Think About It

How much do we know about Philemon?   While a letter to him is one of the 27 books of the New Testament, a lot of people may not know much about him.   If we do know something about him, it might be that his letter is one of the shortest of Paul’s epistles or that he was a slave owner.   However, as I was looking at the book I gained some insight into him.   The Apostle Paul noted, “ For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” (Philemon 7).   That’s kind of a cool way to be remembered down through the ages, isn’t it!   Philemon can forever be known for his love and encouragement.   Sometimes it is tempting to think that we make an impression by the cool things we can do; but maybe a better way to be remembered is by demonstrating love to the people around us.   When we care about others, we can help them to be restored and reenergized. ...

Today is a historic day.  On this day in 1963, the Hula Hoop was patented – and life hasn’t been the same ever since.  According to an article I read, it began to be marketed by Wham-O back in 1958, but the patent was granted to Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr in the 1960s.  (These were the same guys who invented the Pluto Platter – aka Frisbee – back in 1957.)  I don’t know how many millions of units of these plastic rings have been sold; but the Hula Hoop is firmly established in Americana. I have to be honest, I have never been really good at hoola-hooping, but I believe it can teach us a lesson about life.  The key to keeping a hoop spinning is to stay active.  As soon as we stop shimmying and shaking, gravity takes over and the toy falls to the ground.  The only way to keep playing is to keep moving.  Isn’t there a parallel in life?  If we hope to stay in the game, we have to keep moving.  Idleness can cause us to lose our zeal and g...

When I watch Dick Van Dyke on the “oldies” television channels, it is hard to believe that he is 100 years old.   I still think of him as the chimney sweep in Mary Poppins or the handsome and suave television writer in his sitcom.   But time marches on … and so does Dick Van Dyke.   The other day I did some research and came across an interesting observation of his, “Just knowing you don’t have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn – and those are all good things.”.   Typically, when we think about acceptance, our first inclination is to be the smartest kid in the room; however, if we really want to fit in, we need to be honest about who we are and what we know.   Few people are genuinely accepted by being arrogant or headstrong.   Most people are able to build lasting relationships by accepting themselves for who they are and admitting the deficiencies in their lives.   No one expects us to ...

Have you got life figured out, yet?   Okay, okay – I can hear the smirks.   Most of us would readily admit that there are times we don’t understand the questions much less have the answers!   Even though there are people who advocate that life is simple, the truth is that we are complex human beings dealing with complex problems in a complex world.   I believe that we tend to make it even more difficult by trying to make all the pieces fit together in a way that makes us feel comfortable.   Unfortunately, life is not only not fair; there are a lot of times it doesn’t make sense.   So, how do we live successful lives?   I think the answer is to seek wisdom.   We may not always be able to answer the question, “Why?”; but when we search for “How?” – as in how do we make the best of this situation – we are more apt to be successful.   We may never truly understand why things happen the way they do, but when we seek to focus on moving forward with...

I saw a shocking bumper sticker the other day.   It read, “I hope something good happens to you today.”.   After seeing all the in-your-face messages tattooed on cars, this one really stood out to me.   It was so nice and kind, it was almost unbelievable! In a world that seems intent on making a point and having our voices heard, it has become more infrequent to see or hear kindness.   People who want to be noticed often take on an aggressive personality, so I think a good way to stand out might be to do something unusual – demonstrate good wishes to those we come across.   Years ago, “Have a good day” became cliché, so what could happen if we bring back the sentiment and really mean it! Years ago, the wise man of Proverbs noted, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1).   Maybe a 21 st Century application to this is that a calm, quiet message can make a splash in a noisy and aggressive society.   I real...

          George Washington Carver was born into a slave’s family in Missouri in the early 1860s, but before he passed away almost 80 years later, he had made a name for himself and a mark on society.   His journey wasn’t easy nor linear; but it led him to the presidency of Tuskegee Institute.   Carver is well known for many of the products and innovations he developed; but it is a quote I want us to consider, “When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.”.   It is tempting to believe that we have to come from a special place or do special things to make a difference, but the truth of the matter is that all we need to do to have an impact is find what we can do and do it!   Sure, there are going to be special people in life who seem to excel at the exceptional, but for most of the rest of us we make our mark on people by doing what we can do.   Does that make us less specta...

When you think of the World Trade Center bombing, what date comes to mind?  For most of us, it is September 11, 2001; however, that was the second attack.  On this day in 1993, a bomb exploded in the basement of the World Trade Center killing six people, injuring several hundred and causing some $500 million in damage.  Sure, it pales in comparison to what happened a decade later, but for those impacted on that day, it was a catastrophe. I am sure there are several lessons that can be learned from these two incidences but I think one important one is that we must remain vigilant.  Just because something happens once doesn’t mean that we are immune from it happening again.  While this might be a lesson for us in our geopolitical world, I think it is also a spiritual lesson.  If satan attacks us through temptation, don’t believe that it is just one-and-done.  In fact, if he has success in derailing us once, he might come back and try again – this time ho...