Month: April 2020

Disinfectants, Debates, and Deplorables – Part 1 of 2

/ Lisa Womble / Leave a comment

You may want to view the video prelude to this post which explains some new developments in the disinfectant debacle.

In Facebook discussions this week regarding President Trump’s April 23rd White House briefing and his comment/question* on injection of disinfectants as a possible way to deal with COVID-19, I found myself thinking time and again about a bit of wisdom from my high school debate teacher. She taught that a good debater can argue both sides of an issue.

* Which was it? A comment or a question? That’s actually one of the things that was up for debate. There is a vast difference between saying we should inject disinfectants into the human body to fight COVID-19 and asking someone if that’s something that could be studied. President Trump asked the question.

Why is that? Well, if you want to win people over to your viewpoint, you need to understand their arguments, anticipate their questions and rebuttals, and speak to those things. You do not win a debate by merely saying, “Here’s what I believe. I’m right and you’re an idiot if you don’t agree with me.” And you don’t even win by simply proclaiming the talking points that resonate with you. You have to understand what’s in the hearts and minds of those you’re communicating with to know which of your arguments might be most effective with them.

If ever we needed to be competent at debate it is now when most of our discussions regarding politics, health, and safety are online, in written form. In this medium, we don’t have the benefit of “reading” someone’s demeanor or having them read ours (for example, to know when we’re being sarcastic or saying something in a more questioning manner). There is also the strange phenomenon where we feel more liberty to be meanspirited when we are not having to deal with someone face to face. Add to that the general level of stress in our society right now and you have a situation that is ripe for misunderstanding, anger and intolerance.

Most people who have been involved in formal debate and been assigned to argue for a position that is actually opposite of their own would attest to the fact that there are benefits to the process. Even if you do not change your overall opinion on the matter from that type of debate preparation, you do come to realize the other side has some valid arguments that need to be considered.

At a time when we could all use some stress relief, while also addressing some truly important matters we are facing, I hope this series of blog posts will foster more productive and less angry conversations.

In Part 2 of “Disinfectants, Debates, and Deplorables,” I will share more specifics about the Facebook conversation that sparked me to write this post. I will provide examples of smart moves by some involved in the debate that helped me to change my mind on some things, as well as tactics from both sides which were detrimental to their cause.

From “Saddest Easter Ever” to “Can’t Get Enough of this Hope-Filled Song”

/ Lisa Womble / Leave a comment

I woke up this morning thinking, This is the saddest Easter I’ve ever experienced. On top of not being able to see my kids and grandkids or gather with church family for worship, I guess I was still reeling a bit from the fact that within a very short timespan yesterday I learned two people I know died from COVID-19. One was a former pastor and one was a classmate from high school.

Adding to my gloom was 1) this is my first Easter without my dad who passed away in January and 2) my mom has been in the hospital since March 27th and we have not been allowed to visit her.

Thankfully, someone shared a song on Facebook that helped me turn the corner in my thinking.

Side Note: Please share your good thoughts and the things that are keeping you encouraged on social media. Yes, we need to be educated on what’s going on in this crazy world. And there are many things out there right now that make you go, “Hmmm …” But mixed in with all your political angst and conspiracy conjectures, please sprinkle in some positive. We all need it.

The song was “Easter Song” and it helped me go from my initial thought this morning – this is the saddest Easter ever – to feeling encouraged and joyful. I listened to three different versions of it and could not decide which one I loved most. So, I’m going to share all three here. I’d love to hear in the comments which is your favorite rendition and why.

Version #1 is performed by Second Chapter of Acts. Makes sense to start with this one as Annie Herring from the group wrote the song. This group has been a favorite of mine for many years. The group members are siblings and family harmony is hard to beat.

Version #2 is the brother from 2nd Chapter of Acts, Matthew Ward, doing it solo and many years later. I absolutely love this man’s voice!

Version #3 is a live version by Keith Green. The impact of Keith’s music and life was foundational to me and many others I’m sure. He died in a plane crash in 1982 before the age of 30 but the passion he put into his music and ministry has given him a lasting legacy. Listening to him and his message during this live version brought me to tears, but also made me rejoice to know he did not live or die in vain. I’m comforted to know he gained the full realization that Christ is indeed our living hope. I look forward to the day I will rejoice in heaven with him and so many others who have gone before.

I hope you enjoyed the music and that it helped you focus on the true hope of Easter as it did me. Again, I’d love to know which version you prefer and why. God bless!

One Hour to Live and a Good Friday Thought

/ Lisa Womble / 3 Comments

At a church service several weeks ago, before we could no longer meet together due to COVID-19, we were challenged to think about what we would do if we only had a certain amount of time to live.

Side note: Don’t worry, this was not some morbid scare tactic taking advantage of our coronavirus worries. It was actually just before the virus was really on anyone’s radar to be worried about, at least no more of a concern than any other bug during flu season.

At one point in the sermon, we were instructed to open envelopes which had been provided to each of us as we had entered the sanctuary that morning. Inside each envelope was a card announcing the hypothetical amount of time each of us had remaining on this earth.

My card said, “1 Hour.” I wondered immediately what the minister would do if I jumped up and screamed “I’ve got to go see my grand babies!” as I ran out the door. I refrained.

After that initial thought, one thing that came to mind was that I would want to write one more blog post. That might seem like a strange thing to consider, but I was thinking in terms of legacy and I would not want the last blog post I wrote to be memorialized as my last publicly proclaimed thoughts about God and life.

That post was written over two years ago when I was in a real funk. And honestly, the fact that I have not written here since is indicative of the fact that I’m still not quite out of it. But as I was considering what I would say if I did write “one last blog post” (and only had one hour to live – so obviously wouldn’t want to spend the whole time writing), I thought, all I really need is one quick sentence to speak resolution to that last post. All I really need to say in response to the thought that I was “Hoping God Proves Me Wrong” is …

GOD DOESN’T NEED TO PROVE ANYTHING MORE TO ME!

God proved everything He needed to prove on the very day we memorialize today as Good Friday – the day Jesus gave His own life so that I might have eternal life.

It’s interesting that even after all that deep pondering, it still has taken me weeks to muster up the mental energy to get back to writing. I’m thankful to my friend Aric Marshall who shared his music video on Facebook. Listening to his beautiful saxophone rendition of “Were You There” brought me to the place I needed to be – the place where I’m focused on my Savior and what He has done for me.

I’m going to try to embed the video below and hope it works. If not, I’ll try to fix it later. But for now, I’m going to skip my normal tendency to edit and re-edit and just get this thought out there. Because, you know, this might be my last hour to live and I have other things to do. I mean, “I’ve got to go see my grand babies!!!” (through video chat, of course).