Think About It

Several things have happened over the last few weeks that have reminded us that words have meanings and consequences.   Things have been said in jest or in a flippant manner – even on a national stage – that have carried with them some unintended consequences and have even had some hurtful meanings.   Now, typically, this discussion introduces us to some inappropriate racial comment, or a derogatory word used to describe a person’s gender or sexual preference; but I want to put a little different spin on it.   You see, while it has become taboo to make certain comments, it somehow seems to be okay to deride others and be shocked when they take offense to it.   Many people think nothing of calling someone “phobic” when they profess a belief that certain lifestyles are unscriptural.   Others attribute a person’s success to “privilege” while discounting a life lived with hard work and purpose.   Some people are quick to call others “prejudiced” when it is mer...

I had a really bad nightmare the other night.  This one was not one of my usual nightmares (the ones where I am falling off of a cliff or in a shootout with a bunch of bad guys).  In this nightmare I found myself involved in activities that – if I had been found out – would have ruined my reputation.  I remember thinking in my dream that what I was doing could have some incredibly damaging consequences.  I was never so glad as I was when I woke up and realized that I was going to be okay.  When I was laying there replying the scenario in my mind I got to thinking about what would I have done if it hadn’t been a dream?  How could I live with myself if I had done it in real life? As I look back on this dream a few things come to mind:  First, it reinforced in me the need to make good choices with my life.  Not only are there personal consequences to choices, they can also have ripples throughout every aspect of our lives.  Second, it gave me...

When I was a youngster growing up on the coasts of Florida, I gained an appreciation of and an interest in hurricanes at an early age.   I remember following the hurricane reports through the media (which consisted of a few local radio stations, a couple television stations and a local newspaper).   One early lesson I learned was that hurricanes were temperamental and unpredictable “creatures” that seemed to have a mind of their own.   About the time it seemed like their path had been predicted and projected something would happen that would leave one area breathing a sigh of relief and causing another locale scrambling to make last minute preparations.   About all we could do was stay prepared and respond if and when the storm came in our direction. As I have watched Hurricane Dorian the last few days I have been taken back to the lessons of my youth.   The initial projection in strength and direction wasn’t where it ended up.   Some people who acted ea...

I wish that I could tell you that this is going to be a safe and uneventful school year for all of our children, but if I did, I am afraid it would be wishful thinking at best and ignorance at worst.  Even when we didn’t have the prevalence of school violence there were instances of children being placed in danger by the actions of others.  While this is a concern in today’s society, I think there is something even more challenging than stranger danger – it is the peril our children place themselves in by making bad choices or choosing bad companions.  Sure, random acts of violence occur periodically throughout the year, but an even more common occurrence is when young people hang out with the wrong crowd or participate in risky behaviors that carry negative consequences.  Active shooters and bullying have become hot topics in today’s world, but the greatest day to day danger lies in not making good, moral choices. I am not convinced that we need to send our child...

Traditionally, Labor Day has meant two things:  First, it is the unofficial end of the summer.  We still have a couple more weeks before the first day of autumn, but in reality, our summertime mentality is all but done.  Secondly, Labor Day is set aside to honor the workers who have made this nation great – and continue to provide for a strong economy.  While it is good to praise the labor force, I want to spend a few minutes discussing another side of working – what we, as employees, can do to make our efforts pay off for us and our employers.  1.  We should be thankful for the jobs we have .  It is awful tempting to complain about where we work, what we do or who we work for, but the reality is that most of us should be thankful for the jobs we have.  When we work on having better attitudes we will work with better attitudes. 2.  We should give a day’s work for a day’s wage .  I realize that few of us are day laborers anymore, but...

One of the most often addressed issues in my writing is stress and anxiety.   There is a reason for this – because I have an advanced degree in it!   When it comes to faith in God or knowledge of His Word I am at a pretty good place, but when it comes to anxiety I always have to be on my guard.   As I have gotten older I think I have gotten better about dealing with things in a less stressful way.   When I reflect on the stress reduction, I think there are two reasons for this:   First, I am beginning to realize that there are a lot of things I can’t do ANYTHING about.   Sure, I can worry and fret over them, but it doesn’t make one bit of difference in the things that I can’t change.   I am working on the simple philosophy – change what I can, adapt to what I can’t.   The second lesson is that there are fewer important things in my world.   The older I get and the more I see, the less of it really makes that much of a difference to me. ...

Have you ever thought about how God dealt with the people who rejected Him and followed idols?   There were times when He brought direct punishment on them, but there were other times when He merely just let them go on their merry way – until they had to deal with the natural consequences of their actions.   Often, when we think about the punishment of God, we think about what He “does”, but one of the scariest things about rejecting God is missing out on the blessings that He adds to life.   In essence, God’s punishment may merely be not intervening into our foolishness.   The New Testament book of Romans chronicles this in an in-depth way including the observation, “ Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.   For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Roma...