I have observed a woman in our neighborhood over the past few years. She's probably in her late 50s or early 60s. She looks like she's in pretty good shape. She has little or no body fat. She's always walking, fiercely moving in her effort to exercise. She's very forceful and intense in her pursuit. Clearly, she is very energetic.
There's only one problem. I have never seen her without a cigarette in her hand!
All these good thoughts and intentions, yet the smoking works 100% counter to her goal. I have heard doctors say it is better to NOT exercise and not smoke than to exercise and smoke.
Smoking and exercise are two mutually exclusive goals. They are at war with one another.
When Jesus said—"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:27-28).—he was not trying to rob people of a good time. He was trying to help people enjoy life.
A man who says he wants to live the good life, and then contemplates and engages in behaviors that welcome sexual images, thoughts, and fantasies about women, who are not his wife, is seeking to fulfill two mutually exclusive goals. He is like the woman in my neighborhood who exercises and smokes at the same time.
I’ve never known a person addicted to pornography to say, “Wow, I am content.”
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, is only trying to help.
Five Things I Think I Think (with a nod to Peter King for this idea)
1. I checked out (from our public library) George Bush’s new book DECISION POINTS a couple of weeks ago. When one of the newspapers, critical to his presidential policy, came out with a review stating that Bush’s book is the best memoir written by a president since Grant, I figured I needed to take a look. (Grant’s memoirs are said to join Julius Caesar’s as history’s best from military leaders.)
I must confess: I planned on skimming Bush’s work because I had other books I had planned on reading. However, Bush’s has been so captivating I have not been able to put it down. I am about halfway through.
My favorite story occurred on 9/11. Bush called his parents late in the day to see how they were doing. He tracked them down in a small town in Wisconsin.
“What are you doing there?” he asked his parents.
“You grounded our plane, son,” replied his witty, sharp-tongued mother.
2. Does anybody have the MLB NETWORK and a DVD recorder? If so, would you record the following for me this Wednesday, December 15?
| 7:00 p.m. | MLB Network Special | Bob Costas joins other panel members Bill Mazeroski, Dick Groat and Bobby Richardson to discuss a recently unearthed copy of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series |
If you are willing, I’ll supply the DVD!
I think they are going to show the actual game, which was played a week or so after I was born. BTW, if you don’t like the time, they will repeat it at midnight. I look forward to hearing from you!
3. My doctor tells me that since I have turned 50, it is time to schedule my first colonoscopy. I wonder why they don’t call it a “roto-rooter-me”?
4. Speaking of physicals, my physician told me he would like for me to begin a low-fat diet. I asked Judy what a low-fat diet was. She jumped all over that opportunity.
She explained what it means and informed me she was ready for me to begin one. That’s right—drink skim milk, eliminate red meat, and I think start eating paper.
I informed her everything checked out good in my physical except for the triglycerides, which were a little high. Then Judy played her trump card—she said she needed to get on a low-fat diet also. Stay tuned.
5. I know nothing that can give a parent more joy than the baptism of a child. Coming from a faith tradition where people make their own decisions about baptism, it thrilled me to baptize second daughter, Abby, last Wednesday evening.
She has been pondering this for quite a while. Last Tuesday night we read and discussed Romans chapters 1-6. I filmed our study with my iPhone—in case she has any questions in the future concerning how much she knew about what she was doing. (I got this from my dad, who taped our study with an audio recorder when I was ten, which reinforced my belief years later that I knew exactly what I was doing.)
Last week was definitely a good week. 
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