Think About It

Twenty-four months ago I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was fading in and out of consciousness following my surgery in the ICU at Washington Hospital. A couple days earlier I had no idea what a bypass procedure entailed, but by that point I was the veteran of five of them. I have been one of the blessed patients. I was released from the hospital after just a few days, then able to return to work a short time later. Thanks to the Lord’s grace and a skilled surgeon, about the only reminder I have of my surgery is a scar in the middle of chest. As I emotionally processed through the second anniversary of my surgery, I had some mixed emotions; but the overwhelming feeling was just how blessed I am. Not only am I grateful for an uneventful recovery, I am thankful that my operation came in 2019, not 2020 at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Yes, I am on a steady diet of medications since my procedure, but I am blessed that we live in time where most of my issues can be controlled by...

One of the more constant criticisms of Christianity by non-believers is the number of religious groups. Their thought is if Christianity is legitimate, why are there so many different churches espousing such different doctrines? Now, while I don’t agree with our critics’ assessment, it is easy to understand their confusion and their argument. However, the problem isn’t with “Christianity”, the issue is with people who claim to be Christians, but really aren’t. The true meaning of a Christian is someone who is a disciple of Christ; yet, too often, people who want to wear the name aren’t ready to walk the walk. Rather than being dedicated to following Jesus and His ways, they are pursuing their own agenda. They are following their own logic, their own social cause or even their own selfish desires. To the world, they may appear to be a believer, but in reality, they aren’t a disciple of Jesus the Christ. To be faithful to Christ, we must accept Paul’s challenge to Christians. Af...

On May 20, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln singed the U. S. Homestead Act into law. The Act was designed to help redistribute the population from the east coast through the Midwest, Great Plains and West. In essence, for a small filing fee, individuals and heads-of-households could be given 160 acres of public land free of charge. However, there were a few conditions including that the recipients had to have lived on the land and farmed it for five years. While this was a substantial investment in time and effort, the payoff was a quarter section of land free and clear. In the next four decades over 80 million acres were claimed by 600,000 farmers – and westward expansion was well on its way. When I think about homesteading, I am reminded of what God has done for us. The Supreme Being has given us life and opportunity – all we have to do is invest ourselves in it. He has bestowed upon us the talents, circumstances and blessings to be an influence on the world in His name. He h...

Last weekend I watched a college football championship game. No, I wasn’t watching a replay from last January, it was the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title game between South Dakota State and Sam Houston State. Because of the pandemic the FCS decided to move their season to the spring, so as odd as it sounds, we had May football. The game in Frisco, Texas was played in a downpour that impacted the quality of play of the title game. I found myself wishing that the game could have been played in pristine conditions, then I got to thinking that if you want to be the best, you have to overcome whatever is thrown at you. If you want to be Number 1, you had better be able to defeat the team on the other side of the line of scrimmage and overcome the conditions. A tip of the cap to the Bearkats who pulled it out in the final seconds of the game. As I thought about this, I was reminded that most victories aren’t achieved in a vacuum, they also come with circumstances that mus...

There is a lot of talk about nature these days. Actually, there has been a lot of talk about nature for a long time. We have come to rely on documenting nature to help us not only understand our world, but to live in it as well. Measurements, temperatures and distances have become the standards by which we plan our lives. In fact, we have come rely on principles like gravity to the point that we call them “laws”. Science and its principles are seen as the end-all when it comes to gauging our world. While I believe that science can help guide our lives, before we start “worshipping” it we need to remember that Someone had to create the science we have come to rely on. It is one thing to be able to discover the standards, it is something altogether wonderful to create those standards. There are some who believe that nature just happened, but I have a hard time believing that the incredible world in which we live came from out of nowhere. The universe is so reliable, so expansive...

As human beings, which do we like more – information or affirmation? I have been thinking about this for a while, but the recent Centers For Disease Control recommendation about face coverings, social distancing, vaccinations, etc. reinforced the concept with me. For those who felt comfortable (and safer) when people were wearing masks, they would cite information from the CDC – often to the chagrin of those who didn’t want to wear masks. However, when the organization came out with an opinion that mask-wearing could be optional for those who were vaccinated, all of a sudden, a lot of people who were growing weary of face coverings jumped aboard the CDC’s bandwagon. Isn’t it interesting that we tend to like the data we agree with more than the information that contradicts our beliefs and desires? The reason I bring this up is not to re-ignite a debate about masks, rather as a caution us about our approach to the Bible. When we open the Word of God, do we do so to learn or affirm? ...

When we think of Christian living, we often think about the deeds we do. While it is important to make good decisions, spiritual living is more than just obeying commandments, it is also about acknowledging our God, King and Savior. Yes, living according to His rules is important, but praising Him as our Ruler is vital to our survival as well. Most of us who live in modern America are focused on actions – which can be beneficial – but, I believe we miss out on the concept of royalty and sovereignty. We don’t have a royal structure that helps us to appreciate God as much as we should. Additionally, we spend more time in prose than poetry. When we read, we are more apt to read a biography or non-fiction work than we are poetry. So, what can we do to enhance our spiritual living? Maybe we should literally take a page from one of the great spiritual poets of all time, King David. The 100th Psalm reminds us, “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness;...