Think About It

What do you do when you have something earth-shaking happen to you?  While there are some people who fall apart, there are many more people who find the inner fortitude to pull it together and make the most out of the bad situation.  None of us has been promised a stress free life so, after the initial shock, we typically find ways to move forward.  Now, while this is what makes us successful, let me ask another question.  What do we do when we see our friends and neighbors rocked by circumstances?  There are a variety of reactions to watching others deal with crisis – we can feel sorry for them or we can blame their situation on their bad decisions, but I believe there is a more effective way to respond.  When we see people grappling with tough times, we can help them.  Interestingly, this isn’t just neighborly, this is also biblical.  The New Testament calls on spiritual people to help one other by stating, “ Bear one another’s burdens, and ther...

Not long ago I did something that wasn’t all that intelligent. It didn’t turn out to be horrible, but it was just kind of silly and embarrassing. When I came in the house and told Jeane what I had done, she said something to the effect, “We all do things like that” … then, without really thinking too much about it, I said, “Well, I am not supposed to do stuff like that!”. Interestingly … and wisely … she said, “What’s that supposed to mean?”. I was a bit shocked by her response, but it did get me to thinking about my personal accountability. I know that I am not perfect – but, am I willing to accept it when I’m not? When other people make mistakes, I try to be supportive, but when I do it, I am probably my own worst critic. Not only do I not allow myself to excuse my actions, I add an extra layer of guilt on to it. Have you noticed how quick we are to advocate that we have responsibility to love each other, but did you notice a common application to that decree? On more than o...

For those of us who experienced history 56 years ago today, it seems hard to believe.  On July 22, 1969 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon.  They were the first humans to step onto the surface of the moon.  Ever since man could look into the sky, the moon was known to be out there, but on that summer day, humans got to experience it.  While this is incredible in-an-of itself, I think something that rivals the ability to walk on the face of the moon, is the focus it took to make it there.  It had been a short eight years earlier when President Kennedy challenged Americans to not only dream of the moon, but to walk on it.  In April 1961, he shared his vision of sending men to the moon and bring them safely to Earth again by the end of the decade.  We cut it close, but we did it.  He wasn’t here to enjoy the accomplishment, but his enthusiasm overwhelmed the naysayers and inspired a generation. Sending humans to the moon (and returning...

I am a bit too young to remember Will Rogers, but I am not too young to appreciate his insights.   Will Rogers was an Oklahoman who had a keen eye and a pretty sharp tongue.   Rogers was born in the latter half of the 19 th Century and died in 1935; yet much of what said is just as applicable in 2025 as it was in the early 20 th Century.   I could fill several columns with his wit and wisdom; but a couple of observations that seems to span time are: “I don’t make jokes.   I just watch the government and report the facts.”   and “Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment.”.   As I was reading through a list of his quotes the other day, one gave me chills.   “Everything in changing.   People are taking their comedians seriously and their politicians as a joke.”.   Oh my, that really hit home!   Have you noticed how easy it is to get upset at the commentators but not to hold the lawmakers accountable? ...

How do we fix our country?   I am sure this has been said many times throughout the centuries and those of us who live in the United States in 2025 can join in the chorus.   Folks, our nation is in a mess, and it doesn’t seem to be getting much better.   Now, while this sounds pessimistic, I think there are a couple of things we can take away from today’s concerns.   First, we aren’t the first generation to ever deal with this and, second, there is actually something we can do about it.   Centuries ago, when the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he observed, “Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Romans 13:13-14).   Sounds like a familiar problem, doesn’t it?   Yet, did you notice that Paul offered a solution. ...

It is hard to watch what is going on in Texas right now.  With the number of confirmed dead and scores more unaccounted for, our hearts hurt with all the pain and devastation.  In an effort to wrap our heads around something as horrific as this, we try to come to grips with what is going on.  Are we in the end times?  Is the Lord trying to teach us something?  While it is natural to try to make logical sense out of what is going on, I believe one of the comforting things we can do is understand this isn’t unusual for life on earth.  Now hear me out, if you have lost someone in this tragedy (or any tragedy), I am not trying to diminish your pain and anguish.  However, what I am trying to say is that life on earth is fraught with danger.  It doesn’t take much of a review of history to see this.  On this day in 1981, 114 people killed in the collapse of the skyway of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City.  About this time of year in 1972 H...

Will the good guys win all the time?  Growing up in a time when many people believed that good would eventually triumph over evil, it was tough to watch when the bad guys seemed to gain an upper hand.  Things didn’t always go our way and, often, it appeared that the good guys paid the price.  We would offer ourselves a sense of hope or consolation, but in the quietness, we might ask “Why?” or even wonder, “Is it worth it?”.  I don’t want to dismiss anyone’s struggles, but I wonder if we have missed the promises made to us.  Take, for example, Psalm 5:11-12, “But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy; and may You shelter them, that those who love Your name may exult in You.  For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.”.  On the surface it appears that God’s people should always come out ahead, yet is the promise carnal or spiritua...