Posts

Procrastination - OK I stopped putting it off.

Image
Procrastination is too common in my life. For instance, I have been thinking about writing this blog post all week and just didn’t get it done until now.  It is one of those things that I believe affects all of us at one time or another, and for a variety of reasons.  I want to make a couple of different points here. I want to point out some reasons why we procrastinate, and I want to point out three areas where we should never procrastinate. “Don’t put off till tomorrow what can be done today”, is the oldest of the sayings that I recall my Mother drilling into my skull about homework and school projects. Yet I continued to delay and delay, but why? The big term paper that I had weeks to work on, became a last-minute fire drill way too often. I believe it is because of either pleasure or fear. We are hardwired to do what makes us feel good. So, if there is a task which is not inherently pleasant, we will push it off and do something else that is fun.   In today’s world there
1 comment
Read more

Looking back over 2018

Image
As I sit relaxing and thinking back over the past year, I find much to be happy about and see a shift towards true peace and contentment in my life. These things did not just happen, rather they required effort on my part, and honestly, a lot of grace from God. To God I give thanks and more. I have found that I have many dear friends who care deeply about me and my well being. They have helped me emotionally, professionally and spiritually. Some have moved far away, yet our connection remains. New friendships have developed. For these acts of love, I am grateful. They have supported me in ways I have rarely felt. In return, I have tried to offer the same to them and to new friends I welcome to our fellowship. I have a special someone who cares about me. Someone who gives so much for my happiness. She is a wonderful person that shares my faith, my hope a nd my peace. I am blessed. I have learned to live simply. I don't need "things" to make me happy. I don't ne
Post a Comment
Read more

Failure

Image
Too often, we hear the words from the Apollo 13 story “Failure is not an option!” and apply it to our lives. In my years of professional and personal experience, that is a big mistake. I have learned that to fail is not only human (i.e. we all do it), but it is healthy and promotes growth. At least it does if we view it in the right perspective. Let me begin with a true life analogy. Several months ago a good friend convinced me to really focus on lifting weights as a way to stay healthy. I have had many periods of my life where I went to the gym and lifted weights as part of a health routine, but it never really stuck. Also I never had anyone talk to me about how to lift to change or improve my body. My friend had been into weightlifting in his past and wanted someone to help him stay committed to lifting again, so I agreed even though I am twenty years older than him. We meet five days a week, working different muscle groups each day. More importantly, we are pushing ourselv
Post a Comment
Read more

September 11th... 17 years later

On S eptember 16, 2001, I was scheduled to bring the morning message to my home congregation in Atlanta. I was scheduled to share long before the events of September 11th occurred, but any preparation I had made was set aside after that day.  I offer to you my words from many years ago as Thoughts to Ponder today. Something to make you think about your motivations then, and now. How did that day affect your view of God and the world around us? As this week has passed by, there have been a wide variety of emotions running through all of us.  We have all felt shock, pain, fear, anger and I pray, hope.  At first, it was as if this wasn’t really happening.  I heard one comment that said they were waiting to see Bruce Willis come running out of a building as if this was just another “Die Hard” movie.  I was on the phone in my office when someone put a note in front of me saying a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. With no televisions in the office, a few radios were turned on
Post a Comment
Read more

Living in Integrity

Image
Integrity is a word I have heard off and on throughout my entire life. Never really giving it much thought, but also believing that I was a man of integrity.  I was wrong for a good part of my life. Partially due to some poor decision making, but mostly because I never thought about what it really means to live in integrity. So in response, I have spent time to read, research and interview others on what the word means in one’s life. I desire to truly live this in my life. For many the word “integrity” is simply being honest or balanced in life. For others is is being “who you are”.  As I have listened and learned, neither of these really describe what “integrity” means as a way of life. In truth it goes deeper. Let’s start at an easy place, Google defines integrity with two statements: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness The state of being whole and undivided Both definitions are something to aspire to. Being honest and
Post a Comment
Read more

50 Years of Progress?

Image
Here I sit, having spent much of the past few weeks struggling to find the thoughts and the time to sit and add another post to this blog. I apologize for my absence. I think it is fitting that I return on another day remembering Dr. King and his contribution to the world.  Today we remember his sacrifice. He lost his life 50 years ago, but his message continues on. In 1967, in a Christmas sermon on Peace he offered the following: "If you lose hope, somehow you lose that vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of all. And so today I still have a dream." Hope, a word that can mean so much.  Dr. King had hope for a better tomorrow, a place where peace was real and people treated each other as equals.  His hope kept him moving through some very rough moments. Moments where violence and anger were all around him, inflicted by close minded people who saw themselves as better. But also times when the
Post a Comment
Read more

MLK Day 2018

Image
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" - Dr. Martin Luther King Today is Martin Luther King Day.  For many, it is just another day. That holds true for me most of my life. I grew up in a middle class white family that had most of the things we needed to be comfortable. I lived in the deep south, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi in my younger days. I saw prejudice and racism up close, but not aimed at me.  I was raised in a family where those thoughts were not part of who we were. I didn’t make much of racism because I didn’t live it; either as the oppressor or the oppressed. I went to school at the University of Mississippi, Ole Miss. A school that has one of the worst legacies in racism. From James Meredith in the 60’s being escorted onto campus by the National Guard to the more recent events Colonel Reb mascot being removed and the song “From Dixie with Love” being banned; the school does not seem to be the b
1 comment
Read more