Think About It

          Even though my family has roots in West Virginia I had never really been there until last week.   I had been to Harper’s Ferry (which is technically in West Virginia), but that’s as far as I’d gotten.   First of all, I must admit that I was quite taken by the mountains in West Virginia.   Having lived in the Rockies I was a bit of a “mountain snob”, but there are really neat vistas in the Appalachians.   Now, having said this, there was one thing that I noticed – it felt like it took forever to get out of the state!   I like driving, but it just seemed like I would never get home.   With the tenuous winter weather, the small towns, switchbacks, narrow roads, fog and hilly driving I was flat beat when I got home.   I was never really worried or scared that I couldn’t do it, it just wore me out.           As I thought about my trip back from the Mounta...

          A few years ago – in response to what some perceived as the commercialism of the Holiday Season – someone came up with what has come to be known as “Giving Tuesday”.  The concept is that on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (and the inevitable spending on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday) people should be reminded not to forget about philanthropy and giving to their special causes.  It is a day on which a lot of non-profits and social groups emphasize giving (and, in particular, giving to their cause).  If you have been looking for a chance to give a donation, today is a good day to do it.           I hope that organizations make a lot of money today, but in the hoopla of supporting groups, let’s remember that we also have a chance to give to others.  Yes, organizations need major gifts, but let’s not forget that our smaller gifts and donations can make a differe...

          I really like Thanksgiving Day, but I also enjoy the entire “Holiday Season” that runs from late November to about the day after Christmas.  There is something special about this month – not just because you can get a deal on just about anything you’d like to buy – but, because people seem to be better.  Some might chalk it up to trying to make it from the “Naughty List” to the “Nice List”, but I really think it has to do with a sense of religiousness in the season.   The presence of the reminder of the birth of Jesus tends to bring out a spiritual side in people.  There is more civility, more service, more generosity and more gentleness.  No, not everyone gets into the spirit of the season, but it is amazing to feel the change that exists.          I enjoy the break from the routine – and don’t mean to complain – but, this does seem to bring up the ...

Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s not personal, it’s just business”?   Do you know where that comes from?   No, it has nothing to do with accounting or marketing – it comes from American mobsters.   According to several sources, Otto Berman was the one who coined the phrase.   While it does have a certain allure to it, we need to consider Berman’s fate.   If the quote did come from Berman, we should keep in mind that on October 23, 1935 Berman was killed in a gangland hit in an attempt on the life of Mafia boss Dutch Schultz. While few of us are apt to live by the code of organized crime, it is tempting to justify suspending our spirituality in the interest of things such as politics or business.   In essence, we attempt to excuse certain actions by claiming, “It’s not wrong to cheat someone, it’s just good business” or “It’s not wrong to support immorality, it’s just being political.”.   We might be able to justify this in our minds, but that d...

          While days of Thanksgiving had been celebrated around the nation for almost a century, it wasn’t until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln sought to make it a national holiday.  In his proclamation, President Lincoln reflected on the gracious gifts from God, then stated, “ It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”  This statement, in-and-of-itself, is challenging; but it’s true power comes to light considering what was happening on the North American continent in 1863.  In the midst of an uncivil war, Americans wer...

          I realize it is inappropriate to discuss “diets” during the week of Thanksgiving – but, here goes.   I have been on enough diets in my life to realize that the hardest time for me to stick to a program is during this time of year.   I would like to blame it on Thanksgiving, but the truth of the matter is that the problem typically begins the day after Thanksgiving.   Let me see if I can explain.   A lot of people are successful with a diet leading into Thanksgiving, then comes our national annual feast day and our good intentions go out the window.   This, however, is still not a problem.   Most diets can stand one day of diversion, the problem comes in when we never get back on track.   I mean, we can’t leave the left-overs to spoil can we ... and then there are all the holiday parties ... and then there is the Christmas dinner ... and, of course, we should be able to enjoy the New Year’s Eve pa...

          When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christian church in Ephesus he spent part of his time discussing unity.  One interesting section of the passage is how he calls them to be unified in spite of their diversity.  At one point he noted, “ And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,   for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ ...” (Ephesians 4:11-12).  As we read this section, two things are apparent – we all have different talents, but every one of us has a talent.  While this is a simple concept to understand, the problem comes in its application.  Specifically, what is our talent?  We understand that we are supposed to have one – but, how do I determine mine?  It would be nice if we all came with a label that stated our talent, but since we don’t how do we deter...