Think About It

               Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game?”.   Have you ever given much thought as to where it came from?   In all honesty, I kind of just assumed it was one of those facts of life passed down from generation to generation; but the other night while watching a biography of the sportswriter, Grantland Rice, I learned it came from his work entitled, “Alumnus Football”.   I encourage you to go back and read the entire piece written in 1908, but it ends with the following observation, “For when the one Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes – not that you won or lost – but how you played the Game.”.   I had grown up on that bit of wisdom, but when viewed in that context, it carries a lot more weight.            When we get to the end of our lives, there are several ways to be scored on our efforts...

Happy Veterans Day!   Thank you to all of you who have served our nation and continue to provide a legacy of what it takes to sacrifice ourselves for the betterment of our fellow man.   I hope that you have the day off and you can either relish in the events being planned around the country or enjoy a quiet time of reflection of a job well-done.   I wish that I could say that you have been able to make it through unscathed to enjoy the fruits of your labor, but I realize that many of you have scars – physical, mental and emotional – that are constant reminders of your experiences.   If possible, try to set aside those challenges, at least for the day, and enjoy it as your nation embraces you for your service. While today is focused on American heroes, it also reminds me of those spiritual veterans who served in the kingdom of heaven so that we can have what we have today.   Some fought their battles centuries ago while others served in our lifetime; but all ...

Are we willing to see the “amazing” things that are being done around us?   There is a temptation to look at the failings of our world and think that everything is falling apart around us, but if we take the time and make the effort, there are some pretty neat things happening – not just in technological advancements, but in good people doing good things.   Oh, it is so easy to see all the chaos and confusion that seems to be prevalent, but if we allow ourselves to perceive it, good is being done. The other night I was looking at a portion of the Gospel of Mark and noticed an interesting observation from the life of Jesus.   When Jesus returned to His hometown, He lived in such a way that He astonished the homefolks.   However, rather than following Him, they took offense at Him.   Their hometown boy had made good, but they refused to believe.   Does that sound familiar?   We live in a world where the power of the Lord is evident and His message is...

I like the autumn.   I enjoy the cooler weather, the stunning foliage and the pumpkin pie (even though I haven’t bought into all this “pumpkin spice” in everything from ice cream and coffee.)   Now, having said all of this, there is one thing about the fall that is a bit challenging.   Of all the seasons of the year, this one probably reminds me of change most of all.   While this is kind of neat when viewed in nature, I am not a big fan of it in life itself.   Oh, I don’t mind new technology or updated gadgets, but the older I get the more change reminds me that I am aging and changing.   I guess as a younger person, I probably dreaded aging more than I do now; but today it is more of a reality than a fear.   So, my continual question isn’t, what happens when I get older, it’s how am I going to make the most of each and every day that I get older? Age comes with opportunities – sometimes they are just a little harder to see.   I think it is bec...

How do we perceive God?   One of the great things about living under the New Testament is that we can have an intimate relationship with God.   We don’t have to live in fear of some distant Deity, we can enjoy more of a Father-child relationship with Him.   Now, while that is great (and I wouldn’t want to ever change it or go back to the old way), I think that there are times when we need to take a step back and take a good long look at the Almighty God.   We should be thankful for all the grace, love and mercy we have.   We should be thrilled to have a connection to Him.   However, we must never lose sight of His true nature.   After thanking the Lord for the forgiveness he had received from God, the Apostle Paul praised Him by noting, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy 1:17).   Let’s never take the relationship we have with God for granted.   Let’s make sur...

Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you played the game?”.   Have you ever given much thought as to where it came from?   In all honesty, I kind of just assumed it was one of those facts of life passed down from generation to generation; but the other night while watching a biography of the sportswriter, Grantland Rice, I learned it came from his work entitled, “Alumnus Football”.   I encourage you to go back and read the entire piece written in 1908, but it ends with the following observation, “For when the one Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes – not that you won or lost – but how you played the Game.”.   I had grown up on that bit of wisdom, but when viewed in that context, it carries a lot more weight.   When we get to the end of our lives, there are several ways to be scored on our efforts.   We might be tallied by how much money we made, how many laws we created, how many children we rais...