Think About It

          I don’t know how many of you face this challenge, but every-once-in-a-while I will experience a near miss and, rather than being thankful, I will begin to obsess about what COULD have happened.  Maybe it was unintentionally running through a stop sign – then realizing it and fretting about either getting caught or getting killed.  It could be leaving the door unlocked and while finding everything still safe and secure we begin to worry about might have happened to our stuff if a thief would have discovered our mistake.  It might even be turning a project in late – and even after the boss accepts the assignment and our apology we are concerned about what she really thinks about us and the damage that could have been done to our reputation (not to mention our employment status).  In essence, rather than appreciating the fact that we have dodged a bullet we beat ourselves over the head until we feel worse than we could (or should). ...

In 1916 Robert Frost penned a poem for the ages.  In an effort to compel people to rethink the implications of the decisions they make Frost wrote, “The Road Not Taken”.  I don’t know how many of us could recite the poem, but many of us can identify parts of the work.  As a man comes to a fork in the road he is compelled to make a choice.  After a bit of contemplation the narrator makes the statement, “I shall be telling this with a sigh … Somewhere ages and ages hence: … Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, … And that has made all the difference.” As with most historic literature I am sure that we have a tendency to overthink message, but as I reflected this poem I recalled another bit of classic literature.  In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus observed, “ 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 th...

Unless you have missed all of the news for the past couple of weeks you are probably aware that today is the day for a solar eclipse.  One of the more interesting things about this eclipse is that it will be at least partially visible to much of the United States – and in some places they are calling for a total eclipse of the sun.  I am interested in seeing the event, but not excited enough to pay the $20,000 per night rates that some hotels are charging to be in the big middle of it all! Eclipses seem to generate a lot of excitement, but they are not unheard-of throughout time.  History records several examples where the light of the sun was overcome by darkness.  In fact, there was an interesting phenomenon that happened on the day that Jesus was crucified.  Luke records, “ It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,   because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn...

There has been a lot of talk about peace these days … well, let me rephrase that – there has been a lot of talk about the lack of peace these days.  While our nation is not currently engaged in any significant world-wide conflicts, there is a lot of tension.  Issues in foreign nations like Iraq, North Korea and Venezuela have made us uneasy.  Even our domestic peace has been tested in places like the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota and in Charlottesville, Virginia.  If our forefathers were to analyze our nation’s current status many of them would probably say that we are “at peace”, but as we live through it, there is a lot of anxiety surrounding us.  Peace is an interesting concept because it can be defined in so many different ways.  One generation’s definition might be the absence of a world war while a community’s take on it would be a murder-free weekend.  A family’s definition might be a brief respite from domestic violence wh...

          Do we believe that people can tell the path they are traveling?  Now before we get too deep into our discussion I realize there are exceptions to every rule, but for the most part, our circumstances can tell us a lot about our values.  If we are experiencing joy and fulfillment there is a pretty good chance we are heading in the right direction, but if we find our lives in constant turmoil there is probably a reason for it.  Again, I am not saying that God will necessarily bless us financially, socially or politically for being faithful to Him, but when we do His will we are apt to feel His presence and protection.  Conversely, a person may have all the riches and power they need, but if their life is a mess that can be a clue that they have deviated from following Him.  Years ago the Bible established the principle of culpability by noting, “… to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrig...

As a youngster I learned several life-lessons, but one of the most painful was that the world didn’t revolve around me.  I am sure that there were several ways I was taught this lesson, but one of the most compelling was the lack of celebrations of my accomplishments.  Now, I want to say that I grew up with a supportive family, but even they didn’t see just how great I was.  They may have cheered when I got the game-winning hit in my Little League game, but they didn’t erect a monument to it in our front yard!  My parents were pleased when I got my driver’s license, but they didn’t go out and buy me a new Pontiac Firebird.  They were excited when I went away to college, but their lives didn’t stop just because I left home to attend school thousands of miles away. As I reflect upon this lesson a couple of things come to mind:   First, we should be celebrating the accomplishments of those around us.  Not only is it a good thing to highlight anoth...

What defines us?  Have you ever made a mistake – something that was an exception rather than the rule?  Have you ever done something aberrant that was just out of character?  Of course, we all have.  How would if feel if a judgment was formed based upon these few moments of indiscretion?  We don’t want to be assessed merely by a moment of failure, we would much rather be viewed within the context of a lifetime of work. It is easy to judge portions of our society based upon the exceptional circumstances.  Do we find ourselves afraid of other groups because of the voices or the actions of militants?  Do we assume that they speak for the masses or do we see them for what they are – a loud, disgruntled, self-serving minority?    While it may seem simpler to believe that everyone from a certain race, political party or religious group has the same mindset as a few radicals bent on causing trouble or spewing false values there is far more...