Think About It

          That noise you heard sixty-two years ago was the echoing of sobbing all across our nation.  We had lost another president to an assassin’s bullet.  In one century, we had lost four presidents to violence:  Abraham Lincoln (1865), James Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1901) … and now, John Kennedy.  Thankfully, it had been over sixty years since the last assassination, but on this November day, that probably wasn’t much consolation as our nation paused to lay its most recent casualty to rest.  The new-age, idealistic leader with the young family was gone.  Like with most martyrs, I believe that President Kennedy’s life has taken on a very special significance since that day in Dallas in 1963, but love him or hate him, he was colorful and quotable.  The other day, I came across a quote I don’t believe I had ever noticed, “ Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your p...

The other Sunday morning, as I was walking to my office, I noticed a lot of birds singing.   As I walked along, I kept thinking about Jesus’ words, “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:26-27).   I am sure that Jesus spoke these words to help provide some comfort to those original readers, but at that moment, I struggled a bit.   Here were all these cheery birds seemingly enjoying the day God had given them while I was preoccupied with the upcoming events of the day.   Does that mean they have more faith than me?   As I considered this a bit more, I began to realize that while birds are satisfied with their lives, they don’t accomplish a whole lot.   They live day-to-day existences for the months they are alive...

When we read the Bible, what do we see?   I would imagine that each one of us might approach Bible study in our own individual way:   some will look for spiritual guidance, others might seek moral boundaries, still others might be looking for historic facts or scientific principles.   One of the great things about the Bible is that can do a lot of things for a lot of diverse people.   The other day, I came across an interesting quote by David, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.” (Psalm 119:18).   As thought about this, it provided me with another perspective on reading God’s Word.   What if we were seeking something new and exciting every time we opened the Book?   Rather than confirming something we already knew or seeking to affirm our belief, what could happen if we really went on an expedition for some incredible spiritual gem?   I realize that in the Christian Era we are not guided by the Law of Moses, but I be...

Uncertainty:  is it exciting or scary?  When you look into the future, how do you feel – exhilarated or anxious?  The answer to each of these questions probably rests on our perspective.  For some people, when they look at what could happen, they are prone to see the problems and pitfalls.  They imagine the worst that could happen and feel a sense of inability to overcome it.  Yet, there are others who embrace the uncertainty of the future.  They see the challenges and confront them with a sese of adventure.  They may not know what will happen, but believe that no matter what happens, they will develop the skills they need to win the day.  For some, this is enhanced by a faith that the God who got them through all the yesterdays will prepare them for the tomorrows. Some who struggle with an optimistic future do so because of pessimism and others may have an emotional glitch in their thought process, but maybe we can all learn from those who l...

          I haven’t followed the Jeffry Epstein mess close enough to know much about it, but what I do know is that scandals like this irritate me – not just that some prominent people took advantage of others, but because of what it can do to a lot of innocent people.  Several years ago, more than one famous preacher admitted to inappropriate relationships and while it impacted their careers, I also believe it made it harder for others of us to feel comfortable doing our jobs.  I hope that these sordid stories don’t negatively impact good people doing good things, but I have to admit it can make me feel uneasy.           One struggle in dealing with something like this is combating negative accusations about something you didn’t do.  How can you prove you are innocent?  I don’t know that you can do that, but what we can do is live lives that make it harder for people to accuse you and even ha...

Over the last few weeks something incredible happened.  Across our nation, there were thousands of people negatively impacted by tough economic times.  Either directly or through a “trickle down effect” a lot of people were left in the lurch.  Yet, as the needs became known, people came to the rescue.  When some people faced challenges, a lot of other people made donations.  When people missed a paycheck, others anonymously stopped by their houses and dropped off food.  I am sure there were people who actually did suffer because of the hard times, but many others had at least some of their needs filled by good-hearted, well-meaning people.  I wish I could say that the hard times were over, but in all honesty, as long as there are people, there will be challenges.  That is why it is important that those of us who can continue to help those in need keep doing it.  There will always be people who don’t have enough; but, through neighborly love, ...

Over the last few weeks there have been some pretty public feuds that have had negative impacts on people – not just those primarily involved, but collateral damage as well.   The government shutdown put a lot of public servants in a financial bind and negatively impacted those who needed access to government services.   To a lesser degree, a spat between two media giants caused the disruption of programming for people who pay good money to be entertained.   I am sure that if you were to ask those directly involved, they could make a case for their reactions – but that doesn’t help those who were caught in the crossfire.   I was hoping we were passed the point of buyer beware – now I am not so sure. While it easy to get frustrated with “big business”, have you thought about how our private arguments can influence bystanders?   When we have a family disagreement and children can’t see their extended family, what good does that do?   When we get crossways w...