Posts

Thursday; February 12

Happy birthday to President Abraham Lincoln who was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky on this date in 1809.  Abraham Lincoln is one of the best-known Americans to have ever lived and he is also one of the most quotable.  If you search “quotes by Abraham Lincoln” you are bound to be overwhelmed by a lot of gems, but one I came across the other day struck me for its timelessness.  According to multiple accounts, when the president was approached with the idea of the Lord favoring the Union’s take on the divisive issues in 19 th Century America, Lincoln is quoted as noting, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”.  In a nation known for positioning God on our side (no matter the issue) I think this insight is refreshing.  The belief that God backs us because of who we are is counterintuitive to the way things should be.  God does not serve our nation; it is our responsibility to ser...
Read more

Wednesday; February 11

Have you ever heard (or said), “I just don’t understand how people can do things like that!”?  There are times when we watch someone mistreat others or do horrific acts and we just don’t get it.  While we say this with a sense of frustration, in all honesty, that’s not a bad thing.  Us not being able to fathom the evils people do is natural and laudable.  In all honesty, I would be worried about you – and me – if our minds could fathom the evil people do!  I think one of the reasons we can’t understand why people are evil is that we have put that type of thinking behind us.  We think with a different set of morals than those who live such a debased lifestyle.  Interestingly, as Christians, we are challenged to expand our ignorance of the world, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on...
Read more

Tuesday; February 10

I have a bittersweet relationship with certain telemarketers.   First of all, for some reason I have found myself on a few lists of people who keep calling me about the same stuff time, after time, after time.   I don’t answer their calls, but that doesn’t stop them from calling back.   Whether it is improvements at the church building on a loan for which I never applied, they keep calling me.   Now, that is the “bitter” part of the equation, it really irritates me.   However, the other day, I got to thinking about their persistence.   Even though I didn’t answer yesterday, they called again today … and will probably call back tomorrow.   That’s real stick-to-it-ness!   I have to give them credit for that.   Not only could it be tough to tell them no, but they will also keep trying until they get the chance to convince me to say yes. As I deleted another call off my voicemail the other day, I got to thinking about how persistent we should b...
Read more

Monday; February 9

By now, the Winter Olympic Games are well underway.   Some medals have been awarded and others will come later in the week.   I never really grew up around winter sports, so I was kind of intrigued by the events that went on where people actually had enough snow and ice to incorporate them into competitions.   About the only race we had in the winter was trying to get off the thin ice before it cracked! Even though I don’t know a lot of the complexities of the events (like curling or skimo), I do know that it takes something special to be an elite athlete on the world stage.   Yet, to me, the greatest part of the show is being an Olympian – a team member, a representative of your nation and a participant with other world class athletes.   Winning a medal is incredible, but competing with the world’s best on an international stage is not bad either.   The problems with the Olympics tend to arise when winning comes before sportsmanship and camaraderie. Li...
Read more

Friday; February 6

This weekend hosts Super Bowl Sunday.   Throughout my lifetime, the Super Bowl has transformed from a championship football game to a nationwide event.   Even if your team isn’t playing for a title, a lot of us are going to be impacted by what is happening on Sunday.   Whether it is the game, the entertainment or the food, Super Bowl Sunday has become a big deal in the United States.   While Super Bowl Sunday has become pseudo-holiday for us, there was another Super Sunday that truly influences us.   Centuries ago, Someone who came into the weekend looking like an underdog changed history, “ But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” (Luke 24:1-3).   What happened following the crucifixion of Jesus was no contest – but it was a game-changer! As we...
Read more

Thursday; February 5

Have you ever wondered why we have prejudice in our world?  I am sure you could find several theories about why this is, but I believe that one of them is that we have forgotten the history of mankind … so, let’s hop in the time machine and go back for a refresher course.  First of all, we could go back to Day 6 when God created humanity and realize that He made one man and from him, He created one woman.  We can all trace our lineage back to Adam and Eve.  Interestingly, the Wise Man of Proverbs seemed to reiterate this when he wrote, “The rich and the poor have a common bond, the Lord is the maker of them all.” (Proverbs 22:2).  Since we all originate from the same couple, we are kinfolk.  I think we can add to this by taking a stop during Noah’s day.  The only family that came out of the flood was Noah’s so we can trace our common roots to that point.  Yet, maybe the thing that brings us closer together than anything is some...
Read more

Wednesday; February 4

The other day I was scrolling through some quotes by Charles Schultz and came across one that got me to thinking.  Now, before I get to the statement, I may need to introduce him to some of you.  If the name Charles Schultz doesn’t ring a bell (or is just known for being the namesake of an airport in Santa Rosa, California); you can “google” him or just open the funny pages.  Charles M. Schultz is the guy that brought Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Woodstock to life.  He was the cartoonist that created “Peanuts”.  Now, back to my observation.  A while back, Shultz noted, “Life is like a ten-speed bicycle.  Most of us have gears we never use.”.  I remember back when I rode a bicycle that had multiple gears and I had my favorites but pretty much ignored the others.  I got comfortable in my “zone” and would rarely work my way through my other options.  Doesn’t that sound like life?  We get into the ruts of what we do or how we feel and keep...
Read more