Think About It

I am not sure when or where the tradition began, but at some point someone decided that it would be a good idea for each individual group of people to have a banner or flag to represent them and their cause.   The tradition began thousands of years ago and when our nation exercised our desire to be independent, we continued it by developing Old Glory.   On June 14, 1777 the Second Continental Congress resolved that the stars and stripes would be used to distinguish the United States of America.   Ever since that time, people from all over the world would come to recognize the principles of the United States embodied in the flag.   Sure, it has undergone some changes through the years (especially that addition of stars as each new state was admitted), but all in all, the basic design of the flag has remained intact. As I thought about our flag I got to thinking about other symbols or representations people use – especially in religion.   Some religious groups ...

          I was reviewing some quotes by Benjamin Franklin when I came across one that I didn’t know was attributed to him.  According to the world wide web Franklin is quoted as saying, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”.  On first blush I would be more apt to attribute this quote to someone like Horace Mann, but I will take it on face value and give credit to Benjamin Franklin.  No matter who is credited with the insight, it is amazing how true it is.  When we seek to influence people we must keep in mind that just because we tell someone something, they may or may not listen to it much less grasp it.  When we develop a way to teach something to someone there is a better chance that they will absorb it, but it isn’t until we pass on the skill through personal intervention that we can have confidence that it will take root. While is adage can have applications in a variety of ways, the most...

One of things I have learned about myself over the past few weeks is that I may not be the best patient.   Yes, I have tried to do what the doctors have told me to do and I do my best to be polite to those working with me to get me back on track; however, one of my flaws is that I am not real good at letting people do things for me that they want do.   In a world that is typically “me-oriented” where people are apt to take more than their share this may seem a bit odd, but I tend to be on the other end of the spectrum.   There are a lot of people who want to help, but I refuse their help or ignore their offers under the guise of being self-sufficient.   The ability to do for ourselves can be admirable; but sometimes it is more noble to allow others to assist us and use the gifts and talents they have been given.   There is nothing worse than not being able to use the gifts we have been given ... and nothing more frustrating than watching someone muddle through ...

Have you noticed how easy it is to solve other people’s problems?  Isn’t it interesting that outsiders can claim to have a greater insight into what other people should be doing?  While this is true in so many aspects of life, it is commonly found in the world of religion.  A lot of people who are not members of our church are more than willing to offer commentary on what we should be doing in our churches.  In all reality, there really isn’t anything we can do to prevent people from making suggestions or value judgements about what we do, but we must also remember that just because someone has a comment doesn’t mean that we have to heed it or even take it seriously.  Sure anyone can have an opinion, but the opinions of outsiders probably are not built upon the foundation of our faith and therefore may not lead to an accurate assessment of what we should be doing.  This might appear to be a 21 st Century problem fueled by the social media craze, but the f...

Have you ever done something that offended someone?   Have you either done something (or not done something) that let someone down?   If we were all true to ourselves, the answer to both of those questions is “yes”.   Because we are people we are going make mistakes and because we are people we are going to find ourselves either missing cues or just not doing what was expected of us in the complex emotional exchanges we have with each other.   Now that we have established the fact that we are going to disappoint others, that leads us to the real question, “What are we going to do when we mess up?”.   When I let someone down my first response is to feel bad about it.   I am a “people pleaser” by nature, so when I don’t measure up to the expectations, I take it personally.   Yet, is it enough to just feel bad?   Do we gain anything by merely lamenting our failures?   When we don’t get our interpersonal relationships right, there are a few co...

The other day I sat down at the desk in my home office and had to face a harsh reality – it was filled with clutter.   For the last several weeks I would work on something, then set it over in one pile.   I would wind up a cord and set it in another part of the desk.   I had sticky notes (some active, some obsolete) pasted all over my desk.   It was a mess and it was a bit overwhelming, but there was one more thing about it … it needed to be cleared!   I was going to be using my home office for a while, so I had to do something about the mess.   I couldn’t live with it, I couldn’t ignore it, so I just had to take the time to get my workspace in order. I am sure that many people can relate to my desk, but there is another lesson that can be learned from my clutter – how many of us life with clutter in our lives?   Emotional clutter can come in a variety of forms:    holding a grudge against one person, being envious of another person, never...

Who is responsible for our personal safety?   The other day I noticed a news story about a person who was injured by a foul ball at a Major League Baseball game and several people pondered what should be done to keep fans safe.   I have been around a lot of baseball games and one thing that is very clear is the danger of balls (and even bats) flying into the stands.   The concept of assumed risk is something entrenched in our society, but we still struggle with personal responsibility.   When an onlooker is injured at an entertainment event where the risks are known, who is at fault? Now, the reason I raise this question has little to do with fans at ballgames; rather, I use it as foundation for another question – who is responsible for our safety?   It is easy to rely upon our government to keep us safe, in fact we have become so dependent on it that we make unsafe choices and hope that someone will intervene when we get in trouble.   Yet, there is anot...