If you could live your life over again, what would you do less of? Here's what Thursday Thought readers have told me: Ron wrote, “I think I would invest less in people and spend more time in relationship with the Lord of the universe. Not that there is anything at all wrong investing in people. Just that looking back, I haven't been too successful at it.” Russ told me, “I would work less…be less concerned about work…and spend more time with my wife and kids! Work will always be there. Kids grow up and leave. Age brings potential limitations. Enjoy…
Author: Jon Gauger
Election Predictions
An Unguarded Moment For months now, Americans have been pushed, polled and prodded with political talk. We've been blasted with TV ads, blistered by web coverage and broadsided by office talk. We've watched debates, had debates of our own and the election is nearly upon us. In an unguarded moment, I made the decision to go out on a limb and make some very specific election predictions. With full awareness that some future “fact checker” may wish to hold me accountable, I stand by my claim that these insights are given with 100% certainty. Prediction #1 On Wednesday,…
What Would You Do More Of?
The idea was doomed from the start. In a well-intentioned attempt at physical fitness, I agreed to play racquetball with my son, Tim, during my lunch break. Though I love the sport, it (apparently) no longer loves me. Tim and I discussed the fact that he is about half my age. We agreed we’d both “take it easy” and play “just a little bit.” Five weeks afterward, my throbbing back still reminded me I shouldn’t have even attempted playing “just a game or two.” It’s one thing to overdo it in sports, but what about the rest of life?…
Argument with God
Sometimes the Word of God really messes with your life. Have you noticed? The other morning, I prayed on the train in to Chicago that God would specifically direct me to someone who needed some encouragement, or something of Jesus Himself. Know what happened? Nothing. Nothing that morning. In fact, nothing out of the ordinary happened all day long. That afternoon, as I walked the 1.5 miles back to the train, I reviewed some memory work, the third chapter of First John. Because it helps to cement the verses, I often quote them out loud. I was three-fourths of the way…
Sting Job
I can still feel the burning sensation of the stinger, jabbed into my flesh. But honestly the fault was mine. At one of the grandest camping places in the country (kings-camp.org) our old pop-up is on loan to our son and daughter-in-law. For some time, the hatch that covers the power cord coming out of the thing was broken off. I should have replaced it months ago but didn't. A few weeks back, my Dad asked if I needed anything from the local camping store. I walked him over to our pop-up trailer, showing him the plastic power cord inlet…
Lavished Love
Her slightly chunky two-year old arm twined around mine as stray blonde hairs from her head tickled my shoulder. As Lucy nuzzled into me, my heart was as gooey as a chocolate bar in summer. At that moment, the tot at my side could have asked for the moon, and I would immediately have called up NASA with a down payment. Lucy and her older sister, Joslynn, recently came out with us to spend a weekend at the camper. Because my natural “gifting” tends toward silliness, two-year old Lucy is usually not far away. Silly faces. Silly noises. …
O Say, Can You Stand?
Lit A Fire! When NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to sit during the National Anthem, he lit the fire of a roaring national debate. In a journalism culture that overdoses on a news story and then gets quickly bored with it, I'm intrigued the flames seem only to have intensified. One commentator I read suggested Kaepernick's career is finished. An ESPN poll shows him as the NFL’s most disliked player. Others are standing with (or is that sitting beside) Kaepernick. Nothing Illegal, But… What should a Christian think? May I share with you my own thoughts? There seems to…
What you did was wrong…
If someone were to ask you, “What’s a life lesson you will remember to the day you die?” what would that be for you? I asked that question of singer and songwriter Michael Card. His response is a story you need to hear. Allow me to quote him from the book, If I Could Do It All Over Again. When I was a kid, I often sat in church next to an old man named Basil Edwards. I remember that when I was seven years old, I got into trouble and was crying. Basil got on his knees, face-to-face with…
What I Would Do More Of
If you could do it all over again, how would you live your life differently? I sat down with 28 Christian leaders and asked them. One of my specific questions was what would you do more of, if you do it all over again. Michael Card told me… Clearly I would have put more time in with my family. I think I was on the road doing 150 concerts a year for more than 30 years. My wife homeschooled and our kids got plenty of attention. I would be home for two or three weeks at a time. Yet later,…
If I Could Do It All Over Again
He was half a second away from being pounded into the grass. In desperation, our Junior High quarterback flung the ball to the only open receiver on the field—me. Clutching the laced leather, I raced toward the end zone, virtually unopposed. It was only as I crashed across the goal line that I finally understood all the yelling. I had run into the wrong end zone—ours! To this day, I wish I could do that over. Here's another do-over. It was half time at our high school football game. I was in the marching band. All 96 of us were…