Think About It

Not long ago I saw an article in a religious publication that sought to discuss the question, “Can we find God in nature?”. I understand the purpose of the article and see the logic in proving God’s existence by looking at the world. Yet, something struck me about the concept of finding God in nature … can we find the Creator through studying the created? Can we understand the infinite by looking at the finite? While it is refreshing to see how smoothly our world functions and inspiring to take in the majesty of the mountains or the beauty of the oceans, is that really how we go about appreciating our Lord and Savior? When Moses makes the statement, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) he begins the process of praising God and calling people to believe in Him as the Creator and Sustainer of life. From this verse forward, the Holy Spirit of God begins to lay out a case for the presence and power of God – including how mankind can appreciate Him...

Isn’t it great that God is filled with grace? Amen and amen! I think we could stop right there and enjoy the moment of praise, but those of you who know me understand that I won’t do that. Before we go any further; however, I would like to commit to how much I believe in the first sentence of this blog. God’s grace in incredible and incomprehensible. Yet, I think there is another side to the issues of grace – while it is available to everyone, it will not be accepted by everyone. There will be people who will choose to reject the grace of God. The other day I heard a discussion of I Peter 4:18 that states, “And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?”. This seems to stem from Proverbs 11:31 and reminds us that, while believers will be able to experience the grace of God, those who don’t will be held accountable for their unbelief. As I read this, I was reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote, “… work out your s...

I heard a lot of advice when I was growing up but one of the most consistent bits of wisdom was to figure out how be a good loser. Interestingly, another gem was to be a gracious winner. Isn’t that interesting? Could it be that winning and losing isn’t as important as doing it with dignity? While the value of these two philosophies has been debated through the years, I believe they are both solid principles. When it comes to winning, we should be pleased with our victories and maybe even proud of our accomplishments, but when we tout our own superiority or belittle someone else’s limitations we not only set ourselves up for a fall, we also have a negative impact on others. It is great to feel like a winner, but rarely does anyone gain anything by making someone else feel like a loser. I like Colin Powell’s quote, “Control enthusiasm in the face of victories, large or small.”. Putting others down doesn’t make us any better, but it can make them bitter. Very few good things ha...

Most days I have trouble remembering what I had for lunch the day before, but I can tell you where I was fifteen years ago – I was giving our daughter away in marriage. I wasn’t sure how I would react as the father of the bride, but as I look back on that day, I actually think I did a pretty good job. Jeane and I had prayed for the day when she would find someone who made her happy and would be a positive influence in her life. As we watched Amanda and Aaron become husband and wife I felt like we were seeing our hopes unfold before our eyes. Fifteen years later, we are still thrilled with the choice they made. As I find myself thinking about marriage today, I feel compelled to make a couple of suggestions as to what parents can do to help their children find good spouses. There aren’t all that deep, but I believe they are important: 1. Make marriage look fun and rewarding. There is a lot of negativity in the world about marriage, but honestly, it can bring about a lifetime of...

What do we hope to gain out of life? If there was one thing we could be known for after we departed this world, what would it be? When most of us are asked this question, we probably come up with a noble response. Some of us might say that we want to be remembered as someone who made the world a better place … others might remark that we would like to be known as someone who lived with integrity … and, maybe on a good day, we would cite Jesus’ admonition, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36) and say that we will feel accomplished if we leave this world and head straight into eternal life. In all honesty, these are good answers; but there is an important follow-up question, “What are we doing to ensure our success?”. Are we investing our time and effort in making our mark on this world and ensuring our presence in heaven or are we merely hoping that somehow it will happen. We won’t leave a legacy by going to our jobs, then comi...

I don’t usually pay much attention to those “Online Reader Polls” that are often published in newspapers, but one got my attention the other day. The question was “Which of these pandemic habits will you miss the most?”. There were several choices that received varying degrees of responses, but the one that got the most support was “Chilling with your pets all day” (almost 42% of all votes). Now, before we move on, I have to say that I understand the unscientific nature of these polls, so I try not to take them too seriously; however, I do think this gives us a glimpse into our modern society. I like animals and we have even had several pets – from rabbits to horses – including a dog that lived in our house for over a decade. I understand that our pets become a part of our family, but today’s view of the value of pets and animals in our lives raises the question: why are they so important? Have we become so close to our animals because we have become distant from people? I und...

What are you going to get your father this Father’s Day? While traditional Father’s Day presents like ties and soap-on-a-rope may not be as in vogue as they once were, there are all kinds of cool and affordable stuff out there. Minor league baseball tickets, electronic gadgets and gift cards might be the 21st Century version of the “old standards”. However, if you would like to do something a little bit different – and maybe a bit more cost effective – how about sending your dad a note to tell him the influence he has had on your life? It may not be as spiffy as a $100 credit at Amazon.com ; but I would imagine it would have a more lasting impact. Often, when we thank of our fathers, we tend to recall their ability to teach us to hit a curve ball or how they could drive for miles on end without having to stop; but, is that how they really want to be remembered? Imagine the impact of a note that begins, “I love you because …” and ends with a tribute of a life well lived. Dads may...