Posts

Tuesday; September 8

Twenty-five years ago, my week was beginning to get busy.   Our community was preparing for a couple of significant celebrations over the upcoming weekend and I was about to have to adjust my schedule to fit the demands.   I was about to have to go out of my way to do my job – and then all of a sudden, our world changed!   In a matter of moments on that Tuesday morning, our nation was turned upside down and even our smaller community thousands of miles away from the east coast was impacted. As I think about the events surrounding Tuesday; September 11, 2001 a lot of things come to mind; but one of the more pragmatic is that we can do all the planning we want to do, but life doesn’t always follow a script.   Just because we plan doesn’t mean that it will play out the way we expect.   I think there are a couple of lessons we can learn from this:   First, while we should make future plans, let’s not get so wrapped up in them that they overwhelm life for us...
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Monday; September 7

Why do we work?   I am sure there are a lot of accurate answers to that question.   Some of us work for the money.   Others of us work because we are enthralled with the purpose of our vocation.   There are even people who work because their families expect them to follow in the family business.   Yet, let me throw out another option – as Christians, we need to be working for the Lord.   No, not that He needs our efforts or even our money; but because everything we do reflects on our relationship with Him.   The Apostle Paul noted, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” (Colossians 3:23-24).   Now before we dismiss Paul’s admonition because “he doesn’t know my boss” or that “mine is just a menial job”; the context of this message focuses on slaves (in verse 22)...
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Friday; September 4

For some of you, this may not mean much; but there are a lot of us who remember the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethons.   In fact, I think what I learned about raising money using emotional pleas and telephones came from those weekends.   Now, let me offer a bit of explaining.   During the 1960s and 1970s Jerry Lewis, a famous comedian from back in the day, hosted a telethon to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Associations of America.   To do this, he would bring on guests for a marathon television event.   As a kid fascinated with entertainers – and looking for one last hurrah before the beginning of the school year – I spent a lot of late nights anxiously awaiting the next singer or comic.   Knowing I could sleep in late on Labor Day seemed to make it all worthwhile. Interestingly, as I look back on these telethons, I remember the good times, but what really made them stand out was the good work.   Millions of dollars were raised to help the p...
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Thursday; September 3

          In yesterday’s post, we discussed the impact of the 1935 hurricane on the Florida Keys.   One of the key’s most notable residents during that time was Ernest Hemmingway.   The author had made a successful career out of describing human conditions, but the events following the devastation seemed to derail him.   The incredible loss of property and the futility in the loss of so many lives challenged him to tell the story to the outside world.          As I read some of his observations from the days following the storm, I found another quote of his from his book “The Garden of Eden”.   In the novel he notes, “Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”.   On the surface, this might seem to be a bit odd, but as we dig deeper into the thought, it seems to become quite accurate.   Interestingly, for me, there is another author that seems to underscore this, King...
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Wednesday; September 2

On this date in 1935 a hurricane hit the Florida Keys and killed several hundred people.   But, also on this day in 1935, a dream died with that storm.   Henry Flagler had made millions in business and industry and spent them in a variety of ways.   One of his major accomplishments was to link the Florida Keys (along with the important port in Key West) with the rest of the United States.   With a lot of work he was able to finish the Overseas Railroad in 1912.   It would only function for a couple decades before one of the harshest hurricanes on record devastated it.   In all, there were almost 500 fatalities, but the Overseas Railroad died that day too.   Since then, a highway has been constructed to get people to and from Key West but, while portions of the railroad are still visible, the dream is gone. As I think about this disaster, I am reminded of Jesus’ warning, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy...
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Tuesday; September 1

Have you ever given much thought to why folks like their pets more than other people?   Okay, I am going to stop here for a second because I have been doing public presentations long enough to know that, periodically, you are going to tread on dangerous ground – and I’ll own it – this is going to be one of those times.   What I ask from you is that you just hear me out.   Also, I want to go on record that I am not anti-pet … in fact, I have had several very beloved family pets in my lifetime.   However, our society has tended to have gotten things a bit backward.   We love our pets and sometimes we struggle to like people.   As I considered this I have come to realize the issue isn’t “actions”, it’s “attitudes”.   It’s not that our pets are perfect – I mean, let’s face it – they do inappropriate   things in public, destroy our property and bring us gifts we don’t really want.   However, they typically show an appreciation for us and seem to...
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Monday; August 31

Have you ever been watching one of those nature shows and heard the announcer explain why a critter did what they did?   It may have been explaining why a mother alligator traversed the South Florida swamps to find her young or why the Carpenter Ants built their structure where they did … but in many of those shows the commentator (and/or the writers) applied logic to nature.   Here is my question – how do they know why they did what they did?   Did they ask them?   Was there a poll taken?   The truth of the matter is that observers make their best guess as to why something was done. Now, the reason I bring this up is to consider something similar when we view human nature.   We are good about watching people, which tends to lead us to making assumptions about why they did what they did.   Now, there are times when we ask them to explain their actions, but how many more times do we just assume we know why they did what they did?   In essence, ...
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