Think About It

Being a victim of crime can be a scary thing for people.  We live in a time when, with 24/7 media, there is a lot of coverage of the bad things that are happening – not just in our community, but throughout our nation and around the world.  In addition to accounts that can be validated, social media is filled with stories about friends of friends of friends that may (or may not) be true.  There is a lot of talk about victimization and that can be troubling. While being a victim can’t always be avoided (there are times when we can just be in the wrong place at the wrong time), the are a few things we can do to lessen our propensity to be victimized: 1.  Choose our friends and acquaintances wisely .   Even if we make good choices, we can find ourselves in the vicinity of those who don’t.  When that happens, we can be impacted by what might be termed collateral damage by their poor decision-making. 2.  Choose our times and locations wisely ....

The other day I was reading some information about leadership in which the author noted that we are called to lead by example, not by explanation.   The concept is pretty simple – people don’t want to hear what they are as supposed to do as much as they need to see how to go about doing it.   While good leadership combines both instruction and demonstration, the point is that unless we are willing to walk the walk, we aren’t going to do much good talking the talk. Most of us are familiar with this concept, but as I read this I got to thinking about another principle of leadership – we must lead by example, not by exception.   In other words, we are called to show people how they are supposed to live not merely tell people what they are supposed to do, then make excuses for why we don’t do what we should be doing.   Unless we are willing to live the right way, we should just save our excuses and our breath.   It is easy to tell people how to live but it is als...

How could anything good come from that Friday?  It began Thursday night when a posse came into the garden where Jesus had been praying with His disciples and arrested Him.  From there they took Him through a series of trials filled with trumped-up charges, ill-prepared prosecutors and lying witnesses.  The night was capped off by political posturing, deal-making and mob rule.  By the time Friday morning came, Jesus was on His way to the cross.  The Messiah and Lord would spend several hours exposed to pain and ridicule, then finally and mercifully, He was allowed to give up His life and accept the peace that came with death.  So, in light of all that happened on the Friday, what good was it?  Well, the answer seems to come, “... when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (John 19:30).  You see, at this moment the sacrifice had been completed and mankind’s hope had been restored....

         It was on this date in 1775 that one of the most famous events of the American Revolution occurred.  While the details of Paul Revere’s ride have seen somewhat glamorized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, it truly was a part of American history in which a hero risked life and limb to warn people of the impending dangers of the British invasion in the Greater Boston area.  In part, because of Revere’s ride, our nation withdrew from an oppressive government and found the freedom they so desperately wanted.           As I thought about Paul Revere I got to wondering if people today are as willing to herald the dangers of oppression as he was in his day.  No, I am not talking about governmental intervention or an terroristic invasion – we need to be shouting the dangers of sin!  There are certain things that are invading our national make-up that can have a catastrophic impact.  Whether it is immoral behavior,...

During his time at Florida State University Warwick Dunn had a lot of people cheering for him, but like anyone involved in athletic competition, not everyone was his fan.  In fact, some of the people weren’t content to merely cheer for their team – they heckled him.  Some even went to the extreme of even making light of the fact that his mother had been killed in a robbery attempt a few years earlier.  Can you imagine, being so into your team that you would dig up something so painful as the loss of an opponent’s mother?  When Dunn reflected on heckling he recalled how it made him question the decency of people!  No, not everyone did it, but the pain caused by those that did tarnished his opinion of his fellow man.           Have you noticed how quick we are to heckle people today?  We take issue with and make fun of their sports teams – but, it has gotten even more prevalent to include other’s political belie...

I am becoming forgetful as I get older and it has nothing to do with the dulling of my memory.  (Yes, I do have more of a problem remembering where I have left my keys, but that’s not what I am talking about today.)  My memory problems stem from me forgetting to smile.  I think it is easy to become jaded and overwhelmed by the cares and negativity of the world and I just forget to find the pleasures in the world ... and smile.  So, I am going to make a commitment to you and me.  I am going to smile when:  I see a new blossom on my lime tree ... I don’t have to wear shoes to take out the trash ... I get a hug from my granddaughters ... I hear the frog chorus in the evenings ... someone leaves a Cadbury bunny on my desk ... I get a love note from my beautiful wife ... I get to roll over and hit the turn off the alarm knowing that I don’t really have to get up that early ... I hear a song that reminds me of the carefree days of youth ... I smell something bei...

Even though Tax Day doesn’t seem to have the same emotional impact as it once did, it is still an important day for our nation.   Before the advent of electronic filing April 15 was a day of loathing and gnashing of teeth.   In years gone by fewer people prepaid their taxes in a way that they got refunds, so coupled with the need to pay the balance and the appointed time of accountability, April 15 th was a dark day for a lot of us.   I don’t think that Tax Day is nearly as devastating as it used to be but it still does challenge us – what are we willing to give up to enjoy living in this country?   Whether it is paying our fair share or being taxed to help our neighbor, there is a price to be paid for living in the United States of America.   Sure, we might be guilty of fussing about it, but the truth of the matter is that most of us are happy that we have an income and are willing to donate a portion of our pay for the privilege of living when, how and where...