Think About It

It was only about ten months ago that I was riding high.  My Texas Rangers had just won the World Series and we were heading into an off-season of hope and excitement.  Now that we are rounding the home stretch of the 2024 MLB season it would be stretch to believe they were going to repeat – or even make the playoffs.  I have to admit that throughout the season I have been upset and discouraged, but as we head into September, I am coming to terms with the reality of a couple of things.  First, it is tough to win a World Championship.  There is a fine line between winning and losing – whether it is a game or a title.  Yet, maybe the most important lesson is to enjoy it while you’ve got it.  Relish the success of the season, because who knows when or if it will happen again.   As I thought about the baseball season, I got to reflecting about life.  I have gotten to do some incredible things, many of which I won’t (or can’t) do again.  So, ...

Have you ever thought about why it is so important to speak the truth?  I think we would all agree that there is moral aspect to telling the truth – after all, if God cannot lie, His children shouldn’t.  Yet, while telling the truth is an act of righteousness, there is another element to it as well.  You see, people will base their actions off of what we tell them.  They will make decisions about how to interact with us based upon what we say.  They might even decide on how they will proceed with their lives by what we tell them.  So, if we lie to them, we are setting in motion a path that isn’t accurate.  Trust built on lies is apt to fail.  If someone starts out on a course based on misinformation, they are bound to end up somewhere they don’t expect to be.  Lies aren’t nice – but they can have a catastrophic influence on people who believe them.   Years ago, King David described those who can live in a relationship with God and incl...

One of the more debated issues of Christianity is the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Now, while there are some people who will avoid this topic, there are a lot of people with differing ideas about the influence the Holy Spirit can have on the lives of believers.  For some, the gift of the Holy Spirit involves something miraculous while others tend to believe the Holy Spirit’s influence comes primarily (if not exclusively) through the written Bible.  I realize that in a few words I am probably not going to change the way the world looks at the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives but I would like to point out an interesting passage of Scripture.  When Paul writes to the churches in Galatia he challenges them, “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23).  As I read this the other day I no...

Those of us who live along the eastern seaboard have gotten a nice dose of smoke this summer.  Thankfully, it hasn’t been continual, but about the time we get used to it not being around, here we go again.  Interestingly, the smoke we are breathing isn’t connected to a fire we can see.  Supposedly, the smoke we are smelling is coming from Canadian forest fires.  Now, while it would be nice if our northern neighbors could keep their smoke within their borders, I know it’s not possible.  While smoke is always associated with a fire, it’s not always visible.   The reason I bring this up is not to complain about my watery eyes, rather to remind us of how, sometimes, our influence can be felt far beyond what is actually seen.   The influence we have on others – both positively and negatively – can linger even after we are gone.   This can come in the legacy we leave after our lives are over or even the way we make people feel about their day aft...

I don’t like this season of politics.   We are in a time when people are going to be making accusations about political parties and the candidates they have targeted.   As a history buff, I realize there have been contentious elections, but the rhetoric really doesn’t seem to be getting much better.   I think the thing that has jaded my political view is how personally people have made it.   Now, I believe in the democratic republic in which we live, but I also believe that no matter who we put in Washington, D.C. they will not be able to save us.   No one person will make us significantly better or worse than we are – but, that’s not my point.   You see, the most important observation is that no matter who is elected, they won’t save us!   No human, no matter how much they promise or deliver, will be able to have the ultimate influence on our spiritual lives.   Sure, they might be able to make things a bit better or more convenient to live out ou...

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 ...