Think About It

It’s cool to be cool – and I don’t mean that in a positive way! Over the last several years, it has become chic to become cool (insensitive) to people who have legitimately sacrificed to make our nation what it has become. Whether it is the men and women who invest their time in serving in public service or the families who risk their security to protect society, we have become more critical of their lifestyles and ignore what they have to done to protect and serve us. For years, those who served in our nation’s military were seen as true American heroes; but now, they are often viewed differently. At best they are perceived as governmental employees or, at worst, they are seen as misguided individuals allowing themselves to be pawns of a self-serving government. Not only are modern soldiers dismissed, those who served in the past are ignored or even castigated for their service. Folks, if there is anyone who deserves the recognition of a grateful nation, it should be those who ...

This is a special time of year for many people – especially young people who are graduating from High School and college. It is a time filled with excitement and fear. Those who are graduating can be proud of the fact that they have successfully completed what they have been asked to do by their educational system. They may also be pleased that they don’t have to go back to that particular school ever again. Yet, even with the thrill of their accomplishment, there can also be a trepidation of having to face something new and daunting. Whether it is moving on to college or making the jump to the work world, they are being asked to stretch themselves into something they have never done before. This can be an exciting and scary time all rolled up into one diploma. While our young people face their future, I would ask that they remember one important thing – stay faithful to God! It doesn’t matter if you get into your #1 college or land your dream job, don’t go there alone – take Go...

While the Old Testament book of Proverbs is full of proverbs, not all proverbs are in Proverbs – if that makes any sense at all. There are several insightful sayings scattered throughout the Bible including some in Solomon’s companion book of Ecclesiastes. One gem of wisdom I found in that book states, “Do not say, ‘Why is it that the former days were better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.” (Ecclesiastes 7:10). I am sure this saying is true on multiple levels, but it really struck me as I thought about nostalgia. I believe that it is easy and natural to think back fondly on days gone by. We tend to remember the good times and take the edge off of the bad. We are drawn by events we understand and morals we accept. Yet, were the good old days really all that good? Sure, I believe there are some good times in the old days, but not everything was a rosy as we remember. Additionally, modern times are probably not as immoral as we believe nor is the f...

When President John Kennedy addressed those assembled at Rice University on September 12, 1962 he made a pledge to them that before His generation was done – in fact before the decade was over – Americans would land on the moon. In retrospect, this doesn’t seem to be that great of a feat (we have been there several times now), but when the pledge was made, it had never been done before. While this dream echoes throughout history, the thing that I find interesting is Kennedy’s rationale for do it. During the address he noted, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and sills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, on we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.”. In essence, the desire to send man to the moon wasn’t because it could be accomplished easily, but because it woul...

Four years ago I underwent quintuple bypass surgery. As evidenced by the fact that four years later I can write about it, things went fine. In fact, when I think back on that day, I really don’t have an emotional reaction. I remember being wheeled into pre-op, speaking to the anesthesiologist and waking up a couple times in ICU. From my perspective, the surgery wasn’t that big of a deal. Due to my condition when I checked into the hospital, I didn’t have too long to worry about it and thanks to the strong drugs, I slept through the entire event. I might have been the one going through the procedure, but it was my close friends and family that were enduring the crisis and trauma. They worried about me, they had to take time off of work to be there with me, they had to wait for several hours before the surgeon reassured them I was going fine. When I think back on it, they had the much more difficult task. After pondering challenges for a while, sometimes I wonder if this phenomen...

Have you ever been asked to pray for a solid Christian who is facing what appears to be a terminal illness? If so, what do you pray for? When I was younger, the most natural prayer in this situation was for healing, but the older I get the more internal conflict I feel in automatically praying for healing and deliverance. In the back of my mind I hear the Apostle Paul saying, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21). This may sound a bit odd, but is praying for their healing and more time on earth really doing them a favor? Please don’t think I am heartless, my intent is quite the opposite … I want them to be truly happy! So, back to the original question – what to pray for? I think there are two things we can pray for in these circumstances. First, we can and should pray for God’s will to be done. Jesus taught this lesson when He prayed for God’s wisdom when He faced the cross (see Matthew 26:42). Yet, another prayer might be for God to hear the p...

There are a lot of scary passages in the Bible, but one that tends to send shivers up my spine is the warning, “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6). These verses are often found at the heart of the debate of once saved always saved or whether we can lose our salvation. Many academics have argued about various merits of this verse, but at least for a moment, I want to get away from the theological discussion and ask a very personal question: Are you still right with God? If you have made a commitment to Him the past, are you living it in the present? It can be tempting to argue that God’s loving grace can cover us, but let’s get down...