Think About It

Not long ago, I got a summons for jury duty. Coming out of a career in law enforcement I was used to being summoned to testify in court – but, I have never actually served on a jury. I have to admit that when I first got the summons, I did what most people do … I tried to figure out if there was any way I could get out of it … but, then it hit me. Over the last several months I have talked a lot about being a good citizen and doing what we can to make sure our communities are safe and our people are protected. How hypocritical is it to challenge people to stand up to protect our community and shirk my own personal responsibility! I don’t know if I will ever be selected to serve on a jury considering my past and current connection with law enforcement, but one thing is for certain, if I am going to call on others to stand up to violence and injustice in our community, I’d better be willing to take my turn at it. As I thought about it, a biblical passage came to mind that states, “T...

I will be the first to admit that we have been able to deal with the challenges we have faced over the last few years. We have come up with ways to work remotely, have food delivered to our homes and shop from the safety of our own homes. We have even figured out ways to worship and participate in Bible Studies online. While all of these have helped us to accomplish our current tasks, I am concerned about the impact these solutions will have on us. Yes, we are able to do most of what we have always done, but do they promote future problem solving and the collaboration we need to advance? The current set up may make us good now, but will they help us to become better in the future? They have fixed today’s issues but will they launch us into doing more in the upcoming years? Have we become satisfied with accomplishing tasks at the expense of advancing creativity? I believe there is a potential that these recent solutions can inhibit creativity in business and education, but where ...

Have you noticed how easy it is to distract ourselves in today’s world? Throughout the years, humans have been able to find hobbies and activities to divert their attention away from the important things of life. On one hand, this can be a benefit because we need a chance to rest and relax. The adage, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy” has an element of truth to it. However, when taken to the extreme, escapism can be detrimental. First of all, it can distract us from what we need to be doing; but maybe even more importantly it can fool us into believing that all is well – even when it isn’t. When we escape too deeply into our hobbies or distractions, we create an allusion that things are okay even when they aren’t. We don’t want to deal with our troubles and feel like if we just ignore them, they’ll go away. The problem is that they don’t. Unless we address the issues in our lives, they will still be there when we get back to them. In fact, by making a habit of ignor...

I have mentioned that I like this time of year. One of the reasons I enjoy it is that it gives us a chance to get away from the routine. Our jobs, our housework – even the world’s problems – seem to be less important to us during the holiday season. Beginning today, many of us get back to work and some of us return to school and, with that, comes the need to get back into the grind. As we go back to day-to-day living, I want to encourage us to find ways to effectively navigate life. In essence, we must be willing to deal with what is front of us. While a lot of us struggle with this principle, we can find ourselves approaching it from two different directions. First, some of us like to keep our heads buried in the sand. We don’t what to admit (or even know) the challenges we are facing. We do our best to ignore the reality that stands right in front of us. On the other hand, there are some of us who acknowledge the challenges, we just become adept at procrastination. We don’...

What are you carrying over with you from 2022? There are some things that will naturally carry over into the new year – our finances, our health, our friendships and even our personalities. While many of these can be beneficial and comforting, there are other things that we can (and should) leave behind. 2023 will have enough challenges on its own, so why not leave our failures and our fears from the past year(s) in the past? I realize that the beginning of a new year is an artificial marking of time, but it can be to our advantage to look on January 2023 as a way to leave behind baggage from our old lives and begin a new journey. When Jesus was recruiting disciples for a new way of life He promised, ““Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). Is it time to move on and m...

Do you have plans this New Year’s Eve? Ringing in the New Year is a popular pastime for many of us (at least those of us who can stay awake). Throughout the years I recall the parties with lots of good food and football and Dick Clarks Rockin’ New Year’s Eve providing the soundtrack. Fun and festivities have become an American tradition. However, with these activities come temptations (and I am not talking about the musical group). The joy of December 31 can be a breeding ground for problems. I believe that most of us know what activities are positive and productive on the last night of the year, but this year, we have something else that might be an asset. New Year’s Day is on a Sunday. What if we gage New Year’s Eve activities with a mind toward being prepared for worship on New Year’s Day? I am not saying that we should seek to be cloistered away from any fun on Saturday night – but if we begin preparing ourselves to sit with like-minded believers and stand before the Lord ...

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...