Monday; August 11

Last weekend, Jim Lovell passed away at the age of 97.  When I was a kid, Jim Lovell was well-known because he was an astronaut; but his claim to fame is being a part of Apollo 13.  Apollo 13’s ill-fated journey began in April 1970 and ended up being a blockbuster motion picture.  For those of us who lived through the drama, it was an incredible saga and for those who watched on the big screen, it was an inspiring story. 

Maybe the things that made heroes of Jim Lovell, John Swigert and Fred Haise were their ingenuity and will to win – but as astronauts we expected nothing less.  The other day I was scrolling through some quotes by Lovell and came across a very interesting one, “Be thankful for problems.  If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job.”.  Wow – that is not only insightful, but maybe a bit eerie.  If there ever was a guy familiar was problems, it was Lovell and his ability to overcome the difficulty made him a household name.

Are we dealing with challenges in our lives?  If so, let’s not lament we are facing problems, let’s muster our ability to overcome them.  Who knows, maybe we were placed in the position because we could handle it.

Think About It!

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; May 13

Today is a special day for me.  While the official Law Enforcement Memorial Day is May 15, the Law Enforcement Candlelight Vigil is traditionally held on the evening of May 13.  It is true that people from all around the country honor the Law Enforcement Community on the 15 th – and many people gather in our nation’s capital to mark the event – it is in the quiet somberness that I find the most heartfelt emotion.  People gather together on the National Mall to hear a roll call of the names of our heroes and light candles in unison to remember the sacrifice these officers made for their community.  Standing there with thousands of friends, families and fans of these often unsung heroes fills my heart with joy and my soul with sadness.  Every once in a while, I will hear the name of someone connected to me, but even if they are all strangers to me, there is a relationship.  I have been blessed to have a connection to the police world for thirty years now and...
Read more

Tuesday; May 27

Are you having a tough day today?  If so, why?  What has gotten you so wound up that you can’t relax and rejoice?  On those days when I have a bad day, I am finding that the cause is often something outside my control.  Maybe it is an argument between co-workers.  There are times it is a news story that has captured my attention.  As trivial as it seems, it might even be the fact that my favorite team is in a losing streak.  You know, there are times when it doesn’t seem to take much to suck the life out of me.  Now, while this may seem to be rather simplistic, I think there is some positive news.  You see, if it is something this simple that can make me feel bad, shouldn’t it also be true that something simple just might be able to pull me out of the doldrums.  If we are facing a bad day (not one of those terrible, horrible, no good very bad days … just a bad day), could it be that we just need something to turn it around?  As I wa...
Read more

Thursday; June 19

On June 19, 1865 General Gordon Granger read the following words to those who had gathered in Galveston, Texas: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”  General Order Number 3 changed Texas … and brought America one step further to the goal of freedom.  Can you imagine what it would have been like to have been a slave in Texas on what has become Juneteenth?  While freedom had been in the works for a while, at that moment their individual lives had changed!  Interestingly, there is a parallel found today – not because we are indentured servants, but because we are sinners.  You see, there is freedom available to all of us.  When we sin, we become slaves of satan –...
Read more