Think About It

If I was a member of this up-and-coming generation, I would probably be pretty ticked!  I remember the potshots that were taken by the old folks when I was an early-adult, but I don’t believe the criticism was a sharp as it is today.  If you listen to what is being said about the people on the cutting edge of leadership these days it’s almost like there is no hope for the future.  Now, let me go on record as saying I don’t believe it … and in all honesty, I don’t think it is fair.  Today’s young people have a lot of challenges ahead of them, but I believe they also have some coping skills that can help them make the most of their opportunities.  Having said that, I also believe that this modern generation has some responsibilities.   They need to make sure they don’t use the criticism as an excuse to give up or, even worse, to accept a lower moral standard.   This generation won’t get a pass just because someone(s) has written them off.   There is...

On July 29, 1981 Prince Charles of England and Lady Diana Spencer were married.  Some of you have no clue what I am talking about, but for many of us it was the wedding of a lifetime – if not the social event of our generation.  In an almost fairy tale event, the royal couple tied the knot with much of the world looking on.  It was an event for the ages.  Well at least the wedding was – the marriage didn’t go so well.  While the divorce was finalized in 1996, the marriage began to fall apart much earlier.  What started as a glorious event ended in a shambles.   On August 14, 1981 another wedding took place.  This one wasn’t in some glamourous cathedral, it was in a small church in South Florida.  I am sure a few thousand dollars were spent on the event, but it paled in comparison to the millions that were spent in England.  Yet, the biggest difference is the love and commitment that Jeane and I have had for each other during the last 43 ...

There will be a lot of young people heading off to school in the next couple of weeks.  Some of them will be going back to their local school houses while others will be venturing out on a new journey.  Some will be moving up a grade, others will be heading into a new building while others will be traveling hundreds of miles away beginning their college career.  As I look back on those times when I made similar changes (especially when I moved away from home) I recall the blend of emotions.  On one hand I was excited about the new adventure, then on the other hand, I had a fear of the unknown.  I recall being given good solid advice by my parents about what to expect, but one of the most important lessons that left home with me was the importance of my religion.  I had been raised in a Christian home and, even though I didn’t get a long detailed sermon as I headed off to school, I was confident that what I had been taught would help me be successful.  ...

One of the more popular community outreaches this time of year is back to school shopping.   Whether it’s for school clothes or classroom school supplies there are not only a lot of sales, there are also a lot of groups involved in shopping for students or even taking the children shopping so they can buy things for themselves.   Success in school can begin in having the proper tools for the tasks.   Now, while equipment can help our children to achieve success, there is something even more important.   Our children need stuff; but they need support as well.   They need to be able to feel safe – in the classroom and at home.   They need to have well-grounded adults helping them make good decisions.   They need consistent quality food and lodging to help them to be fueled up for their school days.   They need comfortable places to go and confident people to talk to when their parents aren’t available to them.   I am glad that we have taken...

What does it mean to be purposeful in life?   We live in a time when it is easy to be distracted by things that don’t really matter all that much.   We have a lot of free time and a lot of ways to fritter away the time we have.   Have you ever found yourselves sitting in front of a screen or monitor and not known where the last half hour went or even what you had been looking at for the past fifteen minutes?   I am thankful that we can enjoy modern technology, but I do believe that its availability makes it even more important to carefully pursue purpose. When Jesus directed His earliest disciples, He challenged them, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.   For everyone who asks receives, and who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8).   We often attribute these words to spiritual life, but I think that it can help us find purpose in every aspect of life.   Whe...

What is important to us?  I think that, anecdotally, we can try to tell our story; but is there a way we can quantify our priorities?  Now, I realize this is not a scientific calculation, but I think there are some ways to figure out what is important to us: 1.  Look at our finances .  As we go through our checkbooks or our debit card receipts, where are we spending our money?  We work hard for our money, so whether we do it intentionally or not, we invest in what is important to us.  This is especially important when it comes to our discretionary income.  If we want to know what’s important, let’s do the calculations. 2.  Look at our calendars .  If you are like me, it is easy to allow time to get away from us, however, we make urgent things our priorities.  We will find time for what we want to do.  Now, interestingly, they may not be specific appointments in our calendar, but if we did an actual accounting of our time, we’d find ...

How well do we listen?  The older I get the harder it seems for me to hear.  I am not saying that I need to be fitted for hearing aids, but I have noticed that people seem to be whispering a lot more.  Now, while our ability to hear might diminish with the years, there is another kind of hearing problem that has nothing to do with our chronological age.  Centuries ago, the wise man of the Old Testament observed, “He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him.” (Proverbs 18:13).  In essence, if we talk before we know what we are talking about, we are apt to look (and act) foolish.  Now, while this may seem to be absurd, it is probably more common than we expect.  Have you ever been trying to explain something to someone only to be brushed away with the comment, “I know, I know.”.  Maybe – more importantly – how many times have we heard ourselves dismiss someone’s observation with the wave of a hand and a flippant, “Yeah, I ge...