Think About It

I am not sure how I got on their list, but I am receiving regular spam calls from someone promising me some financial benefits if I were to just call them back.  My loan is ready to go – all I need to do is finish up the paperwork.  Now, I realize this is a hoax (because I haven’t applied for a loan), but I still get annoyed when they call and leave the exact same message every day.  Even though the phone numbers are different, the message is the same.  The other day I got to thinking about how annoying this is, then it dawned on me that I haven’t done anything to stop it.  I haven’t tried to block the calls; I just ignore them.  As I thought about this, I got to reflecting on life.  How many things bug us – but we don’t do anything about them?  Maybe it is a personality trait of a co-worker, a quirky nuance of our car, a bad habit we have developed in ourselves … or any number of other things.  They bug us, but we aren’t doing anything to st...

Last weekend, Jim Lovell passed away at the age of 97.  When I was a kid, Jim Lovell was well-known because he was an astronaut; but his claim to fame is being a part of Apollo 13.  Apollo 13’s ill-fated journey began in April 1970 and ended up being a blockbuster motion picture.  For those of us who lived through the drama, it was an incredible saga and for those who watched on the big screen, it was an inspiring story.  Maybe the things that made heroes of Jim Lovell, John Swigert and Fred Haise were their ingenuity and will to win – but as astronauts we expected nothing less.  The other day I was scrolling through some quotes by Lovell and came across a very interesting one, “Be thankful for problems.  If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job.”.  Wow – that is not only insightful, but maybe a bit eerie.  If there ever was a guy familiar was problems, it was Lovell and his ability to overcome the difficulty made...

There are times I read some of my thoughts and I wonder if people think that I have lost touch with reality.   I am a big believer in trying to talk as much as possible about things like love, peace, hope, unity and optimism.   There are times I look back over what I wrote and I ask myself, “Am I trying to convince me or you?”.   Am I writing about these topics because I believe in them or just because I want to believe they are possible?   The other day, I came across a statement made by the Apostle Paul in one of his letters in which he wrote, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.” (Philippians 3:1).   As I reflected on this passage, I got to wondering if Paul may have been catching some flack over his message of hope and joy.   In the book of Philippians, he continually encourages his readers to rejoice or find joy in the lives they are living.   ...

One of the interesting things about modern society is that we seem to be surprised at where we are.   We lament what is going on in our world and somehow wonder how we got to where we are.    We look around us and almost seem dumbfounded that people have become full of themselves.   In all honestly, I think we are exactly where we should expect to be.   We have followed humanistic ideals and have bought into a self-serving belief system.   We are reaping what we have sown.   As I was reading the Proverbs, I found something that was just as applicable as it was when Solomon wrote it, “They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof.   So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices.   For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.   But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from t...

Have you noticed that people in different stages of life see things in different ways.  The older I get the more I see this being played out.  When I think back on my zest for life in the first phase of life, I realize I was filled with hope and answers.  I could see what was wrong and was apt to tell you what needed to be changed.  As I settled into life in the second phase, I found myself trying to fine-tune how things were.  We were in charge and wanted to hold on to the influence we had.  Now that I am advancing into the final stage, I tend to feel out of touch.  Things are moving quickly and often in a direction I may not appreciate.  I may be in the same body, but I am definitely a work in progress.  As I thought about this the other day, I got to thinking about what it was like back in the beginning.  I remember being frustrated at the old fuddy-duddies that were raining on my progressive parade.  So, as I head into this part...

If you live in a community that promotes National Night Out, I encourage you to attend.  National Night Out is a partnership between Law Enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.  Traditionally, the events are held on the first Tuesday of August and create chances for people to come together in physically and emotionally safe environments.  Depending upon your community, it might be a single major event in one central location or several smaller venues scattered around smaller neighborhoods.  The format isn’t nearly as important as the formula – bringing Law Enforcement and the community together.  One of the ads for the event observes, “Together we are making communities safer, more caring places to live.”.  We live in a time where it is convenient to focus on what drives us apart, so we need to take every opportunity to work together.  Years ago, we were told that it takes a village to raise a child and, while that is still true, we can ex...

Is life really all that bad?  Is our nation at its lowest levels ever?  If we were to listen to the nay-sayers, we might feel compelled to believe it but let me see if we can put a bit of a different spin on things.  When we start to think about how difficult things are today, let’s remember the early 1860s when is it estimated over half a million Americans died as a result of the Civil War (out of about 30,000,000 citizens).  When we hear how tough things are in the United States in this decade, let’s keep in mind the 50,000 Americans who died in Viet Nam in the 20 th Century (which pales in comparison to the 500,000 who died in World Wars I and II).  When we are tempted to lament modern society, let’s not forget the 20% jobless rate and the millions of Americans who suffered from poverty and homeless in the Great Depression of the 1930s which included millions of people who were evicted from their homes in 1932 alone.  When we become irate at injustice, ...