Stephen Covey popularized the idea that the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. When we miss the point of life—when we neglect the main thing—we do so because other pursuits or priorities have clouded our perspective. We get distracted from the point of life because we prioritize money, or stuff, or comfort, or an early retirement or anything else above the main thing.
When many of us think of summertime, we think of vacations. Maybe you head to the beach. Some people prefer the mountains. Others want to tour the city or travel abroad. Wherever you like to go, I want to remind you that summertime is NOT a time to take a vacation from God. Our relationship to God is important no matter the season. If you have children, then I’m sure you want them to keep growing over the summer, too. So, how do we do that? Using the acronym, PT FROG, here are six secrets to summertime spiritual success for students, five of which work just as well for adults.
Lament is appropriate. But afterwards, we tend to ask questions—hard questions. What’s the answer? What’s the solution? We know violence isn’t the answer. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, “Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars… Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Politics don’t seem to be much more than a limited part of the solution. If there was an easy political solution, wouldn’t it already have been implemented? No, we need something different. Something more. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but there are two things I feel strongly about.
The federal Memorial Day holiday evolved from the Decoration Day tradition of decorating the graves of American war dead with flowers. It is a time to remember the people who died while serving in our country’s armed forces. More than 1.1 million people have died while serving in our military. Because of the sacrifices of so many before us, we get to experience the freedoms that we enjoy, and too often take for granted, today.
Do you live with open hands or closed fists? What is your generosity quotient?