Think About It

We are still a year and a half away from our next election, but things are already heating up! Several potential candidates have thrown their hats into the ring and pundits are looking for and finding political issues behind just about every door. It seems like over the last few election cycles candidates and political parties have become nasty – but if the truth were to be known – we have been dealing with this type of contention throughout the history of our republic! While politicians have been critical of each other for generations, one thing that I have noticed is that common folk have gotten less tolerant of each other. We seem to have become more snarky in our comments – not just about what we think of the candidates; but about those who support them as well. As we enter the races of 2024, let’s do something different than we have done over the last few years – let’s take the high road. No, we can’t do anything about what the candidates say to and about each other, but we...

What is the greatest gift we can give? There are a lot of things of value we can choose from, but one that is simply invaluable is a smile. It doesn’t cost us a dime, but the investment can change lives. A simple smile brings joy to those who see it … helps relax a child in our presence … makes us change our internal mood … takes the edge off of uncertain events and helps us deliver and receive difficult news. Smiles don’t start in the face, they bubble up from the heart. Smiling has the ability to transform us – not just emotionally, but physically as well. Have you noticed that you can’t just smile with your lips, your eyes quickly join in and then the whole face is captivating? While smiling is such an easy thing to do (it really doesn’t take much effort to curl our lips), have you noticed how often we choose not to smile? How many of us walk around with scowl on our faces? If we look in the mirror do we expect to see a smile or a stoic, stonelike expression looking back at ...

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He turned a lot of things on their heads. Throughout history, it appears that those who had led revolts and rebellions had been warriors. They were the toughest, so they won! They were radical so they preached a caustic message that put them at odds with status quo. So, it might have been a little odd to be standing there listening to the new religious influence say, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”. (Matthew 5:9). How can you change the world by bringing peace? How can this movement succeed without agitation and ruffling feathers? Thankfully, Jesus’ message has been handed down to 21st Century believers. Now, His disciples are known for their peace and love. (What does that tell us about those who preach discord, animosity and disunity?) While the primary emphasis of this message is bringing peace into interpersonal relationships, I also believe there is a secondary message to this admonition. Those peo...

It seems like every week I need to remind us that we need to not be overwhelmed by the negativism and evil that is out in the world. Maybe the reason I find myself saying this so often is that I am one of the ones caught up in the discouragement found in modern society. I write it because I need to hear it! I hope you aren’t like me and can skip right on past these reminders, but if you happen to be one of us, I want to share something with you that I found a few days ago. In the midst of teaching us about the challenges of dealing with day-to-day living, the writer of Ecclesiastes notes, “So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 8:15). Even though the book is not signed, most people believe that it is Solomon who is encouraging us to take the time to enjoy life – even in the midst...

Have you noticed all the bumper stickers and signs that remind us to “Be A Nice Human”? It seems to have replaced the round smiley face guy from days gone by that encouraged us to “Have A Good Day”. As I reflect on these reminders the first thing that comes to mind is why do we need to be reminded? Shouldn’t that be the goal of each one of us? Shouldn’t we set out to be nice to the people around us? The answer is that it should be but the mere presence of this statement reminds us of how quickly we can forget some of the simplest things in life. While the phrase reminding us is simple, the application of the concept may need a bit of an explanation – how can we be nice? Again, the answer is pretty easy, just treat people with respect. Being nice is being civil. Treating each other with respect involves being interested in the welfare of others and doing what we can do to make their lives better. Folks, this isn’t rocket science, it is Humanity 101! Let’s replace our bumper sti...

Throughout the years, certain signs and symbols come to mean different things. One group might adopt an image as an identifying mark, then a generation or two later, another group might claim it. For whatever reason, people seem attracted to images they believe define them or something that symbolizes something important to them. One such image is the rainbow. We see a lot of them in today’s society, but do you know how the rainbow actually came into existence? (By the way, I am not talking about the symbol, but the origin of the natural phenomenon.) After God destroyed the earth with a flood, you can imagine mankind’s reaction every time a cloud would pass overhead or a thunderstorm would develop on the horizon. It would be easy to think, “Here we go again”, so God created a sign as a reminder. Moses tells us that God promised, “It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me...

There are times when it seems like politicians have been in power our whole lifetimes … but with Queen Elizabeth it was true! The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II occurred on June 2, 1953 and she would reign over the United Kingdom for the next 70 years. When I think of Queen Elizabeth, I think of nobility, but there was also some wisdom in her as well. I recently read an interesting quote that was so understated that it could have been easily overlooked. The monarch observed, “Even when your life seems most monotonous, what you do is always of real value and importance to your fellow man.”. I like that! There is a lot that we do over and over, day in and day out that seems unimportant – but it really isn’t. Getting up and going to work every day not only keeps our economy healthy, it feeds our family. Making the tough choice to be a responsible parent seems dull, until we realize that that is what it takes to raise good children. Keeping a positive attitude can be easily dismi...