Life Link Community Church, 248 Olney Avenue, Marion, OH (2026)

09/01/2026

“Seeing Without Perceiving”
Chap’s Chat - September 2026

Like many of you, I have worn eye glasses nearly all of my life. I confess that often they are a great aggravation; but oh, how necessary they are for me. Without them, my perspective on everyday life would be considerably limited. Our ability to see is one of the most treasured gifts we are privileged to possess.

Sight is quite multifaceted, and it is far more complex than merely saying, "I see." For instance, we not only see things visually; but also, we perceive them. Perception means, we take it in; we interpret it; then, we understand it in a way that goes far beyond mere sight. That is an important distinction. Yes, we see with our eyes, but we perceive with our minds. It becomes the avenue by which we gain a frame of reference, which is how we look at or approach something; the angle from which we see it. Sometimes, we are too close to a situation to see it clearly. That is called, blurred vision, caused at times by a lack of proper focus. You may need to step back for better objectivity.

In life, there are times to move away from the immediate emotion, the argument, the disappointment, or even our own assumptions, in order to see from a wiser vantage point. Often, there is an interesting paradox created. When we are too close to a situation or someone, we may really see less rather than more. Our feelings can occupy so much of our vision, that short-sightedness prevents viewing the whole matter. A person standing inches away from a painting, may see every brush stroke, but not appreciate the picture itself. Step back several feet, and suddenly, the picture makes sense.

When we are conflicted, focus can worsen so much, that we become absorbed with, "What was said," rather than by "Why it was said." The grievance seems more important, than the other person. There is something that can help. Listen to Scripture, I Corinthians 13:9, "For we know in part. . . ." That is essentially an admission that our view is incomplete. We don't possess the whole matter. Then, Proverbs 18:13 warns, "He that answers a matter before hearing it; it is folly and shame to him." In other words, don't make your judgment while standing too close to the evidence. In the moment, a Deputy determines when to call in a Detective. "Stepping back," doesn't mean, "Walking away." It means deliberately creating enough distance to see what one could not see while being immersed in it.

Years ago, Walter Cronkite, the legendary CBS news anchor, delivered the evening news for nearly two decades. He used a familiar closing, "And that's the way it is." Well, this is my sign-off for another written opinion, "And that's the way I see it."

Blessings Upon Thee!
Chap

08/04/2026

Chap's Chat - Aftertaste Vs. Aftermath

I wonder, how many of you remember when you were first introduced to the substitutes for sugar? It was a hard -sell for various reasons; primarily though, it was the issue of taste. It was not just the sweetness factor; but also, it was the aftertaste. It's not easy to describe, but you know it's real.

Recently, I was in our grocery store, and they were providing samples of food products. (Which they often do.) I took one of their offerings. At first, it was palatable, but before it was completely swallowed, I had already the beginning of regret. Boy howdy, did it ever leave a doozy of an aftertaste. It was as if my poor little taste buds had just suffered an assault!

Fortunately, an unpleasant taste event normally dissipates. The same cannot always be said about the consequences of our life choices. Yes, there are far worse instances than nasty food. All of us could confess to a multitude of errors in judgment, attitudes, actions, paybacks and more, that we wish would have never happened. In the heat of the moment: anger, harsh words, hostility, all seemed justified; until, the "aftertaste" sets in. We question, "How could I have been so hurtful or insensitive?" We thought it felt so good, until our friendship was damaged, perhaps to the point of being beyond repair. Think about it, whether it be gossip, dishonesty, impulsive decisions or selfishness. It isn't worth the cost!

There is another word that is even more sobering than aftertaste. It is the word aftermath. An aftertaste, as previously stated, usually fades in a little while. On-the-other-hand, aftermath can last for years, or even a lifetime. In the natural world, we know that catastrophic events happen without our permission. Tropical storms, hurricanes, fires, etc., leave behind a wake of destruction and loss. The ugliness of it all is horrifying, as we have a bird's-eye-view of the aftermath. Fortunately, there are agencies, such as, Disaster Relief, Samaritain's Purse and others, which are immediately put into motion. This much we know, aftermath remains until someone deals with it.

Thinking beyond natural catastrophes are the human levels of destruction. The words spoken in anger, broken trusts, moral failures, neglected children, addiction, to name a few. Sin always leaves more than an aftertaste; it leaves a terrible aftermath. There are no agencies for our bad life choices, decisions and irrationalities. Must we pay forever for our aftermath? For some that may be true, but we are not abandoned without hope. I have mentioned before that I love "words" and their original meanings. I did a word search for "Aftermath." Its original meaning is, "the second growth of grass after the first cutting." That is a beautiful truth, as it presents a more positive outcome. Our modern use of the word has almost completely shifted to mean bad consequences following a disaster. (Which is true.) However, the original, older meaning reminds us that even after something has been cut-down, life can grow again!

Blessings Upon Thee!
Chap

07/06/2026

Chap’s Chat, July 2026
RISKY BUSINESS

Most of us possess an inherent ability within us to interpret information; call it instinct, or call it intelligence. It becomes the framework for how we make decisions. I am in no way a scholar on any subject; however, I cannot deny being opinionated. (To which my wife would say, "Amen.") Because of that fact, I humbly confess; I am the world's foremost authority on my own opinion. (Oh, how faulty many of my opinions have turned out to be.) Whenever objectivity, information, patience or any other component is omitted in the decision-making process, hunches are often untrustworthy. In other words, life is serious, and it is worthy of more judgement than mere hunches or feelings.

How do you view your competence in reaching a conclusion? Are you a risk-taker or risk-averse? Are you the fearless one with nerves of steel with never a thought of loss? Is life for you only a gamble, and you live in the game-of-chance? (After all, the lotto convinces you that somebody has to win, so it might as well be you.) Do you start your day by "eating a bowl-of-success," then live with the confidence that the reward far outweighs the risk? I certainly don't place myself in the category of the high-risk taker. My approach is flavored more with caution, contemplation and balance to risks. Maybe for some of us, who came up less prosperous, there is an awareness of how costly and consequential loss is for more than just oneself.

The truth is that risk is unavoidable. Escaping reality is not simply by never getting behind the wheel of a car, or never trusting a bank with your money, or even chewing every bite of food 300 times lest you choke. As someone has rightly said, "To risk nothing is perhaps the greatest risk of all."

Years ago, I read the books authored by Max De Pree on the topic of leadership. Max was a very successful business man, manufacturing high-quality office furniture. I have great respect for him. He wrote with very sincere practicality. In his book, "Leading Without Power," he stated, "It's interesting to reflect on what it is we risk. Sometimes, we risk the present and we do so most often consciously. Most of the time, we risk the future, and we usually do so unconsciously. Many times, we think about risking only material things. But in subtle, unspoken collaboration, we often risk persons and their future and their potential."

I thank God for the people who have taken great risk for all of us. Without risk, there would be no medical fields, no schools of learning, no agriculture, no such thing as astronauts, military, science exploration or thousands of entities which we celebrate every day. Being a person of high risk can be very dangerous. I know it is true, because the word "risk" comes from the root word "danger." Maybe a little more thought on this subject would present a more positive outcome for all of us.

Blessings Upon Thee!
Chap

06/01/2026

Chap's Chat - Listen To The Doctor

Do you ever give much thought to what your future might hold? Many people seem to ignore the possibility that they could ever do anything to alter the long-term course of their life. They live with a "laissez-faire" attitude of, "I'll take care of today, and leave the rest to chance." Years ago, Doris Day sang a very popular song, "Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be. The future is not ours to see. Que sera, sera."

Personally, I am being challenged by something I read in a book a few days ago. It had to do with asking yourself, "What do I want my life to look like in the next five years?" That is not a simple question to answer for people in my age category; but as for myself, I refuse to turn my life completely over to the law-of-averages. No matter our age, we possess some power and control in much of the direction of our life. I'm not fooling myself, or rejecting reality; nor, do I believe that one necessarily must accept life the way it comes to them. We can at least, in some degree, design our life to be the way we want it to be.

One of the world's renown philosophers said it this way, "You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own and you know what you know. And you are the one who'll decide where to go." Dr. Seuss. 😎

Just think about it: five years = 260 weeks, 1,825 days, 2,33,000 minutes. What will you do with it? Take the time to evaluate all the years that preceded the next five. Get to your starting gate now. Before you know it, a whole century is going to get away from you. Have you ever given a thought about that? Most life spans envelope nearly 100 years. How much more time do you need to do, what may be, the most profitable part of your life?

Now is the time to begin your quest. Imagine! Being debt free. Living in sobriety. Conquering a childhood memory. Getting that degree. It's your journey; it can happen! I've read it, and I've heard it preached. I'll say it to you, "What would you attempt, if you knew you could not fail?" Albert Einstein said, "Your imagination is the preview to life's coming attractions." It is not original from me, but it is true, "If you don't have a dream, how can you have a dream come true?"

I want to believe that I have experienced a number of memorable five-year segments in my lifetime. Beginning April 28, 2026, is my mark for what I pray will be the best future ever, and I pray the same for you! Dan Zadra, a well-known author and consultant, wrote, "Your resources are always far greater than you imagine them to be. Never ask, 'Can I do this?' Ask instead, 'How can I do this?' "

Blessings Upon Thee!
Chap

05/04/2026

CHAP’S CHAT
“What’s Holding You Up?”

Many years ago, I heard a story about a building called "The Leaning Tower of Pisa." Sometime around the twelfth century, an architect by the name of Bonnano Pisano, began the project of a bell tower as part of a large cathedral. For nearly nine hundred years, this tower, consisting of eight stories, has survived the threat of total collapse, due to a faulty foundation. Tourists from all over the world have made the pilgrimage to Florence, Italy, to gaze in wonderment at this structure, which refuses to fall over. Most builders would call it a mystery. It started to tilt before the second story was even finished. By the time it was completed, the eighth floor measured eighteen feet off center. As someone observed, "It is the mistake that became an icon."

In most instances, even the least experienced builder is fully aware of the value of a precise beginning point. A flawless foundation is not just a good idea; it is crucial. When Miss Nancy and I were having our house built, the man digging the foundation was not accurate; so, the building inspector would not approve it, until the man returned to correct his mistake. It does not matter whether it is a building or a life; the foundation is pivotal.

It could not be any better illustrated than what the scriptures teach in Matthew 7:26,27. Jesus gave the parable of a man who built his house on the sand, and another man who built his house on a rock. When the storm arose, it was the proving grounds for each house. (Which house do you think stood the test?) What a travesty, when history records another wasted life, because they were "leaning" in the wrong direction. It is not difficult to conclude that if someone cuts corners on the essentials, they are endangering, not just their personal life, but also, their family. It certainly is not laughable to observe destruction develop, when people by-pass the hard work by first, "digging deep" in laying the foundation, not only for a good life, but a great life. What happens beneath the surface, determines the structure on top.

So let us be mindful of our foundations in faith, family and purpose. For it is in these unseen depths that a life of true stability and lasting impact is built.

Blessings Upon Thee!
Chap

03/31/2026

Chap's Chat - "Be Prepared"

No doubt many sincere people face challenges by staying prepared for daily uncertainties, driven by self-awareness, along with a sense of responsibility toward others. When I was a boy, I was a Boy Scout for a time. The motto for the troop was "Be Prepared." These words have stayed with me all of my life.

I believe it is a bit unrealistic to be prepared for every eventuality. Certainly, we want to be mindful of life's necessities, and even emergencies that may arise; but even, the all-bases-covered kind of person has limitations. None of us possess the ability of knowing everything, thinking everything or doing everything. After all, it is not a violation against our character to admit our humanity. So often, our efforts of preparedness have revolved around the more major considerations of our life: family, home and health. Much of the time, money and energies are devoted to what we evaluate as the larger and more important issues.

Let's look a little deeper into the subject of personal preparedness. I don't know who first said, "I didn't think I would need that, until I did!" However, this quote does beg for our attention and exploration. I think it is a very evocative thought. Most of us eventually learn the lesson that it is often the smaller things which have a way of developing into bigger issues, by simply underestimating or overlooking them. They can end-up steering our whole day. May we begin a new way of appreciating the little things of life; such as:
• An umbrella during a sudden cloud burst
• A flashlight at night for a flat tire emergency
• A safety pin for a failed zipper
How haunting those words, "I didn't think I would need that, until I did," becomes a reality. Yes, the seemingly trivial details can quietly, but assuredly, alter the course of a moment or a whole day.

So, as we part ways another time, I would like to encourage you not to minimize or dismiss the significance of "little things."

As many of you are aware, this coming Sunday is the most significant Christian event of all time. We celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I wouldn't want to fail to wish you and your loved ones, a beautiful and Happy Easter!

Blessings Upon Thee!
Chap

Life Link Community Church

09/01/2026

08/04/2026

07/06/2026

06/01/2026

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