“Out of the heart come the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 Heart Maps. To most of you, this may seem to be an unusual combination of words or ideas. We often hear phrases such as heart attack, heart trouble, heart break, and heartache. And, we know what these words mean. But what is a heart map? To be honest, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen these words used together before. So, I may be coining a new word combination. Let me try to explain by discussing these words separately […]
Thinking; the ability to consider, ponder, plan, and solve problems is a God-given endowment that is so important to each of us. While some ” lesser” animals can problem-solve, none compares to the high levels of thinking humans are capable of. Neuroscientist have discovered that we humans have more highly developed frontal lobes in our brain than any other species. Do you remember the Genesis story of how God created everything? The heavenly bodies, the earth, water, fish, and animals all preceded his crowing act. And, He created […]
Today, I want to give you a little checklist of 6 reminders about good choices. Life requires choices and sometimes we need reminders, a checklist of things to keep in mind, especially when our decisions are weighty ones. Good choices are important because we are given one life and the awesome power to decide who we will be and what we will do with our life. We make choices and those choices have consequences. Some choices seem rather inconsequential but others have life-altering, eternal meaning. The good choice to follow […]
“Follow the money” is a phrase often used related to the investigation of political corruption. We are starting to hear this idea tossed about in relation to our current president and his son. It was prominent in a 1976 movie, All the President’s Men, focusing on the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follow_the_money#:~:text=%22Follow%20the%20money%22%20is%20a,examining%20money%20transfers%20between%20parties. I believe “following the money” will reveal a great deal about each of us. If you “follow the money” in your life, what will that say about you? Money is important. It is one of […]
There are 3 basic steps involved in making good decisions. Wise people learn to make a habit of making choices that are good for them and others. What better habit could you develop than the habit of making one good decision after another? Most of us will confess that one way we have learned how to make better decisions is through the pain and frustration of bad ones. If we were smart we did some serious thinking, talked to wiser people, and did some research so as not to make […]
” The Savvy Investor” is the subject of my blog today. Investing is important to all of us. I had to brace myself before opening my IRA retirement account recently. I reassured myself and my wife that the double-digit percentage loss is “only on paper” and we don’t need that money right now. Perhaps you are also concerned about some of your financial investments; an empty building you need to rent out, taxes and insurance you are paying on a vehicle or a “toy” that isn’t providing a good ROI. […]
” Easter people in a Good Friday World.” I was intrigued and curious when I heard her say it. Our speaker that morning was a very bright and devoted follower of Jesus named Kristi McClelland. What did she mean by this arresting introductory statement to her powerful message , “Easter people in a Good Friday World?” My primary takeaway from Kristi’s message is that followers of Jesus serve a Risen Lord. Yes, Good Friday is important but without the resurrection God’s plan has failed and we are still in our […]
Heaven’s currency is something that should be of interest to all of us. This is especially true in light of what’s happening to the dollar, the currency of our country. Inflation is a big concern for most of us these days. We are noticing that our dollars are shrinking, buying mush less than they were a year ago. My car’s gas tank is about half full (or half empty if you tend to see things negatively) and I’m dreading to face the price indicator as I pump the gas again. […]
“Never let a crisis go to waste.” You often hear that phrase used in relation to the current administration in our nation’s capitol. But, according to my resident scholar Alexa, that phrase was used many years ago by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. His exact words were “Never let a ‘good’ crisis go to waste.” Some folks believe that politicians create a problem or crisis in order to distract the public from another pressing issue. This would be similar to a person setting a building on fire while they go to […]
What’s Happening To Us? The convergence of several crises such as we have dealt with in recent years can create a sense of upheaval and bewilderment. At the beginning of this century’s third decade, America’s economy was booming. Unemployment rates were low, the lowest ever in several minority sectors. The usual political rancor and vindictive rhetoric of Washington D.C. continued to dominate the media in anticipation of November’s national elections. But, despite the deep political and value-based divisions, our country seemed to be doing pretty well. Most of us had no […]
