Think About It

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...

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...

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...

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...

There has been a lot of talk about the weather over the last few days, so I thought I’d add a little input.   Interestingly, my report isn’t from the recent cold snap – it was the weather from February 3, 1959 … the day the music died.   It was around 15 degrees with a 30+ mph wind when Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J. P. Richardson (the Big Bopper) took off for Fargo, North Dakota.   They wouldn’t make it out of northern Iowa before their plane crashed and history was made.   The trio had been on a bus trip across the northern plains, but because they were anxious to get to their next venue (and they weren’t feeling all that good), they rented a plane.   That deadly mistake sealed their fate and ended their careers. As I thought about this event, I was reminded that sometimes the easy solution isn’t always the best one.   Now, please hear me out, I am not faulting the musicians’ choice – I might have done the same thing – but it is ironic that the decis...

Punxsutawney Phil may not be the most popular guy these days.  I am sure the meteorologists would be happy to share some of the blame for the recent cold, so this little guy might be a welcome scapegoat!  I haven’t seen his verdict about the future of the cold weather, but he is inheriting an audience of grumpy folks. Over the last few days, a lot of us have been complaining about the cold.  Now, there are some who have good reason to fuss – for them, it could be a true hardship and might even been life-threatening – however, I know of lot of us have just been whining about being chilly.  (Me included!)  For most of us, the cold weather is just an inconvenience that annoys us.  As I thought about this I was reminded of the difference between hassles and hardships.  No one ever promised us that life would be easy – and honestly, there is value in dealing with challenges.  While I wouldn’t wish legitimate sufferings on anyone, I think most us can le...