Twice a year our bodies adjust to the abrupt change of Daylight Saving Time. In the fall, we “gain” the hour “lost” last spring. Although we welcome the additional hour of sleep, it takes days to readjust.

Standard Time is like the weather—everyone complains about it, but no one does anything about it! In six months, we will revisit the debate yet again.

Here’s my simple plan: Daylight Saving Time Forever! Yes, there are more important issues in the world, but this is one we could easily fix.

Quit messing around with the calendar and clock. I’ll gladly trade an hour of sunlight in the morning for an additional hour in the evening. And no one would miss the semiannual shock to our biological clocks.

I’m sure Congress will get right on it, along with a balanced budget, reduced deficit, and funded entitlements. On second thought, I’ll plan to “Spring forward one hour” again next March.

While watching political-attack ads and debates on TV , I began to reflect on the lessons that politicians of all parties are teaching our children on-air.

• If you cannot say something nice, say nothing at all something mean, nasty, hurtful, hateful, defamatory, and derogatory. Interrupt others because your opinion is more important.

• Never take responsibility for your own actions. Always blame someone else for your faults and failures.

• Take credit for others’ achievements. Never recognize anyone else’s contributions. Pride is for winners and humility for losers.  

• Lie. Lie BIG. The bigger the lie, the better the lie. Lie more when someone responds with the truth.

• Call others liars. If someone does not agree with your version of the truth, dismiss their opinions as fake news or false delusions.

• Bully people. Use your power and position to torment and tyrannize other children.

• Appearance is more important than substance and looks supersede character.

• Look out for #1. Treat everyone else like, well, #2.

• Finally, never trust national media outlets or local blog authors.

It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?

But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why.

But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back. Only they didn’t, because they were holding on to something. That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” by Newline Cinemas

I have a running joke with a select group of friends. I will conclude a discussion with the statement, “But as I end all of my sermons: ‘Then again, I could be wrong!’”

Of course, I don’t end ALL of my sermons with this disclaimer. In fact, the opposite is true. I may be in error, but I’m never in doubt! A genius is naturally someone who agrees with my opinion. 😊

In my humbler moments, I realize that no one holds a monopoly on the truth. Good people possess differing opinions. In the best of worlds, we discuss our differences and learn from the exchange.

 However, we live in a polarized age with little middle ground. The world is divided into US and THEM. Communication has become a blunt tool used to beat others into submission.

Certainly, we should hold passionate, informed beliefs about what’s important in life. However, there’s also wisdom in the simple statement, “I could be wrong.” This creates some space in which we might learn and grow.

Mark Twain said, “The trouble with the world is not that pepole know too little; its that they know so many things that just aren’t so.”

We can be so convinced that we’re right that there’s no room to admit that we might be wrong. Therefore, the next time we disagree with others, consider the possibility that our “opponents” might have something to teach us.

Then again, I could be wrong.

During August, Northside Church’s worship series explored five words in God’s Word. We began with the term “Hallelujah, which combines two Hebrew words. “Hallel” means praise, and “jah” is an abbreviation for God’s name, “Yahweh.” The word is often translated in English as “Praise the Lord.”

Within the Psalter, “Hallelujah” is not only an exclamation of praise but also a command to worship. In essence, it declares, ‘HEY, YOU! PRAISE THE LORD, NOW!”

Hallelujah’s directive is a needed reminder in our faith walk. We are an absent-minded, scatterbrained people who forget to glorify God in personal devotion and corporate worship. The Holy Spirit regularly taps us on the shoulder with a reminder to glorify God.

At times, we say it with an exclamation point. Other times with a period. Sometimes with a question mark. Then there are times when we silently wait to say it all.

We sing and shout it. We sigh and pray it. We whisper and whimper it. But still we say it.

You—me—praise the Lord! In all times and all places. Now and forevermore. God’s people choose to say, “Hallelujah!”

The Grand Miss Haisley, our exuberant two-year-old granddaughter, has learned to say “Bless you” after a sneeze. Whether the sneeze originates with herself or someone else, Haisley blesses all concerned.

After she blessed herself during a recent visit, I replied, “Scat, cat!”

Haisley looked at me askance and said, “Pops, there’s no cat here.”

(I lobbied to be called “Superman but was overruled. Yet and still, I’ve grown to love the sound of “Pops” in her lilting voice).

I tried to explain “Scat, cat” was an acceptable, Southern substitute for “Bless you.” However, she remained unconvinced.

Out of curiosity, I explored the Internet, the source of all certifiable knowledge, for the origins of the curious phrase. Several authorities confirmed that saying “Scat, cat” was a Southern thing, but none could agree on the phrase’s origin.

According to one superstitious belief, sneezing somehow makes one vulnerable to evil spirits. Therefore, a “Gesundheit” or “Bless you” serves as a preventative exorcism. Maybe “Scat, cat” serves the same function.

Regardless, I have performed many benedictions and blessings during my years as an ordained pastor. None surpasses the “Bless you” that my granddaughter casually dispenses.

When Northside Church suspended onsite services in March, I considered ways to maintain connections with the congregation. The idea for “Sermon Prep” came to me in the middle of the night.

Creating a sermon is like building a house—there’s always materials leftover. Instead of lumber, nails, shingles, and tiles, preachers keep unused research, illustrations, quotes, and jokes. Newly ordained pastors make the rookie mistake of using extraneous material that should have been left on the editing floor.

Therefore, I decided to make use of these leftover scraps. Each Wednesday I publish a video that provides background on the upcoming Sunday’s sermon and Scripture. It gives viewers a homiletical preview along with contextual information.

The entire endeavor is fairly low-tech. Think more public-access than Hollywood-slick. With the help of a desk tripod and a wired mic, I record the videos on my I-phone. Then our amazing Production and Creative Services teams take over. They magically transform the clip into a Vimeo video link emailed to the congregation.

The medium may change, but the message remains the same. The church must learn how to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love in new, engaging ways. Therefore, this preacher who is no longer a puppy is learning some new tricks.

This summer Consumer Reports warned that bottled water sold by Whole Foods contains potentially harmful amounts of arsenic. Tests revealed levels three times higher than other brands.

Whole Foods prides itself on offering healthy, clean food for consumers. In response to the report, the company responded that the water meets “all FDA requirements and are fully compliant with FDA standards for heavy metals.”

Bless their hearts.

This raises an interesting question. Just what amount of arsenic is acceptable in drinking water? Call me crazy, but I’m thinking NONE! Some elements are so toxic that even a little bit is too much.

Consumer Reports noted that a single bottle would not harm consumers. However, long-term consumption of even small amounts of heavy metals can cause significant harm.

Turns out arsenic is a lot like sin: toxic even in small amounts and small quantities cause big consequences.

Therefore, here’s my advice:

• Whole Foods, just quit trying to justify arsenic in your water, and clean up your supply.
• Christians, just quit trying to justify sin in our hearts and clean up our lives.

Over the past months, I have contemplated posting on social media, “When does the Georgia State Patrol plan to retake our interstates?”

The pandemic has resulted in reduced traffic on highways and byways. However, many of the remaining motorists are recklessly speeding. Vehicles easily exceeding 100 mph pass me regularly.

I read a news story featuring a local body shop. The proprietor stated that business was down with the reduced traffic. Then he added, “And the cars we do see are typically totaled due to high speed impact.”

Slow down.

Slow down not only on the roads but also in life. Even when the destination is important, enjoy the journey along the way. Otherwise, we might miss the most important part of the trip.

Last month I watched a rerun of a reunion concert by The Eagles. They introduced a song that I had never heard before entitled, “Learn to be Still.” Reflect on some of the lyrics.

Now the flowers in your garden
They don’t smell so sweet
Maybe you’ve forgotten
The heaven lying at your feet

There are so many contradictions
In all these messages we send
(We keep asking)
How do I get out of here
Where do I fit in?

Though the world is torn and shaken
Even if your heart is breakin’
It’s waiting for you to awaken
And someday you will-

Learn to be still
Learn to be still

Slow down, and learn to be still.