Author: insightbyseymour

Truth: A Graphic Contrast

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

truth-2One evening last week, I read Psalm 85 a few minutes before I watched the evening news.  There was a graphic contrast in the manner in which the two considered the subject of truth.

As I watched interviews of politicians and their proficiency in spinning the truth, I wished they had taken the time to read Psalm 85 and to consider the words of both Jesus and Solomon:

  • In John 8:32, Jesus said: You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
  • In Proverbs 12:17, Solomon said: Truthful witness by a good person clears the air, but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit. ~ The Message

The need for honest assessments and truthful dialogue has been the subject of discussion since the advent of man, and I’ve selected a couple of comments as examples:

  • K. Chesterton: “Right is right even if nobody does it. Wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong about it.”
  • Albert Einstein: “Anyone who doesn’t take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either.”
  • Augustine: “The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.”

Stephen Covey has said: Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships. Trust, however, can be victimized when we are too casual with the truth, and too comfortable with deceit.

The life motto of some people seems to be a question: Why tell the truth when a good lie will do?

The spiritual environment of Ephesus was a polluted atmosphere of toxic distrust due to a litany of lies perpetrated through the worship of Artemis. Because of this, Paul encouraged the church to no longer be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes, but speak the truth in love, so you will grow up into Christ (Ephesians 4:14-14).

I will end this post where I started, and that is with the words of Psalm 85:

Mercy and truth have met. Righteousness and peace have kissed.

Truth sprouts from the ground, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

The Lord will certainly give us what is good, and our land will produce crops.

Righteousness will go ahead of him, and make a path for his steps.

Psalm 85:10-13

Words Like Honey

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment
CFD9E4D3-4FA9-49BA-833D-5F818A008315 (1)

Nitro’s Elhew Legacy: “Hank”

I enjoy the outdoors, and I usually take at least two walks a day with Hank as my companion.  Regardless of the season, Hank is smelling the air, and checking it for the scent of quail.

This time of year, my attention is less on quail and more on song birds and cardinals crested in red; however, I’m easily distracted by the buzzing of bees as they meticulously go from flower to flower harvesting pollen.

The bees prick my mind and enliven the memories of Fern—not the plant, but the person.  Fern was my great-aunt and she was a beekeeper and a woman who crafted elderberry-based home remedies.

I was reminded of Aunt Fern this morning when I was reading the Proverbs: Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones (16:24).

I know Aunt Fern could be firm when necessary, but I remember her more for her pleasant words of kindness, for her love, and for her shelves full of large sticky jars of honey that she had collected from her bees.

When today is history, will people remember you for your pleasant words that were healing and helpful or for tirades that were hurtful? Today may be the last chance you have to make a positive difference in the life of someone you meet; so, I challenge you to take these next few words to heart:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ~Ephesians 4:29

The Secret to Happiness

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

smileA recent Gallup poll surveyed the happiness levels of Americans and has found that the levels are at a four-year high. Almost 60 percent of Americans say they feel happy, and they do not have a lot of stress or worry.

The Center for Disease Control looked at another aspect of life and found that about 40% of Americans haven’t discovered a satisfying life purpose, and almost 25% of Americans report they do not have a strong sense of what makes their lives meaningful.

The quest for happiness and the search for meaning have different results. Researchers agree that when a person engages in a single-minded quest for happiness he discovers a pot of dissatisfaction at the end of his rainbow.

This was the sad case of the prodigal son. Victor Frankl showed an understanding of this paradox when he said: “It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness.”

Frankl’s understanding of meaning, life’s purpose, and happiness was formed under the harsh conditions of a Nazi concentration camp. Frankl wrote of his experience in the 1946 best seller Man’s Search for Meaning. He had come to the conclusion that the difference between those who had lived and those who had died came down to one thing—meaning. His fellow prisoners who had found meaning in the dire conditions of the death camp were much more resilient than those who had not.

Frankl’s conclusions have been supported by research that shows the value of having purpose and meaning in life:

• It increases overall well-being and life satisfaction
• It improves mental and physical health
• It enhances resiliency, and self-esteem, and it decreases the chances of depression.

The Journal of Positive Psychology reported on research by Jennifer Aaker of Stanford Graduate School of Business. Aaker and her colleagues, found that “Happiness was linked to being a taker rather than a giver, whereas meaningfulness went with being a giver rather than a taker.”

The Apostle Paul knew a little something about givers and takers: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

How about you? Are you a giver or a taker? When you find the answer to this question, you may find your purpose in life.

Sand on the Seashore

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Sand carver Shanin works on a sculpture during the Sand Sculpture Festival "Disney Sand Magic" in OstendHave you ever wanted to visit Cinderella’s castle, stand side-by-side with Captain America, or get investment advice from the curmudgeonly Scrooge McDuck? If so, you might want to schedule a vacation to Belgium.

Sand sculptor enthusiasts have transformed a beach in Belgium into a giant sand gallery of larger-than-life characters.  Visitors to the beach will see the super heroes and cartoon characters who were part of their childhood fantasies.

The Sand Sculpture Festival of Ostend, Belgium, is scheduled to run until September’ unless, a character flaw is revealed.  Each of these sculptures has an Achille’s heel; they are made of sand, and can easily fall prey to a drenching thunderstorm.

The same is true with anyone who tries to build a life on an unstable foundation.  Are you trying to build on a solid rock or shifting sand? Jesus said: Whoever hears these words of Mine and does them, will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain came down. The water came up. The wind blew and hit the house. The house did not fall because it was built on rock.  Whoever hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ~Matthew 7:24-25

castle

A Yellow Rose For Dad

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

roseHi Dad. I think about you every day, but it’s been quite some time since I last wrote.  I’ve never been much of a fan of greeting cards—Hallmark would go broke if they depended on me.

Anyway, since today is July 7th, and your 88th birthday, I thought it was time for a little talk.  A lot has happened since May 25, 1965—our last goodbye. You walked out the door and headed to Cities Service for another eight hours of work in the oil patch, and you never came home.

You were about two months shy of your 36th birthday, and I was 12 and in 6th grade.  I thought you were old, but now that I’m 64, I know how young you really were—perspective is a strange thing.

I’m thankful for the memories that I have of you.  They were formed through the things you taught me, and I’ve passed those lessons on to my kids.

Speaking of my kids, there’s a little bit of you in both of them.  I coached Wade throughout little league, and he learned to hit, catch and throw the same way you taught me; and he’s now coaching his daughter and son.

I remember how much you loved to whistle and sing.  Jennifer has your appreciation for a good song, and a beautiful voice. You would enjoy listening to her sing.

I never told you, but when you showered, I would sit outside on the patio and listen to you sing: Mocking Bird Hill, Red River Valley, and Get Along Home Cindy were your favorites.

Whenever I drive East towards Eureka, my thoughts still turn towards Sallyards, and your mom’s chicken and noodles, cherry pie, and singing while she played the piano; and, I can’t forget Grandpa standing on the piano bench.  He would have Uncle Jim and Harold Dale standing back to back to see who was the tallest.

By the way, Jim called Monday.  He’s the last of the 6 Seymour siblings, but I guess you know that because the rest are with you.

I hope Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Catherine kept their promises to me.  I spent quite a bit of time with both of them while they were dying, and asked them to tell you “hi,” and to let you know that I still love you.

Well dad, I better wrap this up.  I’ll stop by the cemetery a little later today with a yellow rose; they were your favorite—I still remember.

Happy Birthday and I Love you!

Stan

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. ~John 11:25

 

Uniquely Kind

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Unique means “one of a kind.” Today is your opportunity to be the one of a kind person someone will meet. Will you be unique with your kindness?

hand-619733_660-shadow

Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. ~Ephesians 4:32

Remember to, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ~Colossians 3:12

mother t

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.
~Mother Teresa

His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord!  ~Psalm 117:2

A Not So Strange Inheritance

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

100991759-buried-treasure-mezz.1910x1000When I was a small boy I was intrigued by the thought of discovering some buried treasure that had been hidden by Jesse James or some outlaw gang. It never happened; I never found my stash of gold.

My youthful fascination might help explain why I like to watch Strange Inheritance.  It’s a program that tells the stories of some benefactors, their unusual collections, the beneficiaries, and the unique circumstances involving them all.

There seems to be a bit of mystique associated with an inheritance, and the subject easily catches a person’s attention.  Even Joshua knew this, and he spoke of an inheritance about as often as a person orders a hamburger in a fast food joint.

Joshua reminds the people of their inheritance over 50 times. In the first chapter, God told Joshua to, “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”

You may not have hopes of inheriting much wealth in this life, but you do have a promised inheritance from God. In Paul’s letter to Titus he said: We are “justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7).” He also wrote to the church at Ephesus about the riches of our glorious inheritance in Jesus.

Discovering your inheritance isn’t a matter of digging dirt to find a buried treasure, it simply a matter of realizing that your treasure is already in heaven and you are blessed in Christ:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly place

The Brewmeister: Larger Than His Lagers

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

libertyWe live in the age of chefs who are masters of culinary delights and connoisseurs of fine ales and home brewed drinks. I find it strange that these epicurean tendencies have tapped the keg of notoriety and made a brand more famous than the man.

In recent years, Samuel Adams Boston Lager has grown larger and more famous than its namesake—Samuel Adams; however, history tells another story. Adams served in several different capacities that benefited the American revolution and the birthing of our nation. Adams was a:

  • Member of the Continental Congress (1774-81)
  • Signer of the Declaration of Independence (1776)sons
  • Volunteer who helped draft the Articles of Confederation (1777)
  • Delegate to the Massachusetts constitutional convention (1779-80)
  • President of the Massachusetts senate (1781)
  • Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts (1789-94), and also served as Governor of Massachusetts (1794- 97).

In the pages of history, you’ll see references to Samuel Adams as the “Firebrand of the Revolution” and “The Father of the American Revolution.” To successfully achieve the revolution, Adams knew that men of character would be an essential.  In November of 1775, He wrote: Nothing is more essential to the establishment of manners in a State than that all persons employed in places of power and trust must be men of unexceptionable characters.

Adams had connected the dots, and he believed there was a link between character and the Creator.  He said: Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness . . . In the supposed state of nature, all men are equally bound by the laws of nature, or to speak more properly, the laws of the Creator.

Even though Adams had tried and failed in his efforts to brew beer as a business, I think he would rather be remembered less for his lagers in life, and more for his larger than life role during the infancy of the USA.

 

Less and More

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

evaluation3-copyWe are living in the digital age, and we are being aged by the frenzied pace of the world.  Technology promises to make life easier; however, these promises are often just empty and hollow distractions.

Most everyone is looking for peace and fulfillment, and they try to find it in the promises broadcast through their radios or the marketing slogans plastered on billboards.  These messages promise you fresher breathe, whiter teeth, or a newer car as the answer to all of your problems.

Money may provide momentary happiness, but nothing this world has to offer can iron out the wrinkles of a stressed-filled life.  The solution is not found in consuming a larger piece of the world, but in possessing a larger than life peace that’s found in Jesus.

The answer is less of the world and more of Jesus:  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).

The best way to keep your life from falling apart is to keep it together through the peace of God:

Since then it is by faith that we are justified, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have confidently entered into this new relationship of grace, and here we take our stand, in happy certainty of the glorious things he has for us in the future.

This doesn’t mean, of course, that we have only a hope of future joys—we can be full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles. Taken in the right spirit these very things will give us patient endurance; this in turn will develop a mature character, and a character of this sort produces a steady hope, a hope that will never disappoint us. Already we have some experience of the love of God flooding through our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us.  ~Romans 5:1-5 ~J.B. Phillips

A Penny’s Worth of Effort

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

1874-indian-head-penny-25-1423485383When I speak of proverbs, I usually think of Solomon as the author; however, there is an old German proverb that offers some wisdom in the area of self-discipline and priorities: Whoever does not respect the penny is not worthy of the dollar.

The essence of this quote seems to be: If you neglect or ignore the small things, you can’t be trusted with larger things. Neglect in one area of your life might be inconsequential if it happens once; however, when a pattern forms, it becomes a habit, and habits are the routines and practices that either confine you or refine you.

Most of us are like a stringed instrument, and we need to be re-tuned from time to time.  The word tune has several meanings:

  • As a noun it means, “a succession of musical sounds forming an air or melody, with or without the harmony accompanying it; a musical setting in four-part harmony; the state of being in the proper pitch.”
  • As a verb it means, “to give forth a musical sound; to be in harmony or accord; become responsive.”

It only takes a small incremental turn of the peg to make a big change in the tightness of a string and a dramatic change in the sound of a violin or guitar.  The same is true with your life—small changes can make a big difference.

To make these changes, I suggest that you:

  • Learn from Santa Claus: Make a list and check it twice. Which of your habits are being naughty or nice to you, and which one help you live in harmony with God?
  • Focus: When you tune a violin or guitar, you don’t turn all of the pegs and adjust all of the strings at once. You focus on one at a time. Instead of trying to develop several new habits and make multiple changes, make them one at a time.
  • Be Discriminate: Eliminate the non-essentials and practice the essentials. The one sucks the blood of life out of you while the other revitalizes you.
  • Learn from the 7 Dwarfs: Whistle while you work, and find some joy in what you’re doing. Be Happy, not Grumpy!
  • Circle the Wagons: When I was a kid, one of my favorite TV shows was Wagon Train. At the end of the day, Ward Bond would instruct the westward bound settlers to “Circle the wagons.”  This provided a circle of safety for the pioneers.  Ward Bond would tell you to “Circle yourself with good friends and people of character.”
  • Learn from David: In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch (Psalm 5:3).” Meet with God daily to pray, and plan for success.

The power of small acts is found in the words of Samuel Smiles:

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”

~Samuel Smiles