Last week, we posted thoughts on the necessity of accepting risk into life. God wants our heart, our mind, and our life open to others. This openness places us in a position where our feelings can be hurt, our emotions can erupt, and our lives can seem crushed. Opening ourselves also allows God to use the talents he has given us to bless others. It allows the […]
I remember my Dad teaching me how to fish. I remember being enthralled with the rods and reels at Jones Hardware in downtown Leaksville, NC. One day in 1958, he succumbed to my plea, purchasing a Zebco 33 rod & reel for our new adventure in fishing!
The first step was to stand in our back yard to learn a little about casting. The maple tree near the […]
“Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket,” is an age old, well-worn piece of advice. My father first remembered it when his mother sent him to fetch fresh eggs from a neighbor, circa 1919. I used the phrase often, in a far less literal manner, during the years I worked as a personal financial planner. It actually made its first appearance in the early 1600s […]
We live in an incredible age of immediate gratification! When we want something, it is likely we can get it almost immediately. The lighting and temperature of our home may be controlled from an app on our phone…even if we are far away. Last week, the driver’s side window of my convertible suddenly stopped dropping whenever the door was opened (a characteristic of convertible automobiles). Rather than […]
A basketball coach who had led his school to 12 conference championships in 15 years had interviewed for Power 5 coaching jobs without being chosen to “move up” in the college game. As another long day of interview and dinner was coming to a close, he told an Athletics Director, “One of these days, someone is going to give me a chance, and when they do, I […]
One useful step in changing your current mood and outlook is, “Change what is on your screen.” It can be done!
Seconds prior to joining yesterday’s church service, my watch buzzed on my wrist. A quick glance showed my “Weekly Screen Time Report” was available. My mind briefly pondered how life has changed over the past years, amazed that a watch could now report how I spent time […]
2020 has been one of the most unpredictable years in many generations, and there is more uncertainty ahead. Will public schools open in the fall? How will parents deal with children staying at home and learning online when their work situations are hanging in the balance? Will the COVID-19 virus continue unabated or will it begin to diminish? Will the people of the USA reach herd immunity? […]
Headed into the Monday of the first full week of July, we have found some impressive headlines in the news. Here are a sample. “This ONE change could undermine the retirement security of millions of Americans.” “This ONE thing could help more workers retire with money.” “This ONE decision can change your 401K.” “ONE foolproof way to create retirement income for the rest of your life.” “This […]
Emotions are a natural part of the human life. We are, after all, created in the image of God who Scripture describes as jealous, angry, and loving. However, unleashing uncontrolled, unfiltered outbursts of emotion are not profitable when our goal is to communicate our beliefs and ideas.
It is natural and right to respond emotionally to the senseless, inhumane treatment and deaths of George Floyd, Ahmad Avery, and […]