Think About It

Have you done everything you said you were going to do when the COVID limitations were lifted? If you were like me just a few short months ago, you couldn’t imagine life getting back to “normal”. As we continued to face the uncertainty of the lock-down many of us made statements such as, “When we get our freedom back, I can’t wait to …”. You may have said, “I can’t wait things are back to normal so I can …”. Maybe it was travel, maybe it was heading back to the gym, maybe it was taking the children to the museum or maybe it was to go back to in-person church; but most of us had some very specific things we wanted to do when we were able to be out and about and again. The question is have you done them? It is easy to make all kinds of statements (and plans), the tough part is following through with them. Anyone can want to do something, purposeful people do it. While it is good for us to fulfill our promises to ourselves, how many of us made promises to others that we would do ...

Most of us don’t like to talk about what will happen when we die, but like it or not, we are going to depart this earth. It is certain that we will die, what is debatable is the legacy we will leave. I know a lot of people who have dedicated their lives to leaving their children a nice nest egg – in fact, some of them have amassed such a fortune that their survivors won’t have to work once they are gone. While that might be a nice inheritance, the question that we must be willing to answer is what kind of legacy will we be leaving? Leaving financial stability might ease some fiscal burdens, but the best foundation we can provide is a lifestyle that helps our offspring have a solid footing toward a spiritual relationship with God. It is fun to be able leave them a beach house, but it’s even more important to help them build a “mansion on a hilltop” (in heaven). Centuries ago, a wise man observed, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, and the wealth of the ...

I have been around sports almost all my life. Between watching college football, the NFL and Major League Baseball, I have spent (wasted) a lot of time and gained a lot of enjoyment. As I look back on a lifetime of exposure to these groups, there are a few people who stand out – and one of them is Bobby Bowden. Coach Bowden was an Alabama kid who thankfully never quite made it back to his home state. I am sure he could feel its allure from the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee, but for a lot of us who enjoyed his run at FSU, we are glad he stayed. While I liked Coach Bowden’s football teams, the thing that impressed me the most was Coach Bowden himself. I could fill a lot of pages with his quotes, but as Coach Bowden faces his last days on earth, I thought I would share a couple with you. In one he remarked, “A guy who has all the money he needs and never faced any hard times, he won't have any character. But when you've had it tough and you've had it ro...

One of the things that I have noticed about getting older is how easy it is to do nothing. When I was younger, I was filled with energy and excitement for learning something new. I wanted to be busy, and I was fascinated by all the new things that were around me and the new places I had never been. Now, I have been blessed to experience a lot and seen even more, therefore I find myself more content looking back that looking forward. While all this sounds reasonable, it is inexcusable. The goal for my life should never be to reflect on where I have been rather, it should be to be excited about where I still have to go. Yes, it takes more energy to start a new quest (and maintain the discipline to follow through with it) but that is what makes life worth the living. This is important in every aspect of life, but one of the most important is in spiritual living. It is easy to enjoy a comfortable relationship with God, but what He needs from us is excitement to the end. By growing...

I have mixed emotions about the 2021 Olympics . First and foremost, I hope that all the athletes will be safe and none of them will endanger their health by participating. I am thankful that we have the opportunity to watch the best athletes from around the world compete against each other – and in some cases, against their own “best”. Yet, there is something that concerns me – will the athletes be competing for themselves or for their nation? Will they use this stage as a way to promote their personal brand (or their own social agenda) or will they do their best to represent their nation to the best of their ability? Call me old fashioned, but I think national pride still has a place in the international event. As I have thought about this, it got me to thinking about our spiritual lives. If we call ourselves Christians, are we promoting the cause of our Lord and Savior or are we using our Christianity as a way to push our beliefs and agendas? Does our spotlight shine on us or...

Can we seek to know too much about the Bible? (Well, if that statement didn’t set off a series of bells and warning tones, I don’t know what will! However, hear me out.) Did you notice the phrasing of the question? No, I didn’t say can we know too much from the Bible, rather can we spend too much time on superfluous information about the book itself? Where do we invest our time – in reading the inspired words provided by the Holy Spirit or the explanations written by people who study the Bible? The wealth of material inside the Bible is endless, but are we guilty of relying too much on historians or commentators? I have been thinking a lot about this lately, then I came across a word of wisdom, “But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive study is wearying to the body.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). I encourage everyone to learn as much as possible about the Bible and seek out opinions that can help us know more about the Word; however, le...

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...