Think About It

When I was in Law Enforcement, there were times when I would see the impact of what people did and the first thought that came to me was “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes”. Now, I realize this probably isn’t politically or socially correct, but there are just sometimes when the idea fits the situation. When we do certain things, we can’t help but expect that the results are going to be bad. It’s like pouring a carton clearly marked “butter milk” onto a bowl of cereal and being surprised when it tastes funny. I am not sure if I should be proud or ashamed of the adage that so quickly came to mind, but the other day, I came across something that was a bit more mainstream, “If folly were grief, every house would weep.”. In essence, not only should we expect bad decisions to produce bad results, but we should also all realize that we all do it! None of us are immune from frivolous behavior, so we need to live life on purpose. We need to think about what we are doing and make su...

During our visit yesterday, I mentioned tipping and encouraged us to do what we can to financially help out our fellow man. While that was valid point, that really wasn’t where I wanted to end up, but I just ran out of room, so here is Part II. Just like tipping don’t really cost us much – and can pay tremendous benefits to the people who receive them – have you ever thought about how we approach compliments? For some of us, we act like a compliment is something that is in limited supply. We only have so many of them, so we had better save them for the people who really deserve them. We tend to hoard them and only share them with those who truly deserve them. Folks, that sounds silly doesn’t it? We all know compliments are like Lays potato chips … apply them freely, we’ll make more! In fact, the more we hand out compliments, the more likely we are to share more of them. When being complimentary becomes habit … when we see just how much joy it brings to others … we are more apt...

How much do we tip? I realize that is a personal question, but this will stay between you and me – so do you do 10% … 15% … 20%? Through the years tipping has gone through a cultural shift – some view it as a way to thank the server for good service, others just automatically add it to the bill and attribute it to the cost of dining out. No matter how we view it, have you ever really thought how little it would cost you to be a big tipper? On a $20.00 dinner bill the difference between a 10% tip and a 20% tip is two dollars. For less than the cost of a side order of sour cream, we can go from average to excellent. While this might not seem like much, imagine what could happen if everyone changed their perspective and started elevating their tipping. Just think about the raise in pay these waiters could get if we just saved the calories of a side order and applied it to the final bill? When Jesus taught the “life lesson” at the end of a parable He reminded His disciples, “From ...

The last few years haven’t been kind to Christopher Columbus. For centuries, the Italian explorer armed with Spanish funding was a hero and an example of what can be done when you put your mind to accomplish something. Now, as society debates his place in history, I would like to revisit the idea of dreaming big. It is so easy to just accept the status quo. It is very comfortable to settle into our routine and become contented with the way things are. Even people who are dissatisfied with modern circumstances can be overwhelmed by what it would take to correct the course – and even if they can dream, they have an issue with being motivated to do what it would take to make a substantial change. Columbus – for good or for bad – was willing to see what was possible and put a plan into action. Is there something you feel compelled to do? Is there something you’d like to see changed? What are you doing about it? We don’t get participation points for just thinking about it, to mak...

Years ago, when I was preparing to be out of the office for a while, I would find myself scrambling at the last minute to get things done. I would allow the deadlines to sneak up on me and I would be “cramming” to get everything done. Interestingly, while I usually got things done, what I got done wasn’t typically up to my usual standard – and if it was, I was so stressed out that it took me a while to calm down enough to enjoy whatever adventure I was undertaking. Now, please don’t believe that I don’t do this from time-to-time, but I am getting better at planning than I was years ago. I feel like I do a better job of looking ahead at what to expect and try to put myself in a better position to be successful. The other day, as I was preparing for a trip, I got to thinking about this – not just as it related to what I needed to get done in the next week, but how it impacts in preparing for eternity. I got to thinking about an Old Testament prophet who warned, “Therefore thus I w...

I have been planning a trip to a place I have never been before, so I have been spending some time with Google Maps. In recent years, I have tried to fly when I could (so it didn’t really matter the route we took), but this is a car trip, so I have been figuring out which direction to take. I even asked people who travel to this area what route they would suggest, and I have taken their recommendations into consideration. Interestingly, there are about three routes that are similar, so I could take any of them and get to where I am going. Now, you might be wondering why I am discussing cartography. The reason is that we often put an overemphasis on the route and forget about the value of getting to the destination. Yes, there are some things that require specific adherence to strict guidelines (like salvation), but for most other things, we have options. Let’s not get too bent out of shape by feeling that we must choose the very best path – let’s just enjoy the process. Also,...

Have you ever known someone who received an award? Most of us are surrounded by people who receive honors and, when we like them, we are happy for them. However, what happens when someone you don’t really appreciate gets an award – or better yet, how do we feel when someone we don’t particularly like gets an award or recognition that we feel like we should have gotten? While most of us are tempted to harbor ill-will towards some people who are acknowledged, it is important that we take the high road. Rather than ignoring their accomplishments (or even sabotaging their acknowledgements), how much better would it be if we were the ones who publicly patted them on their backs and published their accomplishments. Jealousy will not help us gain the award they received, so it is of little value. However, when we applaud them for what they accomplished and post their accolades publicly both of us feel better. When Paul congratulated the early Christians by saying “Therefore encourage on...