What in the world is wrong with society today? I’ve heard that question asked several times this week. People were shocked when they heard that an Australian baseball player and college student in Oklahoma had been shot by 3 teenagers.

The news media quickly laid the blame for this incident at the feet of the absent parents and the socio-economic conditions in which the boys lived.

I disagree. I think the problem runs much deeper, and it is a result of a subtle change in the way society views truth.

We have moved from a concept that there are absolute truths that remain unchanged; that truth is not created; it is discovered. A large number of people now espouse the idea that truth is not discovered—it is created.

The view of truth that is permeating our society is called relativism, and it mistakenly believes several things:
• Truth is whatever you belief
• Self is the standard of truth
• Truth is not determined by an outside reality

If there is no objective truth, to what then do we appeal when there is a clash of paradigms? The murder of the young baseball player is an example of cultural values that are void of absolute truth. The mentality that prevailed was: What is yours is now mine and your life has no value when it runs contrary to my selfish desires.

Call me old-fashioned, but I still believe in the righteous truth of God’s Word: Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people (Proverbs 14:34).

There have been several times that I have ended this blog with phrases like:
• I hope that’s enough to keep you thinking
• Think About It!

I do this because I know the importance of controlling our thoughts. When a person embraces a new way of thinking, it will lead to a new way of living.

When Paul wrote his letter of instruction and rebuke to the church at Corinth, he spoke of “taking every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10).” Paul believed that the undisciplined life of these people could be changed, if they were willing to discipline their thoughts.

Thoughts worth thinking seem to have been a theme of Paul’s. He instructed the Philippians to focus their thoughts on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.”

If we fail to dwell on “these things,” are we giving squatter’s rights to unwelcome guests? Do we make room for doubt, despair, and depression? Are thoughts of excellence overcome by mental mediocrity? Do helpful thoughts become hurtful thoughts? Are principled thoughts compromised? Do we think more of reconciliation or retaliation?

I’ll close with the wise words of Solomon: As a person thinks in his heart , so is he (Proverbs 23:7). So, how are you thinking?

When properly used a skilled carpenter can take a hammer and easily drive a nail deep into a piece of wood. When improperly used, by a makeshift hack, the hammer may smack the nail of a thumb. While both are nails, they are designed for different purposes.

When I have hit my thumbnail with a hammer, the result has been a bruised, swollen, and throbbing thumb. When people see my thumb, they make an assumption: The thumb was either hit by something or some heavy object smashed it.

This is what Paul referred to as the proof or evidence of what is not seen. Even though the hammer was not present, the evidence of the hammer was clearly revealed by the condition of the thumb.

Paul speaks of this in Romans 1:20: “For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made.”

Ron Rhodes makes an interesting comment about this: “Just as crime scene investigators, archaeologists, cryptographers, copyright office workers, and people who see skywriting find evidence of intelligent beings’ activity, so also we can clearly see evidence of intelligent design in the universe. Substantial evidence indicates that an intelligent being intentionally brought our universe into existence and that the universe was not the result of random chance or a cosmic accident. Such evidence serves as the primary focus of the academic field of intelligent design (Rhodes, Ron (2010-03-01). 5-Minute Apologetics for Today (p. 147). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition).

My Hammerology comments are closely related to the apologetics of William Paley who used the analogy of a watch and the Watchmaker. In a nutshell, Paley surmised that if someone found a watch in an empty field, that person would logically conclude that it was designed and not the product of random formation. Paley believed if this was true of the watch and the Watchmaker, it should be true of life and the universe.

If a person would conclude that the intricate design of a watch requires a Designer or Watchmaker, isn’t the same true when a person considers the complex design of the universe?

I’ve been told that the English language can be difficult to comprehend due to the multiple definitions a single word can have.

As an example, think of the word “light.” It can be used in many different ways:
• The speaker shed some light on the subject.
• Her suitcase was heavy, and she wanted to lighten her load.
• He turned on the light switch, so he could see.

Light can also:
• Bring comfort when a person is frightened
• Be discomforting when it reveals a secret
• Guide us or help to give direction: Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path (Ps 119:105).

I remember a conversation I had with Richard Gregory concerning his time in the navy. When the ship was sailing under a “lights out order,” an officer would summons Richard to the deck. Richard could look at the stars at night and tell the officer what time it was.

Richard could do this because he was a student of astronomy, and he had memorized four important landmarks in the night sky:
• The 0-hour circle
• The 6-hour circle
• The 12-hour circle
• The 18 hour circle

Richard’s ability to comprehend the night sky was a benefit to his shipmates. It not only told them the hour of the night, but it also helped to guide the ship.

In I John 2:5, John used a word that is meaningful to our discussion: “Whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected.” The word “keeps” was a nautical term. Sailors in John’s day, would speak of “keeping the stars,” or charting their course at night by the stars.

In the verse above, John says the same thing that the Psalmist said: We need to follow the principles of God’s Word and let it direct the path we walk.

Think about it: You can lighten your load and brighten your path by following God’s love letter to you.

After watching the evening news, it is easy to feel anxiety begin to build as you worry about the future. Someone has said that “Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, but only saps today of its strength.”

Why worry about yesterday? It is past and cannot be changed. If we spend the present worrying about the future, we are emotionally drained and sapped of our energy.

This does not mean that we should have no concern for what awaits us tomorrow, but what we need to understand is that there is a difference between worry and concern. All a worried person does is see the problem, while the concerned person takes constructive steps to address the problem.

Let me share a couple of things that I’ve heard about worry over the years. Worry is:
• Interest paid on trouble before it comes due
• As worthless as a handle on a snow ball
• Is spiritual short-sightedness, and the cure is intelligent faith
• “The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.” Robert Frost

If left unattended, worry can morph into a nasty case of anxiety. In the book, Anxiety Free, the author shares four rules to help in the management of anxiety.

Rule #1—See Things Realistically
• Be realistic not pessimistic
• When making predictions, focus on facts not feelings
• Focus on probabilities not possibilities

Rule #2—Normalize Consequences
• False alarms are not the same thing as reality
• You don’t die from obsessions, panic, or fear

Rule #3—Let Go of Control (You don’t need to control every aspect of your life)

Rule #4—Embrace Your Anxiety
• Seek out experiences that make you anxious
• Accept reasonable risk
• Stay in it as long as possible

When it comes to our emotions, I’m a firm believer that you either control your emotions or they control you.
Think About It!

Doors: What image first came to your mind when you read “doors?” Was it the American rock band that was formed in 1965 and their lead singer Jim Morrison? Although I was not a big fan of The Doors, I did like a few of their songs.

My intent is not to focus on doors in the musical sense, but rather the doors that are a part of a person’s everyday life. These are the doors that we:
• Prop open and sometimes pry open
• Lock and unlock
• Open to invite people in or slam to keep people out

Thinking of The Doors and their song, we close doors to keep from feeling effects of a storm.

The analogy of a door is used several places in the Bible. Jesus spoke of being the Good Shepherd and the door through which people enter the gates of Heaven.

In the Revelation, Jesus said: Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me Rev. 3:20 HCSB).

The next time your door bell rings or you hear someone knocking on your door, think about the offer Jesus has made in the verses above. You may want say: “I hear you knocking, Come on in.”

As I write this there is bloodshed in the streets of Cairo, Egypt. The military has or is about to suspend the constitution and dismiss President Mursi. The turmoil there forces me to think of the scandals here that plague the Obama administration. With this in mind, I have reflected on some of the speeches of the Founding Fathers, and the words of Reagan.

It was Jefferson who declared: “Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them if we basely entail hereditary bondage on them.”

And, Benjamin Franklin warned: “They who can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty nor safety.”

Finally some words to challenge us from Ronald Reagan: “I think it’s time we ask ourselves if we still know the freedoms that were intended for us by the Founding Fathers. … Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves . . . You and I are told increasingly that we have to choose between a left or right, but I would like to suggest that there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down — up to a man’s age-old dream; the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order — or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism, and regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course.”

Perhaps what we need is the spirit of Thomas Paine who wrote: “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.”

May we rise up in a patriot spirit to right the wrongs of our day.

As I was surfing the net, I stumbled across a website (commonsensemedia.org) that I found interesting. I liked what they wrote about their purpose and goal: “Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology.”

If there is anything we need today, it is the presence of some good common sense in our lives as individuals, and in a corporate sense throughout our nation.

When I try to find some common sense, I usually turn to Proverbs, the Wisdom book of the Bible, to read the counsel of Solomon. He had some interesting things to say in Proverbs 3: Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold. She is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left, riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant, and all her paths, peaceful. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her,and those who hold on to her are happy (Proverbs 3:13-18).

I find wisdom and common sense in the words of others as well:

->Robert Frost: In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
Gandhi: Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
->Groucho Marx: Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.
->Ralph Waldo Emerson: For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
->Mother Teresa: Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.
->Abraham Lincoln: People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Do you have a favorite piece of wisdom or common sense that has been passed down to you? If so, I’d like to hear it.

When I flip through family photos, I see a strong resemblance to Edgar Lacy. I am either cursed or blessed with his hairline, and my face is beginning to be a mirror image of the wrinkles and furrows that were his identifying features.

I remember this gentle man with a great deal of fondness. Even though Granddad Lacy was short in stature, he was a giant when it came to love and kindness.

Some people have certain characteristics that define them. I can hear some people speak and without even seeing them, and I can still tell you who they are and to what family they belong. Their family resemblance is undeniable.

What is the characteristic that causes you to resemble Jesus? Even if you tried to deny the relationship this feature would be so undeniable that no one would believe your protests?

Jesus said it is love: I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13).
This is the kind of love that turns the other cheek, forgives 70 times 7, walks the extra mile, and engages in the pure and undefiled religion that looks after the less fortunate (James 1:27). When we practice this as a family tradition, I’m confident that God looks down from heaven and says: It’s undeniable, that’s my boy!

It is official–I’m old! I didn’t discover this by looking into a mirror or hearing my joints pop and crackle when I get out of a chair.

Nope, I discovered it when I had Hank, my dog, out for a walk at forest Park. As I walked, I could hear the voices of some young whipper snappers playing at the band shell: “Hey look at that dog.” Then I heard another voice: “See that old man over there.” I turned to see where the old man was, and then I heard the voice again: “That dog belongs to that old man over there.”

It was then that I realized that not only was I the “old man” who was “over there,” I was also “over the hill old man” in the estimation of those kids.

I had to chuckle as I thought about how my perspective on age has changed. When I was in high school, I thought my parents were ancient. Now that I am old and decrepit, I know how young my parents were.

I’ve heard it said that age is a state of mind. Let me share the old-age wit and wisdom from people who have said: You know you are old when:

1. You and your teeth don’t sleep together.
2. Your try to straighten out the wrinkles in your socks and discover you aren’t wearing any.
3. At the breakfast table you hear snap, crackle, pop and you’re not eating cereal.
4. Your back goes out but you stay home.
5. When happy hour is a nap.
6. When you say something to your kids that your mother said to you, and you always hated it.
7. Your idea of weight lifting is standing up.
8. It takes twice as long – to look half as good.
9. You look for your glasses for half an hour and they were on your head the whole time.
10. You finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.

Earlier this week, I heard Carlos Slim, the Mexican billionaire who is worth an estimated $72.1 billion, say that 60 is the new 30. I like his thinking–this “old Man” is just half as old as those kids think he is.