Think About It

The other day I was flipping through the channels on the television and came across the Gray Cup. If you aren’t familiar with this event, it is Canada’s equivalent to our Super Bowl. It is the title came of the Canadian Football League. While I didn’t watch the whole game, I did take in a part of the game and was reminded of the differences between Canadian football and its southern counterpart. Among the differences are the size of the field (the Canadians have a much larger playing surface – including being 110 yards in length), players can be in motion on the snap of the ball and they only get three downs to make a first down. However, despite the differences, the game still came down to the basics – blocking, tackling, passing, running and scoring. The circumstances of how those are carried out may have been a little different, but the essence of the game was familiar. As I reflected on the game, I got to thinking about life. How often do we look at life – in particular th...

When we think of the word “forgiveness”, what comes to mind? Often, when I try to come to grips with the idea I think about a kind gesture that I give to someone because of who I am. It’s almost like I am some kind of benevolent benefactor that is willing to share something uncommon with someone who doesn’t really deserve it. When perceived in this way, it is some gracious gift that is bestowed on someone who really is unworthy of it. While this sounds kind of cool – and really gracious on my part – I am not sure that it accurately describes Christian forgiveness. You see, forgiveness is not an option for believers, much less a grand gesture. It is as much a requirement for basic Christianity as doing the right thing and having a relationship with God. It is not something we give because we are spiritually adept, it is something we owe because we are saved! While Jesus made no bones about the need to forgive others, it was the Apostle Paul who wrote, “Be kind to one another, t...

Ever since I was a child, there has been something different about the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Now don’t get me wrong, I like the week. When I was younger, it meant a bonus week away from school and seven days filled with college football bowl games (even though there weren’t as many as there are now). It was a time when the weather seemed to cool down and there were plenty of holiday leftovers that needed to be eaten. Yet, even in the midst of all that, it just seemed different – not quite joyous, but still kind of fun. One of the things that I did notice was rapid fall off in religious things. The week leading up to Christmas was filled with all this talk about Jesus and angels and hope – then comes December 26 and it seems like we were packing Him away with the artificial wreaths and burned out Christmas lights. I don’t know if it was a spiritual letdown, but Christianity was taken off the front burner. As we move into the post-Christmas season and look towar...

I have never been a big fan of the Charlie Brown movies and television shows. I liked the Peanuts comic strip, but I think that a half hour of the mishaps of Charlie Brown is just too much. This is even true of the 1965 classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. Maybe I’m not deep enough to fully appreciate the essence of the show; but there are a couple parts of the show that I really enjoy. Vince Guaraldi’s music is wonderful, but I think my favorite part is when Linus helps Chuck and his friends understand the true meaning of Christmas. Linus’ voice reading from Luke 2 is an important memory from my childhood and continues to be one of my favorites today. Voices like James Earl Jones have always impressed me, but the one I remember most fondly might be Christopher Shea reading, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: ...

What is your favorite Christmas present of all times? As I look back on my life, there have been some memorable ones: a junior-sized golf set when I was a child, my first .22 rifle (also as a youngster) and a fishing pole from my newlywed bride. Through the years, I have been blessed with a lot of great gifts, yet there is one thing that stands out more than “stuff”. When I reflect back on the previous Decembers of my life – and there have been lots of them – the thing that stands out are the people more than the gifts. Whether it is the memories of visiting both my mother’s and father’s family in Fort Pierce, Florida or spending time with good family friends on Pensacola Beach or eating Chinese Food on a ski trip in Red Lodge, Montana or stopping by on a Patrol Shift on Christmas Day to eat breakfast and open gifts with my wife and children, I have always been blessed by more than gifts, I have been surrounded by warm relationships. It is tempting to believe that we can wow th...

I recently read an article that caused some mixed emotions. According to an story in Christianity Today by Aaron Earls, most people believe that Jesus was born in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago. According to Lifeway Research, 95% of Christians and 72% of adults in the U. S. believe in the historical presence of Jesus. That’s the good news. The other side of the coin are the beliefs about Jesus’ presence before coming to earth. While 98% of Christians and 80% of American adults believe Jesus is the Son of God, only 63% of Christians and 41% of adults in the U. S. believe that the Son of God existed before Jesus was born. Like with most statistics, the raw data is just that – facts. The important part is what we do with them. While it would be easy to lament the lack of belief in the eternal nature of the Son of God, I think there is hope. Since the majority of people already believe in Jesus, our job is much easier than it could be. Given this baseline belief, we can start...

We hear a lot about wise men this time of year. After the birth of Jesus, the Child received a visit by some magi or wise men. We aren’t told how many of them there were, but we do know they brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. While I have never received gifts like this (and may not be impressed by them in the 21st Century), they were notable enough to be recorded in the Bible. While the gifts that these men brought get a lot of attention, the most important part of their visit was the fact that they traveled all that way to see Jesus. When they came “from the east” to seek out Jesus their presence transcended their presents. The impressive part of this whole process is summed up by Matthew, “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him.” (Matthew 2:11). As I thought about this historical (and spiritual) account, I got to thinking about what it teaches us about parenting. This time of year, it is e...