I was recently faced with something, albeit a minor issue, that I was making into a larger one for myself. As I tried to figure out the best way for me to have a healthy perspective towards it, and then from there how to actually handle it, I realized I should look at my dilemma from two realistic viewpoints. First, God was using the situation to test me, my character, and my integrity. Secondly, Satan wanted to utilize it as an opportunity to get me to do something that would compromise who I am and who Jesus wants me to be.
And then I came upon this from the Bible:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
- James 1:2-3
What day do I ever go through without one or more trials of various kinds? - I call that life. But now I can look at each of these challenges as opportunities for personal growth in the form of becoming an endurer, a fighter, someone who sticks and stands firm for those things worth doing so. AND I can get over myself and look at this growth process with not just joy, but mega-joy.
Sort of makes facing tough things come easier and with a bit of appreciation. I can dig that.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Monday, November 30, 2009
"Be Still" Tuesday
Three days ago, Black Friday. As I read my recent emails, today is Cyber Monday, the online retailers version of Black Friday. Nothing like a bit of instigated and unnecessary chaos to remove our focus from life's real priorities.
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10
How about we make tomorrow "Be Still" Tuesday?
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10
How about we make tomorrow "Be Still" Tuesday?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
I Would Have Enjoyed Hanging With TR
With the few things I know about Theodore Roosevelt, he seemed to have been a fascinating man with a "larger than life" presence about him. Someone who realized that many facets of life are indeed part of a battle, which one has to take a stand and make a difference.
I certainly agree. I believe that we are all involved, whether or not we choose to be, in a grand battle of good versus evil. I am an ardent opponent of apathy and mediocrity.
When giving a speech in Paris in 1910, TR remarked:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat."
Bravo and well said, Mr. President.
I certainly agree. I believe that we are all involved, whether or not we choose to be, in a grand battle of good versus evil. I am an ardent opponent of apathy and mediocrity.
When giving a speech in Paris in 1910, TR remarked:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat."
Bravo and well said, Mr. President.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Incarnation version 1.0
In the last few years or so, the end of October has now sadly inaugurated in the "Holiday Season", officially kicked off by Thanksgiving, it's centerpiece of Christmas, and the grand finale being the New Year celebration. The shopping ads pop up on TV while kids are still bloated from recent costumed candy acquisitions.
It's a nice time of year for most, even those not so concerned with things of a spiritual nature, because they get to engage in enjoyable giving. Indeed, for many, it may be the only significant giving event of their year. If not their only, then their most serious time to flex that giving muscle. Exercising one's giving muscle can be a very good thing - life changing even. Just as easily as a person can condition and utilize any muscle, one can do so in an ineffective or even damaging way.
People are making mass pilgrimages to overflowing parking lots and overstocked and overcrowded stores to add to overloaded credit card accounts to flex that muscle. Many will be on a journey to find the perfect gift for someone, racing to actually get a hand on an item before someone else in close pursuit, perhaps getting in an altercation of some sort, or maybe even butting into a checkout line with a death wish, in order to continue on to the next goal of acquiring the next perfect gift for another loved one.
Pheew! I get tired and a little sad just thinking about it.
The gift is presented and another's receiving muscle is exercised a bit (that other side of the previously mentioned process and a fun muscle to use) and sometimes soon after, that perfect gift gets used a little less often, or in some cases little at all, making it's way to a shelf or closet, later to be appearing at a thrift store near you.
This description certainly does not apply to many well intentioned, kind, and gracious Christmas gift givers, and I don't mean to offend them at all. But unfortunately, it does fit quite a number, and many folks just plain falling somewhere in the middle of Christmas giving muscle flexers. While pursuing the perfect gift, they've not succumbed to the pursuit by the Perfect Gift.
The Reason for CHRISTmas totally blows me away. What can I say about it - how can I or anyone else find adequate words to express the miracle and majesty of it? The truth is we can't; but we can try, and praise God in the process. I love the Christmas season and celebrate it in my heart all the year long because of what it truly means.
Let's back up in time quite a bit. God is in total delight creating stuff. Really cool stuff like pomegranates, dolphins, pelicans, and elephants (who doesn't dig elephants, especially baby ones with those cute little trunks and tails). He really loves what he's doing and is certainly in a groove, but he takes it to a whole different level. He makes man. Then he pulls out all the stops and makes woman. The man and woman are actually spiritual beings, made in God's very own image, unlike any of the previous and marvelous things he's brought into being. But the man and woman totally mess it all up, destroying the phenomenal relationship they enjoyed and shared with God.
Now go with me to Roman occupied and oppressed Palestine 2,000 years ago. Inside a cave the aroma of livestock fills the air as is typical of stables. A young woman and man are smiling at each other as a precious little newborn squirms in his mother's arms. They have been through so very much, but now the little one has arrived. The King of kings, Lord of all creation, lays there totally innocent and dependent on his parents for his care and comfort. Does that not just almost knock you down...take your breath away? The Father giving his Son. The Son willingly becoming a baby, to live among us, grow up to manhood among us, relate to us, teach us, heal us, cry over us. And then to be brutally tortured and killed for us.
This is what we refer to as Jesus' incarnation. He became man. The God-Man. 100% God. 100% man. He didn't give up any part of being God. But he willing allowed himself to experience the reality of humanity. He laughed, enjoyed friendships over good meals, made useful things with his hands. He felt thirst, was tempted, and experienced great anguish. He felt excruciating pain as whips and nails sliced through his very human flesh, muscles, nerves, and more. And then, like no other man, the God-Man, who from eternity past had enjoyed endless joy in perfect relationship with the Father, experienced separation from him as he was sacrificed for each and every sin of each and every individual, past, present, and future. That's you and that's me. But he conquered death and evil. He was restored to fellowship with the Father and is with him again. He has sent us the Spirit to help us.
That, my friends, is a gift. The Gift. No gift gets any more perfect than that. And that is CHRISTmas. May you and those you love and care about experience the greatest Christmas ever.
It's a nice time of year for most, even those not so concerned with things of a spiritual nature, because they get to engage in enjoyable giving. Indeed, for many, it may be the only significant giving event of their year. If not their only, then their most serious time to flex that giving muscle. Exercising one's giving muscle can be a very good thing - life changing even. Just as easily as a person can condition and utilize any muscle, one can do so in an ineffective or even damaging way.
People are making mass pilgrimages to overflowing parking lots and overstocked and overcrowded stores to add to overloaded credit card accounts to flex that muscle. Many will be on a journey to find the perfect gift for someone, racing to actually get a hand on an item before someone else in close pursuit, perhaps getting in an altercation of some sort, or maybe even butting into a checkout line with a death wish, in order to continue on to the next goal of acquiring the next perfect gift for another loved one.
Pheew! I get tired and a little sad just thinking about it.
The gift is presented and another's receiving muscle is exercised a bit (that other side of the previously mentioned process and a fun muscle to use) and sometimes soon after, that perfect gift gets used a little less often, or in some cases little at all, making it's way to a shelf or closet, later to be appearing at a thrift store near you.
This description certainly does not apply to many well intentioned, kind, and gracious Christmas gift givers, and I don't mean to offend them at all. But unfortunately, it does fit quite a number, and many folks just plain falling somewhere in the middle of Christmas giving muscle flexers. While pursuing the perfect gift, they've not succumbed to the pursuit by the Perfect Gift.
The Reason for CHRISTmas totally blows me away. What can I say about it - how can I or anyone else find adequate words to express the miracle and majesty of it? The truth is we can't; but we can try, and praise God in the process. I love the Christmas season and celebrate it in my heart all the year long because of what it truly means.
Let's back up in time quite a bit. God is in total delight creating stuff. Really cool stuff like pomegranates, dolphins, pelicans, and elephants (who doesn't dig elephants, especially baby ones with those cute little trunks and tails). He really loves what he's doing and is certainly in a groove, but he takes it to a whole different level. He makes man. Then he pulls out all the stops and makes woman. The man and woman are actually spiritual beings, made in God's very own image, unlike any of the previous and marvelous things he's brought into being. But the man and woman totally mess it all up, destroying the phenomenal relationship they enjoyed and shared with God.
Now go with me to Roman occupied and oppressed Palestine 2,000 years ago. Inside a cave the aroma of livestock fills the air as is typical of stables. A young woman and man are smiling at each other as a precious little newborn squirms in his mother's arms. They have been through so very much, but now the little one has arrived. The King of kings, Lord of all creation, lays there totally innocent and dependent on his parents for his care and comfort. Does that not just almost knock you down...take your breath away? The Father giving his Son. The Son willingly becoming a baby, to live among us, grow up to manhood among us, relate to us, teach us, heal us, cry over us. And then to be brutally tortured and killed for us.
This is what we refer to as Jesus' incarnation. He became man. The God-Man. 100% God. 100% man. He didn't give up any part of being God. But he willing allowed himself to experience the reality of humanity. He laughed, enjoyed friendships over good meals, made useful things with his hands. He felt thirst, was tempted, and experienced great anguish. He felt excruciating pain as whips and nails sliced through his very human flesh, muscles, nerves, and more. And then, like no other man, the God-Man, who from eternity past had enjoyed endless joy in perfect relationship with the Father, experienced separation from him as he was sacrificed for each and every sin of each and every individual, past, present, and future. That's you and that's me. But he conquered death and evil. He was restored to fellowship with the Father and is with him again. He has sent us the Spirit to help us.
That, my friends, is a gift. The Gift. No gift gets any more perfect than that. And that is CHRISTmas. May you and those you love and care about experience the greatest Christmas ever.
Friday, October 23, 2009
"Houston...we have a problem."
PARADIGM 153: Houston, this is P153.
Control: Yes P153, this is Control. We've got you loud and clear. Everything OK? Over.
P153: Houston...we have a problem...
Control: Roger that, P. What's the dealio?
P153: Uh. Houston...repeat. I say, repeat, over.
Control: Copy that, P. I said what's up, Buttercup? Over.
P153: Uh. Houston? Is that you?
Control: If you mean Blogoshere Control, yeppers. But we're not in Houston. You're thinking of those NASA dudes. We're in... well never mind that. What seems to be the prob, Bob?
PARADIGM 153: My name's not Bob. And what's with all the pseudo hip talk?
Control: We're tech types so we're not so good when we try to flingo the lingo. Capeesh? Now what's the problem, or we'll have to disconnect. Haven't you been blog cruisin' lately? There are countless blogs that are in deep self-inflicted trouble!
P153: Yeah, yeah. No kidding. OK, OK. Well, I had announced a little while ago after not blogging awhile that I was back and going to blog regularly. I love to write, and I'm committed to having a quality blog worth people's time and effort, but I've not been blogging like I said I would.
Control: Oh come on! I thought it was something really serious. Hmmm, let's see how we can fix this...Oh, how about this? GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND BLOG!!!
P153: Uh, gee. Thanks. (Pure genius).
Control: Hey, lazy boy, I can hear your parentheses, thank you very much! Don't make me come out there from Monkey's Eyebrow and...!
P153: Where?
Control: Never mind! Just get blogging again and keep blogging! Control, over and out!
P153: Sheesh!
Control: Yes P153, this is Control. We've got you loud and clear. Everything OK? Over.
P153: Houston...we have a problem...
Control: Roger that, P. What's the dealio?
P153: Uh. Houston...repeat. I say, repeat, over.
Control: Copy that, P. I said what's up, Buttercup? Over.
P153: Uh. Houston? Is that you?
Control: If you mean Blogoshere Control, yeppers. But we're not in Houston. You're thinking of those NASA dudes. We're in... well never mind that. What seems to be the prob, Bob?
PARADIGM 153: My name's not Bob. And what's with all the pseudo hip talk?
Control: We're tech types so we're not so good when we try to flingo the lingo. Capeesh? Now what's the problem, or we'll have to disconnect. Haven't you been blog cruisin' lately? There are countless blogs that are in deep self-inflicted trouble!
P153: Yeah, yeah. No kidding. OK, OK. Well, I had announced a little while ago after not blogging awhile that I was back and going to blog regularly. I love to write, and I'm committed to having a quality blog worth people's time and effort, but I've not been blogging like I said I would.
Control: Oh come on! I thought it was something really serious. Hmmm, let's see how we can fix this...Oh, how about this? GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND BLOG!!!
P153: Uh, gee. Thanks. (Pure genius).
Control: Hey, lazy boy, I can hear your parentheses, thank you very much! Don't make me come out there from Monkey's Eyebrow and...!
P153: Where?
Control: Never mind! Just get blogging again and keep blogging! Control, over and out!
P153: Sheesh!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Intsy Wintsy, but Phenomenal
I was driving to an appointment yesterday, when I noticed up in the left-hand corner of my windshield, an extremely tiny spider. It was about the size of a small tick and a kind of light tan neutral color. This little guy was staying on my windshield with seemingly little effort at all. I thought that was rather cool.
Not intending to hurt my tiny ride hitcher, but to satisfy my curiosity, I juiced my car a bit, and then a bit more, and... This amazing little creature was able to stay on a glass surface going over 70! And when I slowed and came to a stop, he merely walked off onto the top of my car.
What a simple pleasure. To be entertained by this minuscule (in physical size, mind you) miracle. To be able to glorify his Creator for his phenomenal design and creativity manifested in the little and so overlooked examples, such as my 8 legged passenger. I hope he made it back home and is still enjoying my car. Thanks God.
Not intending to hurt my tiny ride hitcher, but to satisfy my curiosity, I juiced my car a bit, and then a bit more, and... This amazing little creature was able to stay on a glass surface going over 70! And when I slowed and came to a stop, he merely walked off onto the top of my car.
What a simple pleasure. To be entertained by this minuscule (in physical size, mind you) miracle. To be able to glorify his Creator for his phenomenal design and creativity manifested in the little and so overlooked examples, such as my 8 legged passenger. I hope he made it back home and is still enjoying my car. Thanks God.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Learning from Julia
I just recently went to see the new movie Julie & Julia, so get ready for a bit of passionate writing. Why? For one thing, it's hard for me not to most of the time. And in the case of this entry I've got a few reasons. One, I'm a food lover, used to work as a chef, and a big Julia Child fan, so that's a lot of fuel on the passion fire from the get-go. Two, I'm always fired up about leadership and people who contribute uniqueness to the world. Three, I'm just plain all-out passionate about passion, and this lady had it in spades.
Julia Child had so much to do with how we enjoy food today; she was an ambassador for not only leading many on their premiere culinary journeys from canned and bland processed food to fresh, but for those who got what she was about, which you can see in this film, she grabbed life by the tail and hug on for the ride, laughing and bringing others along with her.
She was a pioneer in communicating to those living outside the culinary Eden which is France, not only what to experience but how to make it happen in their own American kitchens. 
Pots that had only held grim and bland pot roasts were now giving birth to wonderful cassoulets (is it an accident that "soul" is in that word) with aroma and flavor that would peel the wallpaper right off of those abused and underutilized kitchens. And she did it with humble style, fun, effectiveness, and without taking herself too seriously. It wasn't about her, it was about fanning the flame of her passion as a genuine gift to others. She was infectious. Look beside the dictionary entry for "fun, vibrant, visionary, mold-breaking, disarming ambassador" and you'll find Julia Child's picture.
Pots that had only held grim and bland pot roasts were now giving birth to wonderful cassoulets (is it an accident that "soul" is in that word) with aroma and flavor that would peel the wallpaper right off of those abused and underutilized kitchens. And she did it with humble style, fun, effectiveness, and without taking herself too seriously. It wasn't about her, it was about fanning the flame of her passion as a genuine gift to others. She was infectious. Look beside the dictionary entry for "fun, vibrant, visionary, mold-breaking, disarming ambassador" and you'll find Julia Child's picture. So why all the fuss? Are you kidding me? Not many achieve what this woman did nor in the way she did it. Isn't it so very easy to see the example this woman sets for us, or is it just me? All the things we attempt to achieve in ministry - effective leadership, vision casting, contagious passion, persevering against the accepted norm, humility, enjoying God's gifts...Julia seemed to get. Without any expert or consultant. She lead her way. And was loved dearly by millions.
When the film credits began to roll, the theater began to applaud. I happily joined them. Only God knows the heart, but to my knowledge Julia did not profess to know Christ. If that is true, and I won't know until I go to my heavenly home and look for her, the thought breaks my heart. What a life well lived. What fullness. She "got" so many things that so many "Christians" don't get. She made so many people happy to be around her. Just imagine what God might have done through her had she been a follower. I can just picture her slicing some fresh, aromatic mushrooms on her TV show and thanking Jesus in that unique smile invoking voice for his tasty gift from the ground, not a care at all of what her viewers might think. We can all learn more than a thing or two from Julia Child.
We all know Jesus loves food, and the dynamic of fellowship that surrounds a meal. We all know that he wants us to have a voracious appetite for the life he offers each of us and to others through us. There's really only one thing left to say at this point. Imagine it though with a certain unique pitch, tone, and a smile. Bon Appetit!
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