Think About It

          There are things that I may not like about some of the political leaders in our nation, but one thing that I wish I could emulate is their conviction.  I wish I was as committed to my cause and had as much confidence in my ability as they do in theirs.  By the time a person gets to that level of national exposure they have proven their ability to overcome their critics and have found a way to keep moving forward in spite of what people say about them.           As I got to thinking about our national politicians it got me to thinking about how our lives and our religion could be changed if we had as much faith in our mission and as much confidence in our message as do they.  When we are trying to reach out to others with the message of Christianity, we tend to take personal slights or disagreements so personally that when they happen we back down from the conflict.  How much of a diffe...

Have you noticed how easy it is to find a book or an article that promotes our opinion?  While this can make us feel comfortable, does it do us all that much good?  Rereading and reviewing something we already believe might help reinforce an opinion, but what happens when we attempt to see something from another opinion or learn something knew?  John C. Maxwell considered this concept when he wrote, “You cannot analyze what you don’t know.  However, the moment you discover something new, our thinking goes to a deeper level.”.  In essence, we shouldn’t be afraid to be to be exposed to something new – we should embrace the emotional and mental challenge.  No, we mustn’t believe everything we read nor all the new ideas that are postulated, but neither should we seek to insulate ourselves from the unknown or ideas we dislike. The wise man of Ecclesiastes warns us, “ But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive...

          In his book, “Top Of The Hill”, Manie Robinson describes Dabo Swinney’s rise into the college elite as the coach of the Clemson Tigers.   Among the stories chronicled in the book Robinson describes Hunter Renfrow’s development as a wide receiver – long before he enrolled in Clemson.   As a child, Hunter would often play football by himself, but every so often his mother Suzanne Renfrow would play as well.   Suzanne explained that she could not throw a straight ball, so Hunter would have to dive after them.   Hunter is quoted as saying, “That’s why I became a decent receiver because I’d have to go and retrieve my mom’s balls when they were all over the place.”   Suzanne adds, “God can use anything, He can even use a mom that’s a terrible athlete.”   A lot of college athletes developed their skills through football camps, strong high school programs and constant conditioning – Hunter Renfro found his ni...

In the spring of 1997 I had the opportunity to work with the Grand Forks, North Dakota Police Department response to the flooding of the Red River.  When I arrived the  flood waters were very evident – there was water in the neighborhoods, streets, parks and parking lots.  Yet, as the days passed, something interesting happened – the water receded.  Within a couple of days the water was gone and from a surface perspective, things looked almost back to normal; but that was far from the truth.  Basements throughout town were still flooded, standing bridges had suffered structural stress, the electrical grid was damaged and, as much as anything, people’s activities were disrupted and their lives were devastated.  Sometimes, when things seem to be back to normal, crisis is still present.  This concept has come to my attention again recently.  According to reports, the effects of the Parkland school shooting are still obvious a year after the traged...

One of the most interesting observations made in the Bible comes from Genesis 6:5-6 where it is recorded, “ Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” .  Many of us are familiar with this passage providing a foundation for the story of the great flood, but I think something else can be gleaned from this passage.  It is easy for us to believe that we live in a horrible wicked world that has overwhelmed God’s influence.  We almost get the impression that God and God’s people have become victims of the evil to the earth; however, that is not necessarily true.  Yes, there is wickedness in the world, but that doesn’t mean that this is the worst of times.  Thousands of years ago, the historian Moses reflected on a time when God was so disgusted and dismayed ...

          Are afraid of success?  (Yes, you read that question correctly!  Let me see if I can explain what I mean.)            Typically when we discuss fear we highlight failure.  We are afraid that we are going to make a mistake and someone is either going to discipline or make fun of us.  While this can be a legitimate cause of fear, success presents another source of anxiety because change often accompanies accomplishment.  When we succeed we may have to move out of our comfort zone.  When we succeed people may expect us to continue developing – which could lead to even more (and sometimes even more drastic) changes.  We say that we want to be successful but I wonder if we ever sabotage our success because we fear the changes it might bring to our lives.  Do we just stop trying because we have found a comfortable equilibrium?       ...

Not long ago I was reminded of a statement by then presidential candidate Ted Cruz who was quoted by Politico magazine as saying, “It’s is exactly right that in terms of who I am, I am a Christian first.   I am an American second.   I’m a conservative third.   And I’m a Republican fourth.   And I’ll tell ya, there are a lot of Americans who feel the same way.”.   Now, before we go any further, please understand that I am not endorsing any political candidate, nor any political party, but I would like to go back and evaluate the crux of the statement – religion, nationality, philosophy and party in that order.   That looks really good, doesn’t it?   In fact, it sounds so solid that, as Mr. Cruz suggests, a lot of Americans might claim adherence to this philosophy ... but how committed are we to this belief?   Does this theory stand up to reality?   The Bible tells us, “ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, giv...