Think About It

I was probably a little young to enjoy the show “Rawhide” when I was a child, but I sure did like the theme song.   Frankie Laine’s version of song is the one that I recall the most, but I have to admit that I do like the Blues Brothers’ rendition as well.   The other day I was listening to the song and one of the verses struck a chord with me (sorry about the pun, there).   In the middle of the song the cowpoke laments, “Keep movin’, movin’, movin’ ... Though they’re disapprovin’ ... Keep them dogies moving’, Rawhide.   Don’t try to understand ‘em ... Just rope ‘em, throw, and brand ‘em.   Soon we’ll be livin’ high and wide ... My heart’s calculatin’ ... my true love will be waitin’ ... Be waitin’ at the end of my ride”.    Now that I have this song stuck in your brain, let me ask a question – are we tempted to treat people the way this cowboy treats his cattle?   If you have ever been around a herd of cattle, you realize that sometimes what t...

          Have you ever come upon someone in a social setting whose first language was obviously not English and wondered what to do next?   I have come to accept the fact that about the best I am going to be able to accomplish in the foreign language department is the ability to read the menu at my local Mexican restaurant or find the beach on a Caribbean Island, so I have often found myself standing there in that awkward moment of what comes next.   Usually, at that point, one of us smiles – and that it all it takes.   A smile is a smile in any language.   We may not be able to carry on a long conversation but, we can be civil and friendly with each other without saying a word.           It has been said that non-verbal communication is the most common way of exchanging ideas.   Whether it is through body language or tone of voice, how we act usually tells more about ...

There is a principle of science that says that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time.   While this may sound like I have been studying up on my physics, the truth is that this principle became painfully true through investigating traffic crashes.   The reason we have crashes is because two vehicles try to occupy the same place on the roadway at the exact same time.   That is an impossibility, so nature takes care of the issue – usually at the expense of the smaller vehicle. Interestingly, this principle isn’t just a fact of nature, it has a parallel in spiritual living.   After discussing the issue of anxiety, worry and materialism, Jesus makes this statement, “ No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”.   (Mathew 6:24)   Just as we learn from science, something will become a priority.   We only have room ...

          Much of the nation experienced summer last week.  I am not sure if the summers are getting hotter or if we just forget how hot it can get from year to year, but about this time each summer we begin to discuss the weather.  Often, when we describe the summer heat, someone will make a parallel to hell.  The concept of the hotness of hell can be traced back to New Testament teaching, including the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus where Jesus describes the state of the rich man by observing, ” In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’” (Luke 16:23-24)  From this passage (as well as others) we get the impression that there is going to be an intense heat in hell; yet, there is som...

It is said that all we need to make it in this world is an attainable goal and the commitment to pursue it.   If we can figure out what we want and if we work hard, we will be able to be successful.   While I believe this can be a productive formula, what happens when we choose the wrong goal?   It is possible to work hard and still end up feeling inadequate because we have chosen an improper finish line.   When Jesus was teaching His earliest disciples He challenged them to think long and hard about where they wanted to go.   He realized the value of pursuing interests, but He also reminded them of the dangers of heading off in the wrong direction.   In the Sermon on the Mount He encouraged them, “ The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.   But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkne...

Have you ever heard the phrase, “the attack on the church” or “an attack on Christians”?   Often, this phrase is used when someone believes that believers are being unfairly treated and feels like we are being attacked.   In my experience, the most often cited offenders of this perceived process are the government, the media or society but are they really the ones attacking God’s people?   Sure, these entities can make scathing remarks about Christians and they can put pressure on us to give up or give in, but have we ever given much thought to who is really behind it?   The answer is satan!   Since we can’t see satan I believe that it is easy to blame these other entities, but we have to remember the real culprit.   He is the general in the war on religion.   He may hide behind the cloak of a tyrant or a media mogul, but he is responsible for evil.   This observation should not surprise any of us.   The Christian movement has been aware o...

          I hadn’t read the Declaration of Independence in a while, so went back and reread it.   While I was intrigued by the reasons for our separation from Great Britain and the declaration of independence at the end, there was another part of it that captivated my interest.   At the beginning of the document, this statement is made, "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the  Laws of Nature  and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.".   I don’t know that I had ever really noticed that the Founding Fathers felt compelled to explain to the world why they were doing what they were doing.   Being men of princ...