Think About It

          In her article on leadership for Forbes Magazine Kathy Caprino identified nine core behaviors of people who positively impact the world.  While the entire article is worth the time it takes to read, I want to highlight one of the nine points that seems particularly applicable in today’s world.  In an effort to have a positive impact leaders “engage with people in open, mutually-beneficial ways”.   Years ago we might have called them “people people”.  They understand the power of relationships and find value in interacting with others on their level.  They connect – not for what they get out it – but, in a way that others are blessed by this relationship.  These are not “us vs. them” types of relationships, they are “we” relationships.  No, not all of these leaders would be considered overtly outgoing, but they have matured beyond crippling introversion to be able to interact in individual relationships and with ...

Last weekend’s hurricane along Texas’ Gulf Coast was a reminder of the limitations of humanity.  Initially, many of the forecasters expected a minimal impact by Harvey, but the closer it got to land, the more serious things became.  When the storm hit the coast with 135 mile per hour winds and torrential rains a lot of lives were turned upside-down.  In its own natural way, Harvey reminded us of what it means to be human.  We have some answers to forecasting storms, but acts of nature cannot be fully understood by the human mind and the furry they unleash can often overwhelm even the best laid human plans. As I watched Harvey, I thought about human sin.  No, I am not saying that the hurricane was the result of God’s punishment, but it does bring to mind just how powerful sin can be in our lives.  Rationally, humans can understand sin and (often) predict its impact on life, but the devastation of sin packs a powerful punch that cannot be derailed or fixed...

There has always been a lot of talk about our “rights” as citizens of the United States.  This discussion has been passionate and its presence in our social dialogue is understandable because our forefathers were convinced that their rights as citizens of the crown and as human beings were being trampled.  It was set against this backdrop that Thomas Jefferson wrote, “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that  all men are created equal , that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are  Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness .” If that wasn’t enough, the Constitution was amended to explicitly delineate certain “rights” the government must ensure in this new nation.  In this Bill of Rights are the freedom to worship as we see fit, protection during criminal hearings and freedom from the government taking our stuff without a rule of law or stationing troops in our homes without our permission. As I review th...

As hard as it is for some of us to believe (and for others of us to say) summer is about to come to an end.  I realize that we still have several weeks of warm weather ahead of us, but our summer routines are about to change.  Some of you have already adjusted bedtimes and travel schedules while others are trying to squeeze in one last trip before school starts in your area.  Even those of us who don’t have children at home are beginning to make some adjustments for the coming of autumn.  As we delve into this time of refocus I would like to ask a question – “How did your church attendance fare this summer?”  For some, there was no drop-off in worship during the hectic summer season, but for others, attending may have become an inadvertent causality of fun and sun.  As we begin to move back into the routine let’s make it a point to consider our commitment to spending time worshipping God and fellowshipping with like-minded believers.  If your sche...

          There are several great example of faith in the Bible, but one that is often overlooked is Jonah.  I struggle a bit with the story of Jonah – not because I doubt its authenticity – I believe that it actually happened as it is written.  Rather, my struggle comes from my personal assessment of the prophet – was he a good guy or a disappointment?  As with most of us, I think that the truth is somewhere in the middle.   Anyway, back to faith – Jonah’s faith was incredible!  As the prophet was sitting inside the belly of the fish he recounted his experience of being thrown into the sea and swallowed by the critter.  Interestingly, he tells us that he had faith that God would save him by observing, “ So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Your sight.  Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’” (Jonah 2:4)  Even when most people would fear drowning in the Mediterranean Sea Jonah believed he...

          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...