Think About It

          The other afternoon I was driving home in the fog and noticed that, while I could still see pretty well, my perception was negatively affected.  The diminished light made everything appear gray and I found it harder to distinguish images.  The fog covered the roadway in dampness and the darkness was compounded so twilight came earlier.  No, it wasn’t pitch-black dark, but it wasn’t the safest condition for driving.           As I thought about the fog I got to reflecting on the world in which we live.  Often, when we think about good and evil, we envision a distinctness between pure light and the dark, yet some of satan’s most dangerous weapons involve shades of gray.  Most of us can easily guard against absolute wrong, but we get in trouble when we find ourselves dealing with “a little bit of sin” or something that just isn’t quite right.  The more we live in the fogginess o...

As I sat and looked out my window I think I could see what I thought was a bald eagle flying off in the distance.  I watched it do loops in the air and ride the thermal waves high above the trees.  It was kind of cool to glance up every-once-in-a-while and see that it was still out there, but, in all honesty it wasn’t all that impressive or distracting from a distance.  If, however, there had been an eagle outside my window in the parking lot, I would not have gotten much work done.  I would have been so mesmerized by the majesty of the bird that I would sit there and stare at it for hours on end.  The plumage, the claws, the powerful muscle structure would be so impressive that I just wouldn’t have been able to take my eyes off of it. When we consider God, do we do so from a distance or from His up-close-and-personal presence in our lives?  I wonder if, sometimes, the reason we don’t praise and glorify God with the intensity that we should is because we...

The other day I was reading an 1896 speech about the need for improved African American education given by Booker T. Washington who observed, “In reference to my own race I am confronted with some embarrassment at the outset because of the various and conflicting opinions as to what is to be its final place in our economic and political life. Within the last thirty years – and, I might add, within the last three months – it has been proven by eminent authority that the Negro is increasing in numbers so fast that it is only a question of a few years before he will far outnumber the white race in the South, and it has also been proven that the Negro is fast dying out and it is only a question of a few years before he will have completely disappeared. It has also been proven that crime among us is on the increase and that crime is on the decrease; that education helps the Negro, that education also hurts him; that he is fast leaving the South and taking up his residence in the North and ...

Each Wednesday evening, as a part of our mid-week gathering, we spend time in prayer.  Our process is pretty simple – if someone has a prayer request, we write it on a board and, before we leave the gathering, we pray for each item on the board.  You never know what is going to make the list; some are continual requests, while others are unique.  Last Wednesday night someone brought a serious issue to the group’s attention, we put it on the board, we prayed for it and, within a matter of minutes, the requested blessing had been received.  What a powerful reminder of the power of prayer!  Do we really believe in prayer?  I think that, sometimes, we limit the effectiveness of our prayers because we are too analytical.  We tend to try to examine the process of prayer rather than just doing it.  We debate which prayers God hears (answers) and we discuss whether we have to actually formulate the content of the prayer or if the Holy Spirit can guide ...

A few months ago Jeane and I “cut the cable” and became a part of a growing number of people who are reducing the number of channels available to us and focusing more time on enjoying shows that appeal to us.  For the most part, our entertainment choices come from the days gone by – programs where people wore stylish clothes, spoke kinder and solved more problems with morals than by yelling harsh profanities at each other.  Now, some might say that we are old fuddy-duddies and that we should come to grips with the “new era” of entertainment, but our response is “Why?”.  It’s our house, it’s our entertainment, it’s our money ... this is what we want, so we might as well enjoy it! Wouldn’t it be great if life could emulate our entertainment choices?  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could pick and choose an environment where good is appreciated and evil is met with rigid resistance?  Alas, those times are memories of nostalgia – or are they?  You see, it is ...

          If you would like to feel old, just count up the number of presidents who have served during your lifetime.  For me, I am on number 12 – Presidents Eisenhower through Trump.  Now, if the sheer number isn’t enough to make you feel your age, think about it in terms of percentages – for me, I have personally lived under over one quarter of the presidents.  Wow!  Now, in an effort to balance that out, I have only seen one queen of England and somehow that makes me feel a little better.           On this President’s Day I find it interesting to look back on how our nation seems to project the personality of our leaders.  We are blessed to have a balance of government where the power is not solely vested in one person, but we cannot deny how a president’s personality influences our outlook and perception.  As I look back, I can see the ebbs and flows ... the goods and bads … throug...

I enjoy reading American history because it reminds me of how far we have come.  No, we have not achieved an utopian status, but a look back in time can help us recall our progress.  Even before becoming a nation our forefathers dealt with issues such as the Salem Witch trials of the 17 th Century.  Then came the 18 th Century and – even though we won our independence from the British – not all of our nation’s residents were considered citizens.  The 19 th Century featured slavery,  an uncivil war, and the first in a series of presidential assassinations.  It wasn’t until the 20 th Century that women were given the constitutional right to vote ... and even those years brought social and political unrest.  As we enter the 21 st Century we haven’t resolved all of the problems facing humanity, but we are further along than where we have been. Interestingly, a similar rationale is why I enjoy reading the Bible.  I think there is a lot to learn...