Think About It

I spent last week in Little Rock, Arkansas.   I remember as I was planning my trip several people remarked about how hot it was going to be – and you know what, they were right.   It was toasty and humid in Central Arkansas.   Guess what else – it was hot and humid in Southern Maryland.   I don’t know what the final tally was for Sunday at home, but at one point I looked, and the heat index was 103.   As I thought about the weather, I also got to thinking about life.   How many of us are willing to comment on how things are in other places but tend to ignore the same things when it happens in our own backyard?   We are more than happy to tell you how bad things are for you – only to realize, if we were honest, we would be in a similar situation.   Jesus recognized this characteristic in people when He observed, “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3). ...

Okay, here is your first warning – we are only five months away from Christmas.   It is hard to believe in the midst of the heat of the summer, but many people’s favorite time of the year is approaching.   Now, I realize that with today’s modern conveniences we don’t need to make plans as far into the future as we used to, but it’s still kind of fun to think about.   Most modern people are familiar with the background for the Christmas season – it is when a lot of people celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Christ.   Now, while this has become a tradition, the truth is that we don’t know when Jesus was born.   It could have just as easily been on July 25 as December 25.   While that might not be what the retailers who make a lot of money during the holiday season want to hear, I think it is kind of cool to consider.   We don’t have to wait until late December to celebrate Jesus coming to earth.   We don’t have to cram one of the great declarations ...

As I prepared for my sermon a couple weeks ago in a sermon I got to thinking about our “bucket lists”.   If you aren’t familiar with this phrase, it refers to the things we want to accomplish before we “kick the bucket” (in other words, what we want to do before we die).   If you were to ask a lot of people in today’s society about how they were doing on their bucket list, many of them would probably tell you the things they had crossed off their list.   Now, while it’s kind of fun to have (and mark off) a bucket list, there is another list I would like to discuss.   What is our “blessings list”?   A blessings list is what we’d like to do in service to others before we can no longer help.   Maybe it is build a Habitat House or go on a mission.   It could be teach someone the gospel (and baptize them) or help a homeless person find a job and stable housing.   It might even be setting up a food pantry or conduct a coat drive to make sure every child...

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? ...