Some time ago, Doy Moyer, preacher and professor at Florida College, posted a piece about happiness as it relates to some of the ranting we witness on social media.
“There is a universal desire for happiness, but since happiness is so elusive, people have instead embraced anger and have given in to the hopelessness and bitterness that come with it.” Continue reading
Filed under facebook friday
As the USA prepares to celebrate our 244th birthday, it will be a day unlike any we’ve seen in our generation.
In many, if not most communities, there will be no fireworks or parades due to the COVID-19 pandemic that’s changed everything. Large gatherings are out. Beaches are being closed. And communities having fireworks, are urging people to stay home and watch them from the safety of their own backyard.
In fact, instead of this being an occasion to celebrate what’s right with America, we’re seeing an emphasis on criticizing what’s wrong with our country. Continue reading
Filed under America
When Abraham Lincoln was facing the crisis of a divided nation during the civil war, he was faced with many tough decisions. Often he was second guessed. Criticized. And even mocked.
It’s no wonder he admitted, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.”
During this current crisis, we may wonder where to go. Literally there’s no place to go. Everyone is told to stay home. At times, the advice of the experts seems contradictory and confusing. We ponder what the future holds. Will life ever be the same again? Continue reading
Filed under Parables of Jesus, Passage To Ponder
This week all the rage has been Gillette’s controversial ad. It opens with the narrator asking “Is this the best a man can get?”
The opening scenes show men and boys bullying, being obnoxious and harassing women. As men stand behind their barbecue grills and two little boys fight, the men are muttering “boys will be boys” implying that bad behavior is justified.
Interestingly the response has been mixed. First there was a backlash. Now there’s a backlash against the backlash. The YouTube video currently stands at 145,000 likes and 454,000 dislikes. Continue reading
Filed under Relationships
I’m feeling a bit melancholy on this Saturday morning.
I probably shouldn’t feel this way, but I do. It’s a beautiful beginning to the day. It’s a very pleasant 60 degrees on my back porch. The sun is shining. Birds are chirping. Squirrels are scampering about the woods behind us. The deer are enjoying their morning “salt lick.” And the coffee is good.
Why don’t I feel in a celebratory mood? Continue reading
Filed under America
The third Monday in February is designated as President’s Day. All Presidents, living and dead, are recognized and honored.
However, special honor is given to our first President, George Washington, born on February 22nd, and our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, who was born on this day, February 12th in 1809. Lincoln is one of America’s most admired Presidents. Called the Great Emancipator for his role in abolishing slavery, Lincoln was a unifying influence during the most divisive time in America’s history, the Civil War.
Lincoln was a man of faith, courage and humility. He was also a man of great persistence and perseverance. His life was filled with many problems, challenges and set backs. Here’s a brief sketch of Lincoln’s road to the White House. Continue reading
Filed under Persistence
Today Abraham Lincoln is regarded as one of our greatest Presidents. However, at that time he had many political enemies including Edwin Stanton, who looked down on Lincoln with great disdain. Among other unkind epithets, Stanton described Lincoln as “a long armed ape,” an “ignoramus” and “the original Gorilla.”
However, when it came time to replace Simon Cameron, his first Secretary of War, Lincoln appointed Stanton to the job. His Cabinet was shocked. But Lincoln believed Stanton was the best man for the job. Continue reading
Filed under Word of the Week
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”
You immediately recognize those words as the beginning of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. Today is the 150th anniversary of that speech at the dedication of the soldier’s National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Continue reading
Filed under America
My Franklin Day Planner has an inspirational thought of the day. On this day there is this quote by Abraham Lincoln: “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
This quote caused my mind to race back over 37 years to a cemetery in Cartersburg, Indiana. Norma Jean and I sat by my parents and listened to Aude McKee offer the grave side eulogy for my twenty-three year old brother, Bill. Continue reading
Filed under Life
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