Think About It

Have you ever been around a church building program?  Okay, before we get too deep into this, it is a trick question.   I am sure that there are several of us who have been around church building building programs (those endeavors that are designed to erect or expand a church’s physical facility).  They usually involve a call for donations and can result in some hard feelings.  Yet, what would happen if we focused on a church building program (since the church is really the congregation of believers, the question is more about building up the brethren than building a building).  A church building program is about increasing Christian unity and developing spiritual lives.  The Apostle Paul discussed an all-inclusive church building effort when he described the church as, “… having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,   in whom the whole building, be...

The other night we were watching a TV show where an “amateur sleuth” was helping law enforcement solve a crime.  When the officer attempted to discourage the meddler by saying that it was better if he left the investigation to the professionals the interloper reminded the detective that professionals built the Titanic while an amateur (with the help of God) built the ark.  I believe that there is a place for professionals in many aspects of our lives.  I think there is value in allowing someone who has studied the information and invested time in applying the principles to help us solve our problems, however they may not be the only ones with wisdom – especially if they have discounted the presence of God in their area of expertise.  Often, we are tempted to accept the words of experts in the area of natural and social sciences even when they are in conflict with the message of God.  The downfall of this type of problem-solving is that it is limited by the hu...

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 ...