Worthy Words

I read a story of a man who was being disorderly in a supermarket deli. When the clerk threatened to call the police, he grabbed a hot dog from the market counter, shoved it in his mouth—and walked away without paying for it. The clerk called the police, who upon arrival, found the man who had stolen the hot dog lying dead in front of the market—having choked on the six-inch hot dog. Now that’s messed-up! Another story I read reported the sad tale of a man who was killed instantly when a deer fell from an overhanging rock above him. The man, unfortunately, had shot the deer from below. Now that’s messed-up! Messed-up stories like these remind me that we—you and I—are the most responsible for the majority of the mess-ups / troubles we find ourselves in. I know almost every day; I wish I had “do-over” or two. Don’t you? Maybe you’ve said something to someone that you wish you could take back. Perhaps you didn’t follow through on something you promised to someone else. Sometim...

I was afraid of the dark when I was a child. I remember thinking monsters were outside my window because strange sounds would come from that direction while I lay in bed trying to go to sleep. I’m sure today’s children when they go to bed at night also fear the dark where the imaginary world of monsters, bogeymen, and things that go bump in the night come to life. The most reassuring word came from my mother who would sit by my side calm my fears and say a prayer with me; “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray dear Lord my soul will keep…”, that brought back a sense of peace to my troubled heart and allowed for restful sleep. Adults often laugh off the fears that seem so real to children. But the fact is that many adults experience something very similar. After the lights go out and the sound of silence fills the air, we are forced to face the things that hide in the busyness of the day. The grown-up monsters of deadlines, pressure at work, addictions, marital strife, abuse, d...

"Give me liberty or give me death," was the phrase that contributed in putting Patrick Henry in history books. He made another statement that appears in a number of quotation collections. He said, "I know of no way of judging the future but by the past." Repeat this before an audience and you'll see many heads nod in agreement. It has the ring of good common sense. However, some caution needs to be taken here. Be careful, this axiom might be true when applied to politics or history or investment strategies, but it provides a lousy foundation for developing relationships. And it certainly doesn't reflect the way God relates to us. God gives individuals a chance to let go of the past and start over — each and every day. Jeremiah wrote, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23) God doesn't jud...