Think About It

          According to an article I read online, during her last speech as the First Lady, Michelle Obama challenged the nation, “ You cannot take your freedoms for granted. Just like generations who have come before you, you have to do your part to preserve and protect those freedoms ... you need to be preparing yourself to add your voice to our national conversation ...”.  As I read that statement, it got me to thinking about how easy it is to rest on the laurels of what others have done for us.  It is tempting to be thankful for what has been handed down to us, but not make any effort to understand from where these blessings come nor develop a way to pass our advances on to the next generation.  When our voices are not heard (all of our voices) we will not retain the status quo, we will begin to wither away.           While this statement has merit in our national discussion, it also has value in ...

          What happens when we win our arguments?   We spend a lot of time and energy trying to learn how to be persuasive and compelling, but how do we act when we get the better of other people?   Sure, it is nice to be able to advance our cause, but unless we deal appropriately with those we overcome, our victory will be shallow at best and antagonistic at worst.           When we come out on top of a discussion, let’s take the time to do a few things: 1.   We should be gracious in victory .   Just because we successfully defend our position doesn’t mean that the other person was necessarily wrong, much less a bad person.   When we get our way, we mustn’t gloat or belittle the opposition. 2.   We should acknowledge the good points in their logic .   Rarely is there a discussion in which one person is completely right and the other is completely wrong. ...

          How good were the 2017 Houston Astros?   If you are a baseball fan, you may have asked yourself this question.   Even if you aren’t a baseball fan, if you have been paying attention to the news, you probably understand the reference.   Over the past few months the story of how some of the Astro players used electronic aids to gain an advantage has come to light.   As I have watched this story unfold I have often wondered how much of their success was talent and how much of it was the result of cheating.   The 2017 Astros were a fun team to watch, but just how good were they – really?   Sure, knowing what pitch was coming gave the batter an advantage, but a batter still had to hit major league caliber pitching.   There is no doubt that these players were good, the question remains just how good they were.   Sadly, no one will be able to answer this debate because there will always be an aster...

One of my most intense challenges is knowing when NOT to talk.   As I look back through my life, I can recall a few times when I should have spoken up, but didn’t; however, I can find a lot of times when I said something and would have been much better suited to having said nothing at all.   More often than not, it was when I said something that got me in trouble.   There is an old adage that observes, “It is better to not say anything and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”.   While the source of this quote may be in doubt, its accuracy is generally accepted by all.   When I struggle with this aspect of my life, I can take comfort in the fact that I am not alone in my folly.   In fact, the Bible issues this warning to all of us, “ He who restrains his words as knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.   Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips...

Have you ever found yourself stuck between two feuding friends?  Whether it was at home, work, school or even out in the community, have you been on good terms with two people who were mad at each other?  While this may seem like an adolescent issue, it can (and does) happen when we become adults.  There are times when we will be called upon to maintain relationships with people who have severed ties with each other.  When that happens, what should we do?  Here are a couple of suggestions: 1.  Maintain friendships with each of the people independent of the relationship with the other person .  Don’t get sucked into the trap of having to choose one relationship over the other.  We should do our best to keep on good terms with both friends. 2.  Don’t talk to one friend about the other .  There is a temptation to get involved in the hard feelings they have with each other.  Sure, if you can be a peacemaker, that’s great, but i...

          Have you ever done something you knew had the potential to get you disciplined at work?  Sure, a lot of us did things at school that might have gotten us called into the Assistant Principle’s Office, but no matter how serious that punishment was, we pretty much knew that we would be able to finish out our high school career.  However, there are some mistakes in the work-world that are serious enough to get us fired and, for most of us that would be a life-changing event.  Now, whether or not you have been in this situation, you can imagine the angst associated with that type of meeting with the boss.  What will they do?  Will I be scolded, suspended or fired?  Now, imagine your employer coming in and saying, “Yes, what you did was wrong and I could punish you for it, but I will be lenient.  I don’t want to lose you as a part of our team, so go on and get back to work!”.  What an incredible feeling that would be!...

          We live in a time when divisiveness is obvious.   It seems like every day there is something or someone creating another issue or spouting another philosophy that has the potential to divide our nation or our communities.   While there are divisions today, it pales in comparison to what our forefathers were going through in the middle of the 19 th Century.   Our nation was heated up over several issues until one day, it boiled over into what has been called the American Civil War.   During the 1860s each side sought to defend their position from their own perspective and philosophies.   In fact, a part of that discussion was the underlying theology each espoused to make a case for them being right.   As I look back on these times I wonder what God thought about being used to “defend a human position”.   The other day I came across on interesting quote that come from that era.   At one point...