting, next worry, next responsibility—and miss the only place we are sure of: now.
The present moment is where grace lives. It’s where people are. It’s where joy hides. It’s where God whispers.

When we hurry past “now,” we trade what’s real for what’s imaginary. The future isn’t here yet; the past is already gone. But this moment—this breath—is a gift placed in your hands.
So slow down. Notice what’s in front of you. Listen fully. Be where your feet are. Let this moment be enough.

You don’t have to fix tomorrow. You just have to be faithful today.

08/12/2026

Great time today with the guys at our South Hills Village Wednesday PX Lunch group. If you’re interested in joining us reach out for more information. We would love to see you.

08/10/2026

“Hope is the quiet courage to believe that what’s ahead can be better than what’s behind.

I mentioned that my wife and I have gotten hooked on watching the Great British Bakeoff. I’m not a baker (although I cooked pizza for a number of years.) But I am always interested in watching how ordinary people attempt to do great things, I’ve noticed that over the different seasons of the show, most of the successful contestants exhibited certain qualities:
• Choosing optimism — Being positive isn’t pretending everything is easy; it’s deciding that challenges won’t define the whole story. A hopeful attitude changes how you respond to bumps and bruises that come your way.
• Starting with gratitude — Most of the bakers who did well were just “happy to be there.” No pressure to win or perform but just enjoying the experience. Naming even one good thing a day steadies your perspective. Gratitude makes room for clarity and resilience.
• Looking for small wins — Momentum rarely arrives in big waves. It shows up in small, faithful steps that remind you you’re moving forward.
• Expecting God’s presence — A number of he bakers mentioned their faith. You don’t walk into the week alone. Confidence grows when you remember that strength, wisdom, and peace are available to you moment by moment.

08/05/2026

Last week I had a chance to visit one of our PX groups. I was made up of retirees who had known each other for decades. I believe two men had known each other for 60 years! While many PX groups are based on where folks work, there are a number of groups like this one that I refer to as "Friend Groups." Groups where people come together as friends with history. They spend time with each other on a regular basis, maybe for decades. Why then do they also meet together as a PX group?

It's being intentional. They share time with each other, but they specifically, and intentionally, ask each other two questions. What are you thankful for and for what could you do without? Two questions which we may never address when we are just hanging out. But two questions which can refocus us and get us on the right track. And it also leads us in how we can pray for each other.

Maybe you have a friend group with whom you are comfortable. But maybe you can gather monthly as a PX group to intentionally address those two questions. What are you thankful for and for what could you do without.

08/03/2026

Last Monday I changed the windshield wiper on my car because it had torn. It seemed simple enough. I should have known better. I watched a YouTube video which made it look easy. Then I read the instructions on the new wiper blade box. They were different than the YouTube video. So I took the old wiper off and it looked different than both the video and the instructions. That didn’t deter me from getting the new blade on. Or so I thought.

A few days later my wife and I were driving home from the dentist when the sky opened up and it began to pour. Time to check out my new windshield wiper. It worked great. Until it didn’t. After about 1 minute the blade came off the arm and flapped uselessly on the windshield. I limped the car to a place where we could pull it over to try to reattach it. Based on my lack of ability to install it correctly initially, standing there on the side of the road in the rain, I wasn’t exactly exuding confidence. That lack of confidence was well earned. We had to stop two more times before we finally got home. I think I finally have it attached correctly. We shall see.

Because life is full of storms and currents—stress, disappointment, temptation, uncertainty, we need to anchor, or secure ourselves so we don’t fly off and lose our moorings. Anchors don’t remove the waves and storms of life; they keep us from being swept away by them. What are some things that anchor us?

Community — the Anchor of Shared Strength

We stay grounded when we walk with others who encourage, challenge, and pray for us. Isolation weakens; community stabilizes.

Purpose — the Anchor that Keeps Us Oriented

Knowing why we’re here keeps us from drifting. Purpose gives direction, especially when life feels confusing or heavy.

Practices that Shape Us — the Anchors We Build Daily

Habits like prayer, meditation, serving, and gratitude form quiet anchors that hold us steady over time.

Hope — the Anchor that Pulls Us Forward

Hope is not wishful thinking; it’s confidence in God’s future. Hope keeps us from being tossed by fear or discouragement.

Faith - When everything shifts, God’s unchanging nature is the one anchor that doesn’t. His faithfulness, goodness, and truth give a foundation that circumstances can’t shake.

Life is tough. Make sure you are anchored and attached to something secure so you don’t fly off in stormy weather.

The Pittsburgh Experiment

10/05/2026

09/30/2026

09/21/2026

09/08/2026

08/31/2026

08/24/2026

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