Think About It

Do you wish we could get back to those carefree days of days gone by?  I say that with a bit of tongue in cheek because I don’t know that I can ever remember any “carefree” days – either collectively or personally.  There have always been issues that have occupied our minds and, personally, we all have our problems.  While I think there are some people who might get closer to being carefree than others of us, I would imagine that even they have issues that occupy their minds. There are a lot of reasons to have trouble relaxing and going with the flow, but I believe that one of the most common ones is that we are too afraid of making mistakes to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle.  There are a lot of us that are wound-up pretty tight because we don’t want to mess things up.  Even those who aren’t perfectionists by definition struggle with anything close to a laze faire mentality.  It’s not enough to give it our best shot, we want to do everything well. I realize...

What is the purpose of your life?  What do you hope to accomplish in the time you have been given?  Often, when we seek to answer these questions, we look at things we’d like to accomplish.  Maybe we think about finding an answer to an issue that has been plaguing mankind.  Maybe it is raising our children to where they can function on their own.  Who knows, maybe it is just to reach retirement age with enough money and in good enough health that we can enjoy our golden years.  No matter the answer, let me ask another question – what happens if we reach the goal we set for ourselves?   Do our lives lose their meaning when and if we accomplish what we’ve set out to do? The reason I being up this question is to prompt us to think about establishing goals that are never-ending.  A closed-ended purpose (one that we might actually achieve) might be short-sighted and reaching those goals might create a void that derails us.  However, if we are...

One day when Jesus was out with some of His closest disciples, He experienced a “transfiguration” and was seen with two great figures from Jewish history – Moses and Elijah.  Folks, I am not exactly sure what happened on the mountain that day, but it was significant enough that Peter wanted to memorialize that moment with three monuments (tabernacles).  However, before the work could be started, “Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!’” (Mark 9:7).  As Peter and the others gathered their wits, they looked around and the only one of the three that was left was Jesus. There are a lot of neat parts of this story, but I think the theme is that when it comes to modern believers, we must stay focused on Jesus.  Sure we can learn from others and we might even look up to some great figures in history, but when the dust clears our eyes had better be permanently focused on Jesus.  His words are t...

While John Kennedy was elected during my lifetime, he died before my memories kick in so one of the first presidents I ever really remember is Lyndon Johnson.  Honestly, maybe it was more of his death on this day in 1973 that shapes his memory,  I guess it could also be spending a lot of my early life in Texas and being a child of the 1960s that makes me familiar with LBJ’s personality and politics.  I cannot imagine what it was like being President Johnson.  He came to power during a very turbulent time in our society and on the heels of one of the saddest events in our nation’s history.  Whether you liked President Johnson or despised him, you have to admit that he was in the midst of some incredible history.  As I was reading one of his speeches to Congress from 1965 I came across an interesting quote, “I want to be the President who educated young children to the wonders of their world.”.  Johnson, who had been a school teacher early in his career,...

With yesterday’s inauguration, we are officially on our way to the next era in our American history.  So, here is today’s question, “What are we going to do to make tomorrow better than today?”.  Frankly, I don’t care how you voted last November or whether you tuned in to watch yesterday’s activities – my concern is all about what you and I are going to do to improve our nation and our world.  We can spend the future complaining about where we are or fusing about where we have been … or we can pull together and make a difference one person, one interaction, one day at a time.  Throwing political bombs at each other doesn’t damage them (whoever they are), it only hurts “us”!   So, now that the pomp and circumstance has settled down, let’s make a concerted effort to pull together and start building a better community.   We often hear that government can’t legislate morality, but I am also convinced that it cannot legislate cooperation.  We can’...

If there was a “sermon” that defined Dr. Martin Luther King’s ideals it might have been the one that has been come to be known as the “I Have a Dream” speech.  While there are several poignant moments in the speech, the one that strikes a heart-chord with me states, “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”.  Through the years I have thought about this imagery and I am convinced that it can happen – but it will only become the norm through another of Dr. King’s observations, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”  If we are going to find true unity, it won’t come through legislation or social reform – it will only happen when we are able to look deep inside ourselves and learn to live with love.  ...

Do you trust people?   I would imagine that a few decades ago, the answer to this question might generate more positive responses than it does today.   You might think that a new push toward tolerance would make trust easier; but with the development of “stranger danger”, the number of investigative reporters digging up the dirt on our public figures, the push for social awareness and the increasing number of laws (which means more ways to get caught doing something illegal) I think it is harder to trust people today.   It seems like we keep making up more ways to distrust each other.   Since there appears to be more distrust in society in general, it is going to take an individual concerted effort if we ever want to reverse the trend of trustworthiness.   Not only do we need to live lives that demonstrate we can be trusted, but we also need to buck the trend and consciously try to trust each other more.   Some people will read the preceding statement and...