Think About It

What is your first thought when you wake up in the morning?   For some of us, it might have to do with wishing we’d gotten to bed earlier or got to sleep in later.   Others of us climb (or crawl) out of bed with the reminders of the aches and pains of age.   Still others might greet the day with fear and dread of what is ahead of us.   It is no wonder that a lot of people just wish they could pull the covers up over our heads and hide out.   Maybe our mornings would be better if they started a little later in the day!   Yet, since that is an impossibility, is there something we can do to get out of bed on the right foot?   I think there is, but it has nothing to do with an alarm clock – it is all about attitude.   As I thought about this, I was led to a familiar passage of Scripture, “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24).   We could stop right there, but I actually took th...

I don’t know too much about Benjamin Disraeli other than he was a British political figure who lived from 1804 to 1881.   The other day I came across some of his quotes and, while I am still not sure how many I appreciate, there are a couple that got my attention.   One of them was “Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think.”.   In essence, we will be limited by our limited thinking.   The other one noted, “There is no education like adversity.”.   Interestingly, when you put these two thoughts together, you have a pretty good life lesson.   To elevate our lives, we are going to have to think higher and try harder; however, the harder we try the more difficult we are going to find things; but that’s okay because tougher times can make stronger people.   (I will give you a second if you need to go back and reread that.)   In essence, to be the best we can be requires that we venture out to where we hav...

I have a confession to make – I am a sufferer of gout.   Now, if you don’t know what this is, consider yourselves fortunate.   If you have had gout, you may not know what causes it, but you know when you have it.   From what I have been able to learn it is caused by extra uric acid in your body.   Depending on who you ask, it can be caused by a variety of things; however, when the pain is keeping you awake at night knowledge is a lot less important than relief.   Rarely do I give much thought to the joint on my left big toe, but during an attack, that’s about all I can think about! The reason I bring up gout is something Paul wrote in I Corinthians where he described the church as a body.   As he begins summing up his thoughts, he notes, “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (I Corinthians 12:26).   As I read this, I have flashbacks to gout.   The ...

In yesterday’s post I mentioned the need to study the Bible.   The Word of God is readily available to us, let’s take advantage of it.   Now, while this is a noble concept, have you ever thought about what we need to be studying?   The Bible is a big book full of incredible ideals – where do we start?   I realize it is tempting to focus on the “does and don’ts” of the book, but what could happen if we expanded our search for deeper meanings.   I don’t mean to disparage the search for the rules of righteousness, but the Bible is more than some moral rule book.   Not only can it control our behavior, it can also enhance our lives. When the writer, David, was contemplating the message(s) of God, he requested, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.” (Psalm 119:18).   Are we willing to take a page from his book and ask that God guide us in our question for spiritual development?   Rather than merely seeking the answer to a...

How many Bibles do you have?   I remember a time when having a Bible was a pretty big deal.   We received them on certain special occasions and, if you had the money or the connections, your family might have had a fancy one that sat on the coffee table.   In today’s society, owning a Bible probably isn’t as big of a deal because multiple translations are available through discount marketers or online and as apps on our devices.   The importance of the Bible hasn’t changed, it has just become more accessible. Since the books have become easier to obtain, the question now becomes, “What are we doing with the Bibles we have?”.   There are few excuses for not having access to the Scriptures and that correlates to limited reasons for not knowing (or doing) what is found in the Word of God.   Years ago, when the printed word was much harder to find, Christians were informed, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for...

If you are somewhere near retirement age, you probably know exactly where you were on this date in 1969.   After centuries of dreaming and years of planning, humans finally landed on the moon and then, not long after, walked on the lunar surface.   As a child of the “Space Race”, it was a big deal at our house.   This moment fulfilled one president’s dream and mankind’s quest.   The nuance of reaching the moon has lost some of its luster in the last few decades, but as I look back on it, it is still incredible.   Even using today’s technology, it would be impressive – but imagine doing it with what we had on hand at the end of the 1960s.   It took insight, desire, creativity, perseverance and a sense of mission to pull it off!   Now, that leads us to a question for the 21 st Century – what do we need today to make the earth a better place?   We have conquered the moon, now what should we be doing to make the most of this planet?   We are m...