Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLIII

The temperature outside was a frigid, bone-chilling 61 degrees Faranheit. Well, maybe 61 is not really THAT cold, but you would think it was by the way my friend, Phil, was preparing for it. I watched as he put on a heavy jacket and zipped it all the way up. Next he pulled a warm beanie cap down over his ears, followed by some black leather gloves on his hands. All that for 61 degrees? You see, Phil was getting ready to take a trip on a motorcycle, and he understood what we know as the "chill factor." I'm sure most of us are aware that the chill factor is not the actual temperature, rather it's what it feels like. Inanimate objects are not affected by the chill factor. The chill factor won't freeze your radiator nor damage your plants, because water and vegetation don't have the sense of feeling the way people and animals do. As far as we humans are concerned, however, the way it feels is what it is....at least in our minds, and that is true with more than just the temperature. Word got back to me one time that someone had said I reminded him of Reggie from the comic strip, "Archie," because I thought I was hot stuff. Huh? Me? If only he knew the truth! Although his assessment of me was inaccurate, it upset me when I heard what was said, because it made me wonder if that's how I came across. I worried that my effort to exhibit self confidence created a "chill factor" that made it "feel like" I thought more highly of myself than I should. What kind of person am I really? I guess that's a question that only God and me could answer, but in the minds of others, their perception of me is reality. That leads me to ask the question, "How do I make others feel?" Even if I'm a warm hearted guy, if I come across as cold and heartless, that's how I will be viewed. Do I make it seem like I don't really want to make conversation, and appear to be in a hurry to get away? Do I give the impression that your issues are minor compared to the things that personally affect me? The type of man I "appear" to be makes no difference to the bed I sleep in or the car I drive, because they don't have feelings; but to other individuals, it makes all the difference in the world. My actual temperature is 98.6, but if I make you feel like it's 68.9, my chill factor is coming in to play, and I don't want that. My goal is to make you feel warm, kicking the chill factor out of the equation. Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLII

My friend spoke to his little girl with a stern, authoritative voice: "Mandi, if you do that one more time, young lady, you're going to be in big trouble. Do you understand me?" "Yes sir." Less than five minutes later, however, she had forgotten that entire exchange, and was back doing exactly what she had been warned not to do. When her dad saw what she was doing, he said, "What did I tell you was gonna happen if you did that again?" It all came back to her then, & she replied, "Oh yeah!!! I forgot!!" You see, she just needed a little reminder, and her dad obliged. That was several years ago, and Mandi has grown into a beautiful young woman with a child of her own. I wish all of you could see what a terrific young lady she has become, then you'd see proof that those reminders work. She was a child, and children need constant reminders, but to be honest, things don't change that much when we grow up. How often does your preacher say something you've never heard before? Unless you're completely new to the church scene, probably not too often, yet we leave feeling refreshed because we've been reminded about some things we actually already knew, but just haven't thought about in a while. Let's face facts: If he tells us something one time, and then never mentions it again, we'll soon forget all about it. Also, when we hear something over and over, we begin to grasp its importance, and it becomes a part of who we are. On August 26, 1972, our wedding day, I told my wife I love her. I've told her the same thing every day since then as well, but I really don't think she gets tired of hearing it. If I had only told her that one time, however, by now she would've concluded I didn't actually mean it when I said it. Maybe we get an indication of how important words are by how often we hear them. How often do we see speed limit signs along the interstate? My monthly car note never changes, yet they send me a reminder every month. How many times does your child tell you he wants candy when you're at the grocery store? In this past election season, how many times did you hear each candidate reminding you to get out and vote on November 4th? Why did the widow receive her request from the unjust judge? According to him, he granted her petition "lest she weary me." Are my words in this article pioneering any new territory? Of course not. Other than the scene I witnessed and described to you about my friend and his dialog with his young daughter, you already knew everything I told you. You've heard it all before....numerous times. I'm just reminding you, and reminders work. Don't be surprised if I mention this again. Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLI

Some folks say they don't exist, but I promise I saw one with my own eyes yesterday in West Monroe. Of course the ones who are saying that would argue that I just proved their point. Now try to follow me here, because this gets complicated, since if we really give this whole scenario some thought, neither argument really makes sense, yet both sides have merit. I say the fact that I actually SAW one proves their existence. The other side then says that the fact that I actually SAW one is proof that they DON'T exist. Huh? I guess if I told you who I'm talking about, you'd begin to understand why this is such a complicated issue. Okay, here goes: This argument is about INVISIBLE PEOPLE. Maybe if we compare the difference between the way I define the term and the most commonly used definition, we will understand both arguments. You see, most people would say "invisible people" are those who cannot be seen, but my definition is they are people who simply AREN'T seen. Well, since this is my column, and I'm the one writing it, we'll go with my definition today, especially since it helps support the point I want to make. I've often thought how neat it would be to be invisible. It would be easy to find out what other people are saying about me behind my back, but I would have to always keep in mind that even though I was invisible, my feet would still make indentions in the carpet. However, if we go by my definition, being invisible is not a pleasant experience. My favorite restaurant chain in Arkansas is Dixie Cafe. Not long ago I walked into one of their locations, and they had two teenagers serving as host and hostess, a boy and a girl. They were so enamored with each other and were so deep in conversation, they paid no attention to me when I walked in, even though both of them looked directly at me. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally became frustrated and asked, "Am I invisible?" If I would've said nothing, like most invisible people do, I could have turned and walked out and nobody would've ever known I was there. Thankfully, I have the type personality that makes sure I get noticed, but so many people, for whatever reason, don't have that trait. As I look back over my life, I have to admit there are quite a few people who have come and gone, and I didn't even notice when they left....until it was too late. Occasionally either Angie or I will mention something like, "You know, I haven't seen Greg and Penny Kramer in a while." Then the other of us will say, "You 're right! I haven't either." We then feel bad that we let someone slip away and we didn't even notice they were gone. I have to wonder, if we feel bad about it, how must Greg and Penny feel? If I stop showing up to run in the mornings, stop going to church, discontinue making it to our Community Group meetings, etc., I would hope someone would notice, but not everyone has the type personality that attracts attention to themselves the way I do. If that's the case, it's up to those of us who are more "visible" to make them feel like they are just as much a part of the group as we are. Like I told you earlier, I saw one of those "invisible people" yesterday, and I made a point to stop and make conversation. It's important for me to realize not everyone has my outgoing personality, and people like that can easily "slip through the cracks." Lord, please give me a heart for those people, because after a few frustrating minutes in a restaurant, I discovered that being invisible is not fun. We visible people need to always be on the lookout for those who are invisible. Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDL

It's not the first question you ask during a job interview, but I'll bet it's one of the first ones you think about: "How much does this job pay?" If they don't pay as much as we want, chances are, we're not too interested. However, there's another question we should be asking, especially if it's a higher paying job: "Why are you willing to pay that kind of money?" Think about it. Let's say their starting salary is $80,000. Successful companies don't just casually add $80,000 per year to their expenses unless we can either earn or save the company significantly more than that amount. If it's an easy job that just about anyone can handle, we can rest assured the starting salary will be as low as they can get away with. Let's face facts....the higher the pay, the more the company will expect of us, the more headaches we'll have to deal with, the more skill will be required to handle the job, and, really, the harder the work. That's not just a philosophy I made up, it's a life principle that has been true down through the ages. In fact, it's even scriptural..."To whom much is given, much is required." (Luke 12:48) The way I interpret that is if I spend my life as a lazy individual who is always looking for the easy road, my reward will reflect it; but if I work hard and continuously look for ways to benefit society, my reward will bear that out as well. Usually, in the workplace, the work must be performed BEFORE any compensation is received, but often in life, we're paid in advance. Let me explain. I often think about how fortunate and blessed I am and have been all my life. I look at the home I was born into, with parents who instilled into me a love for my Creator, and also a thirst for more knowledge about Him. When I think about my wife and kids, my education, my job, my friends, my church, my health, and my overall outlook on life, I have to ask, "Why was God willing to make that kind of investment in me?" Not only did He invest that much into me, but He paid me in advance!! God must really trust me since He has poured so much into my life. I've been given so much, and "...to whom much is given, much is required." I am in no way implying that I have to earn my salvation through hard work. That price has already been paid, and it wasn't by me, but I feel that as greatly as I have been blessed, it is my duty to see just how much I can bless others. If I just sit back on my haunches and attempt to live life on "Easy Street," I feel that I am shirking my duty, and not living up to the trust God has placed in me. When I look at my life, it's obvious I've been given so much, and now, I have it from a very reliable source, there's a whole lot required of me. It's time to get busy! Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDXLIX

Okay, let's sit back, take a deep breath, and put this whole situation into perspective. Population of the United States: 318,924,000 Yearly US heart related deaths: 600,000 Yearly US deaths in auto accidents: 30,000 Ebola related deaths in the US: 1 In no way am I making light of the danger of Ebola, but I don't understand why there is so much panic in our country over this disease. Well, maybe I DO understand.....we're allowing all the hype from the news media to affect our thinking. When anyone drives as many miles per year as I do, we will occasionally see horrific auto accidents, and though it disturbs me for a while, I must admit that by the time I get home that night, I have basically forgotten about it. The lives of family and friends of the victims are forever altered, but for the rest of us, we don't give it much thought after a day or two. Yet we panic over Ebola, even though the number of automobile accident deaths are more than 30,000 times the number of Ebola related deaths. Each one of us can name someone with whom we're well acquainted who has succumbed to heart disease, yet we go on living as before, continuing our high heart risk lifestyles. We've all seen tragic car wrecks, yet we make no changes to our risky driving habits, possibly even texting about it while driving. Then we hear about only four people in our country who either have, or have had, Ebola, out of a population of almost 319 million, and we panic. A few years ago our big concern was HIV, but we don't think too much about that any more, even though it's still as dangerous as before. Why is that? It has to do with where the news media chooses to put their focus. Are we that gullible? Maybe we are. If a major bridge would collapse next week, we would soon forget about Ebola and start worrying about crossing bridges. I guess it tells us something about human nature, but it's a part of our nature I'd like to see change. Oh well, I suppose we always need SOMETHING to worry about. Preston Sent from my iPad

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDXLVIII

Two words. Both extremely powerful. They sound so much alike, yet their meanings are exact opposites. They describe character traits. One is prevalent, and the other is rare. One of them is the root of the majority of the world's problems, while the other, if practiced, would solve all those problems. Two words: Selfishness and Selflessness. Selfishness: Putting my needs and desires ahead of the needs and desires of others Selflessness: Putting the needs and desires of others ahead of my own Name a sin and see if you can determine where it came from. Chances are, selfishness is the source. I'll name a few of them, and I have no doubt, if you give it just a little thought, you can name just as many more. Greed. Jealousy. Theft. Bad attitude. Conceit. Envy. Strife. Lies. Coveting. Cheating. Gluttony. Murder. Disobedience. Road rage. Anger. Even adultery. All those and many more can be traced back to one word: Selfishness. Why do people try to break up in line? Why do we have aggressive drivers? Why do we constantly try to get something for nothing? Why do we get mad when things don't go our way? It all goes back to an "it's all about me" attitude, which is the main trait of a selfish person. Where is the honor in selfishness? Have you ever heard a politician campaign on his selfishness? How many parents have you ever heard telling their kids they need to become more selfish? Have you ever heard a eulogy where the minister praised the deceased for his selfishness? I HAVE heard people praised for their "selflessness." As a matter of fact, I don't recall ever hearing anyone commenting on someone else's selflessness in a derogatory manner. Selflessness is a trait we always admire in someone else, yet too often we don't want to practice it in our own lives. Between the selfish man and the selfless man, which one: *Is easiest to get along with? *Has the most friends? *Sleeps better at night? *Has the purest motives? *Feels better about himself? *Is overall a happier person? *Has the brightest future? The answers are obvious, so why do we have such a hard time becoming selfless individuals? Maybe our culture teaches us to be selfish. Maybe we don't trust the facts I just mentioned to work in our lives. Whatever the reason, selfishness will destroy our society, but selflessness will heal it. The selfless man has an "it's not about me" attitude, but when I practice selflessness, who benefits most? Me. That's reason enough to become a selfless man, isn't it? Or would that be selfish? Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDXLI

We humans are strange creatures! Especially those of us who call ourselves Christians. We talk, and even complain, about all the troubles and heartaches we have to endure on a daily basis. Our neighbors mistreat us, our family members let us down, our bodies have something hurting most all of the time, and from time to time we have to endure the anguish and grief of losing someone we love. We get frustrated when it appears that wicked people seem to be the ones who are prospering. We live in such constant fear of our fellow man that we basically keep our homes and vehicles locked at all times. It's what we call "life." There's another part of this "life," however, that keeps us going. It's the hope of what we call the "afterlife." We refer to it as Heaven. It's a place where there's no such thing as trouble and heartache. It's a place where everyone loves everyone else, and every person there will treat us with dignity and respect. We'll never have to worry about losing a loved one, because death doesn't exist there. In fact, we say we have friends and family who are actually living there already. We'll always be happy and never experience sadness. "Life" there will be infinitely better than "life" here. So......if all I've said is true, why do we want to put off going to Heaven for as long as possible? Does going to Heaven have a downside? Do we prefer this life of trouble and heartache over that life of eternal bliss? I'm sure all of us would say we believe in Heaven, but could there still be just a smidgen of doubt in our minds about its existence? Or could it be that we believe, but we're just not completely confident that we'll be going there? And while we're on that topic, if we say we believe Heaven is a place where all who live a life pleasing to God will spend eternity, why do we sometimes take chances by committing acts that are not pleasing to God? Here's my theory: We were born as sinful creatures which gives us a natural tendency to commit sinful acts, and regardless of our good intentions, we're all going to mess up sometimes. (Thankfully, God understands that.) In addition to being born into sin, we're also born with a natural self-preservation mechanism that makes us want to hang on to this life for as long as possible. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that all of us want to go to Heaven, but none of us wants to go today. We humans are strange creatures! Preston