Think About It

I like symmetry.   I like it when there is a plan and the plan comes together.   In fact, one of my favorite tidbits of wisdom is plan the work and work the plan.   Now, as much as I like organization, I have also come to realize that it is more often than not fantasy.   Sure, planning does tend to reduce chaos, but it doesn’t eliminate it.   Often our best laid plans fall apart (or are blown apart) and we find ourselves scrambling to make things work – then what?   The great thing about developing wisdom is that just because things don’t work out the way we design doesn’t mean that we are doomed to fail.   In fact, some of the most productive advances have been made in the face of what might appear to be failure. The ability to think on our feet pays dividends in our businesses and personal development, but it is part of our spiritual make up as well.   The British spiritual writer, C. S. Lewis, observed, “ We are not living in a world where a...

If I ever made a hole in one on a real golf course (not mini golf) there is one thing that everyone could say – “Man, that was a lucky shot!”.   I am not good enough to plan and execute a hole in one, so it would have to be a fluke.   Having said that, the other thing that could be said is that there is a very slim chance that it would ever happen again (and if it did, it would be luck compounded by luck). The reason for this discussion of my inept golf game is to make a point about the world in which we live.   You see, there are a lot of people who look at the universe and attribute it to “luck”.   According to some, it just so happened that everything lined up by accident and produced an incredibly fortuitous creation.   And what is even harder to believe is that this act of happenstance keeps reproducing itself day-in-and-day-out.   The sun rises each day in the east and it snows in Minnesota every winter.   Gravity is consistent and the trees l...

While the two words are not often connected, have you noticed the similarities between fear and faith?  On the surface, there may not appear to be much of a connection, but in reality they are two responses to a single stimulus.  The thing that generates both fear and faith is an unknown future.  As people, we often find ourselves staring off into the potential of what might happen and that leads us to one of two responses – we can either be worried and tentative about what we are supposed to do (fear) or we can gather up our courage and believe that we will be successful (faith).  In essence, the main difference between faith and fear is in the action we take.  Fear is defined by delay while faith is characterized by heading out into the unknown. As humans, fear is quite tempting, but when we have a belief in God faith is possible.  Frail and fallible people are apt to perceive life as full of snares and dangers; however, when we have God by our side we...

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...