Following up on yesterday’s post: Since Confirmation Bias keeps us from seeing the truth of a situation, is it what Jesus is talking about in the 13th chapter of Matthew? Immediately after Jesus shares the parable of the seed that is scattered in four places (path, rocky soil, among thorns, and good soil), the disciples ask Jesus the point of speaking in parables: 10Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?” 11He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever…

Confirmation Bias. It begins with the human tendency to assume we are right. From there we seek out or accept only evidence that supports our belief. (That’s where the “confirmation” comes in.) Furthermore, we reject or ignore any evidence that would run counter to our belief. A common example is your belief that you always pick the wrong line at the grocery store check out. You don’t pay attention to all the times your line moves quickly towards the cashier. No, but you DO notice the relatively few times you find yourself regretting your choice. THOSE times catch your attention…

“You’re never gonna let me down.” Bob Vila’s website posted a list of products that have been around and getting positive reviews for over a hundred years. Included on the list: If any of these products needed a new commercial jingle, it would be appropriate to include the words “You’re never gonna let me down”.  But there’s something about “You’re never gonna let me down” being sung as part of a “praise” song to the God of the Universe that really gets under my skin.  Do we not understand who serves Whom?

The Tragedy of American Compassion by Marvin Olasky is a history of charity in this country. From the earliest days of our founding, a certain segment of the population found themselves enduring hard times and in need of material assistance. Christians were first on the scene to help and the consensus was that aid was good and necessary, but too much help was detrimental. Also, they knew intrinsically that true aid required relationships and time. Flashforward to present day America. Most of the aid given to the poor in modern times comes by way of the government and its various…

Some of the (unintentionally) funniest and most insincere writing on the internet can be found behind those outrageous headlines that pop up all over the internet like dandelions. The term is “clickbait”. Google serves me up a new batch every day. Sometimes I give in. I tell myself that my real curiosity isn’t about the supposed “story”. No, my curiosity is about how distant that story is from the headline.  But in reality, it’s probably 50/50. My recent favorite is “Disney alters a Muppet classic and Fans are Outraged!”  Yes, the algorithm knows I like Kermit the Frog. And, yes,…

Quick recap of yesterday’s post: a bad snacking habit started over the holidays, adding ten pounds of fat. I first tried to reverse this trend through willpower and vague goals before I remembered my habit training. Yesterday, I committed in the morning to a reasonable number of snacks for the day, gathered those items together and placed them on the work desk in front of me. Then I simply paced myself throughout the day and resisting grabbing extras from the kitchen.  Result: success. I even ate a bit less than I had given myself permission.  Here are a few reasons…

Somewhere recently I heard someone say … or I read it, maybe … that the human brain is built for generating ideas but not so much for holding onto them.  Or something like that. 

“Good morning! You know what? I do this every morning.” He was leaving the gas station convenience store. I was pumping gas.  I felt compelled to ask the question he wanted: “Do what?” He stopped walking and lifted the plastic bag in his hand. “Buy two big cans of cheap beer. Better than coffee to start a morning!” And just like that, he shared his greatest burden with a complete stranger. “You know what else?” He stood where he had stopped.  “What’s that?” A broad smile swept across his face. “I don’t know why I do it!” It was like…

I committed a year ago to daily writing and posting here. The purpose was to become a better writer. I think that happened – to a limited extent. To move forward from here, I have decided I need to learn directly from more experienced guides.  So Amazon had two professor-recommended books waiting for me when I arrived home today and I am looking forward to digging in. My spiritual life has some similarities. What I am enjoying so much about my current studies is the opportunity to come under the guidance of authors and professors who are so much further…