Think About It

Most of us are interested in making a difference.   The good people I know actively look for and take part in doing good deeds for those around them.   While we like making a difference, there are times when it can be discouraging.   To help us from becoming disheartened here are a few simple suggestions: 1)   Remember that what we are doing is for the good of others, not for the publicity we receive .   Even though we don’t do good to be praised by men, it is nice to have our efforts noticed and recognized.   A good way to avoid disappointment is to make the decision before we get started not to seek or expect publicity. 2)   Remember that what we are doing is for the good of others, not for the thanks we receive .   This may sound similar to the first point, but I believe that this is an even more likely trap.   Some people might not know how to say “thank you” and others may not have the social skills to express their appreciation. ...

         The Bible gets right to the point on the issue of anger.  While it appears there are times when righteous anger might be fitting, the Word of God strongly cautions us against being too quick to be angry.  The Old Testament book of Proverbs advises, “ A man of great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.” (Proverbs 19:19) while the New Testament challenges, “T his you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;   for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. ” (James 1:19-20).  It might have been easier for us if the Bible would have just gone ahead and prohibited us from becoming angry, but it’s cautions remind us to tread lightly or we may overstep our boundaries.           As I thought about anger I got to wondering wh...

Last weekend our granddaughters came to visit us for the weekend.   At one point we went down to the park to play on the playground, but the woods became too much of a temptation for them and they decided we needed to go on “an adventure”.   As we tromped through the woods they were convinced that we were on a some great quest.   They thought they found a fox den and were convinced that the skeleton we discovered was that of a dinosaur.   During the hike they kept looking for the next new thing and once the adventure was done they were thrilled at the trek we had taken.   On the other hand, what I experienced was an unknown course through narrow trees and holly leaves that scratched us.   I saw baggies with the residue of a “leafy green substance” littering the ground and the skeleton I saw resembled a squirrel or, at best, a fox.   I found spider webs, slippery logs and bugs.   Yes, we were in the same place – the difference was perspective. ...

The other day I did something I had been afraid I was going to do for a while.   On the weekends I tend to carry my phone in the front pocket of my shorts – which is also where I carry my cash.   I try to carry them in different pockets, but every so often they will end up in the same one and that can lead me to inadvertently pulling out my cash when I take out my phone.   On previous occasions I have saved a loss by finding my cash laying on the ground or in my chair, but last week I was not so fortunate.   Somehow, somewhere I lost some money.   I don’t know exactly what happened, but I would imagine it was lost when I pulled my phone out of my pocket.   As you might imagine, I was a bit irritated at losing the money and moped around for a while.   As I processed my loss I got thinking that it was about an hour’s worth of pay and that seemed to ease my mind a bit.   I still felt foolish, but it wasn’t the first time I have wasted an hour’s wage...

         During our Adult Bible Study last Sunday Morning I asked the question, “What is the most basic of all the human needs?”.  My thought process was fixed on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, so the answers I expected to get were things like sustenance, safety and security; yet the first answer I heard was “love”.  In an effort to make a point, I dismissed this answer and continued on with my thought, but the response kept creeping back into my mind.  As humans, do we need to feel love to survive?  Sure it can help us enjoy life and might help us to become more successful more quickly, but is it a basic human need?  I have heard this answer before – and accepted it’s truth – but, just how much does our success depend upon feeling loved?  Hmmm ... interesting question.           As I continue to search for the answer to the previous question, it did prompt a parallel question, “What is ...

When I heard that seven law enforcement officers had been shot in South Carolina several things went through my mind.   The first was a sense of sadness for the officers, families, community and agencies that were affected.    What a tragedy!   As I began to process this from a cognitive perspective, I started to paint a mental picture of the perpetrator.   Before the news released the information I had a couple of thoughts in mind about who might do something like this.   I have to admit that I was shocked when a 74-year-old was arrested for the crime.   I never saw that coming. As I thought about my thoughts I realized a couple of things.   First, stereotypes may be easy but they aren’t always accurate.   It takes little thought to “believe” something about someone – but, our pre-judged thoughts are often mistaken.   The second thought was just how prevalent evil can be.   People of all ages, genders, races and economic status ...

                Over the last several decades Christian principles seem to have been dismissed as being irrelevant and that our advanced society should move on from this “archaic” way of thinking.   Yet, have you noticed the themes that have been getting a lot of attention lately:   respect for all people, the danger of youthful indiscretion, inappropriate sexual activity,   the problem of excessive alcohol use?   Some suggest that there is a new enlightenment calling attention to modern ills that are plaguing mankind, but, it seems that we have heard these problems discussed somewhere before: Respect :   Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;   do not  merely  look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4) Youthful Indiscretion :...