Think About It

I was recently asked why I am not a big fan of Halloween. Now, let me go on record that I do like the days following Halloween because the good chocolate goes on mega-sale, but it is true that I am not thrilled with Halloween. To be completely candid with you, I am not so opposed to the day that we prohibited our children from participating, I just don’t really like what it has become. Sure, there is the “spirit world” aspect of it, but I think that thing that troubles me the most is how it has become an excuse for bad behavior. I have seen too many places egged, too many cars with their windows smashed by frozen pumpkins and too many people wandering around incapacitated by an evening of Halloween bar crawls. To top it off, it does concern me to see little children (and even adults) dressed up in cartoonish versions of the devil. (He doesn’t need any help disguising himself as “cute” – he his sneaky enough on his own.) Now, after all this, I am not saying that I will think less ...

In the mid-1960s Monsanto created a product that would eventually be called AstroTurf after its use in the Houston Astrodome. The synthetic product which resembled grass in many ways came to be a replacement for natural grass in many arenas. While it does have some usefulness (especially in climates where green grass isn’t always guaranteed) it has its own issues as well – including the aptly named “turf toe” injury. Through the years and development of other synthetic surfaces the name brand has given way to the more generic term – artificial turf. Now, you might wonder why I am sharing this tidbit with you. Well, the other day I was dealing with an issue that really wasn’t an issue at all. For some reason I had allowed my mind to wander into a state of anxiety. When I came back to my senses, I realized that what I had done was create an artificial anxiety. I wasn’t worried about something real or even rational, my worry was as artificial as Astroturf! For whatever reason, my ...

Throughout my lifetime Theodore Roosevelt seems to have developed a greater following. I don’t really recall hearing much about him as a child, but now, a lot of people seem to hold him in high esteem. So, following the trend, on the 165th anniversary of his birth I thought I would spotlight him – we’ll sort of. You see there are a lot of “Teddyisms” that I like, I recently came across one that caused me to stop and reflect. According to one source, Roosevelt said, “In any moment of decision, the best think you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”. I don’t know if there is a connection, but many of us have heard a parallel to this logic, “Don’t just sit there, do something!”. Now, while I think everyone would agree that doing the right thing is the best thing that can be done, but it is on the second point that I seem to object to President Roosevelt’s logic. While I understand that freezing up in a moment...

If you know much about me at all you probably know that I am a Texas Rangers fan … let me rephrase that, I am a HUGE Texas Rangers fan. Jeane and I are such adamant supporters that we spent our first anniversary at the old Arlington Stadium in 1982 and have watched them in various stadiums throughout the years. Like most diehard fans, I have experienced a lot of ups and downs, but watching this year’s team has been a lot of fun. As the 2023 Rangers prepare to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series I have done some reflecting on other good Texas teams. The last times the Rangers appeared in the World Series were in the early 2010s and one of my favorite players from those teams was an outfielder by the name of David Murphy. I was disappointed when Murphy left the Rangers for the Cleveland Indians in 2013; however, when I mentioned my appreciation to an Indians fan who was going to Arizona for Spring Training he surprised me by coming back with an autographed baseball....

My wife, Jeane, has been an incredible asset to me throughout the years. She has been with me through a lot of ups and down and has literally been the reason I have been able to get to do what I have gotten to do with my life. Even now, after all these years, she still serves as a reminder what I can be doing. She continually reminds me to think about the people I work with and see things from their perspective. Not only that, she models it for me. In fact, it was just the other day that she babysat some children of a younger couple to allow them time to be alone with each other. She still remembers the challenges of being young parents and is willing to help them stay connected. Who are the unsung heroes in your lives? Most of us have well-known people who we identify as role-models, but how many more are standing there close to us? Maybe it is a parent, spouse, neighbor or co-worker … but, how many folks shape our lives without even being recognized? Their gentle reminders a...

Last Sunday a friend of mine was preaching a sermon based on an incident in Mark 9. In this section, the apostles were confronted with a situation they couldn’t handle on their own. It took Jesus to intervene and His power to solve the issue. As the minister taught the lessons from this text one thing he said hit me right between the eyes. There are times we can’t help people. Whether it is because of the complexity of their issue or the limits of our ability, there are times we are just in over our heads. I needed to hear that. I am a “fixer” and grow frustrated when I can’t help everyone. I needed to be reminded that sometimes I just can't make everything okay. After coming to this conclusion, I needed to be reminded of a couple of other points. First, I need to approach situations with a mind toward helping people. I shouldn’t give up without trying to help. Second, I can’t just sit around and list reasons I can’t or shouldn’t try to help. While people need to be he...

The other morning, as I was brushing my teeth, I looked over and saw my trusty bathroom clock. Now, you might be wondering why this was such a powerful moment for me. You see, it wasn’t the time the clock showed it was the fact that the clock had been so consistent through the years. Years before the internet and wireless routers helped us keep the right time, atomic clocks with some connection to a super clock somewhere kept us on time. These clocks adjusted for time changes and kept us consistently on time. Now, back to my clock. The reason I noticed my clock was the fact that I really hadn’t had to notice it before. For the last couple of decades, it was there for me, keeping the right time whether I noticed its accuracy or not. Sure, I looked at it daily, but I didn’t, necessarily, appreciate its consistency. I never really had to adjust it and I can’t remember the last time I had to replace the battery. It had been with me through at least four moves and three separate t...