Think About It

One of the things I need to work on is tolerance. I realize you couldn’t see me as I wrote that last sentence, but as I did, I cringed. I have known for years that when we ask for patience, God is apt to put us in a position where we need it – and that can be an uncomfortable setting. That is why I consciously chose the word tolerance! What I need is the ability to deal with people as they do what people do. I really believe that I have a pretty good handle on being able to work with people who are going through really tough times, my issue is tolerating them when they aren’t going through those major difficulties. In other words, I need to work on being okay with the warts and inadequacies we all have. Now that I realize this is what I need to do – and I have confessed this to you – I need to find a way to do it. Not long ago I was reminded of a New Testament passage that challenged me, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, k...

Growing up when and where I did, I was never a big Vince Lombardi fan – and I think I can trace it back to one day – December 31, 1967. On that day Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers beat my beloved Dallas Cowboys in what has become known as the “Ice Bowl”. I know it’s probably not nice to hold grudges – but when it comes to football, well … let’s just say I have a permanent blind spot. In all honesty, Vince Lombardi was such an effective coach that they have named the Super Bowl trophy in his honor, so as we begin the NFL playoffs, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit one of his quotes. Decades ago, the coach observed, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”. Interestingly, as I think about this quote, I can only speculate if it was made after a game or after a practice! Lombardi was known to be tough – not just on his opponents, but on his own players as well. I wonder if he was that way prepare his teams for the upcoming game or if it was to test t...

Thankfully, we are not digging out of a big wintery mess today. If you were to listen to some of the forecasts from last week, you might have been a little concerned about what to expect from the most recent weather system. Now, for those of you who got the bad weather, I hope you are doing okay, but for many of us who missed it, it was a good reminder to be prepared for what might happen, but not to worry about things until they actually happen. I understand why media makes a big deal about weather issues – some for safety, others for profit – but let’s make sure that we don’t get too excited until the storm happens. Interestingly, I believe that weather is not the only place people tend to become too anxious too soon. There are a lot of doomsayers in our society, constantly keeping things stirred up. Again, it is probably good to be aware of what is happening around us, but let’s not get too worked up too soon. Preparation might be good but unfounded anxiety can create its own ...

Twenty-two years ago, four country mice from South Dakota found themselves in New York City. Four months after the attacks on the World Trade Center it was our turn to help members of the New York City Police Department deal with the trauma. As I think back on that experience, I would have done anything within my power to avert having to do it – but I wouldn’t take anything for the experience. The week we spent working with these heroes changed me in ways I can’t describe. While there are a lot of lessons I took away from this experience, one of the ones that has stayed with me the most is what can happen when you have a willingness to try to make a difference. Here we were from a small town, with a limited experience of dealing with trauma (and no real expertise with mass casualty events – especially of this magnitude); but we went anyway. From that moment on, I realized that one of the most important elements anyone can bring into crises is just a willingness to be there when p...

How do we gauge our success? For many of us, the measure of “making it” is having a certain bank balance. Interestingly, though, the closer we come to realizing our goal, the more we tend to want. If we can get this close, maybe it isn’t enough. If we can make that amount, let’s raise our expectations. While there can be value in reevaluating our goals, the problem is that if we establish material goals as our standard, we tend to never be satisfied and that leads us to general dissatisfaction with life. We can never feel financially comfortable and that makes us uncomfortable in so many other aspects of life. This might seem to be a 21st Century issue, but it has been around for thousands of years. In fact, the wise man, Solomon warned the up-and-comers of his day, “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.” (Proverbs...

Okay, one thing that I do like about coming out of the holiday season is that I no longer feel the need to eat everything in sight! I have become another one of the casualties of our society and, at least for about a month, I feel almost compelled to over-indulge. Not only does the holiday season give me an excuse to eat copious amounts of stuff that isn’t good for me, people go out of their way to make an abundance of items that look so good and taste even better. Now, while I wish I could blame others for my elevated sugar count and expanding waist line, but the responsibility rests squarely on my shoulders. I know better, I just need to do better. Interestingly, this is not merely a holiday issue, practicing self-control is a need we have in so many aspects of our lives – including our religion. It is easy to look around at all the temptations around us, but living the good life is up to each one of us. When the Apostle Paul reflected on what it takes to reach a higher spiritu...

The other day I read a couple of phrases that got me to thinking. They weren’t anything new – nor, in and of themselves, are they radical. However, I believe that they have become phrases that may need some rethinking. The phrases that sparked my thinking were, “God Bless America” and “Make America Great Again”. Now, I want you to set aside your initial emotional knee-jerk reactions to what these phrases mean to you and hear me out. Honestly, not only is there not anything wrong with these concepts, when viewed with an open mind, they can encourage us to better lives. They are noble pursuits. However, what tends to get us in trouble is when we set these standards against the rest of the world. Are we hoping that God will bless us more than other people? Are we wanting to rebuild our nationalism at the expense of nations? It is admirable to be the best we can be, the challenge is not being so self-serving that we do it to the detriment of others. When God sent His Son to the ...