Think About It

A couple weeks ago I was snuggled into my nice warm fleece blanket in my favorite recliner watching a college football game when I got a call from a friend of mine.  Her car wouldn’t start and she asked if I could come and help her out.  For a second my “practical” brain wrestled with the inconvenience – I would have to leave my game, put on warm clothes and drive half way across town … Oh Man!  Fortunately, my next thought was much more productive.  My memory brought to mind a time when Jeane and I were out of town and our daughter’s car broke down on her way to college several hours from home (and several hours from school).  I picked up my phone and called a couple of friends of mine who didn’t bat an eye at helping us out.  Not only did they drive down to where my daughter’s car was, they loaded it up on a trailer and moved it to where it could be repaired.  All of a sudden, my current inconvenience wasn’t all that inconvenient.  Sure, I woul...

I am sure there has always been an natural uneasiness between those who enforce the law and the citizens of a community.  Often, even generally law-abiding citizens have an uneasiness around officers and deputies. (Have you noticed all the brake lights light up even when an unoccupied police car is in the area?)  While there has been a history of conflict between law enforcement and the community, it seems like things are getting more intense these days?  My question is “Why?”.  Is it because the criminal justice system is corrupt or is it because people just don’t like the laws on the books and the face of those laws are people who enforcement them?  Often, those who write legislation are perceived to exist in some faceless isolated environment, so we take out our dislike of the law on those who enforce it? I realize that I am opening a can of worms with this discussion, but this seems to be a natural bridge to a parallel issue involving the perception of Ch...

When people offend us, what do we expect of them?  Certainly, we look for an apology and, most of us hope that they make things right.  Sometimes this is merely accomplished with a sincere “Thank You”, but there are other times when we expect more – either some change in behavior or, on those rare occasions, some type of physical restitution.   I mean, fair is fair, right? Now, let’s turn the tables … when we offend someone what do we expect from ourselves?  For the moment, let’s not talk about those we mistakenly offend by an inadvertent action, what do we do when we know that we are at odds with others?  The most common reaction is hoping that they didn’t notice what we did, but when it becomes apparent we offended them, then what?   Most often we wait for them to approach us and ask for an apology, but is that the right answer?  Shouldn’t we be proactive in addressing the situation and finding the appropriate remedy? When Jesus review...

The other day I was reading the news and noticed an interesting development – a partisanship with regard to bad behavior.  Typically, when we think of partisanship we look down political party lines, but this was something different; it seemed to be more along the lines of friends and colleagues.  Entertainers were defending fellow entertainers while openly throwing politicians under the bus.  Politicians were calling out athletes while excusing the bad behavior of their peers.  Teammates were supporting each other while pointing out the faults of those on other squads or those outside their particular sport.  This type of human nature is nothing new, but it can be dangerous.  When we defend or excuse the bad behavior of those who are close to us we begin a trek down a path toward evil or lawlessness. The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart, but when he sinned God held him accountable for this actions.  After having Nathan, His pro...

Have you noticed how loud our world can be?  For some, this din is actual physical noise, but for the rest of us, the noise is more a collective shouting of “Look At Me”!  Our high-profile athletes pound their chest or mock their competitors to highlight their accomplishments.  Our politicians are quick to point out their victories while limiting their failures.  Products are sold using superlatives such as “best”, “greatest”, “new and improved” or “supreme”.  It seems like, in an effort to get attention, we shout our claims of superiority and hide (or lie about) our defects. I am not sure that our world will ever reverse the trend of creating noise to promote itself, but as good, decent people we need to make sure that we don’t get caught up in all the hype.  I am reminded of a company whose unofficial slogan might have been “under-promise” and “over-deliver”.  In essence, don’t make claims you won’t keep while seeking to provide greater service th...

This is my favorite day of the year.  I even like it better than my birthday because the food is better!  Who can argue with the blend of food, football and friends?  Thanksgiving is a special time in our nation – not because it is a time of feasting or official beginning of the Holiday Season – but, because it is a day set aside for one of the richest and most blessed nations on earth to stop and express our thanks.  Can you imagine your Thanksgiving meal merely consisting of all the side-dishes without the main course?  Of course not!  The same can be said about the heart of our day.   It’s great to share a feast and good tidings, but without giving thanks for our blessings, all of the other stuff seems superficial. Most of us know how to express thanks, but even if we don’t here are three simple steps: 1)  See our blessings .  We are going to receive blessings whether we see them or not, but what makes the giving of thanks possib...

Fifty-four years ago our nation was shocked, saddened and sacred.  On November 22, 1963 President John Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas.  President Kennedy was a young man who was looked upon as new type of leader – one that could and would usher in a renewed nation and a fresh philosophy.  History is intrigued by what might have happened had President Kennedy lived, but alas, it is all a matter of speculation because we will never know.  I don’t actually remember President Kennedy (even though I was alive during his brief presidency), but I am convinced that some of his programs were accomplished because of his assassination and some of his dreams became reality due to the nature and timing of his death. Centuries before John Kennedy was killed another fresh-thinking leader died at the hands of evil men.  Jesus came to earth with a renewed way of seeing the world and a fresh look at what was possible.  He, too, was charismatic and controversial....