Think About It

With all the stuff on TV these days, periodically we have to take a break and watch the Hallmark Channel.  The other night we were watching a Hallmark movie and heard something I’d never heard before.  In dealing with the challenge at the heart of the movie, the question was raised if someone was a “warrior or a worrier”.  As soon as I heard that, I figured I would have to share it.  We live in a time when it so easy to worry about things.  There are so many things that seem to be outside our control that it becomes easy to stress about them.  Yet, how would our lives change if we stopped worrying about things and started feeling confident in our abilities to overcome the odds?  I am not taking about being reckless – just aggressive. Do we feel apprehensive because we don’t want to make mistakes?  Do we lose our confidence because of what we feel others might think of us?  I have never been a big advocate of the concept of seeking forgiveness...

I realize that summer doesn’t officially begin for another couple of weeks, but since we are post-Memorial Day and many school districts are beginning to go on hiatus, I thought it might do us some good to reflect on summertime.  I understand that the summer months can be busy, but I want to encourage us to take some time and enjoy this summer.  Specifically, I would encourage us to do a few simple, but refreshing things: • Take some time off this summer.   Whether it is going on a vacation or just enjoying the blessings of a staycation, do something(s) other than work over the next couple of months. • Do something fun this summer.   What do you like to do for fun?  Whether it is taking a trip to the beach or planting a garden, do something that refreshes your enjoyment of life. • Get out and enjoy some nature.   It is easy to stay inside during the summer months, but let’s do ourselves a favor and get out and enjoy some of God’s creation.  Remem...

I am a big advocate for Solomon’s adage, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).  While we might try to convince ourselves that mankind is creating new ways to do evil, in all honesty it’s probably happened before.  While this might prompt us to be depressed, I do believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  You see, if what we are experiencing today has happened in the past that means that mankind lived through it before; therefore, there is hope for us to deal with it today.  As I thought about this, I was reminded of a warning from several centuries ago, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21).  It doesn’t take us too long to see that there are people ...

Have we made religion more difficult than it needs to be?  Have we put too much emphasis on understanding the complexities of the Bible?  Now, before I move on, I feel compelled to say that we need to be students of the Scriptures and should dedicate ourselves to knowing as much as we can about the Word of God.  However, have we gotten so wrapped up in religious debates that we are missing out on the pure and simple teachings of Christianity?  I know that we can never be good enough to save ourselves, but how would our view of spiritual living change if we emphasized living simply good lives?  By all of us focusing on being and doing good we could change the world in which we lived. Centuries ago, David reflected on righteousness and observed, “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.  Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good?  Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking de...

Last Sunday morning, I was talking about an Old Testament hero by the name of Shamgar.  If you aren’t familiar with his story, it goes like this: “After him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.” (Judges 3:31).  I was trying to make the point that in the hands of a man of faith even a rudimentary weapon like an oxgoad is good enough.  I think to emphasize my point, I said something like, “You don’t have to have an automatic weapon in our arsenal to be an effective Christian.” … and then, I stopped.  Because of the times in which we live, I felt compelled to make sure people understood that I was speaking figuratively.  In years past, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought because I knew that people wouldn’t take me literally, but in way too many instances, people have resorted to violence to make their point.   I am almost embarrassed to say that there is something wrong with...

If I were to ask you to name the most decorated American soldier World War II,  a lot of people would come to mind – especially many of the commanders and military leaders.  Yet, that distinction is traditionally attributed to a guy by the name of Audie Murphy.  Murphy, a kid who grew up in poverty in Texas, became a true life American hero.  So, as we celebrate Memorial Day, I thought I’d honor him by revealing one of his quotes.  Yet, something odd happened on the way to memorializing his accomplishments, I came upon a statement that seemed to stop me in my tracks.  As I read his thoughts, one that really stood out to me was, “I can’t ever remember being young in my life.”.  The more I ponder this observation, the sadder I become.  Here is a true American hero who went on to become a celebrity who never got to appreciate his youth.   As I thought about his comment, it got me to thinking about how true this is for way too many of us....