Think About It

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...

The other day I saw a headline about someone (a “heckler”) who was escorted out of a political speech.   I have to be honest with you, I didn’t read the story, but I must admit that I had a completely uninformed but emotional reaction.   My gut asked my brain, did they get what they wanted out of the exchange?   Few of us could honestly expect that if we showed up at an adversary’s event and start shouting them down that we would have any chance at having a rational exchange of ideas.   Yelling accusatory things in the midst of a public event is not going to bring change, it’s just going to promote anger and a measured reaction … in other words, being asked to leave.   Sometimes I wonder if that wasn’t the intent all along – the publicity that comes with being “persecuted”. Now, while this tends to make sense, I got to thinking about this on another level – on a personal level.   Have we ever publicly criticized people or berated them in a group of peop...

And for a novel approach … I am not going to tell you how you should vote today.   I will not extol the virtues of one individual or one law; nor will I belittle the values of someone or the merits of their programs.   Number one, that is not in my nature; but maybe, more importantly, you have probably heard enough of that to last you the next couple of years.   Now, while I won’t advocate politics today, I will solicit peace.   No matter what happens – who (or what) wins and loses – let’s pick up what is left of the pieces of decency and respect so that we can commit to moving forward.   The other day I was listening to a discussion of peace and noticed something interesting.   Did you catch what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)?   I have heard this all my life and have taught the lesson countless times, but what really stood out to me recently was the aggressi...

Last Saturday night, there was a lot of scary stuff.   On Halloween night there were a lot of really odd and some pretty disturbing characters walking around on our streets.   While I realize Halloween was, mostly, a community sanctioned good time, it got me to thinking about some of the real scary stuff that happens in our communities.   The violence, injustice and oppression that can pop up in our neighbors is not innocent fun and should not be encouraged.   I find it interesting that the restoration of the Jewish nation thousands of years ago was closely affiliated with avoiding the dangerous living that seems to have played an influence in the exile of God’s chosen people.   The Lord promised, “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, then...

How important is the 1 st Amendment to the United States Constitution to us?   Several things are protected by this addendum to the constitution – including freedom of the press, the right to free speech, freedom to assemble and a chance to freely confront the government.   Yet, there is one more liberty that is covered – the freedom of religion.   The text of the document actually states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …”.   That sounded good to the revolutionaries and it feels good today.   However, I want to ask something – are we practicing this freedom?   I know a lot of people who practice the freedom NOT to worship, but what are we missing out on when we don’t openly and frequently worship the Lord?   Please do not misunderstand my point – I am not taking some political side in a debate, I am encouraging us to get out there and do something that is protected by law...

Would we consider ourselves joyous people?   That seems like a rather odd question, but I think it is one that is worth pondering.   Are we people of joy? It is tempting to look at our surroundings and assess our demeanor by our circumstances, but I was reminded of the proactive nature of this quality when I read, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4).   In essence, joy isn’t something that comes to us, it is something we can go out and find.   While it can be something that may need some substantial work, I think there are some quick and simple things we can do to enhance our joy      Smile.   When we look in the mirror, do we see a smile or a grimace?   Not only will a smile help others, it will set the tone for our own demeanor.      List our blessings.   Periodically, each day, stop and just take an inventory of the good that we see around us. ·      ...

I don’t really know too much about William Penn – other than they named a state after him – but the other day I came upon a quote of his.   Now, please be a bit patient with me because I will quote the saying as it was written by the 17 th Century Quaker, “In marriage do thou be wise: prefer the person before money, virtue before beauty, the mind before the body; then thou hast a wife, a friend, a companion, a second self.”   Mr. Penn has been gone for over 300 years, but I think his insights are still as applicable today as they were three centuries ago.   We live in a world that tends to value superficial qualities and those preferences are tempting in every aspect of life, even our relationships.   It is easy to assess things and people by exterior qualities, but all too often these things are superficial.   The qualities that make the best impact are those that are often found by looking deep beneath the surface.   What are we teaching the next g...

What talent has the Lord given you?   It is easy to just kind of breeze past that question – kind of thinking, “Yeah, okay, I guess I have a talent.”; but for a moment I’d like us to go back and give some serious consideration to that question.   What can I do?   Now, just in case you might be wrestling with this quandary, I would like us to remember what the Bible tells us, “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.   Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:4-8).   The reason I bring th...

Do you ever get stressed out?   There are some of you who might not have a clue as to what that feels like, but others of us are well-aware of the feeling.   If you are one of the non-stress folks, you might dismiss the feeling and even offer a bit of biblical advice, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34).   I realize that is not only good advice, it is also godly advice; but that may be easier for some than others.   So what can we do to temper those stressful moments?   Here are a couple thoughts: ·        When you start to feel the pressure of stress – go find something to take your mind off of the stressor.   It might not alleviate the problem, but it might divert (and calm) your mind for a bit. ·        Stay away from reminders of the stressor.   For example if you are waiting on word about something...

Do you know any hypocrites?   Now, before we start listing the names of our adversaries, let me reel this in a bit by re-asking, “Are we ever hypocritical?”.   Do we ever say one thing and do something that disputes what we claim?   I am sure that there are several examples of this in each one of our lives, but the most damaging are those that are affiliated with our religion.   Sure, moral or ethical glitches might taint our reputations, but are there times when our hypocrisy actually gets in the way of our spiritual standing?   Maybe more sobering, do our actions render our spiritual worship ineffective?   The wise king of the Old Testament, observed, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.” (Proverbs 15:8).   I remember as a child we used to play “church” and, when I look back on children imitating what we saw the adults doing, it was cute.   However, as adults merely “playing ...

One of the fascinating stories from the life of Jesus was how He was able to calm the storm on the sea.   If you aren’t familiar with the story, Jesus and His disciples were on the water in a boat when a tempest arose.   One interesting thing is that as the disciples were fretting, Jesus was sleeping.   Yet, the most amazing feat was when Jesus calmed the storm with a simple, “Hush, be still”.   While this is cool, I think there is one other interesting observation, “Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’” (Mark 4:38).   While it is easy to be critical of the disciples – to their credit – they hadn’t read the outcome of the story.   As I reflected on this challenging time, I can imagine me responding with something like,   “Of course I care, I just didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”.   Thankfully for the disciples I wasn’t in the boat … and...

When I was younger, I would hear “older” people talk about how difficult it was to age because it seems like everything hurts.   I recall laughing it off – but as I am aging, I am realizing it is no laughing matter.   Actually, it can be kind of funny listening to me and my contemporaries visiting because just about every conversation centers around what is sore and where we are going to the doctor.   Yet, I have recently come to realize that my aches and pains happen when I am sitting around not doing anything.   It hurts less to walk than to sit.   The joints that ache when I am sedentary usually feel pretty good when I am exercising.   As odd as it seems, there may be a life lesson or two in that.   Have you noticed how tough life seems to be when we are sitting around not doing anything; but how good we feel when we are out doing things and making a difference in the world around us?   When we are stagnant it is easy to sit around and compla...

Which would we rather be – the smartest person at the table or the wisest individual in the room?   Interestingly, I would imagine most of us would say that we value wisdom, but how often do we seek to show off our knowledge?   We want to have the right answer and we are willing to bulldoze to prove that we are right.   We would rather win the argument than win the moment!   The problem with this mindset is that it tends to divide us.   When the early Christians (who had made the good decision to follow Jesus) were being taught, they were cautioned to seek wisdom.   While being warned, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” (James 3:15); they were challenged, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.” (James 3:13).   We must never settle for anything less than truth, but that doesn’t mean that we have the right to be argumentat...

Saturday was just one of those days.   There were lots of good, competitive college football games with several upsets thrown in.   Three of the top four teams lost.   Five of the top ten teams lost and several of the others squeaked by with wins.   For a casual onlooker it was a fun and exciting day on which the action was decided on the field and not on a voting ballot.   Unless your team was one of the ones that lost, it was a good reminder that that’s why they play the games. Now, you might be wondering what college football has to do with life; but, as I reflected on the day it was a reminder that life isn’t about the sure things – often the excitement is in living it out and seeing what happens.   For some of us, uncertainty makes our heads hurt, but when we take the assessment of winning and losing out of the picture and focus on the process, life can be entertaining.   When we allow ourselves to experience “life” wherever it takes us, it ca...

I think that one of the challenges of Christianity in the 21 st Century is that we have “Americanized” it a bit.   Now, please bear with me for a bit before tuning me out.   What I mean by that is we have applied American principles to what we expect from religion.   To be successful, it is tempting to believe that we have to be the biggest.   We need to be politically powerful and socially viable.   We need to be the movement that everyone follows.   Now, while that does have some appeal, I am not sure that is the case today, nor has it ever been the focus of God.   In fact, Jesus noted, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14).   We shouldn’t be surprised if we aren’t the powerhouse; that was never the intent.   Sure, when it ...

I don’t know how many of us know Denton Young; but mention his nickname and most of the sporting world has heard of “Cy” Young.   According to legend, Denton was nicknamed “Cyclone” which was shortened to Cy.   This native of Ohio became the standard by which pitchers would be measured when the award for the year’s best pitcher was named after him in 1956.   Young ended his 22 year career with 511 wins – the most ever.   There are a lot of things that could be said about him, but in one of his quotes I found something interesting.   Young is quoted as saying, “All us Youngs could throw.   I used to kill squirrels with a stone when I was a kid, and my granddad once killed a turkey buzzard on the fly with a rock.”.   Now, while this prowess is impressive, there isn’t much call for rock-throwers, but when he was taught to throw a ball, I would imagine that’s when he became popular! The reason I mention Cy Young is to wonder what unrefined potential we...