Think About It

Sixty years ago today seemed pretty unremarkable. The NFL was preparing for a slate of Sunday games, politicians were on the campaign trail getting ready for the 1964 elections. The space race was heating up. People were making plans for Thanksgiving. November 21, 1963 was just another day in America. November 22, would be a whole ‘nother story. Around noon on Friday; November 22, American history would change and much of the rest of the western world would feel the impact. When the shots rang out in Dallas, it wasn’t just the Kennedy Administration that would be altered, our nation was turned inside out. When I think back on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, I am reminded of how quickly things can change. Not just how brief life can be, but how uncertain our surroundings are. In a moment, the plans we have made can be reduced to dim memories of unfulfilled expectations. When I think about what happened on that day in Dallas, I am reminded of a simple statement ...

Have you ever wondered why they play the game? With all the analytics available to sports teams today, they can feed facts and figures into a computer and come up with the projected outcome. So, why do we spend all the time and money to gather a crowd, broadcast the competition and cheer on our team to victory (or defeat)? The answer is because games don’t always go as scripted. While statistics might give us probabilities, the reality of things isn’t decided until the completion of the actual event. Circumstances change … some teams play over their head and others underachieve … injury, illness, social conditions come and go. Sure, we can play out something given a set of criteria, but competition isn’t based on computer model. As I thought about sports, I was led to a similar conclusion about life. Have you ever limited your activities because you thought the odds were against you? Did you ever belittle someone else’s chances because you could see before they even started tha...

Over the last couple of weeks I have taken on a few extra projects. One thing I found out was that I wasn’t doing a very good job (and I was getting increasingly cranky). It wasn’t that the tasks were too tough, I was just trying to do too many things all at one. I don’t believe it is possible to multi-task; so we must be able to prioritize and categorize. We need to be able to decide what needs to be done first, then we need to set things up in a way in which we have time to do all that should be done. We have to be able to carve out time for our commitments. I realize that life doesn’t always run on our schedule, but by setting aside time for each project – and working on that project during that time – we will be able to accomplish more (and with a better attitude). What do you need to get accomplished? Here are a few suggestions for success: 1. Identify and prioritize tasks . We need to make sure the important things are included – but don’t forget to add in some fun stuf...

During last Sunday morning’s worship service, it felt like just about anything that could go wrong went wrong – or at least it appeared to be that way. We had personnel issues, and technological failures – and in more than one way, we had to adapt and overcome on the fly. As I was dealing with the various issues, I was frustrated; but once it was over I realized something. We did it. We accomplished what we set out to do. We were able to worship the Lord in an appropriate way – and most people weren’t any worse for the wear. As I walked away from the church building I was struck by the thought that sometimes we put too much emphasis on peripheral things that really don’t matter. Sure, they might make things look better or bring an added flare to what we are trying to do, but they really aren’t necessary. And, interestingly enough, it’s not just this way in church – this realization is probably true in most aspects of life. We make life too complicated by making it too complex....

What happens when we think we are smarter than everyone else? Interestingly, too often, when we think we are more mature than others, we can be tempted to act more childish. When many people begin to feel like they are more intelligent or they have things figured out, they begin to act in ways that are often viewed as being childish. They make fun of others whom they don’t feel are as superior as them. They demand that people treat them differently (and throw tantrums when they don’t). They expect others to defer to them. Intellectualism isn’t always the same as maturity. One of the most mature things any of us can do is to seek unity among the different people or diverse groups around us. It takes much more wisdom to bring people together than it does to demand our own way – whether we are correct or not. Most of us would agree that love is one of the most mature emotions we can develop. If that is true, notice how love is defined in the New Testament, “Love is patient, love...

I get frustrated driving in big city traffic. It’s not that it scares me as much as it irritates me not being able to figure out what the other person is doing. Sometimes, they speed up to get around you, other times they get just beyond you and step on the brakes. There are some people who occupy one lane of traffic no matter what is going on around them while others change lanes like they are competing in NASCAR. Now, while I don’t like traffic, there is one thing I have learned – we all need to be on the lookout for others. We can’t be so focused on doing what we have the legal right to do that it causes us to get into an accident. Not only does that risk us getting hurt or causing damage to our property, it also snarls up traffic for several minutes and that just isn’t very neighborly! As I was thinking about this the other day, I saw a parallel in our own personal lives. Sure, must of us have the “right” to do certain things, but by being bullheaded and insisting on what is...

Forgiveness vs. Accountability. Tolerance vs. Consequences. I have been struggling recently with a bit of dilemma. When people make statements that inflame emotional reactions, do we challenge them or just work through it and forget about it? When people display inappropriate behavior, do we chalk it up to personalities or do we try to correct what is wrong while still trying to maintain a good relationship? Now, maybe I should go back and set the parameters – I am not talking about trying to raise children, I am talking about dealing with adults. With children, we need to help them learn how to behave, but how do we deal with full grown adults? I am quite familiar with Paul’s admonition, “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32), but I also understand, James’ thought-process, “… if anyone among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back, let him know that the one who has turned a sinner ...