Category: Thursday Thoughts

We have been in our new home for a month. As I reflected on the process of selling our home and moving away from family and friends in Orlando to South Carolina, I realized we went through five distinct outlooks regarding the world around us.  We were settlers in Orlando.  We had lived there for…

What really gets you frustrated?  Who frustrates you? I am intrigued by the varied responses to these two questions.  There seem to me to be three concepts that directly influence how we answer these questions: 1) Self-Efficacy, 2) Locus of Control, and 3) Self-Esteem.  This isn’t a psychology class, but it is important we understand…

I find it interesting how the mind begins to construct concepts like a home over a lifetime of experiences, thoughts, and emotions.  A house isn’t a home, but a house can become a home. One can also have a home without a house. So, what is the difference between these two terms?  A home has…

Do you ever wonder why things turn out the way they do? I mean, is God really orchestrating every butterfly wing that flaps in Southeast Asia? Balancing all the details regarding our recent home building has been a challenge. So many things turned out differently than we desired or planned. I think some of this…

I am amazed at how often my words, thoughts, or actions are influenced by those around me.  In the 1960’and 1970’s Bandura researched how much of kid’s (and later adult’s) behavior, thoughts and attitudes was influenced by the social context in which they found themselves.  His research was very convincing, and I believed it, however…

Last week, I mentioned that insecurities are often the cause of why I don’t see things from God’s perspective.  For me, the most difficult obstacle to overcome in seeing a situation from God’s perspective is getting “me” out of the way. Most of us struggle with realizing how our own insecurities cause us to miss…

I am always surprised at how often followers of Christ pray more about God making their lives comfortable rather than making them people of good character. As I have heard the prayers at many churches and listened to thousands of individual prayers, clearly, most of what I hear is asking God for physical, relational, or…

In a recent blog, I mentioned that when I was 20 years old, I came to submit my life to God’s plan for my life with 51% believing and 49% doubting.  I made that decision with my heart, soul, and mind to submit to the rule of Christ for living and found freedom and forgiveness…

I have seen it play out so many times over the last fifty years.  Another godly, gifted, and impactful Christian leader confesses after being confronted with a moral lapse that disqualified him/her for ministry.  Too many gifted leaders suffer debilitating moral injuries after they achieve success by choosing to walk into a moral morass.  During…