Think About It

          Are we serious about our spiritual walk?   It is easy to claim to be spiritually-minded people and it is even cool to promote ourselves as a nation of God-fearers, but are we committed to this being more than propaganda?   Are we willing to hold ourselves personally accountable to God and are we willing to demand that our leaders follow sound principles?   It is nice to play the part of God’s people, but are we ready to make it the core of our lives?           The great biblical poet, David, challenged the people of his day, “ Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth.   Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling.   Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish  in  the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled.   How blessed are all who take ref...

One of my biggest dilemmas is when someone who claims to be a positive spiritual example gets caught by the media doing something wrong.   On one hand, it is easy to blame the media for targeting those who advocate morality, but is it really the story-tellers who are the bad guys?   When someone who advocates spirituality gets caught in an error should we really get mad at the press for calling it to people’s attention or should we be disappointed in the one who committed the act?   Most of us hate to see someone on our “side” being criticized for doing something wrong – but, is it really the fault of the ones telling the story or the one living the life?   Sure, it might make our lives easier if the trespass went unreported, but when it does get reported we need to make sure that we correctly assess responsibility. Whenever we make the claim of being a spiritual person, we automatically come under scrutiny – and we should.   If we are going to call upon othe...

On January 7, 1993 Betty Dun Sommers was shot and killed in robbery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Betty was an officer for the Baton Rouge Police Department and the single mother of six children.  One of those young people left without a maternal influence was Warwick Dunn.  After completing a standout high school football and track career, Warwick went on to star at Florida State University and became a very good NFL player.   I am impressed with what Warwick was able to do on the football field, but the thing that impresses me even more is what he has been able to do as a person.  Rather than allowing his mother’s ambush derail his potential, he translated that tragedy an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.  Since 1997 the Warwick Dunn Charities have helped furnish 168 homes and touched over 450 lives.  Their motto, “Help us give a hand up” captures their belief that through home furnishings, financial assistance and educatio...

          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...