Tommy Mann

In Disney's iconic movie Frozen, there is a lovable snowman named Olaf, who in one particular scene, dreams about how great his life would be in summertime. He breaks into song about how much cooler he'd be "sitting in the summer sun, letting off steam." The lyrics are funny because he is blissfully unaware of the fate he would suffer once summer arrived.  We understand that snow does not belong in the summer. Olaf was mistaken when he sang, "Winter's a great time to stay in and cuddle,                                                                                                But put me in summer and I'll be a...happy snowman!" I'll admit though, this North Texas sun has me wishing for snow. We have had three consecutive weeks of triple digit...

I recently read about a scam people are running at hardware stores. They purchase a pressure washer, then take it home and do whatever they needed to do--clean their driveway, their house, or anything else they needed done. When they are finished, they put the machine back in the box, take it back to the store, and claim it didn't work. They return the item for a full refund, and by the time manufacturer realizes there is nothing wrong with it, it's too late. The manufacturer and the store have lost a sale, and the money they spent sending back a perfectly good product.  Apparently these kinds of scams are common, with people even returning half eaten food to grocery stores. Our economy is a trust-based system where we long assumed people would do the right thing. Con artists were the rare exception to the rule, so that our system still worked. Maybe the store loses the occasional sale, but everything still ended up in their favor. But they are not the rare exception any longer...

Have you ever thought about the words you speak being food? That might not be the first mental image you get when you think about your words, but the book of Proverbs makes that comparison.  First, Solomon makes the analogy in a negative way, writing in 26:22, "The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body." A whisperer is a gossip, someone who has to look over his shoulder before he lowers his voice and passes on what he is about to say. Many people have a craving for gossip that can never be satisfied. And the whispered words taste so good going down--they are truly delicious morsels. The Hebrews phrase literally reads "things greedily devoured;" the gossip is a glutton, feasting on words when he should be pushing away from the table.  I might greedily devour an entire cheesecake, and enjoy each bite in that moment. But after the fact my blood sugar spikes and I can't button my pants. In a similar way, the w...

King Solomon had a lot to say about ancient landmarks, and how they should not be moved. This might make us think about people who deface or even topple statues, something that we have seen a rise in of late. But that is not what Solomon had in mind. The landmarks referred to boundary markers that separated one person's property line from another. You might know where your land ends and your neighbor's begins because there is a fence separating your lots, but during the days of the Bible people piled up stones for that purpose. If you wanted to expand your territory, all you had to do was move the stones a little farther onto your neighbor's side. If you wanted more land to farm or more room for cattle to graze, you could deceive your neighbor by moving the stones. This was considered one of the most heinous of offenses, but it happened.   So in Proverbs 23:10-11 Solomon wrote, "Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer i...

We don't use the word naughty very often, but when we do, we are usually thinking of one of the two lists found in the North Pole. "He's making a list, he's checking it twice, he's gonna find out who's naughty and nice." We associate the word with disobedience, or the opposite of being nice. But naughty actually derives from the Old English naught, which means zero, or having no value. The King James uses that word in Proverbs 6:12: "A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth." The ESV says worthless rather than naughty.  A person who is naught-y is a worthless person, someone who contributes nothing because he is living in sin.   On the other end of the spectrum, just a few verses later, is the haughty person. Verse 16 says there are seven things the Lord hates, and the first one on the list is haughty eyes, which is an old way of referring to pride and arrogance, someone who never drops his gaze, but turns his nose up in the a...

An old lazy couple was sitting in their rocking chairs and staring into the fireplace. The wife, believing it was raining but too lazy to get up and look out the window, told her husband to go see if rain really was falling. Too lazy to get up himself, the husband thought about it for a moment and then said, "Ah, just call in the dog and see if he's wet."  Some people will do anything to get out of doing something. In his proverbs, King Solomon had nothing good to say about lazy people, and nothing but good to say about those who work hard. The lazy he called slothful and sluggards, and the workers he called diligent and wise.  In Proverbs 14:23 Solomon said "In all toil there is profit." In 10:26 he compared said lazy people are as irritating as vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes.  But my favorite anecdote about the slothful person is found in 19:24--"The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it to his mouth."  In a simi...

We need to give careful consideration to the way we choose to go.  Things have definitely improved for me thanks to GPS, but before we had these technologies we needed to plan ahead. If we didn't know how to get somewhere, we needed to ask for directions or look at a map. We also needed to think about things like road construction, traffic patterns at different times of day, or whether or not we wanted to pay tolls. The GPS allows us to consider these options, but we still have to make choices about our route.  That is the idea behind what Solomon told his son. In Proverbs 4:26 he wrote, "Ponder the path of your feet, then your ways will be sure."  The Hebrew word translated as ponder is used four times in the Bible, and each time it is translated into a different English word. The best definition seems to be "to weigh," so the instruction in this proverb is to weigh all the options, then make the best decision.  We might plan on going a certain way, or leaving ...

In Proverbs 3 Solomon speaks of wisdom as a godly lady, and he tells his son the reason why he should pursue this lady named wisdom. One reason why is found in verse 17: "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Pleasantness and peace sound nice. Pleasantness means enjoyable or agreeable. Everyone wants to have an enjoyable and peaceful life, but I think Solomon might be saying something a little more clever than just that.  Although she is not mentioned by name in the book of Proverbs, according to 1 Kings 14:31, Solomon's wife's name was Naamah. The Hebrew word for pleasantness is noam,  which is closely associated with Solomon's wife's name (her name is also translated as pleasantness). But there is more. In the Song of Songs, Solomon's young wife is not named, but she is called Shulamite, which is the feminine form of Solomon's name (kind of like being called "Mrs. Solomon"). Shulamite is connected with the Hebrew ...

I have always liked refreshments. Even the word itself sounds promising, like I am about to receive something that will refresh me and make me feel better. When we hear the word refreshments we are almost always talking about snacks: we go to a meeting, and someone says, "Be sure to help yourself to some refreshments." The meeting may be boring, but if they have donuts and coffee, things are starting to look up.  In Proverbs 3 Solomon uses the word refreshment when he promises his son blessings from the Lord. That is the only time we see this word in the entire Bible. This is what the king tells his son in v.7-8 "Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." The Hebrew word translated as refreshment appears twice more in the Bible, but both times it is translated as drink, as that is the best definition of the word. Sometimes we just need a good drink. Solomon is offering his so...

The book of Proverbs equates living right with living long. 10:27 says, “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.” 14:27 says, “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.”  19:23 says, “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” But we probably all know people who lived for God and yet didn’t live as long as we would have liked. Is the Bible wrong? This is one of those times we have to remember that proverbs are rules of thumb. Sometimes wicked people live long, and sometimes righteous people don’t. Don’t you ever think less of a believer who lived a short life, thinking it must have been God’s punishment. More often than not, though, fearing God leads to prolonging our days. Part of that is because, if you fear God, you will make better choices. Those who fear God are not as likely to get drunk and drive their car off a bridge, or de...

  Where we sit says a lot about us. Or I should say, who we sit with says a lot about us. Do you prefer the company of the wicked or the righteous?   In Psalm 26 David prayed for God to vindicate him because he was being falsely accused of something. To David, the problem wasn’t just that he was accused of something he didn’t do, but that he was accused of something he wouldn’t do because he hated it.  (Although we don’t know for sure, this psalm may be in reference to the assassination of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul who installed himself as king even though David had been anointed as successor. People likely accused David of ordering the hit, and he didn’t want people think he condoned the murder.) In v.4-5 of the psalm the king said, “I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.” If hate seems like a strong word, to David it wasn’t strong enough. What else could he say? He loa...

Did you know a former President once sued a newspaper reporter and won a judgment? Theodore Roosevelt brought a libel suit against Geroge Newett from the   Ishpeming Iron Ore   because of repeated articles about Teddy’s drunkenness. Roosevelt called a list of dignitaries to testify in his defense that he was, at worst, moderate in his habits. Among those who testified were former Secretary of State Robert Bacon, Admiral George Dewey, and son of another President, James Garfield.   Roosevelt won his suit and was awarded the full judgment he sought, the minimum under Michigan law, six cents.  Why would someone go through the trouble of a lawsuit, and asking bigwigs to come testify, for the paltry sum of six cents? The action clearly wasn’t about the money, but about clearing his name. This story is the epitome of what Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” The ex-president could have asked th...

People need to communicate. Whether verbally or nonverbally, humans are in constant communication with one another, so if we are bad at it, we can ruin relationships. Some people are poor communicators for a variety of reasons, but if that is you, fear not. Dr. Gary Collins, in his book   Christian Counseling,   wrote, “Communication is a learned interaction. That which is not good can be made better.”     I want to share a few quick communication killers, things we might do that turn people off and hurt our relationship. Dishonesty is a big one. Colossians 3:9 says, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” The unsaved person may lie, but those of us who are in Christ should not.    Interrupting someone who is talking is another communication killer. Interruption says, “What I want to say is more important than what you are saying. In fact, I’m more important than you.” Respect someone enough to listen inten...

  A married man was out somewhere he never should have been, with a woman he never should have been with. His wife was back at the house worried about him because he never came home, and he was not responding to her calls or texts.     Desperate for information, she sent a text message to her husband’s five closest friends, asking them the same question: Frank hasn’t come home yet. Is he with you?”   By the time Frank made it home that night, his wife had received five text messages, each providing a different alibi for their friend. Whatever Frank was doing, she knew he wasn’t in five places at once.    We can applaud loyalty, and we all want friends that will go to bat for us, but it is possible to be too loyal. The five friends who thought they were helping their buddy out actually sealed his fate. If they had been honest, the wife would still learn the truth, but they wouldn’t have been exposed as liars.    When we lie to help a friend, we are...

  Is pride ever a good thing? What if pride is used to bring about good?   In the classic novel  Pride and Prejudice,  Jane Austen crafts this dialogue between the heroine Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Wickham:   Wickham: “It is wonderful…for almost all [Darcy’s] actions may be traced to pride; and pride has often been his best friend. It has connected him nearer with virtue than any other feeling…”   Elizabeth: “Can such abominable pride as his, have ever done him good?”   Wickham: “Yes. It has often led him to be liberal and generous—to give his money freely, to display hospitality, to assist his tenants, and relieve the poor.”   In the book Mr. Wickham wrongly led Elizabeth to believe Mr. Darcy was a man of great pride. Darcy’s generosity was supposedly based only on his desire for people to know how wealthy he was.    How much charity is done from a place of pride? Are you the kind of person who makes a large donation, not for the cause, ...

Well, I tried. I tried to be a techy guy, but it just isn’t me. When I first became a pastor of students I got a leather organizer to carry pens, business cards, a notepad, and most importantly, a 2008 calendar. That planner soon became my personal assistant and good friend. I found it was vital to write down all my appointments, and to check my schedule often. Over the years I perfected my system, getting it down to a science.    But as 2022 was drawing to a close, I finally caved. I listened to the voices telling it me it was time to enter the 21 st  Century. It’s all digital, you know. Use the calendar app on your phone, sync it with the calendar on your laptop, share it with office staff…it’s all so easy!   But I am an old dog, and that was a new trick. I gave it my best shot, but the first week of not carrying a planner and I received a phone call about a meeting I missed. And yes, I set up my phone calendar to remind me of meetings, but one of us failed to get ...

Have you ever seen someone throw a boomerang, or maybe try it yourself? The design of the boomerang, along with proper throwing technique, allows it to travel through the air and return right back to the thrower. As great of a quarterback as Tom Brady is, he cannot throw a football downfield, and then catch it without moving. But with a boomerang that is possible.     Proverbs 21:7 tells us, “The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just.” That verse is paraphrased in The Living Bible this way: “Because the wicked are unfair, their violence boomerangs and destroys them.”    So often in life we see wicked people become successful because of their wickedness (Have you ever heard of Washington D.C.?). We struggle with this, wondering why God allows the wicked to prosper, especially when just as often it seems that the godly struggle.    Why does God allow the wicked to get away with it? We need to think of the wic...

What are your values? I believe that corporations, churches, and even people should have a set of core values. By this I mean there should be some nonnegotiable qualities on which you will not compromise. The makers of Tylenol demonstrated the importance of their company values in 1982.     An accident caused some Tylenol pills to be contaminated with cyanide, which resulted in the unfortunate deaths of seven people. It would be hard for a company to bounce back from a mistake that killed innocent people; after all, how would a customer ever feel safe purchasing the popular pain reliving product again? There are other options on the shelf, so some wondered if Tylenol’s time was up. That is when the company’s chairman James Burke did something unprecedented: he recalled thirty-one million bottles of their extra strength pills, and allowed customers to swap them out for a free bottle that had not been contaminated. This move brought about 100 million dollars in losses. This expe...

The book of Proverbs mentions honey several times, and it does so in a positive light. Here are a few proverbs on honey: “My son, eat honey, for it is good (24:13).” “Have you found honey? Eat only as much of it as you need, lest you be filled with it and vomit (25:16).” “It is not good to eat much honey; so to seek one’s own glory is not glory (25:27).” These verses speak of eating honey in moderation, but they acknowledge that honey is good to eat. The reason I point this out is I have heard critics of the Bible say that the positive references to honey show that the Bible is wrong. After all, they say, isn’t honey high in sugar? The Bible is an old book written before people knew science; now we know that it is wrong. If it is wrong about honey, what else is it wrong about? Honey truly is high in sugar, 82% fructose, to be exact. But let’s not dismiss honey as something to be avoided just yet. Consider these redeeming elements of hone...