Think About It

I was at a conference a couple weeks ago when I learned a valuable lesson. I had painstakingly planned out the classes I thought would challenge me; but one of the most poignant lessons came from the swimming pool. I was discussing one of my volunteer outreaches when someone reminded me that volunteerism that doesn’t cost us anything usually doesn’t amount to much. In essence, we are apt to get the most out of something that costs us something. The price might be financial, emotional or time-related; but the more we are willing to invest, the more valuable it becomes to us. As I pondered this revelation, it made the time and money investment I had spent in attending this conference much easier to accept. It helped me accept the challenges that I had experienced in my volunteerism and made me more convicted to doing what I felt called to do. Sure, it would be nice if someone would help me recoup my expenses or if they would make it easier to do what I was doing, but would that...

One of my favorite Old Testament characters is Caleb. Many people recognize the name as a pair of Jewish leaders who were a part of the group who went out to spy out the Promised Land after the Jews had been released from Egyptian Captivity. These men found great opportunity inside the borders of the land, but they also saw the presence of danger and the potential of hard work. Of the twelve spies who entered Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb came back with a positive report. Ten of the twelve said it couldn’t be done and all but led a coup against Moses. Yet, in the midst of this chaos, “… Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, ‘We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will certainly prevail over it.’” (Numbers 13:30). Caleb’s message was one of faith, but it also exuded the confidence the people needed to accomplish their goal. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority rejected his words and a generation lost out on the joy of occupying their own home...

During the 1970s Bob Newhart was best known for his role as Robert Hartley, a hip psychologist in Chicago. It wasn’t surprising when Newhart made an appearance in a Comedy Central skit several years later playing another mental health professional – however, what happened in the sketch may have been a bit unusual. When a woman comes to his office looking for advice on overcoming her claustrophobia he gives here some succinct advice – “Stop It!”. Stop being irrational, stop worrying about it, just stop it! She lists a few other issues she’s struggling with and his answer is simple, “Stop It!”. I realize this is humor and borders on insensitivity, but whenever I watch the video clip it reminds me that sometimes to feel better, I just need to stop what is making me feel bad. Whether it is sin, bad habits or irrational thoughts; more than anyone else I am the one who controls my contentment and happiness. Yes, I realize there are people who struggle with mental health issues who nee...

There are certain people in history that I would like to meet and one of them is Benjamin Franklin. The first reason I would like to meet Mr. Franklin is that he appears to be a pretty engaging fellow – and the second reason is to see if he really did communicate everything he is credited with saying and writing. If he said everything he is credited with saying, he must have been a bright and insightful guy! The other day, I came across a quip credited to him, “There never was a good war or a bad peace.”. As I pondered this, I found myself steering clear of it on a national level and applying it to my own personal life. As I look back, I can’t say that I have ever enjoyed being at odds with someone, nor have I regretted the tranquil relationships I’ve had. I can’t ever recall saying, “Man, I wish someone would get mad at me.” nor have I ever thought, “I’ll be glad when this peaceful coexistence with so-and-so finally ends”. I agree with Franklin, “Conflict is bad, quiet is goo...

Have you noticed that our nation has spent a lot of time over the last few years defining who could get married, but not discussing much about how to keep people married? As a lot of people lined up in courtrooms to advocate for civil rights, a lot more people were visiting courtrooms dissolving relationships. Divorce has been a major issue in our nation through the years and it isn’t getting much better! When we discuss the longevity of relationships, I think we need to start at the beginning. The best marriages are those that begin with a committed friendship. Marriage isn’t about pooling resources so that people can buy a house, it is about uniting two lives so that they can become one relationship. It begins by finding someone you like and spending the next several decades figuring out how to love them. Speaking of love, we need to remember that it isn’t merely an advanced from of physical lust, it is an emotional commitment to support and encourage another person – to help...

How do we view God? Do we see Him as some aloof, inapproachable figurehead somewhere out in the great beyond? Do we view Him as the extension of some branch of political thought? Do we see Him as an almighty ogre who is sneaking around trying to catch us doing something wrong? When this is our view, it is understandable why people are afraid to connect with Him. The Bible is filled with several descriptions of God, but one of the most compelling comes from Psalm 100:3, “Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” In this simple description we see that our Heavenly Father is the All-powerful Master of the universe, He is the Creator of the world, and He is the loving caring Shepherd of His creation. There is no way that we can describe God in a world full of books (much less than one verse in one book), but I believe this gives us a place to start. We see God’s majesty and His love. We feel ...

One of the biggest complaints I hear about Christianity is how complex it has become. There are scores (if not hundreds) of Christian-based entities that have produced thousands of individual organizations and churches. There are various degrees of thought that span the spectrum from being ultra-conservative to progressively liberal. (By the way, these labels mean different things to different people, so you have to establish the groundrules for the discussion before launching it.) It goes without saying that if “we” can’t come up with an agreed-up position, how can others understand us? So, how can we make Christianity more simple and understandable? 1. We must take the time to understand the parameters of what is Christian and what isn’t. Are we using Christian as a biblical, political or social term? We will only be able to understand the discussion when we define the terms we use. 2. We must establish the foundation for the Christianity. There has to be one ultimate au...