Think About It

Last weekend I participated in a fundraiser that was both fun and meaningful – the St. Mary’s Splash for Special Olympics.  Several dozen of us lined up on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay and “splashed” into the water for a good cause.  Now, the reason I bring this up is because the event reinforced a principle that has been played out time and time again – self-talk can make or break us.  I was pretty cavalier when I signed up to take the plunge several weeks ago, but the closer the event came the more I began to doubt my decision.  Logically, I knew I could do it and would be just fine, but emotionally I started to cast doubt on the event.  I concerned myself with how cold the air would be and how chilly the water was.  I fretted about having to stand around in a swimsuit waiting on the go-ahead, then having to leave the water and face the wind chill all wet and shivering.  Folks, the honest truth is that it wasn’t all that bad.  Yeah, it was c...

I didn’t realize it until it had almost passed, but yesterday was Human Rights Day.  There has been a lot of focus on human rights recently, so I was a little bit shocked to find out that Human Rights Day has been celebrated on December 10 since 1948.  As I did some investigating into the idea behind Human Rights Day, I came upon the United Nation’s Human Rights Day website where they quoted Eleanor Roosevelt, “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin?  In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world […]  Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.  Without concerted action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”  As I read the former First Lady’s comments I accepted their value when set against the backdrop of the ending of World War II and the beginning of a Cold War, however I still felt like there was something...

One of the most important things to me is trust.  I am pretty free when granting trusts to others and have a tendency to be willing to offer trust based on a faith that people are going to do the right thing.  However, when someone violates my trust, I have a hard time forgetting.  I typically don’t have as much trouble forgiving them for their violation, I just become a bit more guarded when re-extending trust once it has been broken.  The reason for this personal revelation is to explain why being a Christian seems so natural to me.  I readily trust God.  I believe in His claims. I am convinced of His presence in our world and in my life.  I know that He will always be there with me and for me.  The great thing about my trust in God is that since He is perfect and dependable, it is impossible for Him to let me down.  As long as my trust is based on what God has said about Himself, He cannot and will not violate my trust in Him. King Da...

December 7, 1941 was more than a date that will live in infamy – it was a day that changed the history of our modern world.  For months prior to the Japanese bombing of the U. S. Navy fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii our leaders had been trying to figure out what to do on the international fronts.  Asian and European countries were embroiled in bitter battles – but on that day, the war came home to us and it was decided that we had to do something. As our nation remembers this date in history it might be a good time to reflect on our spiritual battles.  It is easy to sit on the sidelines and watch as our lives pass by, but eventually something will happen that will bring us to a tipping point.  We must either gather our resolve to do battle with the adversary or allow it to overwhelm and overcome us.  Have we reached a point when we must make a choice about what to do with a personal temptation?  Do we have an addiction that has been exerting control over u...

One of the greatest gifts parents can give their children is love.  (If fact, it could be argued that love is THE greatest gift we can give our children.)  While most of us would agree with this assessment, the concept of loving our children can we challenging.  Loving our children does not mean allowing them to run the family or ruin their lives.  In an effort to love their children some parents are too willing to accept their children’s bad behavior.  They have a hard time differentiating between love and leniency, so in an effort not to ruin their relationship with their children they accept whatever the child does without question or consequence.  Another misunderstanding of love has to do with excusing a child’s bad behavior.  When our children act-up we have a tendency to explain away why they did what they did.  We blame their environment, their peers, the system, their “condition” or a myriad of other factors.  Again, accountability ...

It has been said that “those who can’t do, teach”.  I don’t know the origin of this phrase; but, the implication is that once we have outlived our usefulness about all that is left is to try to pass on our wisdom and opportunities to others.  When we consider leadership and training from this perspective is it any wonder that we hang on to our opportunities with all of our might – often beyond the time of our effective date?.  In the Business World this is often referred to as part of the “Peter Principle”; but, a better illustration might come from our refrigerators.  How many of us are like milk cartons that hang around past their expiration dates?  At best, we tend to stink up the place and at worst we often leave a bad taste in people’s mouths.  What would happen if we welcomed transition?  Rather than being focused on “doing” until we become ineffective, how much better would we be if we were willing to help others develop the talents they need...

It appears that at the dawning of each day there is some type of new revelation of wrong-doing.  Whether it is a moral lapse, a high-profile criminal act or a violation of the public trust, the news is filled with information on someone who has committed acts that are either immoral or illegal.  The increasing number of public revelations in recent days might tend to lead us to ask if the rules have changed, but the answer is “No”. The truth is that rules have been in place, but have been ignored for a while and, now, there is a new call for accountability which is what has led to the fallout. It is natural to wonder if anything can be done to fix a system that seems to irreparably broken, but that negativism is misplaced.  Yes, we can fix what ails us, but the answer may not be popular.  Centuries ago, when King Solomon instructed the young “up-and-comers” in his kingdom he taught, “ For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and und...