I Almost Lost It

Posted: May 25, 2010 in Family, Leadership, Life
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Last week was a very busy week for me.  I had something scheduled every single day. It seemed like I had something scheduled every hour.

I went home for a brief moment to clean up, change clothes and prepare to return to the regularly scheduled programming of my busy life. As I went to leave, I realized I had misplaced my phone.  I began the frantic search to find it.  I looked everywhere. Under the couch. In the bedroom.  In the bathroom. On the stairs.  On the kitchen table.  I even looked in the refrigerator.  Hey…you never know!

At the heat of the search, my five year old son kept trying to talk to me.  “Daddy, I want to tell you something.”

He interrupted me numerous times.  He was following me from room to room.  Trying to talk to me, trying to get my attention.

However, his dad had more important things to do, had places to be, had people to see…his dad did not have time to talk.  Couldn’t he understand?

Then, after searching for my phone for almost thirty minutes, I gave up because I had to leave.

As I left, my son met me at the door and looked up at me with his big brown eyes and said, “Dad, I just wanted to tell you something… I found your phone…here.”

Wow…

There are so many things I could say right here.  But I will just say this.  Do not let the busyness of life rob you of the importance of life.  Because, in our busyness it is possible to miss the fact that what we are searching for may be right in front of our face.

Stop the Noise!

Posted: May 17, 2010 in Life
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The television.  The radio. The computer. The phone. The news. The neighbors. The kids. The boss. The co-workers. My own mind…  Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the noise of the world we live in?

I love music.  I enjoy movies.  I like sports.  I enjoy my kids. I love my wife. I like my job. I appreciate good conversation. I like to web surf. But sometimes…the continual flow of information and input takes what should be enjoyable and makes me want to scream, “Stop the Noise!!” 

However, on the other hand, it seems I have become addicted to the noise.  Always having my phone and checking e-mail, facebook, websites, blogs, etc.  If I’m not on the phone, I’m at my computer.  Then, to relax, I turn on the radio or TV.

I’m just wondering…what is my addiction?  Is it a need to be connected? Is it a need for more input?  Is it a need for information? Why do I desire the very noise I want to stop?!

There does seem to be a place in the depths of my heart that cries out for more than the noise.  There is a cry for something that will speak to the deepest place of my being.  I long for what will touch my desire for belonging, for purpose and for a connection with something or someone greater than myself.

In the midst of all of the noise, I guess what I really want is… to know God. I mean…to not just know about Him, but to truly know Him.

But, to know Him, I need to hear Him. I know He speaks.

And I know He speaks to us through His written Word.  So in my quest to hear from Him, I found this:

A wonderful passage in the book of 1 Kings, Chapter 19, verses 11-12.

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

My addiction to noise can never take the place of the still small voice of the Lord.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalms 46:10

God, speak to me.  I am listening.

I Choose…

Posted: May 11, 2010 in Leadership, Life
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I was thinking about yesterday.  Actually, I was thinking about many yesterdays. I have lived long enough to have built up quite a collection. 

There are many things stored in my yesterdays: Good memories; Bad memories; Painful memories; Joyful memories.  And within each memory, there are multiple emotions waiting to be relived: joy, sadness, anger, hope, anxiety, love, remorse, happiness.

Then I thought about tomorrow.  Tomorrow is powerful. Tomorrow simultaneously brings the hope of new beginnings and the dread of problems or the pain of bad situations that never seem to change.  Sometimes tomorrow looks promising; sometimes it worries me and fills my heart with dread.

When I look at yesterday, I often want to go back in time and fix things I messed up.  Or, go back and relive joyful moments I never want to forget. When I look at tomorrow, I want to leap ahead and see what is about to happen.  I want to see the future so I can prepare for the worst or make sure I don’t miss something good that is about to take place.

And when I am done reminiscing about yesterday and dreaming about tomorrow, I realize where I am. I am here. Not in yesterday. Not in tomorrow. But I am here…in the moment of today.  And it is then I begin to live. 

For while yesterday holds the power of memories gone by and tomorrow possesses the attraction of the unknown moments ahead, it is today which wins the contest for my attention. 

Yesterday you are powerful; you can hold me back or propel me forward. Tomorrow, you are strong with your ability to infuse me with hope or weigh me down with worry. But today, only in you can I actually live. 

So thank you yesterday for the memories. Thank you tomorrow for the promise of new beginnings.  But, I choose today, because only you are the gift from God that gives me the opportunity to live.

I have instructed you TODAY…so that your confidence may be in the Lord. Proverbs 22:19

That’s What He Said!

Posted: May 5, 2010 in Leadership, Life
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I confess.  I am a collector.  You might even call me a hoarder.  What is it that I hoard you may ask. Well, there is one thing of which I just cannot get enough: words…quotes to be exact.

I love quotes.  I read them; I think about them; I collect them.

So please, allow me if you will to share a brief sample of my collection.  Enjoy!

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” Chinese Proverb.

Sometimes the result is not as important as the obedience.  Pastor R. L. Smith

It’s better to inch your way toward the right finish line than to finish first place in the wrong race. Steven Furtick

“No man ever listened himself out of a job.” -Calvin Coolidge

Prayer is a means of bringing us into conformity with God’s will, not a magic mantra that ensures God’s conformity to ours. (unknown)

“Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.” – Anon

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. -Thomas Jefferson

I won’t let worry about my future or regrets of my past rob me of present possibilities. Steven Furtick

Good things come to those who wait, but great things come to those who are proactive. (unknown)

Cowardice asks: Is it safe? Consensus asks: Is it popular? Character asks: Is it right? -Martin Luther King Jr

When we automatically assume the worse about people then we cannot effectively lead them! -Perry Noble

Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself. Faulkner

Do not let what you can’t do, hinder what you can do. (unknown)

“The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.” John Maxwell

“Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.” John Maxwell

A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader; a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves. (Unknown)

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.  Albert Einstein

Good leadership is about developing a rhythm of life, not an equation.  Nancy Ortberg

Our ability to love is reflected in our capacity to forgive. ~ Nancy Ortberg

An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. Jeff Mallett

People learn more from your admission of weaknesses than faking strengths. It builds hope that God could use them too.  RickWarren

God will purify our motives as we walk out our Godly ambitions.  Derek Levendusky

“True greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you. True service is never without cost” – J. Oswald Sanders

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Jesus Christ

Again, like I said, I am a collector. So, feel free to comment and leave some of your own.  I would love to add them to my collection.

I Just Needed One

Posted: April 28, 2010 in Life
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You may or may not be a football fan. You might care less about the latest NFL draft.  However, fan or not, it is difficult to ignore the Tim Tebow story.

Tebow was born on August 14, 1987 to missionary parents in the Philippines. While pregnant with him, his mother contracted a life-threatening infection.  The drugs used to save her caused him to be separated from the placenta while in the womb.  The Doctors expected a stillbirth and recommended an abortion to save her life.  She chose to go full term and Tim was born.

He flourished in High School football, even as a home-schooler.  He was allowed to play on a local public high school team (amid some controversy), in which he was selected the High School Player of the Year for the state of Florida: twice. 

He is best known as the College Quarterback for the Florida Gators, for which he was a Heisman winner and a part of two Championship winning teams.

Many football experts say he was one of the greatest college players to ever play the game.  But these same experts declare, “…he will never make it in the NFL, because he is not a pro-style QuarterBack…He has a bad throwing motion…he runs too much…”

When the Denver Broncos made a controversial decision to take him in the first round of the NFL draft, the critics were quick to voice their disapproval.

But there was something very powerful in Tebow’s response when a reporter reminded him of all of his critics; of how many people did not believe in him; of how many coaches did not embrace his style; of how many teams did not like him.

Tim’s answer was simple: “I don’t need all of the teams to like me, I just needed one”

What a powerful statement.

It’s easy in life to be obsessed with fitting in; always worried about what other people think of us.  But all we really need to worry about is what The One thinks about us. 

Matthew 6:34

34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Win or lose, I think Tim Tebow is going to be just fine.  God help us to quit worrying about what “they” think about us and just live for The One that matters most.

What do you do?

Posted: April 20, 2010 in Life
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So…what do you do? 

How many times have you heard this question?

It seems the question of choice when meeting new people or even connecting with an old acquaintance.  It seems to be the question by which many judge or measure the worth of a person.  How you answer that question gives a glimpse of who you are; how much you make; how you live; your place in this world.

But if what I do is my job; should that define who I am?

As a full time Minister I have been thinking about the question.  And I have been thinking about my answer. It has caused me to pause and re-evaluate my response.  So go ahead…ask me…ask me what I do.

Me…What do I do?

Primarily, I do three things: I follow, I love and I protect.

First, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. This is what I do; this is who I am.

Second, I am a husband – a lover of my wife. This is what I do; this is who I am.

Third, I am a father – a protector of my children. This is what I do; this is who I am.

And then, in my spare time…I am a Minister.  And I love what I do, because it is who I am.

So, let me ask you this question…

What do you do? 

Little Teachers

Posted: April 14, 2010 in Family, Life
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Have you ever experienced this?  You are in the middle of a conversation.  And honestly, you are not really listening.  Then, something is said that pulls you back into the moment, grabs your attention, and impacts your life.

I’ve had those conversations.  In fact, I had one just the other day.  I was talking to two people about their schooling.  They were sharing the good and bad of their educational experiences.  One of them shared about a day that was particularly memorable. The other person listened intently, and then she said something that took me from being a casual listener to being fully engaged in the conversation.  She said, “Aww…Kindergarten, that was the best year of my life.”

I laughed as I looked at my sincere little second grade daughter talking to her little brother about the “good old days”.

Admittedly, I learn a lot from listening to my children.  My seven year old daughter looking at kindergarten as the good old days spoke to me…after I quit laughing.  She made me think about what really matters.  She caused me to take personal inventory of my priorities.  And she made me want to be a kid again.

Sometimes, we as adults can take ourselves too seriously. 

Jesus said,

Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in. Mark 10:15

God help us to look at life as little children lest we miss the best He has for us.

Chocolate Broccoli

Posted: April 6, 2010 in Life, Uncategorized
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You know… I love God.  And I appreciate the world He has made and all He has done for me. But, sometimes I wonder why God does things the way He does. Am I the only one?

I get to thinking about what I would do differently if I was Him.  Now please…don’t get me wrong.  I do not want His job.  I’m just daydreaming; thinking out loud.

So, what would I do differently? Well, the first thing I would do is make everything taste like chocolate.  Now wouldn’t that be something?!  Broccoli would taste like chocolate. Brussel sprouts would taste like chocolate; liver would taste like chocolate. Everything would taste like chocolate!

But, if everything tasted like chocolate, then what would chocolate taste like?  Well, of course it would taste like chocolate.  The problem being, I would not really know what chocolate tasted like, because everything tasted the same.  Chocolate would no longer be the sweet treat for which I and so many others crave.  It would no longer be a child’s reward for finishing his dinner; or the special treat given on holidays and special occasions.  Chocolate would no longer be known as chocolate because everything was chocolate.

You know, sometimes I wonder why there is evil in the world?  Why do bad things happen?  It’s kind of like me as a kid asking, “Why in the world is there brussel sprouts and broccoli?”  (Now, you may like brussel sprouts and broccoli, but I’m not a big fan.)

As much as I do not like pain, suffering, disease, hard times, hate, meanness, and evil – the reality is: if these things did not exist, I would not know what love, healing, kindness, compassion, and good were. 

Without darkness, I would never see the light. 

That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Romans 8:18-19

I think I’ll just let God keep being who He is and I’ll just keep eating my broccoli; because nothing else makes me appreciate a good piece of chocolate like enduring a plate full of the green stuff.

Easter…What’s the Big Deal?

Posted: April 1, 2010 in Seasonal
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Easter.  “What’s the big deal?” you may ask. “Beyond bunnies, eggs, and chocolate – is there something deeper that would really impact my life?  There is the whole thing about Jesus.  He died on a cross; he was buried for three days; he came back to life.  But what does that have to do with me?”

 Have you ever experienced the loss of something you loved: A relationship gone bad; loss of a job; the death of a dream; or maybe…the loss of someone you cared for more than anything else? 

 Loss in any form is painful.  Even for God.  That may seem bold for me to declare, but I believe it’s true.  Why else would God sacrifice his own Son, unless the relationship He desires with us meant everything to Him?

 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

 The celebration of Easter is no big deal without the recognition of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Why?  Because the process of the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus was God’s way of restoring what was most important to Him; namely…you and me.

Easter may just be a holiday for many.  But the Resurrection…that was the final act of a three part play in which God said, “I made you, I love you, and I want you back.”

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Unwritten

Posted: March 30, 2010 in Life
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Have you ever thought about what it is that makes life worth living?  It seems that everyone has a different idea of how to answer that question.  However, one thing is for sure: we all have the same 24 hours a day to give towards what we think is worth our time.

There’s a passage in the Bible in the Book of Ephesians that says

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time 

I often wonder…if my life was a book, what would I want to edit? What would I want to rewrite? And what is it that has yet to be written?

Realistically, there is no way for me to change the past, or remove the consequences of decisions I have already made.  However, I do have the ability to make right choices now.  A new chapter can begin today. I can take the time to tell people I love them; to forgive those who have wronged me; to take a step towards a dream yet unfullfilled.

If my life was a book, the greatest tradgedy would be if the best chapters were never read because they were never even written.

Life is worth living.  Live like you believe that and don’t leave any days, moments or heartfelt feelings out of the book you were meant to live.  Do not let your life be UnWritten.

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