Think About It

On July 6, 1930 Fred Newton began a swim that would make him famous – sort of. You see, on that day he started in Minneapolis, Minnesota headed for New Orleans, Louisiana. His goal was to make the 1826-mile trek in three months. Well, he completed his journey – on this day in 1930 some three months after his goal. Interestingly, the Oklahoman didn’t make news for being tardy but for staying focused on his goal. If he would have given up when he had hoped to be finished, I doubt that I would be writing about him, but because he stayed focused on his goal, he is a celebrity. Long before Mr. Newton began his quest, the Apostle Paul reminded us of our need to keep going when he said, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to w...

By doing nothing, we learn to do ill. The preceding is a bit of an archaic statement, but I believe it is quite true. Being active and focused doesn’t just help us accomplish our goals, it also keeps us out of trouble. Few of us ever get into to trouble because we have too much on our plates, but there are a lot of us who can point to idleness as the cause of poor decisions. Most of us who have grown up during modern day have had ample opportunity to wallow in idleness, but this is not the creation of 21st Century. When Jesus was trying to warn His generation He told the following story, “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes ...

Have you been impacted by trauma or tragedy? The last few years have brought attention to the presence of traumatic stress in our lives. Throughout our lifetime many of us will be impacted by a life-changing event – and some, in certain professions, experience them repeatedly. The phrase “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” has come storming into our vocabulary and has shined a spotlight on the impact of war and crime, but even those who may not meet the clinical diagnosis of PTSD may struggle with critical incident stress. It is easy to see the stressors in our world and feel the influence they have on us, but it is also important to do what we can to mitigate their impact. So, what can we do? First and foremost, if your quality of life is significantly impacted by a crisis event, solicit professional help. There are good therapists out there who can provide relief to those who need acute assistance. Yet, what about the rest of us – those who continue to function each and every day...

Did you have a good Christmas?  While today is probably a holiday for most of us, it is still the day after Christmas.  The gifts have all been unwrapped and most of us are working on leftovers from yesterday’s big meal.  I hope you had a great day, but before we move too much closer to the new year, I want to offer a reminder.  A lot of people have spent the last couple of days focused on the coming of Jesus.  Some people set up displays, some attended special worship services while others, in their own quiet way reflected on the incarnation of Jesus.  Before we get too far away from Christmas, I want to encourage all of us to make sure that we don’t leave Jesus behind on December 25.  He is Lord each and every day of the year.  He is just as precious and as powerful on December 26 or July 31 as He is on Christmas Day! One of the most interesting parts of the story of the birth of Jesus comes in Mary’s reaction.  Luke states, “But Mary treas...

Why do you like the Christmas season? Is it because people seem to be in a better mood? Maybe it is gift-giving (and receiving)? Maybe it is the story of the birth of Jesus? Maybe it all the old-fashioned holiday movies or the modern Christmas shows? Maybe it is the food (especially the desserts)? Maybe it is because of the fond memories from days-gone-by? No matter why, most of us enjoy this time of year. As we ponder Christmas – whether our reason for the season is social or spiritual – it can be an enjoyable time of year. Whether the white in our Christmas is from snow or sand, time away from the mundane and a focus on something extraordinary gives us bit of a break from the routine challenges. The day gives a chance to embrace peace, joy and good-will! We hope you get the opportunity to spend a pleasurable time with good friends and family. Enjoy the season and make the effort to make the day something special with unforgettable memories. From our family to yours, we w...

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9). Often, when we read this passage, we think of official envoys or people in public service. Maybe we might consider someone in the roll of mediator as having this quality, but have you thought about how common the need is in every aspect of life. Take this time of year. How many of our family gatherings ended up being times of turmoil? How many of us almost dread the holiday seasons because emotions are raw and relationships that are rocky are put to the test. If there is ever a place for people who are looking to promote peace, it would be in our families during the holiday season. Is your family facing a rift? First of all, if you are a part of it, do what you can to mend it. Maybe it involves offering forgiveness (even if the other person doesn’t ask) … maybe it takes asking for forgiveness (even if you weren’t the one who created the problem). If you find yourself in a position to be able...

I have a computer that I really like. I spend most of my time attached to it – but it has developed a problem. Once I get it booted up and running it works fine, but if I ever have to reboot or restart it, it just can’t get it going. I get the “blue screen of death’ which creates sadness and frustration in me. Usually, I would be happy to go buy and new machine, but I like this one. I just want it to work. I have been told that I probably just need a new hard drive (and I believe that is on my Christmas list), but for now, I have to live with the knowledge that I am not operating at 100%. So far, I have been able to do what I need to do, but my computing foundation is tenuous at best. As I got to thinking about my computer issues, I got to pondering our spiritual foundation. Are we operating our lives from a solid spiritual base or is our basic foundation eroding? We may have been able to keep going so far, but are we limping along on fragile footing? At the beginning of His m...