Category Archives: Food for Thought

Food for Thought, Life in general, LifeSpring, LifeSpring Church, theology

My name is legion.

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Image I lived in Minnesota in the 70’s when the movie, The Exorcist, made its debut on American screens. The movie terrified audiences, and some people even imagined being stalked by demons trying to capture their lives.

When I first started working on the sermon I will deliver on February 24, my mind floated to that movie and Linda Blair’s head doing a 360. I concluded long ago that the movie only trivialized the possibilities for evil in this world. And the greatest evil is not something that makes your head spin, but rather which causes you to hate everything that is noble and beautiful. Continue reading My name is legion. →

Editorials, Food for Thought, LifeSpring, LifeSpring Church, People

5 Ways to Cause Others to Quit Listening

ListeningKeeping another person engaged in conversation is an art.  It cannot be assumed that others will be interested in what we are saying, and failing to pay attention to that fact can cause a person to become boorish, irritating, and repelling.  Who wants to be the person that sends others scurrying for the nearest exit?

There are some disciplines or tools that will keep others engaged.  Paying attention to these tools requires some attention and work, but it pays high dividends. Continue reading 5 Ways to Cause Others to Quit Listening →

Editorials, Food for Thought, Life in general, LifeSpring

THAT kind of person….

Woman anointing Jesus' feet 02Simon was a Pharisee.  He lived a monochrome religious life that was “cut and dried” and had no room for questioning or grace.  One day he invited Jesus to his home, presumably for some quiet conversation and theological debate.

So when a woman burst into his polite dinner party, he and his guests were horrified.  In her hands was a beautiful alabaster jar, like the type used to carry perfumed ointment, and her eyes were bloodshot and moist.  A room full of male eyes telescoped to see what the commotion was.  Continue reading THAT kind of person…. →

Food for Thought

Sowing and Reaping

sowing_seeds

Our business networking group works according to certain principles, the most important of which are showing up every week, getting to know everyone in the group, and referring business to fellow members.

People who neglect to perform these disciplines generally leave after several weeks or a few months saying, “I never got any business from the group; it’s not worth my time.”

Such proffered excuses are actually a cover-up. The real reason is a failure to understand the importance of giving to others before expecting anything in return. Continue reading Sowing and Reaping →

Editorials, Food for Thought, sermons

Flattery will get you nowhere.

FlatteryThe child rearing program called Systematic Training for Effective Parenting teaches parents to help their children internalize values and make choices accordingly rather than depending on external forces such as rebuke, rules, and laws.

What this means is that, for example, a child learns to treat others with kindness out of respect (internal value) rather than because s/he will get in trouble with the teacher (external force). People who are incarcerated are so because they failed to internalize and personalize values. Continue reading Flattery will get you nowhere. →

Food for Thought

Reading Is Fundamental #4

Kretchmer Wheat GermOpening a bottle of Kretchmer’s Wheat Germ fascinates me. The small grains of wheat germ swirl around like a tiny volcano as outside air rushes into the vacuüm sealed bottle.

That principle of air rushing into a vacuüm explains a lot of human experiences. A family with a vacuum of spiritual influence will be filled by other influences. A bored or purposeless adult will seek ideas or things to fill the void. And a human mind will always find objects to fill its curious spaces. Continue reading Reading Is Fundamental #4 →

Food for Thought

Reading Is Fundamental #3

Read 06Dana Gioia wrote in June 2006 wrote that “something fundamentally intellectual and spiritual…happens to readers through the combination of the sustained focused attention that you bring to reading, the use of your imagination…and also your use of memory.”

From: http://www.csub.edu/ah/AH_matter/importanceofreading.pdf.

Reading requires “muscles” that are never developed in passive activities such as watching TV and other forms of media. Reading is a distinctively imaginative activity since books require the transformation of type into ideas and mental pictures. Continue reading Reading Is Fundamental #3 →